Kingdom Name: Liang
Kingdom Colors: Green and yellow, although traditionally the colors are red and gold. There is a new flag due to King Ming Mei wanting to get away from Liang's feudal past.

King and Queen:
Ming Mei (no queen)

Ming is a pragmatic and rational man, unlike his older brother, who had his head in the clouds. He can be brutally honest, and thinks that he's too old for the petty games that the younger members of court like to play. He would much rather go back to his home in the mountains and live out the rest of his days in peace than rule a country, but he does his duty for Mai and Zhou's sake. Ming always had a strained relationship with the rest of his family besides his older brother (Mai's father). He has come to love both his niece and son dearly, and he loves his country just as much. Despite his age, Ming has a quick intellect and a sharp tongue. He exudes an aura of authority and dignity, even though Liang isn't exactly the most powerful of nations at the moment. Ming is known to make practical laws and reforms that benefit all.

What the Kingdom is Known For: Liang has always been one of the largest nations in the world. Its vast territory includes deserts and mountain ranges and grasslands and rivers, and along banks of the Yellow River was where one of the first ancient civilizations developed.

Liangii luxury goods were especially coveted all throughout history. From the earliest traders to the industrialists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, everyone wanted Liangii silk, Liangii porcelain, Liangii scented wood...and although factories and industrialization have made silk and porcelain widely available to all, Liangii still retains its status as the original producer of these valuable goods.

Finally, Liang is known for its significant cultural and political contributions. Western forms of government can trace some of its roots back to the Confucius and the civil service exams; and centralized bureaucracies have become all the rage. Culturally, Liang is known for its vibrant and ancient customs and traditions, from elaborate hairpieces to martial arts to stone lions.

Kingdom History: Liang is a country with a long, rich history that spans from the dawn of civilization to the modern times. One of the first centers of civilization developed on the banks of the Yellow River, and it flourished at the same time that other river valley civilizations such as Mesopotamia and the city-states of the Indus River valley were developing and prospering and declining. The very first dynasty of Liang is considered to be a legend; the existence of the Xia Dynasty has never been confirmed. However, by 1500 BCE, the Shang Dynasty was in power. The foundations of the ideographs characteristic of the written language of Liang date back to the Shang Dynasty. After the Shang Dynasty collapsed around 1000 BCE, the Zhou Dynasty took control over the piece of land surrounding the Yellow River that would eventually develop into modern-day Liang. It was during the Zhou Dynasty that feudalism was first established as an institution in Liang. The idea that the ruling family possessed the "Mandate of Heaven" which gave them the divine right to rule and that the ruling family would lose it when they became cruel or ineffective rulers surfaced during the Zhou Dynasty. The Mandate of Heaven legitimized the Zhou Dynasty's rule, and it would remain as a powerful force in Liang politics for almost three thousand years.

As all dynasties do, the Zhou Dynasty eventually fell from power. Due to the decentralized nature of the Zhou Dynasty's government, many wealthy landowners had acquired a considerable amount of influence and sway over politics in Liang. This led to the Warring States period, and after considerable infighting, the short-lived Qin Dynasty-which is notable for building the Great Wall of China, its harsh Legalist policies, and standardizing things like currency and measurements in Liang.

After the Qin Dynasty came the famed Han Dynasty and its great achievements in politics and science and technology. The Han Dynasty is especially notable for creating the public service examinations. The Han Dynasty rose, prospered, declined, and collapsed, launching Liang into another period of internal strife around 220 CE.

Fast forward another couple hundred years, and another centralized dynasty emerges-the Sui Dynasty, which was followed by the Tang and then the Song. The Tang Dynasty saw a flourishing of Liang culture and is commonly regarded as Liang's "golden age". The Song Dynasty was overrun by Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan, and the Yuan Dynasty-established by Kubilai Khan-took power in 1271 CE. Discontent with being ruled by foreigners, resistance to the Yuan Dynasty mounted until the native Liang rose up and overthrew the Mongols and established the Ming Dynasty...and the Ming Dynasty rose, flourished, declined, and fell, to be replaced by the Qing Dynasty.

By now it was a familiar story-each and every dynasty would rise to power, prosper for some time, and then fall. Then, a new dynasty would take its place. It was no wonder that the people of Liang expected nothing less; this same dynastic cycle had been repeating itself for thousands of years, every since the Shang Dynasty of 1500 BCE. Throughout Liang's long and complicated history, it had been relatively isolated from the rest of the world. Early centralization and skill in bronze work had launched their science and technology to arguably the best in the world, rivaling that of the most advanced civilizations of the time. Paper, printing presses, gunpowder, seismographs, silk, porcelain...they all originated from Liang. And like the Western powers, Liang had done some exploration-and found nothing that they wanted. Liang generally had a very isolationist policy; and why not? They had everything they needed in their own country, and held a favorable balance of trade with the Europeans that wanted to get their hands on Liang silk and porcelain and luxury goods.

However, developments that were occurring outside of Liang would change the course of its history. While the Ming Dynasty was in power, the European nations underwent their Renaissance and Age of Exploration, and soon enough, a bit after the Qing Dynasty was established, they went through their Enlightenment period and industrialization. All of these developments effectively propelled Western technology to far above anything found in Liang. During the nineteenth century, European countries began to put pressure on Liang to open up their country to foreign trade. Eventually, this led to the Opium Wars, in which the Qing armies were flat-out crushed.

Liang entered a period of turmoil that spanned from the late 1800's to the 1950's that featured growing internal unrest and external pressures, and it seemed like the Qing Dynasty would collapse onto itself. During this period, a family of relatively humble origins sought to influence politics enough with cunning diplomacy and well-placed threats to keep the nation together while distinct factions of varying ideologies began to form, the most prominent of them being the nationalists and the socialists. In a bold and daring move that defied all of Liang's traditions, Li Mei married into the Qing Dynasty in hopes of pacifying the common people, as Li himself was regarded as the self-made common man. For a while, it seemed like this ambitious ploy had worked out. Liang lapsed into peace for a couple of years, but the shortcomings of the plan soon became apparent. Li Mei was a better military leader than a ruler, and he ruled too much with his emotions and not enough with his head. To make matters worse, the Empress was extremely conservative, stuck in the ways of the past and refusing to allow for much-needed reforms. Li Mei was assassinated by a group of nobles who were discontent with his policies, and the second-oldest brother of the Mei family-Mai's father-was given the throne at the age of fifteen.

Mai's father was in power under the guise of the Qing Dynasty for about twenty years, and during these twenty years, the imperial dynasty's power steadily began to wan as the Empress and other nobles pulled the strings behind the scenes. During the 1980's, the nearby island-nation known as the Empire of Nippon-allied with a couple Western powers-launched a renewed invasion, which forced Liang to give out even more trading concessions.

In 1995, the Qing Dynasty was on the brink of disintegration. Six months after Mai Mei was born and sent away to live with Ming Mei (the youngest brother of the Mei family) in the Black Mountains, serfs stormed the capital city of Lianjing and slaughtered the royal family and the nobility. An all-out civil war erupted, with a score of distinct factions that possessed different political ideologies that had been biding their time since Li Mei married into the Qing Dynasty vying for power. The Empire of Nippon also decided to launch yet another invasion in hopes to take over Liang once and for all. The separate factions fought and fought and fought, and eventually there was only one left: the socialists. During the bloody civil war, Ming Mei came out of isolation, getting back in touch with old allies and friends, and creating his own faction to oppose the socialists.

With most of the other factions dissolved or falling apart, there was only the socialist faction left to eliminate before monarchical rule could be re-established. This group generated widespread support with its ideas of social equality and sharing all property, something which greatly appealed to those that remembered the huge wealth gap present when the Qing Dynasty and the Mei brothers were in power. However, the socialists were intent on purging Liang on all traditional influences, and they alienated the upper and middle class by actively persecuting them just because they happened to have more money. Ming managed to win the support of the wealthy, and the rest is history. With more funds than the socialists could ever imagine to accrue, Ming was able to raise a considerable army and buy firepower from foreign nations, while the socialists were stuck using crossbows and outdated artillery. After defeating the socialists in a series of battles that were concentrated on the socialist strongholds, Ming was finally able to take power-albeit reluctantly-and bring about the revival of the monarchy.

When he became king, Ming lived frugally, which got the common people on his side. Ming abolished feudalism, redistributed the wealth, and modernized the country with help from a few foreign allies. Since the socialists had pretty much killed off all of the landed gentry, Ming was able to give the vacated land to the public and encourage industrialization. He began establishing foreign relations with friendly countries to help this industrialization into fruition. Ming named Mai as his heir as soon as he took power, because although he was a spry old man, he still was old and wouldn't live forever-plus he never married and never had children. And so began a new dynasty: the so-called Liang Dynasty, to represent all of Liang.

Nickname: Rose (a nickname given to her by Casimir D'strad of Ortha, due to the fact that her name translates to "rose" in English)

Birth date and age: June 10th, 21

Sexuality: Asexual

In Depth Appearance:
Mai (or Rose) is taller than average, standing at five feet and eight inches. She is about 125 pounds, giving her a rather slender figure. Mai has thick, wavy, midnight-black hair that goes down to her waist and relatively pale skin. Her eyes are a chocolate brown color, and Mai has naturally long eyelashes. She has a heart-shaped face and long, thin fingers. Mai has rosebud lips that are usually painted a deep red color. She has a sort of delicate and dainty look to her, despite the fact that she is tall and willowy. Mai likes dressing up and takes great pride in her appearance.

Mai typically sports some sort of dress (she likes them because there is plenty of space to hide something under the skirts, plus they are just so goddamn pretty) and does almost everything in a pair of high heels. Her preferred color scheme is red, black, and gold, although she does like to experiment every now and then. Mai absolutely adores traditional Oriental-themed fans and parasols. In terms of cosmetics, Mai is an avid fan of eyeliner, mascara, and even kohl on the occasion. She also absolutely adores lipsticks, though she wouldn't be caught dead in public wearing something as outrageously garish as neon green lipstick (but shh-she does indeed own a tube of neon green lipstick). Mai tends to go rather heavy on the make-up, although she makes sure not to overdo it.




Personality:

Mai has always been a people person. There is something about her that seems to draw others to her-whether it's her carefree laugh, her twinkling eyes, or her bright smiles, no one can say. She enjoys a good conversation about anything and everything and is always willing to talk to others. Mai thinks with her heart when she needs to, but uses her brain at the same time. Behind the eyes sparkling with mirth and the delicate lips curved up in a sultry smile is a woman made of steel who is keenly aware of her surroundings. Mai can process a lot of information at one time, taking in peoples' actions, words, and emotions all at once and forming a conclusion based on what she sees and what she knows. She's always been especially good at figuring out people. Mai is constantly listening even if she doesn't tell the world what she's thinking. Mai is particularly good at detecting when others or lying and lying herself. However, if you are someone Mai believes she can trust, she will shed the half-dazzling and half-seductive smile for a more natural grin and pour her heart out to you with no attempts to manipulate or deceive.

Mai is not "smart" in the usual traditional of the word-complicated mathematics and things like astrophysics and literary analyses all go straight over her head. But Mai has always been a people person, and she knows what makes people tick. She is able to work out what others might think and how they might act based on what she sees and knows about them. Years of being around people with more suspicious motives has led to Mai being initially distrustful wary of strangers. Of course, on the outside, Mai is demure and charming and polite; using a perfect combination of sugary sweetness and sharp wit to detract attention from her real intentions-she has learned to play her part well during the years spent at court and in the presence of her uncle's enemies.

Likes:

• Lipstick
• Things that are stylish yet dangerous (shoes with spiked heels, parasols with blades on the ends, etc)
• Calligraphy
• Getting dressed up
• Roses and all things red
• Liang-she loves her home with all her heart

Dislikes:

• Sloppiness (especially in clothing)
• Untrustworthy people
• People who don't think before they act
• Anything sexual (Mai thinks it's just gross)
• Useless violence and destruction

Fears:

• Feeling like she isn't in control
• Being read like an open book
• Being manipulated or used
• Her uncle being forced to give up power
• A repeat of the extreme violence that she witnessed in her early years
• Liang being invaded and taken over by a foreign power

Biography: When Mai was born, the Liang royalty was on the brink of disintegration. Several distinct factions of varying beliefs and ideologies had risen to power, but all of them agreed on one thing-it was time for the imperial dynasties to go. Liang was technologically behind most major world powers, and although it was large and had plentiful natural resources, the military was stretched far too thin and its techniques were totally backwards. Liang's dire situation came to light about a decade before Mai was born with the invasion of a neighboring nation that caught everybody by surprise. Within a year, Liang was forced to give major trading concessions to a dozen different countries that all wanted to get their hands on the silk, porcelain, and other luxuries that the country was famous for. In response to foreigners taking over their land, jobs, and positions, the people of Liang began to grow more discontent, and the unrest finally broke out in violence when Mai was just half a year old.

The first wave of revolts came from the countryside, where impoverished serfs were suffering from sky-high taxes and no opportunity to better their station in society. Mai's father was not a particularly effective ruler, and her mother was too stuck in tradition and the days of the old. Both of them refused to do anything about the feudal system that was obviously tearing the country apart. And so the violence escalated and people grew angrier and angrier until they eventually stormed the capital city of Lianjing and killed off the entire royal family-all but Mai, who was sent away to be protected by her father's younger brother.

After the royal family was ousted, Liang erupted into an all-out civil war. Each separate faction refused to tolerate the others, and widespread warfare gripped the nation. To make matters worse, the neighboring island-nation known as the Empire of Nippon decided to take advantage of the turmoil and invade Liang. However, Mai lived safely in isolation. Her uncle, Ming Mei, was believed to be dead after he fled from court. Mai's father was the only one to know that Ming had done so because he wanted to pursue a life other than that of a member of the royal family. In his small home near a stretch of imposing mountains known as the Black Mountains, Ming spent his days learning multiple fighting styles and indulging in the arts. He taught Mai everything he knew, and by the time she was fifteen Mai could knock someone out in ten different ways, wield a variety of blades, and paint breathtaking landscapes.

Mai knew from an early age that she was royalty. Ming told her everything as soon as she was old enough to understand it, and Mai has always accepted that one day she would rule-no matter what it took. As she grew up, Ming began to come out of isolation, getting in contact with old friends and allies, most of whom were shocked to find him alive and breathing. The faction in power changed over a dozen times before Mai was ten, and most of the common people were sick and tired of all the fighting. Some even began to wish that the royal family had never been killed, as there were times of prosperity during the reign of Mai's parents despite the fact that they were completely ineffective rulers. Ming used the political instability to his advantage, and formed his own distinct faction-a faction that would support the reinstatement of a monarchical rule.

His efforts finally paid off when Mai was about eleven. With most of the other factions dissolved or falling apart, there was only one more faction to eliminate-the socialists. This group generated widespread support with its ideas of social equality and sharing all property, something which greatly appealed to those that remembered the huge wealth gap present when Mai's parents were in power. However, the socialists were intent on purging Liang on all traditional influences, and they alienated the upper and middle class by actively persecuting them just because they happened to have more money. Ming managed to win the support of the wealthy, and the rest is history. With more funds than the socialists could ever imagine to accrue, Ming was able to raise a considerable army and buy firepower from foreign nations, while the socialists were stuck using crossbows and outdated artillery. After defeating the socialists in a series of battles that were concentrated on the socialist strongholds, Ming was finally able to take power-albeit reluctantly-and bring about the revival of the monarchy.

Due to the nature of his activities, Ming was usually forced to bring Mai along with him because of security reasons. Ming firmly believed that Mai was the safest at his side, no matter what anybody else said. Mai grew up seeing how the poor lived and experiencing it herself, and vowed that she would be a better ruler than any of the faction leaders or her parents. She also encountered many people who would undermine her uncle and everything he stood for if they could, and learned not to judge a book by its cover, so to speak. Mai has seen more than her fair share of violence and destruction in her day, and she has an instinctive mistrust of the military due to the brutal acts carried out by the soldiers of the competing factions and the army of the Empire of Nippon. Mai learned to speak the numerous dialects of Liang, and she grew up speaking the Black Mountain dialect as opposed to the official language (Meridian). She has also learned to speak other languages, including English and Spanish (although she has a slight accent with English and an atrocious accent with Spanish, which she is well aware of and working to get rid of). Ming Mei also made sure that he taught her all that he knew of court intrigue. When he became king, Ming lived frugally, which got the common people on his side. Ming abolished feudalism, redistributed the wealth, and modernized the country with help from a few foreign allies. Since the socialists had pretty much killed off all of the landed gentry, Ming was able to give the vacated land to the public and encourage industrialization. He began establishing foreign relations with friendly countries to help this industrialization into fruition. Mai's teenage years were spent living in a beautiful palace with courtiers and officials running every which way. Ming named her as his heir as soon as he took power, because although he was a spry old man, he still was old and wouldn't live forever-plus he never married and never had children. Ming also arranged a marriage for Mai in order to secure an alliance that would greatly help the industrialization process going on. Mai didn't like it, but she recognized that she would have to go through with the marriage in order to ensure the survival of her uncle's precarious reign.

As for Zhou-Mai's cousins-Mai was initially very suspicious of him due to the possibility that he could have been working for one of her uncle's enemies, but she has grown fond of him over time and now does not think that he has any ulterior motives at all. Mai does her best to keep him from messing up too much in front of other royalty, although that is a task that is much easier said than done.

Theme Song:
Castle-Halsey
_{I'm headed straight for the castle
They wanna make me their queen
And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean
I'm headed straight for the castle
They've got the kingdom locked up
And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut}

Other:
Color code-FF0000
Face claim: Fan Bingbing

Aesthetic Boards:












Outfit for Grand Ball/General Aesthetic:

🌹𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮
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🌹𝓣𝓲𝓽𝓵𝓮
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🌹𝓐𝓰𝓮
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🌹𝓖𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻
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🌹𝓢𝓮𝔁𝓾𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂
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🌹𝓐𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮
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🌹𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂
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🌹𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 + 𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼
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🌹𝓑𝓲𝓸𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓱𝔂
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🌹𝓕𝓒 + 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓻 𝓒𝓸𝓭𝓮
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🌹𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓮 𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰
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🌹𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓣𝓸
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🌹𝓞𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻
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🌹𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮
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🌹𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓠𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷
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🌹𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓻𝓼
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🌹𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓲𝓼 𝓚𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓕𝓸𝓻
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🌹𝓡𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓽/𝓡𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓿𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓗𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂
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🌹𝓞𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻
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{"Clever as the devil and twice as pretty."}
-Holly Black

♕. NAME: Lady Noelle Selwyn of Rose Point, the White Rose (Noelle rather likes this moniker, which stems from her penchant for white gowns and jewelry)

NICKNAME(S): Elle (to her close friends and family /only/, and excluding her father, of course), the White Rose

{"Even the most beautiful of roses have thorns."}
-Anonymous

AGE: 23
BIRTHDAY: December 17th, 1503
KINGDOM: Corvus
FACECLAIM: Neelam Gill

FAMILY:
-LORD & ADVISOR GABRIEL: father
-LADY JOANNA: mother
-LORD & HEIR GABRIEL II: older brother
-LADY HELENA: older sister

FAMILY HISTORY:

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀♖. HOUSE SELWYN .♖
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⎨for the CROWN.⎬
Jealousy has coursed through House Selwyn since the very beginnings of Corvus. Always the shadow to their royal family's flame, they have bided their time carefully-- plotting and scheming behind closed doors while plastering on good natured grins to point at their king and queen. The current head of the house, Lord Gabriel I, is no exception to this. In fact, he is the epitome of his family's reputation: cunning and ambitious. There is nothing wrong with ambition, unless the person with it doesn't care about others' wellbeing which is the case of the lord and his family. No wonder half the nation thinks Lord Gabriel is behind the assassination of King Draco and Queen Astoria. He pleads innocence of course, and no one has discovered any evidence of his handy work, but he has benefitted from the loss of his king and queen by putting his youngest daughter on the young king's radar. Lord Gabriel knows the kingdom is weak with King Scorpius on the throne and has feigned his support for him by offering his daughter as a wife, when in reality he's only putting his family in a position that will make it easier to seize the throne.

-SIGIL: a hawk carrying a rose
-DOMAIN: Rose Point
-PATRON GOD: God of Death and Riches

POSITIONS: Simply a Lady of Rose Point...for now
LOYALTY: Noelle's loyalty belongs to her house, at the core, but her loyalty to her father in particular is quite shaky. She is torn in between bettering her House (which would involve doing as her father says) and doing what /she/ truly wants (which is becoming even more powerful than her father, at this point). Noelle's loyalty to her mother and older siblings are rock-solid, though. Nothing anyone ever says or does can change that.

Noelle is very careful to preserve her house's honor and reputation, though she hates-and I mean /hates/-her father.

STRENGTHS: Noelle is a very talented shadow elemental, and she is very practical and has both feet planted firmly on the ground. She is capable of saying exactly what she means without saying anything at all, as well as flattering and insulting someone in the same breath. In a physical altercation (not that she would ever seek one of these out-they're so terribly /uncouth/), Noelle would be capable of holding her own with her shadow magic and her pretty little stiletto blades (they're more dangerous than they look!). Where Noelle truly excels, however, is with words and outward appearances. Noelle is more than capable of bandying words about all day long, and she is extremely perceptive when it comes to what others are thinking or feeling. She has all of Corvus seeing her as nothing but an extremely well-mannered noblewoman, and Noelle doesn't know if she loves or hates this.

If information is the game, then Noelle is a merchant of great renown. Capable of lying, manipulating, seducing, or blackmailing her way to someone's secrets, Noelle will have what she wants out of someone before they even realize she has her sights set on them. She changes personas as easily as she changes gowns; one minute, she's a demure young girl with dreamy eyes and a smile like the summer breeze, and the next, she's a coolly charismatic seductress who will play with her victim like a cat plays with a mouse, torturing them with polite words and coy looks.

Noelle fights with words just as well as she fights with her tiny little daggers. She's very discreet about it all, and if she wants to draw blood, you won't know it until the crimson liquid is oozing out of the wound. Noelle hates it when things get messy, though, so she mostly fights with her fluttering eyelashes and coy smiles and threats cleverly disguised as compliments. If she is engaged in an all-out fight (as improbable as it may be), she fights with a deadly, devastating grace, all tricksy shadows and flashing blades.

WEAKNESSES: Noelle has a lack of brute physical strength (it's not /proper/ for young noblewomen to be strong like that!), and an inability to trust others outside her family (and even /within/ her family, come to think of it-Noelle trusts her father just about as far as she can throw him). Noelle has a rather cynical and bitter view of the world (she doesn't believe in true love, for example), and she has a tendency to be very judgmental of others. She burns with a need for vengeance against her father for what he did to her and for what he views her as, though it's more of a slow, steady simmer that Noelle forces deep down inside of her than a raging inferno that has the potential to cause rash words and rasher actions. She believes that people are not inherently good nor evil, but that it is easier to be evil in difficult situations, so people tend to be selfish and greedy-Noelle herself included.

LIKES: pearls, diamonds, and other precious jewels, gowns of silk and satin, intricate lacework, the colors white and silver (they go wonderfully with her complexion), snow, ice, the cold, elegant, expensive gowns that show off Noelle's impeccable taste, her set of small, thin stiletto daggers with intricately carved hilts studded with freshwater pearls, diamonds, and milky white crystals that can be disguised as ornate hairpins, power, independence, being respected for what she is truly capable of (or being viewed as just another pretty face, depending on the situation), white roses (she isn't too fond of the color red; scarlet is much too /Andrean/, but wine-red and burgundy are alright), her magic, magic and Corvus in general, revenge, well-mannered and sincere people (ironic, really, considering how two-faced Noelle can be), her family and those loyal to her family (excluding her father, of course), toying with and manipulating others, especially men (read: her father), the smell of the winter air, cloudy days, fresh blueberries, swans

DISLIKES: her father, incompetence, when something/someone unnecessarily ruins her hair or clothing, silly stories about true love and chivalry, relying on others, men who are only powerful because they're men, being sweaty, messy hair, dirty clothing, crude manners, her father, being underestimated because she's a woman by people she actually trusts (who are few and far in between), sloppiness and messiness in general, drunkards, useless and meaningless violence and destruction (could you /get/ any more rude???), physical altercations (they're just so /messy/), large dogs (they slobber too much), her father, ale, swan meat, sweltering summer days, being a pawn in her father's infernal game of politics, feeling powerless or helpless, being forced to marry people for stupid reasons (like, if she's going to be forced to marry someone in the first place, it better be for a damn good reason), being viewed as "property" just because she's a girl, gender roles and stereotypes (even though she frequently uses them to her advantage), the smell of smoke, the color orange, oh, and did we mention her /father/?

STANCE ON THE WARS: The wars, you ask? Well. Noelle doesn't really think much of them, if she is perfectly honest with herself. They happened. They're over and done with. Nothing anyone in the present says or does can change that. She has no patience for sanctimonious preachy bullish-t about the wars; Noelle is more concerned about what they mean for the /future/, and how the repercussions of these wars can be dealt with. Of course Noelle thinks that they're big and important (everybody does), it's just that she doesn't like dwelling on, for example, what was going through the heads of the Andreans during the Second Great War. What use is in-depth critical analysis on that particular subject when you have real, present-day Andreans knocking on your door? Noelle doesn't resent the Andrean victories or celebrate the Corvian successes; she merely acknowledges them as a fact of life and moves on. There are many more pressing matters to deal with in this day and age, anyway. Corvian pride and elitism is /dangerous/, and if the rest of the nation doesn't get their act straight, the future of Corvus will be very bleak indeed.

STANCE ON THE OTHER NATION: Noelle doesn't trust Andreans.

Not because they don't have magic, or because Corvus has fought two wars with them, but because, well, don't they want revenge for everything that the Corvians have put them through?

Noelle knows that if /her/ family (okay, her mother, brother, and sister) was murdered by Andreans, she would have been plotting their downfall with every breath she took. The best kind of vengeance is as heady and as cloying as fine wine, and Noelle knows that she's most definitely /not/ a forgiving person. If the Andreans had done to Corvus what the Corvians have done to Andreas, Noelle would be longing for a sip of that sweet, intoxicating liquid every day that she was alive.

Perhaps Noelle is just too cynical. But she firmly believes that the Andreans are hiding something (who is purposefully that willful and unpredictable and wild, anyway?) and may the gods have mercy on any Andrean who tries to double-cross /her/.

STANCE ON MAGIC: Again, Noelle has no patience for pretentious rhetoric about how magic is a transcendental force that elevates all Corvians and other drivel like that (it's a very elitist way of putting things, and it's what got Corvus into this enormous mess in the first place). If the gods are fair and just, why doesn't her sister have magic? Why don't the Andreans?

Noelle secretly thinks that the gods are quite petty, though she respects her house's patron god, of course. She does love her shadow magic so very much, and all the amazing things that the other Corvians can do never fail to amaze her. Magic is a good thing-a /very/ good thing-and Noelle is aware of what a blessing magic is, especially in Corvus. She's seen first-hand how people treat men and women who were born /without/ magic. It's both a blessing and a curse, and Noelle recognizes that disputes in between Corvus and Andreas will always exist due to Corvian magic.

{"Courtesy is a lady's armor."}
-Sansa Stark (George R.R. Martin)

PERSONALITY: Noelle has always been a people person with her impeccable manners and undeniable charm. There is something about her that seems to draw others to her-whether it's her carefree laugh, her twinkling eyes, or her bright smiles, no one can say. She can be an alluringly innocent temptress, capable of charming the secrets right out of others with a coy glance and a flutter of her long eyelashes. Noelle thinks with her heart when she needs to, but uses her brain at the same time. Behind brown eyes sparkling with mirth and delicate lips curved up in a half-flirtatious, half-demure smile is a woman made of steel who is keenly aware of her surroundings. Noelle processes vast amounts of information all at once, taking in people's' actions, words, and emotions at the same time and forming a conclusion based on what she sees and what she knows. She's always been especially good at reading people like an open book. Sharply observant, perceptive, and brutally analytical, Noelle is able to detect even the most subtle shifts of emotion, assess entire /situations/ with one inconspicuous sweep of her wide brown eyes, and kill a man in a dozen different ways while dancing (this, of course, remains a closely guarded secret). Noelle is constantly listening, though she’ll rarely tell the world what she's thinking.

Enigmatically charismatic and exuding an air of elegant refinement, Noelle puts up a calmly playful and chastely coquettish front all while maintaining a certain air of mystery that makes her that much more attractive. Depending on the people around her, Noelle is either a charming, well-mannered noble lady of considerable wealth and status or a coolly polite seductress of equally considerable wealth and status. Noelle is not “smart” in the traditional sense of the word-complicated mathematics and the latest scientific discoveries made by House Scamander all go straight over her head, though she is able to hold her own in conversations about a wide variety of “sophisticated” topics. When around other nobles, Noelle hides her true nature behind expensive silk gowns and delicate lace, pretending that she is an innocent little girl with easily offended morals. She has mastered the right combination of sugary sweetness and sharp wit to detract attention from her real intentions as she shrewdly advances House Selwyn's (read: her own) agenda.

Noelle is scarily manipulative, and she isn’t afraid of resorting to less savory methods to achieve her goals. Calm and collected in times of crisis, and Noelle rarely allows herself to panic. She is truly afraid of very, very few people, and she holds no qualms against playing others like a violin to get what she wants, all while smiling prettily and sipping wine from a dainty jeweled goblet. Sly, shrewd, and cunning, Noelle is an ice queen dressed in pearls and lace. Everything about her radiates confidence and refinement, from her just /barely/ low-cut gowns to the diamonds she wears at her throat.

If one is able to see past the many, many layers and intricacies of Lady Noelle Selwyn of House Selwyn and Rose Point, one would come face-to-face with an intensely driven yet extremely insecure woman who has been bottling up her emotions for much too long. Noelle may be willing to sacrifice everything for her house and for her dream of being queen, but she doesn’t know what it is that /she/ truly wants (besides being a queen, that is), and more importantly, if what she wants lines up with what her House wants and expects of her. Noelle does not know who she actually /is/, and it makes her wonder-is there anything to her besides the mask that she wears in front of others?

BIOGRAPHY:
Lady Noelle Selwyn, the White Rose-

Her father's favorite; his pride and joy.

Polite. Pristine. Perfect.

Charming and beautiful, sweet and soft-spoken. Dainty and demure, graceful and svelte.

Don't let Noelle's outward appearance fool you, though-she may look like she's as sweet as sugar, but inside, she's ice cold.

Noelle was given the upbringing that was expected of a lady of her station, and then plus some. Her father turned away from her older sister, Helena-poor, poor Helena, who had been forsaken by the gods and born without magic-and made sure that Noelle grew up with everything that she could ever want. Pretty dresses, expensive jewelry, all the love and praise and adoration that every child seeks from their parents; Noelle had it all. But somehow, Noelle could see that her father only cared about her for her magic.

Call it intuition, call it intelligence or perceptiveness, call it dumb luck-whatever it was, Noelle /knew/ that Lord Gabriel I would not be so doting, so adoring, if Noelle didn't have her magic. All she had to do was look at Helena to see.

She obeyed her father despite it all, of course. In this day and age, the daughter of a lord as powerful as Lord Gabriel Selwyn couldn't be seen openly disrespecting her father. What would that say about their House? It would be the scandal of the century. No, Noelle may not care for her father, but she /will/ remain loyal to House Selwyn. So she does as her father says...or pretends to, anyway.

Noelle embroiders, like a proper young lady, and her stitches are so neat and straight and /tiny/ that they're almost invisible. She dances beautifully and has a voice that will break your heart. She can recite every House's genealogy by heart (both Corvian /and/ Andrean), and her paintings of vapid landscapes are impeccable. Most of all, Noelle excels when it comes to her magic. She can manipulate shadows and darkness itself, and oh, how wonderful it was, being able to create illusions and changing the entire atmosphere of a room with a wave of her finger!

Power. That's what her magic was to Noelle; it was pure, sheer, unadulterated /power/, and oh! May the gods have mercy, Noelle wanted /more/.

Her brother and the heir of Rose Point, Gabriel II, was given the most lovely steel swords as soon as he learned to fight. Why couldn't Noelle do the same? Why couldn't /she/ inherit Rose Point and learn how to fight with steel and fire?

No matter, though. Noelle's going to be more powerful than /anyone/ in her family someday.

Noelle made sure that everything she did was absolutely perfect, because her father expected no less from her. Perfect manners. Perfect smile. Perfect gown. Perfect /everything/.

But for all her dreams of grandeur and for all her talent with shadow magic, Noelle is merely a pawn in her father's grand plan to steal the throne. Ever since she was officially considered fit to be wedded and bedded by some lord or the other, her father has been looking for a suitable husband. One suitor after another came and went, and Noelle was paraded before them like a horse at an auction, albeit a very /valuable/ horse. Her brother was the heir to Rose Point, while Noelle was to be sold to some stranger like the aforementioned horse, to be ridden whenever her new owner liked, beaten whenever he liked, and cast aside in time for a younger filly. Gabriel's future was glory and wealth and power, while Noelle's was childbirth and moonblood and obedience.

Gods, how she /hated/ it all. She taught herself how to use her precious little stiletto daggers, and she is quite dangerous with her shadows, but that's not enough. It will never be enough.

Lord Gabriel was always finding someone for Noelle to marry. There were so many men, Noelle can't even remember half of them. She always found some obscure fault in them, of course, and explained to her father why they would be bad husbands-this lord is as dumb as a brick. That lord can't even control the commoners living on his land, this lord has a history of legitimizing his bastards, that lord would turn on House Selwyn in a heartbeat.

There was one, though, that Lord Gabriel /insisted/ Noelle marry, no matter what. He was more powerful than Lord Gabriel himself when it came to magical ability (a proper shadow elemental, yes, but some speculated that he had dabbled with blood magic as well), and so very /charming/. Everyone liked him; Noelle's lady mother, the chambermaids, even the king and queen themselves...

They all said that Lord Samuel Swayn and Noelle would be a perfect match. He was a minor lord sworn to House Nott (and he took after his liege lord, Lord Evan, in more ways than one), but he could offer her father the support he needed for some of his more nefarious plans. Noelle was seventeen, and Lord Samueltwenty-seven, so the age gap wasn't /horrible/, but still-he was cruel, so cruel, and he hid it behind bright smiles and good-natured grins.

Noelle can still feel his fingers pinching and twisting her skin so hard that she woke up with bruises decorating her upper arms and abdomen, his lecherous leer, his rough hands (he wouldn't dare to sully her before the marriage of course, but that didn't mean that he couldn't simply /touch/ her), the cold whisper of a blade against her inner thigh-

Noelle's father wouldn't listen to Noelle's pleas this time. He ignored her, silencing her like she was a silly child, so Noelle took matters into her own hands.

Lord Samuel ended up dying in a hunting accident just days before the wedding. He was drunk, they said. Nobody thought to look for Noelle, who had brought him half a dozen casks of the finest wine in all of Rose Point that very morning.

Now, Noelle is to seduce King Scorpius so that her father can seize the throne. Noelle was game until she heard that her /father/ would take the throne, and then she was /furious/, but nevertheless, she will play along-for now. Aye, she'll marry the king and be his queen, and she'll tell the king all of her father's plans, and oh, how utterly /powerless/ her father will be to stop it all! Noelle would like that. Her father should be the powerless one, for a change.

And King Scorpius himself? Please. Noelle will have him wrapped around her little finger when she's done with him. He's only a /man/, after all.

TOP THREE: Lady Rosaline, Lady Antonia, Lady Elodie

SPECIALTY: shadow magic (especially manipulating shadows to achieve a certain visual effect with the right lighting and creating illusions out of shadows in order to confuse or distract an opponent).

SKILL LEVEL: Noelle is an extremely talented shadow elemental, and she was given the best training that anyone could ask for due to her father's obsession with her magic. As such, she is capable of manipulating even the tiniest of shadows, forming them into swirling images and silhouettes.

♕ ++ APPEARANCE ++ ♕

☾. HAIR: Noelle has thick black hair that cascades down her back in waves, ending at her waist. She is quite versatile with how she wears it, depending on the occasion.
☾. EYES: Noelle has chocolate-brown eyes that are either sparkling with twinkling amusement or, on /extremely/ rare occasions, as frigid as the winter wind. She generally keeps them in an open, friendly expression, even if she is actually being very guarded and secretive.
☾. HEIGHT: Noelle is five feet and eight inches tall.
☾. BUILD: Noelle has a slim, willowy build. She seems to glide gracefully across the room whenever she walks, and her long legs and slender waist only emphasize this effect.
☾. WEIGHT: Noelle weighs approximately one hundred and twenty pounds.
☾. DISTINGUISHING FEATURE(S): Her wide, almond-shaped eyes, her high cheekbones, and the elegant way that she holds herself. There are also a series of slim scars lining Noelle's inner thighs from one of the lords she was previously betrothed to. Noelle /hates/ those scars.

PLAYLIST: polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=223953208
STORY: polyvore.com/but_did_you_forget_that/…
AESTHETIC/MOODBOARD: polyvore.com️a_crown_thorns_ice_hith/set?id=224372296
QUOTES: polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=224363834
COLLECTION: polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6775614

{"If you pick up a male rabbit, he kicks and struggles, but a female rabbit is bleary-eyed and still;
Set them both on the ground and let them run-who can tell if I am female or male?"}

-From "The Ballad of Mulan" (木蘭辭, or mù lán cí); 5th or 6th century CE (Anonymous)

Name: Lady Noelle Selwyn, Viscountess of Rose Point (sometimes referred to as "the white rose", for her penchant for wearing white as well as for her general personality)
Year of Education: Graduate
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Element: Light (Illusion class)



In-depth appearance: Noelle is a bit taller than average at five feet and eight inches, and on the slender side, weighing about one-hundred and twenty-five pounds. She has thick black hair that falls about halfway down her back, if not a little more, and delicately curved lips. Her most striking features, however, are her dark brown eyes, which are darkly mysterious yet oddly vulnerable. With skin the color of rich milk chocolate and full, dark brows (as well as no curves to speak of), Noelle is hardly a traditional blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty, but nevertheless, her allure cannot be denied.

In terms of gowns, Noelle favors pristine white silks and satins that ooze elegance and expense. She always wears white, no matter what-and may the heavens have mercy on anyone who dares to rip, stain, or otherwise sully Noelle's dresses. Unsurprisingly, Noelle is particularly fond of pearls and diamonds and silver when it comes to her jewelry. She likes to be daring with what she wears; whether its in the neckline of her gowns, the simplicity of the gown itself, or how she's wearing her hair, Noelle has never been one to simply follow a trend.

Through the years, Noelle has perfected the art of gliding across the room, and she
walks with an easy, practiced grace-a trait that was drilled into her after a decade of "training", as her father likes to call it (it should be noted that, in certain circumstances, Noelle is capable of moving like a warrior if she chooses to do so, and if she decides to engage in a physical confrontation (which she would never, by the way. How horribly uncouth!), Noelle fights with a lithe, fluid agility-all swirling shadows and flashing blades).

Depending on the situation, Noelle adopts a giggly, breathless air to convey innocence and cluelessness (with more than just a little bit of shoving her chest forward), or an arrogant up-tilt of her chin paired with a slight curl of her dainty lips in order to convey authority and disdain. Though most of her classmates tend to dress simply, Noelle refuses to do the same. She's from an important family, and she will be more important than every single one of her peers one day-just you wait.

Personality: Noelle has always been a people person, with her impeccable manners and undeniable charm. There is something about her that seems to draw others to her-whether it's her carefree laugh, her twinkling eyes, or her bright smiles, no one can say. She can be an alluringly aloof temptress with her cool modesty and even cooler disdain, capable of charming the secrets right out of others with a coy glance and a flutter of her long eyelashes, or an innocent, demure young lady who has absolutely nothing to hide but plenty of gossip to share. She thinks with her heart when she needs to, but uses her brain at the same time.

Behind brown eyes sparkling with mirth and delicate lips curved up in a half-flirtatious, half-demure smile is a woman made of steel who is keenly aware of her surroundings. Noelle processes vast amounts of information all at once, taking in people's' actions, words, and emotions at the same time and forming a conclusion based on what she sees and what she knows. She's always been especially good at reading people like an open book. Sharply observant, perceptive, and brutally analytical, Noelle is able to detect even the most subtle shifts of emotion, assess entire /situations/ with one inconspicuous sweep of her wide brown eyes, and kill a man in a dozen different ways while dancing (this, of course, remains a closely guarded secret). Noelle is constantly listening, though she’ll rarely tell the world what she's thinking.

Enigmatically charismatic and exuding an air of elegant refinement, Noelle puts up a calmly playful and chastely coquettish front all while maintaining a certain air of mystery that makes her that much more attractive. Depending on the people around her, Noelle is either a charming, well-mannered noble lady of considerable wealth and status or a coolly polite seductress of equally considerable wealth and status. Noelle does not portray herself as “smart” in the traditional sense of the word-and there is some truth to this, for although she is a brilliant illusionist, complicated mathematics and the latest scientific discoveries all go straight over her head. However, she is able to hold her own in conversations about a wide variety of “sophisticated” topics, as befitting of a lady of her wealth and standing. When around other nobles, Noelle hides her true nature behind expensive silk gowns and delicate lace, pretending that she is an innocent little girl with easily offended morals. She has mastered the right combination of sugary sweetness and sharp wit to detract attention from her real intentions as she shrewdly advances her family's (read: her own) agenda.

Noelle is frighteningly manipulative, and she isn’t afraid of resorting to less savory methods to achieve her goals. Calm and collected in times of crisis, and Noelle rarely allows herself to panic. She is truly afraid of very, very few people, and she holds no qualms against playing others like a violin to get what she wants, all while smiling prettily and sipping wine from a dainty jeweled goblet. Sly, shrewd, and cunning, Noelle is an ice queen dressed in pearls and lace. Everything about her radiates confidence and refinement, from her just barely low-cut gowns to the diamonds glittering at her throat.

If one is able to see past the many, many layers and intricacies of Lady Noelle Selwyn of Rose Point, one would come face-to-face with an intensely driven yet extremely insecure woman who has been bottling up her emotions for much too long. Noelle may be willing to sacrifice everything for her ambitions, but she doesn’t know what it is that will truly make her happy after she achieves what she wants to achieve. Noelle does not know who she actually is, and it makes her wonder-is there anything to her besides the mask that she wears in front of others?

History: Lady Noelle Selwyn, the White Rose-

Her father's favorite; his pride and joy.

Polite. Pristine. Perfect.

Charming and beautiful, sweet and soft-spoken. Dainty and demure, graceful and svelte.

Don't let Noelle's outward appearance fool you, though-she may seem like she's as sweet as sugar, but inside, she's ice cold.

Noelle was given the upbringing that was expected of a lady of her station, and then plus some. Her father turned away from her older sister, Helena-poor, poor Helena, who had been forsaken by the universe and born with little magical talent of her own (certainly not enough to live up to the reputation of her fellow Selwyns, who were all powerful light mages)-and made sure that Noelle grew up with everything that she could ever want. Pretty dresses, expensive jewelry, all the love and praise and adoration that every child seeks from their parents; Noelle had it all. But somehow, Noelle could see that her father only cared about her for her magic.

Call it intuition, call it intelligence or perceptiveness, call it dumb luck-whatever it was, Noelle knew that her father, Lord Gabriel Selwyn I and the Duke of Rose Point, would not be so doting, so adoring, if Noelle didn't have her magic. All she had to do was look at Helena to see.

She obeyed her father despite it all, of course. In this day and age, the daughter of a duke as powerful as Lord Selwyn couldn't be seen openly disrespecting her father. What would that say about their family, whose history was already fraught with darkness and suspicion? It would be the scandal of the century. No, Noelle may not care for her father, but she will remain loyal to the Selwyn name. So she does as her power-hungry father says...or pretends to, anyway.

Noelle embroiders, like a proper young lady, and her stitches are so neat and straight and tiny that they're almost invisible. She dances beautifully and has a voice that will break your heart. She can recite every noble family's genealogy by heart, and her paintings of vapid landscapes are nothing if not exquisite. Most of all, Noelle excels when it comes to her magic. She can make images appear out of thin air, and oh, how wonderful it was, being able to summon armies and fire-breathing dragons with a wave of her finger!

Power. That's what her magic is to Noelle; it is pure, sheer, unadulterated power, and oh! May the heavens have mercy, Noelle wanted more.

Her brother and the heir to Rose Point, Viscount Gabriel Selwyn II, was given the most lovely swords as soon as he could walk. Why couldn't Noelle do the same? Why couldn't she inherit Rose Point and learn how to fight with steel and fire?

No matter, though. Noelle's going to be more powerful than anyone in her family someday.

Noelle made sure that everything she did was absolutely perfect, because her father expected no less from her. Perfect manners. Perfect smile. Perfect gown. Perfect everything. And during her time at the Academy, Noelle made sure to maintain her image as a perfect, pristine lady. She excelled in all her classes there, as well as the etiquette and comportment classes that her father made her take every weekend at home. And everyone told Noelle that she was going to go far, and she believed it.

But for all her dreams of grandeur and for all her talent with illusions, Noelle is merely a pawn in her father's grand plan to steal the throne. Jealousy has coursed through the Selwyn family's veins since the dawn of time, and many an assassination attempt can be connected to the Dukes and Duchesses of Rose Point of the past. Ever since Noelle was officially considered fit to be wedded and bedded by some lord or the other, her father has been looking for a suitable husband. One suitor after another came and went, and Noelle was paraded before them like a horse at an auction, albeit a very valuable horse. Her brother was the heir to Rose Point, while Noelle was to be sold to some stranger like the aforementioned horse, to be ridden whenever her new owner liked, beaten whenever he liked, and cast aside in time for a younger filly. After graduation, Gabriel's future was glory and wealth and power, while Noelle's was childbirth and passive obedience. Her father didn't care how she was doing in school, so long as she got top marks. To him, a diploma is only something that will add to Noelle's worth when he is finding her a husband.

Gods, how she hates it all. She taught herself how to use her precious little stiletto daggers, and she is quite dangerous with her illusions, but that's not enough. It will never be enough.

The Duke of Rose Point was always finding someone for Noelle to marry, after she finished her schooling. Every weekend since she was fifteen, she was whisked off to some count or baron's home in the capital or the other. There were so many men, Noelle can't even remember half of them. She always found some obscure fault in them, of course, and explained to her father why they would be bad husbands-this viscount is as dumb as a brick. That duke can't even control the commoners living on his land, this baron has a history of legitimizing his bastards, that earl would turn on the Selwyns in a heartbeat.

There was one, though, that the duke insisted Noelle marry, no matter what. He was another duke, who everyone said would be more powerful than the king himself someday, and so very charming. Everyone liked him; Noelle's mother, the chambermaids, even some of her more important classmates at the Academy and the Institute...

They all said that he and Noelle would be a perfect match. She was seventeen, and he twenty-seven, so the age gap wasn't horrible, but still-he was cruel, so cruel, and he hid it behind bright smiles and good-natured grins.

Noelle can still feel his fingers pinching and twisting her skin so hard that she woke up with bruises decorating her upper arms and abdomen, his lecherous leer, his rough hands (he wouldn't dare to sully her before the marriage of course, but that didn't mean that he couldn't simply touch her), the cold whisper of a blade against her inner thigh-

Noelle's father wouldn't listen to her pleas this time. He ignored her, silencing her like she was a silly child, so Noelle took matters into her own hands.

The duke, Samuel Swayn, ended up dying in a hunting accident a year after the betrothal was made, while Noelle was visiting her family home during one of the longer school breaks. He was drunk, they said. Nobody thought to look for Noelle, who had brought him half a dozen casks of the finest wine in all of Rose Point that very morning.

Now, Noelle is to finish her schooling as fast as possible so that she can seduce one of the king's younger brothers, bringing her father even closer to his goal of seizing the throne. Noelle was game (she loves the idea of being a princess) until she heard the last part, and then she was furious, but nevertheless, she will play along-for now. Aye, she'll marry the king's younger brother, and she'll tell the him all of her father's plans, and how powerless her father will be to stop it all! Noelle would like that. Her father should be the powerless one, for a change.

And the king's brother himself? Please. Noelle will have him wrapped around her little finger when she's done with him. He's only a man, after all.

Research Project: Though Noelle has delved into the more generic uses of light magic (its so useful being able to magick herself a new gown whenever she feels like it), what she is truly passionate about is shadows. The way that casting light just so can create entirely new shapes and forms...there's something poetic about it all. Where there's light, there will be shadows, and for some reason, the shadows called to Noelle.

Noelle's project is focused on using her talents with light to effectively manipulate shadows and darkness...a bit roundabout, yes, but it works. She has been mostly working with creating silhouettes, but she has also branched into "weaponizing" her abilities-namely, sucking all the light out of a room to blind an opponent, or darkening an entire room to use a single spot of light to blind the opponent.

Other Information:
*Noelle could have graduated a few months ago, but she is purposefully prolonging her project because she doesn't want to do as her father says

*Noelle's older sister, Helena, used to be jealous of her (and Noelle knew it, too), but now she and Noelle get along a lot better. Noelle suspects that it had something to do with the fact that she helped Helena with some of her classes at the Academy, which their father insisted on sending her to, even if she really had no natural talent for magic.

*Rose Point is, in reality, a mountain range and all its surrounding forests and valleys near the northern coast of Eskora. The Selwyns have held that land for centuries and centuries. Rose Point is famous for the rose bushes that grow on its lowlands and the snowcaps that are present year-round.

Noelle's Aesthetic:
•snow-covered mountaintops under a sky full of stars
•icicles glittering in the moonlight
•strands of pearls speckled with blood
•a wreath of white roses perched on inky-black hair
•blood oozing languidly from the tiniest of cuts
•delicate diamond tiaras
•swans gliding across calm lakes on a gray winter day
•pristine marble floors
•the smell of the frigid winter wind
•a crown of thorns and ice
•wickedly sharp silver daggers with diamond-encrusted hilts
•blood-red lips and snow-white ball gowns
•dark eyes filled with mystery and windswept hair flecked with snow

Name: Maria Marjorie Moretti

Gender: Female

Age: 29

Appearance:


Maria has a lightly tanned complexion inherited from her Italian father and her Spanish mother. Maria is all angles and sharp edges-she comes from a long line of tall, bony women with high cheekbones and an angular facial structure. In her awkward teen years, Maria appeared gangly and boyish, but she has grown into her figure nicely and has made the subtle yet immediately noticeable transition from "bony" to "slender". She is still inordinately tall, though, standing at 5 feet and 10 inches. Nothing to be done about that.

Maria's hair is a warm, honey-brown color. It is thick and straight, falling about halfway down her back. Maria is fond of styling her hair in all the latest fashions, which requires the extensive use of steel rollers and hair rags. Her eyes are blue-green and usually lined with heavy make-up. Maria has the long fingers of a piano player, mostly due to her genetics (she has never played the piano in her life), and she had perfected the art of gliding across a room. Maria is willowy and graceful, with the posture of a prima ballerina. Her lips are rather average, but with the purposeful application of her favorite red lipstick, they appear to be full and pouty.

Not all of Maria's beauty comes naturally. She worked on her posture and her walk for years, and she keeps herself on a strict diet to maintain her figure (Maria knows for a fact that she couldn't pull off a curvaceous, statuesque look, even if she had any curves; she is much too tall for it) and to keep her skin smooth and freckle-free. After all, when you're in the same business as Maria, your beauty is practically all you've got.

Personality: To others, Maria is a sultry, intoxicating temptress, capable of charming the secrets right out of someone with a coy glance and a flutter of her long eyelashes. She reads people like an open book, a skill honed through years spent in her particular line of work. Sharply observant, perceptive, and brutally analytical, Maria has been taught how to detect subtle shifts in emotion, how to seduce a man (and perhaps even a woman, though Maria has yet to cross that bridge), and how to kill someone in a dozen different ways while dancing the waltz. Enigmatically charismatic, Maria exudes a certain aura that instantly draws people to her. She puts up a playful and coquettish front all while maintaining a certain air of mystery that unfailingly attracts the attention of her target. Elegant and refined, Maria is able to engage in lengthy discussions about a wide range of topics, from European literature to the latest technological advancements and Parisian cosmetics.

Maria hides a spine of steel behind red lipstick and expensive silk gowns, pretending that she has morals and "womanly sensitivities" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean). In truth, Maria is as about as cold-hearted as they get, thinking mostly of herself and the few people she genuinely cares about. She can be stupidly, blindly loyal to a person or a cause, to the point where she is sacrificing everything for one single thing. Maria is sly and shrewd, often manipulating and blackmailing people into doing her bidding. When she isn't around clients, Maria comes off as a bit stand-offish and aloof, although she is fiercely protective of her "girls". She values her independence and is truly afraid of very few people. Deadly and alluring, Maria holds no qualms against playing men like a flute to achieve her own goals. And oh, play them she does-most people don't stand a chance against the wiles of the venomously beautiful Maria Moretti.

Background history: Maria was the product of a one-night stand in between an Italian gangster and a dockside whore. She grew up on the streets of New York City, foraging for food during the day while her mother worked the wharves and piers of the city at night. Maria's mother told her of her true ancestry when Maria was nine; how she came from a long line of women with...special gifts, and how these women had taken advantage of their gifts through the centuries. Descended from Spanish gypsy snake charmers that fled the country during the reign of Queen Joanna the Mad, Maria's mother could hypnotize others with her big brown eyes, draw people to her with a single touch, and poison someone with a kiss. Maria's own abilities began to manifest in her early teens, and she suddenly understood how her mother could make so much money in the span of a single night.

It was another few years before Maria's mother revealed why she came to America. After getting mixed up with a dangerous crowd in London, Maria's mother woke up one day to find that she'd been robbed of everything she owned. Penniless and with nowhere else to go, she plied her trade until she had enough money to pay for passage across the Atlantic. Once she had arrived in New York City, she intentionally sought out a man to get her pregnant, for if the women of Maria's line reach thirty-five years of age without giving birth to a daughter, they die.

Maria's mother taught her everything she knew until she (rather ironically) died of the Spanish flu during World War I. Maria wasn't even twenty at the time. Thankfully, her mother had left Maria with a considerable sum of money and her father's name and current address. Armed with that information, Maria packed her bags and made her way to Chicago.

When Maria got to Chicago, she snuck into her father's ostentatious home and confronted him. He practically had a heart attack at the sight of her, but he recognized those alluring, mesmerizing eyes and intoxicating touch immediately, despite how long it had been, and he saw how incredibly useful Maria's abilities could be. Maria changed her last name to Moretti and began working as a high-class escort in one of Chicago's speakeasies while secretly passing along information to her father, who ran a vicious gang.

Maria spied for her father-Alessandro Rossini-for a couple of years before she began running a bordello herself. Alessandro passed along funds for the establishment, and in exchange, Maria passed along any pertinent information and did odd favors for him anytime that he needed it. Maria developed a fierce, if unrequited, sort of loyalty to her father as a result of their highly profitable partnership. She is also ferociously protective of the young women who work in her bordello, though she won't take any shit from them.

Maria frequently wears long, ornate hairpins that have wickedly-sharp ends in her hair. She normally has some sort of blade hidden in her bodice or under her skirt, and she sometimes conceals a pretty little pistol with gilt metalwork and a mother-of-pearl handle on her person. Maria is no soldier, but she has a knack with blades and most certainly knows how to shoot a gun.

Maria found herself in trouble in 1940 when the police linked a recent death to her. The man that was killed was last seen with her; indeed, Maria had kissed him hard in an alleyway, poisoning him. Maria was arrested. At first, she was unworried, certain that Alessandro would somehow bail her out, especially considering the fact that she'd killed the man at his bidding, but as time went on, it soon became clear that no help was coming. Maria decided to take matters into her own hands and attempted to escape the facility she was being held in. She was unsuccessful, though the authorities discovered that anyone she kissed ended up dying. When the government began assembling a team of powered individuals to take down Hitler and the Nazis, Maria was offered her freedom after the war was over if she helped to fight. Maria accepted, though she cares more about her vengeance than Adolf Hitler.

Maria is worried that she will not be able to give birth to a girl before she turns thirty-five. She only has six years left, and who knows how long the war could take?

Superpower and how the character got it: Maria is able to hypnotize others by looking directly into their eyes. Eye contact must be maintained, and the effects usually wear off after an hour or so. She can only hypnotize one person at a time.

Maria is immune to most, if not all, forms of poison, and there are trace amounts of poison in her skin. Prolonged skin-to-skin contact with Maria will make the other person feel foggy and a bit like they are drunk. It will make Maria seem irresistible as well, depending on the person. There is also a lethal, fast-acting poison in her saliva, which can kill a man within thirty minutes. Maria wears a thick layer of lipstick to dilute or nullify the poison if she has a client that she doesn't want to accidentally poison. There are also times when she wears poisoned lipstick, when she needs a poison that works even faster than her natural one.

Nobody is quite sure how exactly Maria's ancestors originally obtained their abilities, but Maria is fairly certain that it had something to do with their natural affinity for snakes. She isn't entirely sure where the part about giving birth to a girl comes in, however. Maria resents that she must give birth in order to survive; she places high value in her independence and feels like the one stipulation was somehow placed on the women in her family by backwards old men who couldn't stand seeing women having so much power.

Role: The Spymistress
Name: Maria Marjorie Moretti
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Appearance: (Angelina Jolie)

Maria has a lightly tanned complexion inherited from her Italian father and her Spanish mother. Maria is all angles and sharp edges-she comes from a long line of tall, bony women with high cheekbones and an angular facial structure. In her awkward teen years, Maria appeared gangly and boyish, but she has grown into her figure nicely and has made the subtle yet immediately noticeable transition from "bony" to "slender". She is still inordinately tall, though, standing at 5 feet and 10 inches. Nothing to be done about that.

Maria's hair is a warm, honey-brown color. It is thick and straight, falling about halfway down her back, though she usually styles it in accordance with current fashions and has considered cutting it short. Her eyes are blue-green and usually lined with heavy make-up. Maria has the long fingers of a piano player, mostly due to her genetics (she has never played the piano in her life), and she had perfected the art of gliding across a room. Maria is willowy and graceful, with the posture of a prima ballerina. Her lips are rather average, but with the purposeful application of her favorite red lipstick, they appear to be full and pouty.

Not all of Maria's beauty comes naturally. She worked on her posture and her walk for years, and she keeps herself on a strict diet to maintain her figure (Maria knows for a fact that she couldn't pull off a curvaceous, statuesque look, even if she had any curves; she is much too tall for it) and to keep her skin smooth and freckle-free. After all, when you're in the same business as Maria, your beauty is practically all you've got.

Occupation: Maria runs a high-end brothel that is accessible via one of the glitziest speakeasies controlled by the Golden Bulls. She also serves as the Bulls' eyes and ears, collecting information for the gang as a whole. 

Likes: pearls, diamonds, and other precious jewels, expensive dresses, elegantly glamorous evening gowns, satin gloves, red lipstick (poisoned or not), money, power, her "girls" (Maria is very protective of them, and anyone who treats them badly has a pretty high chance of ending up dead sometime in the near future), wearing white (Maria is fond of the irony of someone as black-hearted as her wearing the color of innocence and purity), being respected for what she is capable of, being recognized by members of the Golden Bulls for how deadly she truly is, pretty weaponry (jeweled daggers and pearl-handled pistols and the like), her independence

Dislikes: powerful men, being sweaty, messy hair, dirty clothing, flappers (they're too loud and too flashy-Maria is all old-age elegance and refinement), bloodstained gowns, people who have no respect for expensive clothing, misogynists, the government as an institution, organized religion (something about women being "below" men doesn't sit right with Maria), feeling like she isn't in control of a situation, relying on others

Skills: charming the secrets right out of someone without their knowledge, getting people to do what she wants them to do, styling her hair, good with knives and a fair shot with a gun, pick-pocketing and picking locks

Weaknesses: Maria tends to look down her nose on people who she thinks are "useless" or "stupid", can be rather callous, has let her need for vengeance and her anger influence her decisions before

Personality: To others, Maria is a sultry, intoxicating temptress, capable of charming the secrets right out of someone with a coy glance and a flutter of her long eyelashes. She reads people like an open book, a skill honed through years spent in her particular line of work. Sharply observant, perceptive, and brutally analytical, Maria has been taught how to detect subtle shifts in emotion, how to seduce a man (and perhaps even a woman, though Maria has yet to cross that bridge), and how to kill someone in a dozen different ways while dancing the waltz. Enigmatically charismatic, Maria exudes a certain aura that instantly draws people to her. She puts up a playful and coquettish front all while maintaining a certain air of mystery that unfailingly attracts the attention of her target. Elegant and refined, Maria is able to engage in lengthy discussions about a wide range of topics, from European literature to the latest technological advancements and Parisian cosmetics.

Maria hides a spine of steel behind red lipstick and expensive silk gowns, pretending that she has morals and "womanly sensitivities" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean). In truth, Maria is as about as cold-hearted as they get, thinking mostly of herself and the few people she genuinely cares about. She can be stupidly, blindly loyal to a person or a cause, to the point where she is sacrificing everything for one single thing. Maria is sly and shrewd, often manipulating and blackmailing people into doing her bidding. When she isn't around clients, Maria comes off as a bit stand-offish and aloof, although she is fiercely protective of her "girls". She values her independence and is truly afraid of very few people. Deadly and alluring, Maria holds no qualms against playing men like a flute to achieve her own goals. And oh, play them she does-most people don't stand a chance against the wiles of the venomously beautiful Maria Moretti.

Biography: Maria was the product of a one-night stand in between an Italian gangster and a dockside whore. She grew up on the streets of New York City, foraging for food during the day while her mother worked the wharves and piers of the city at night. Maria's mother told her of her true ancestry when Maria was nine; how she came from a long line of women with...special gifts, and how these women had taken advantage of their gifts through the centuries. Descended from Spanish gypsy snake charmers that fled the country during the reign of Queen Joanna the Mad, Maria's mother could hypnotize others with her big brown eyes, draw people to her with a single touch, and poison someone with a kiss. Maria's own abilities began to manifest in her early teens, and she suddenly understood how her mother could make so much money in the span of a single night.

It was another few years before Maria's mother revealed why she came to America. After getting mixed up with a dangerous crowd in London, Maria's mother woke up one day to find that she'd been robbed of everything she owned. Penniless and with nowhere else to go, she plied her trade until she had enough money to pay for passage across the Atlantic. Once she had arrived in New York City, she intentionally sought out a man to get her pregnant, for if the women of Maria's line reach thirty-five years of age without giving birth to a daughter, they die.

Maria's mother taught her everything she knew until she (rather ironically) died of the Spanish flu during World War I. She left Maria with a considerable sum of money and her father's name and current address. Armed with that information, Maria packed her bags and made her way to New Cordova.

When Maria got to New Cordova, she snuck into her father's ostentatious home and confronted him. He practically had a heart attack at the sight of her, but he recognized those alluring, mesmerizing eyes and intoxicating touch immediately, despite how long it had been, and he saw how incredibly useful Maria's abilities could be. Maria changed her last name to Moretti and began working as a high-class escort in one of the city's speakeasies while secretly passing along information to her father, Alessandro Rossini, who was a member of the Silk Skulls..

Maria spied for her father for a couple of years before she began running a brothel herself. Alessandro passed along funds for the establishment, and in exchange, Maria passed along any pertinent information and did odd favors for him anytime that he needed it. Maria developed a fierce, if unrequited, sort of loyalty to her father as a result of their highly profitable partnership. She is also ferociously protective of the young women who work in her brothel, though she won't take any shit from them.

During the "gang war" in between the Silk Skulls and the Golden Bulls, Silver Rats, and Spiders, Alessandro naturally aided his own gang, and Maria followed in his footsteps. However, during the "war", Alessandro framed Maria for a crime she didn't commit, causing her to be arrested by the police. Maria eventually managed to break out of prison shortly after the war ended, but she would never forget what Alessandro did.

Maria sought out the Golden Bulls, the new gang of power, and joined their ranks. She found her father preparing to leave the city, and killed him with a passionate kiss on the lips. Nowadays, Maria does pretty much the same as she did with Alessandro and the Silk Skulls-she runs her brothel (the same brothel, actually) and spies for the Golden Bulls. Her reach extends even into Pisswater Alley, for prostitutes know that if they manage to get hired at Maria's brothel, she will most definitely take care of them.

Maria gave birth to a daughter when she was twenty-eight, a good seven years before her "deadline". However, when the leadership of the Golden Bulls saw how devoted she was to her daughter and how her first priority had changed to protecting the young girl rather than helping the gang, they had someone kill her. Of course, the Bulls deny everything, but Maria knows. And she will never forget.

Power(s) and how they got it: Maria is able to hypnotize others by looking directly into their eyes. Eye contact must be maintained, and the effects usually wear off after an hour or so. She can only hypnotize one person at a time.

Maria is immune to most, if not all, forms of poison, and there are trace amounts of poison in her skin. Prolonged skin-to-skin contact with Maria will make the other person feel foggy and a bit like they are drunk. It will make Maria seem irresistible as well, depending on the person. There is also a lethal, fast-acting poison in her saliva, which can kill a man within thirty minutes. Maria wears a thick layer of lipstick to dilute or nullify the poison if she has a client that she doesn't want to accidentally poison. There are also times when she wears poisoned lipstick, when she needs a poison that works even faster than her natural one.

Nobody is quite sure how exactly Maria's ancestors originally obtained their abilities, but Maria is fairly certain that it had something to do with their natural affinity for snakes. Women in Maria's family must give birth to a daughter before they are thirty-five, and any male children they have end up stillborn.

Other: Maria frequently wears long, ornate hairpins that have wickedly-sharp ends in her hair. She normally has some sort of blade hidden in her bodice or under her skirt, and she sometimes conceals a pretty little pistol with gilt metalwork and a mother-of-pearl handle on her person. Maria is no soldier, but she has a knack with blades and most certainly knows how to shoot a gun.

Extras: 
Quote-"Clever as the devil and twice as pretty" ~Holly Black

Aesthetic board-

Nickname: Lottie
Age: 25
Guild: Apothecary
Occupation: Healer/nurse at the Cindergate Hospital; previously a herbalist at the apothecary her family owned
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Appearance: 


Charlotte is certainly not the most formidable of people, standing at a mere five feet and two inches. She has sleek, wavy black hair that reaches her waist, although she likes to wear it in a variety of different styles. Her warm brown eyes are always sparkling with mirth and her rather thin pale pink lips are usually painted red and quirked up in a smile.

Charlotte has a thin waist from years of wearing a corset. She has small hands and long fingers and a flat nose. Charlotte likes adorning herself with any kind of jewelry, and she adores pretty dresses and cosmetics. When she is not working, Charlotte can usually be found wearing a hat and gloves (if the occasion calls for it) and carrying a parasol or a fan (depending on the occasion).

Equipment: spare hairpins and ribbons, a fan or a parasol, a pair of gloves

Personality:
[div style="text-align:center;"]Cheerful~Caring~Outgoing[/div][div style="text-align:center;"]ESFP (Entertainer)[/div]
Charlotte is a bubbly, talkative person, always ready to strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone. She cares a lot about her close friends and family. She is genuinely friendly and very open about everything there is to know about her. Charlotte is very compassionate and empathetic, and she is always there if you need a hug or a shoulder to cry on. However, she tends to be flighty, excitable, and easily distracted. She is extremely giggly and people who don't know her tend to see her as shallow and superficial. Charlotte is spontaneous and impulsive. She doesn't usually give much thought to the long-term consequences of her actions, preferring to live life in the moment and worry about the rest later. She is easily upset but also easily cheered up. Above all, Charlotte is very optimistic-she believes that there's always a bright side to everything. Charlotte's sweet personality makes her come off as ditzy and airheaded to people she is not familiar with. She is a bit on the nosier side, a flaw she does not truly realize because she will tell the world anything and everything and expects others to do the same. Charlotte is a big gossiper and is typically unable keep her big mouth shut. This has landed her into a heap of trouble more than just once. Charlotte has never been good at sitting still or being quiet. She likes to move, she likes to laugh, and she likes to have fun.

Likes:
*Sweets-chocolate, cake, tarts, biscuits...if it has sugar, then Charlotte adores it
*Fancy dresses-Charlotte loves getting all dressed up and doing her hair and wearing something pretty
*Parties and social gatherings-Charlotte likes meeting new people and having a good time
*Experimenting with new recipes-Charlotte's background in medicine and herbal remedies paired with her love of trying new things can produce results that are both miraculous and disastrous

Dislikes:
*"Boring"/stuffy people-Charlotte gets annoyed when people refuse to engage in a conversation with her and stay silent the entire time. She also dislikes people who are all prim and proper and "don't know" how to have fun
*Staying silent-Charlotte is always chattering about something or the other, and being forced to stay silent is probably the hardest thing since embroidery for her
*Arithmetic-Charlotte's attention span is akin to that of a gold fish, and she finds it difficult to stay focused while adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing

Fears:
*Getting herself or the people she cares about into trouble with her big mouth
*Losing her friends and family
*Ruining her favorite dresses and skirts
*Having a perpetual bad hair day

Skills:
*Eavesdropping-Charlotte is nosier than nosy and always somehow finds a way to learn new things, no matter how irrelevant it is
*Making herbal remedies/medicines-Her mother taught her the basics, and Charlotte went from there
*Doing hair-Buns, chignons, braids, twists, ponytails; you name it, and Charlotte can tease your hair into it

Guild Gift Explanation: Charlotte belongs to the Patho-cura class of healers

Biography: Charlotte "Lottie" Vernell was born into an ages-old family of Patho-healers who could trace their ancestry back to the herbalists and apothecaries of the Far East. Lottie was the youngest out of all her siblings-Ardelia (33), Horace (28), and Albert (28).

As a child studying to become a fully fledged healer, Charlotte didn't show much promise at first. She possessed a natural talent, but she was far too flighty to hone her natural talent. Her parents struggled for years to get her to focus in the classes that her twin brothers and older sister excelled at, to no avail. The instructors complained that she talked too much, laughed too much, and couldn't sit still. Charlotte was caught multiple times sneaking out of class to New Toppingham, where she would spend her days running around with one of her good friends named Octavia.

Charlotte's mother finally decided to take things into her own hands. She introduced Charlotte to the traditional herbal remedies from the east-recipes that called for obscure ingredients like powders made from the skull of a tiger and crushed ginseng and cayenne pepper seeds. Charlotte took an instant liking to these exotic recipes, most likely because of their rather unusual tastes. She loved watching the reactions of people who drank whatever new brew she had concocted for them, often giggling about it with Albert behind their backs.

Charlotte continued her education and secured an apprenticeship in her teen years. After she became a healer in her own right, Charlotte worked at the apothecary her family owned, selling their traditional herbal remedies and administering eastern medicines and cures before she was offered a job at the Cindergate Hospital. She gladly accepted and moved to an apartment that was closer to the hospital. She still sees her family regularly, and maintains close contact with her parents and siblings and childhood friends.

Soon after starting her new job, Charlotte had made a dozen new friends and had adjusted nicely to the routines and protocols at the hospital. One of these new friends included a young man from the Automation Guild named Adam. He had first showed up at the hospital asking Charlotte to heal a minor injury he'd sustained in the lab, but when she informed him that he was in the wrong wing of the hospital and that the Mera-healers who could treat the injury were on the other side of the building, he promptly claimed that he was "lovesick" and asked Charlotte to treat that instead by grabbing some drinks with him that night. Charlotte laughed in his face but agreed, bringing him with her to the pub that Octavia's family owned, the Gear and Goggles, after her shift was over. Soon enough, Adam had become a regular at the pub and Charlotte would spend many a night with Octavia and Adam nursing drinks and trading stories.

Just one year after accepting a job at the Cindergate Hospital, Lottie was assigned to see to the long-term care of a patient named Helen Bennet. She had been regularly visiting the hospital for almost fifteen years due to a genetic disease that the Apothecary Guild was doing its best to treat. However, she was hospitalized permanently as a precaution as she grew older. Genetic diseases were notoriously difficult to cure, and the only thing that the Patho-cura wing of the Cindergate Hospital was able to do was prolong Helen's lifespan by routinely administering precise doses of medicines. Since she was diagnosed early, Helen Bennet was able to live a long life, although she eventually died from the disease. Sadly, things were different with Victor Bennet, Helen's grandson.

Charlotte met Victor through Helen, as Victor would frequently drop by the hospital to visit his grandmother. They spent a lot of time talking to each other as Charlotte cared for Helen and Victor came to check up on her. Victor was a member of the Automation Guild who was lauded as the most brilliant young scientist of his time. Charlotte took a liking to him, and Victor to her. Eventually, Charlotte invited Victor to grab a drink with her with her friends at the Gear and Goggles, and they soon began seeing each other outside of the hospital. Their close friendship soon turned to love, and the two began dating.

From the minute she first laid eyes on him, Charlotte could sense something off about Victor. She initially dismissed it as nothing-perhaps a slight weakness in his immune system to certain viruses-but as she spent more and more time around both him and Helen, she couldn't help but to notice that what she sensed around Victor was disturbingly similar to what she sensed around Helen, who was slowly dying from the genetic disease. When Victor told Charlotte that he'd never gotten screened for the disease, she knew in her gut that he had it as well.

Charlotte respected Victor's decision to live his life without knowing whether or not he had the disease, and kept this knowledge to herself. However, as time went on, she could sense that it was getting worse and spreading to more parts of his body. Finally, she gave in and told Lucius-one of Victor's closest friends-that Victor was indeed afflicted with the disease. Although she did not particularly like Lucius (and he did not particularly like Charlotte), she felt like it was her responsibility to at least let someone know.

Charlotte told Lucius, and life went on. Helen died peacefully in her sleep, and Charlotte did the best she could to help Victor through his grief as well as overcome her own. Victor and Charlotte worked together to set Octavia up with Lucius, for Charlotte recognized that Octavia and Lucius would have made a good couple, despite the fact that Charlotte was slightly put off by his standoffish and antisocial ways, and she encouraged Victor to present his plans for automatons to the Automation Guild, even as she sensed the disease growing worse and worse. The day he was to present his plans, Charlotte knew that he didn't have much longer, but even she was not expecting him to collapse in the middle of the presentation. Charlotte was with Victor in his final hours at the hospital, doing everything she could to try to save him yet knowing that it was to no avail. When Victor finally passed away, it was with Charlotte at his side.

Later, they found a ring in Victor's coat pocket, and Charlotte fled from the room with tears streaming down her face.

After Victor's death, Charlotte's friends and family were all there for her, and even as she tried to move past him, she would grow depressed and uncharacteristically moody every once in a while. The first few months after Victor passed, Charlotte spent her lunch breaks in tears and would randomly stop what she was doing and stare into space for hours at a time. Although Charlotte gradually returned to her normal cheerful self, those who knew her well could tell that she had never fully let go.

Name :: Charlotte "Lottie" Rosalind Vernell
Age :: 27
Role :: The Gossip
Body Mind or Heart? :: Heart
Alignment :: Neutral Good
Faceclaim :: Arden Cho

Personality :: Charlotte is a bubbly, talkative person, always ready to strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone. She cares a lot about her close friends and family. She is genuinely friendly and very open about everything there is to know about her. Charlotte is very compassionate and empathetic, and she is always there if you need a hug or a shoulder to cry on. However, she tends to be flighty, excitable, and easily distracted. She is extremely giggly and people who don't know her tend to see her as shallow and superficial. Charlotte is spontaneous and impulsive. She doesn't usually give much thought to the long-term consequences of her actions, preferring to live life in the moment and worry about the rest later. She is easily upset but also easily cheered up. Above all, Charlotte is very optimistic-she believes that there's always a bright side to everything.

Charlotte's sweet personality makes her come off as ditzy and airheaded to people she is not familiar with. She is a bit on the nosier side, a flaw she does not truly realize because she will tell the world anything and everything and expects others to do the same. Charlotte is a big gossiper and is typically unable keep her big mouth shut. This has landed her into a heap of trouble more than just once. Charlotte has never been good at sitting still or being quiet. She likes to move, she likes to laugh, and she likes to have fun. She is quite perceptive of other people's emotions, thoughts, and feelings, despite her rather frivolous nature. Charlotte has an unfortunate habit of eavesdropping, and she notices /everything/. She is good with remembering faces and names, even if she is a bit naive.

Cheerful, outgoing, and optimistic, if a tad nosy and slightly (okay, /very/) girly, most people either like Charlotte well enough or absolutely despise her for her superficial outward appearance. She is keenly aware of her surroundings at all times, and she can be terribly shallow and overly concerned with trivial matters (such as how her purse doesn't match her shoes), but she is a loyal, kindhearted friend with not a mean bone in her body. Charlotte is

Likes :: Sweet things (chocolate, cake, tarts, biscuits...if it has sugar, then Charlotte adores it), fashionable dresses (Charlotte loves getting all dressed up and doing her hair and wearing something pretty), parties and social gatherings (Charlotte likes meeting new people and having a good time), flashy jewelry (and anything else that sparkles, really), champagne (it's just so /fizzy/!), dancing, jazz music, sunny days, late spring/early summer, comforting others, eavesdropping, gossiping, knowing the dirt on anyone and everyone (Charlotte is well aware of how petty she is, thank you very much), chattering incessantly about trivial things, big, tacky hats that are so reminiscent of the Victorian era that they're cringeworthy, smiling and laughing, being overdramatic about everything, apple pie, tea with plenty of milk and sugar and honey, lace and pearls, make-up, curly hair, herbal teas and remedies, helping people recover from illnesses/physical injuries, the color pink

Dislikes :: "Boring"/stuffy people (Charlotte gets annoyed when people refuse to engage in a conversation with her and stay silent the entire time. She also dislikes people who are all prim and proper and "don't know" how to have fun), staying silent (Charlotte is always chattering about something or the other, and being forced to stay silent is probably the hardest thing since embroidery for her), arithmetic (Charlotte's attention span is akin to that of a gold fish, and she finds it difficult to stay focused while adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing), waking up earlier than 9 AM, rainy days and thunderstorms, being cold and winter weather, the smell of car exhaust, black coffee, rats, snakes, spiders, obnoxious bible-thumpers (they /really/ need to lighten up!), vodka (it's gross), dull green colors

Greatest strength :: Her uncanny ability for remembering most everything she hears and noticing small details that others would miss
Greatest weakness :: Her unfortunate habit of blabbing everything she knows to the nearest sentient being

Bio :: Charlotte's only ever been sure of three things in her life:
One-she much, much, /much/ prefers "Lottie" to "Charlotte" (Charlotte is such an old fashioned name; what is this, the sixteenth century?).
Two-gossip is a good thing. A very good thing.

Three-but Lottie doesn't /gossip/. She /never/ gossips. She merely /observes/. And then she relates her observations to practically everyone.

In time, there would be a four and a five. But more on that later.

Lottie was born to a well-to-do family that had acquired their wealth through questionable means. She has an older sister (Ardelia) and two twin older brothers (Henry and Albert). Her father is a white man named Edward whose family is heavily involved in foreign trade and the shipping industry. Her mother is a Chinese woman named Yingmei whose family is heavily involved in the newly-formed nationalist government under Sun Yat-sen. Before that, they were Chinese business tycoons who sought to profit off of the Westerners at their ports, rather than to oppose them.

Edward and Yingmei's marriage was very much a business alliance, and the last thing that Yingmei wants for her children is the same fate. She also wants her children to steer clear of some of the illegal practices that their father and his father utilized in order to amass their fortune. Unfortunately for Yingmei, Ardelia is already heavily entrenched in her father's line of business, and Henry has also begun to tread on the wrong side of the law with an increasing frequency. Albert and Lottie, however, have no desire to join their siblings with their father. Albert, because he would rather be a court lawyer than run a business (which makes for some /extremely/ awkward family dinners), and Lottie because she could /never/ imagine breaking the law-isn't that, you know, bad?

Lottie grew up very comfortably, with all the schooling that money could buy (though she wasn't very keen on certain subjects, such as math). Sometimes, it seemed like Lottie cared more about pretty dresses and the newest Parisian hairstyles than anything, well, /important/, but that was certainly not the case-the identity of the girl that Billy so-and-so is cheating on by being with Margaret so-and-so is /very/ important!

Lottie always seemed so very frivolous, so it came as a surprise to everyone when she first expressed interest in becoming a nurse (though, her mother noted that she was very keen on the traditional medicines and herbal remedies that Yingmei brought with her from China). Nobody took her seriously until the onset of World War I, when she signed up to volunteer in France. Both of Lottie's parents were firmly against the idea, but Lottie insisted, and with the help of her siblings, she managed to convince them to allow her to volunteer. The war was an entirely different experience from anything that Lottie had ever known-all the gossip was about the stupid /Germans/, for Pete's sake!

It was in the ramshackle field hospital that Lottie met the love of her life.

Victor Bennett was a passably good soldier, but what he truly excelled at was quantum physics. He was wounded badly in the trenches, and Lottie got to know him as he recovered in the hospital. Victor could go on for hours about Bohr's model of the atom and Planck's theories and Faraday's cathodes, even as he was barely hanging onto life. Indeed, he had taken multiple gunshots to his left leg, along with sustaining a dozen broken bones, and for awhile, it seemed like the leg would have to be amputed. While caring for him, Lottie fell head over heels in love with everything about Victor-with his roguish, cheeky grin, with the suave manners he possessed even as he was confined to a hospital bed, with the way he was so lively and passionate and full of life.

Victor was sent back to America towards the end of the war, and he promised to find Lottie once it was all over. He made good on this promise, and the two wrote frequently while Lottie attended nursing school. After she graduated, Lottie came home and secured a position at the biggest hospital in the city, while Victor moved to the same city to work with other physicists of note. The few years that Lottie had with Victor were the most wonderful years of her life.

And so we come to the fourth thing that Lottie knew for sure-she loved Victor. Like, a /lot/.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and in this case, it was Victor. Doctors discovered that he had a hereditary heart complication and did everything they could, but to no avail; it was too little, too late. After collapsing while presenting his findings to a panel of other notables in the field, he was taken to the same hospital that Lottie is employed at.

Lottie was with Victor in his final hours at the hospital, doing everything she could to try to save him yet knowing that it was useless. When Victor finally passed away, it was with Lottie at his side.

Later, they found a ring in Victor's coat pocket, and Lottie fled from the room with tears streaming down her face.

The fifth and final certainty of Lottie's life thus far: Victor was dead. He was dead, and he was never, ever coming back. Not in a million years.

After Victor's death, Lottie's friends and family were all there for her, and even as she tried to move past him, she would grow depressed and uncharacteristically moody every once in a while. The first few months after Victor passed, Lottie spent her lunch breaks in tears and would randomly stop what she was doing and stare into space for hours at a time. Although Lottie gradually returned to her normal cheerful self, those who knew her well enough could tell that she had never fully let go.

Alibi :: Lottie was too busy talking the ear off of one of the partygoers to have killed Evelyn Buchanan (the newest fashion magazines from Europe are just /such/ a scintillating topic of discussion, aren't they?)

Motive :: Unbeknownst to the general public, Lottie and her siblings are actually second-cousins of Evelyn herself. Perhaps Charlotte was acting at the behest of her father or one of her more criminally-inclined siblings? Her family does, after all, have a history of smuggling illegal substances into the US

Tag 5+ or Taglist :: @romanaria @robot-vibes @aenir @bandumb @questing-witch
Tag me (@ezmeerose) and the group (polyvore.com/escape_room/group.show?i…)

Nickname: N/A
Age: 55
Guild: Apothecary
Occupation: Head of the emergency-response team at the Cindergate Hospital
Sexuality: Asexual
Appearance:

Genevieve has a slightly tanned complexion, stern hazel eyes, and dark, straight brown hair that goes halfway down her back. She has a rather prominent jawline and angular facial structure. Genevieve is taller than average, standing at six feet and five inches, and there are wrinkles that have started to form on her face. She has an imposing stature and exudes an aura of authority that commands immediate respect.

Genevieve certainly isn't the most athletic of people, but the vigorous training needed to become a part of the emergency response team as well as the running that she keeps up with to improve her cardiorespiratory endurance which improves her capability to heal for longer without taking a break has given her a leanly muscled physique. She tends to dress conservatively and rather simply. Her clothing does not have much ornamentation other than a few embroidered designs here and there, and she thinks that she is much too old to be wearing corsets and the like.

Equipment: a roll of bandages, a miscellaneous collection of poultices and salves, a leather-bound notebook that fits snugly into her pocket, a pen with spare ink, and a small pocketknife

Personality:
[div style="text-align:center;"][span style="font-size:10pt;"]Observant~Meticulous~Practical[/span][/div][div style="text-align:center;"][span style="font-size:10pt;"]ISFJ (Defender)[/span][/div]Genevieve has always been a stickler for organization and is particular to the point of being fastidious about the way things are run at the Cindergate Hospital. She pays a lot of attention to details and is keenly aware of her surroundings. Genevieve values trustworthiness and reliability, and if she says she will do something, she will always follow through with that promise. Genevieve doesn't mind conversing with others, and she has a knack for memorizing important figures and miscellaneous pieces of information. She is calm and collected under pressure, although she will get a bit snappish if somebody repeatedly makes the same stupid mistakes. Genevieve believes that proper planning and preparation will lead to success, and she has the patience to see things through till the very end. She doesn't mind doing more mundane and routinely tasks; to her, they might just be the most important things because these types of things keep the whole operation running. Genevieve is loyal and protective of her friends and very easily identifies the strengths and weaknesses of others. She has a strong sense of what's right and wrong and emphasizes morals. Genevieve can come off as rather stern, but she is truly a very compassionate woman who has a drive to help others recover. Genevieve likes to take her time and think things through, and she prefers to settle things peacefully rather than to engage in some sort of physical fight.

Likes:
*Organization-this, in Genevieve's mind, is the key to success, along with proper planning and preparaton
*Seeing patients fully healed and ready to be discharged from the hospital
*History, especially that of the Eastern  World-Genevieve is fascinated by it because it was the Orient that first developed a Pathocura class of healers

Dislikes:
*Messiness/carelessness
*Bars and taverns (too many brawls erupt over petty arguments, which will more often than not lead to grave injuries)
*Violence, especially violence that is utterly unnecessary

Fears:
*Being unable to help somebody because of her own inadequacy
*War (even though Genevieve will remain cool-headed during situations like that, she still fears the outcomes of armed conflict)
*Being caught totally unprepared for something or the other

Skills: 
*Remembering small details
*Planning things out (with an almost excessive attention to detail)
*Sketching (mostly drawings and diagrams related to anatomy)
Guild Gift Explanation: Genevieve belongs to the Meracura class of healers (so she is a Mera-healer/wound-healer).

Biography: Genevieve Minerva Winchester comes from a long line of doctors, surgeons, and physicians. Almost all of her ancestors were Mera-healers as well. As a child, Genevieve fit the Winchester mold perfectly; hardworking, studious, and reliable, she was everything that her parents could have hoped for. Genevieve has a younger sister named Arabella who is a Patho-healer. Although Arabella was somewhat of a slacker and more rebellious than Genevieve-she was considered the 'black sheep' of the Winchester family-the two were very close as children and still remain close to this day. Arabella currently holds a semi-prominent position in the Pathocura wing of the Cindergate Hospital.

Because of their history of working as professionals, the Winchesters are considered a well-to-do family in Hourglass City. Indeed, Genevieve has never wanted for food or shelter. However, there is an empathetic side to her that sympathizes with the less fortunate, and during her early 20's (before the Guild system was implemented) she worked to lower hospital fees. After the Guild system was implemented, hospital fees were virtually eliminated, much to Genevieve's delight. She firmly believes that everyone deserves to have access to medical care; fees and prices be damned. 

Throughout her early years, Arabella and Genevieve's friends would tease her for her habit of meticulously planning out every detail and thinking of every possible scenario. While Arabella was daring and adventurous, Genevieve preferred to stick to tradition and carries around a small notebook in which she writes down anything and everything-to do lists, upcoming events, things to remember, random thoughts, and the like. She has gone through dozens of these notebooks in her lifetime, and has them all tucked away neatly in a desk drawer in her home. Growing up, Genevieve's studies focused mainly on preparing her for a job in the real world. She learned how to use her power and how to identify different types of injuries and wounds as well as anatomy and physiology. She also received instruction in the more medicinal aspects of becoming a healer, although that was not the primary focus of her learning because she is a Mera-healer. Genevieve threw herself into her studies, and she did very well. She became an apprentice under an esteemed healer, who would eventually found the Cindergate Hospital, and completed her education. After Genevieve finished her apprenticeship, she was given a job at a rather small hospital, which Genevieve immensely enjoyed.

Fast forward to ten years later, when the Guild system (which Genevieve vigorously supported) was first put into place: Genevieve's old teacher established the Cindergate Hospital, and Genevieve gladly accepted a job at the new establishment. At first, Genevieve worked as your typical healer, but she soon was promoted to the head of her department due to her connections to the hospital's founder and her talent with her Guild Gift. When Genevieve was forty, she was promoted again, this time to the head of human resources. As the Cindergate Hospital became more and more influential, so did Genevieve. She subsequently found herself involved in a series of political conflicts that she cared nothing for. She realized that she did not enjoy her job as the head of human resources as much as she enjoyed her previous job of working on the field and directly helping the injured.

Genvieve put in a request to switch back to actual healing, which was granted. A year or two later, she became part of the emergency-response team. The emergency-response team is a group of top-notch healers of both classes that partners with the ground patrol section of the Aeronaut Guild in case of crises. Genevieve found that she loved being a part of the emergency-response team, and has declined all promotions offered that would transfer her out of emergency-response. After the head of the emergency-response team was promoted to the head of the Meracura department, Genevieve was given the position as leader of the emergency-response team. She takes this job very, very seriously; even more so than all her previous positions.

Nickname: Nat
Age: 47
Guild: Aeronaut
Occupation: an airship lieutenant (he is a pilot)
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Appearance: Nathaniel stands at six feet and three inches, weighing about one hundred and ninety pounds. He has an average amount of muscle for an Aeronaut and has a weathered, rugged look to him that is emphasized by the wrinkles and lines on his face. Nathaniel's slightly wavy hair is a dirty-blonde hue, and his eyes are light blue. Nathaniel has broad shoulders and an athletic physique that he's maintained all throughout his teenage and adult years.

Nathaniel tends to dress in the standard manner of most pilots with his uniform and goggles. In addition, Nathaniel wears a pair of black, finger-less gloves. His "style" is more simple than that of other Aeronauts, despite the fact that he wears the medals he has received on his uniform. On anybody else, it would be viewed as pompous or overdone, but it gives Nathaniel an air of dignity and respect.
Equipment: a saber issued by the Aeronaut Guild, a pair of brass goggles, a standard pair of Aeronaut Guild-issued aviator's goggles, and a plain, unadorned pocket watch

Personality:
[div style="text-align:center;"][span style="font-size:10pt;"]Steadfast~Dutiful~Honest[/span][/div][div style="text-align:center;"][span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;"]ISTJ (Logistician)[/span]

[div style="text-align:left;"]Nathaniel is a blunt and upfront person who very rarely, if ever, sugarcoats things. He has a tough no-nonsense demeanor to him, though he can be remarkably understanding if the situation allows it. Not one for many words, Nathaniel prefers to watch and listen rather than to actively engage in a dispute. He doesn't give his input very often, but when he does, people listen. Nathaniel is the type to lead by letting others argue and picking out the good ideas that stem from the argument. Nathaniel is a man who likes to take his time. He won't voice his opinion until he has properly formulated something articulate to say. He can be rather cautious but knows when he has to be bold and decisive. Nathaniel is the type who will stick to the book until the very last minute. He has been criticized for being a stickler for rules; indeed, he will often dole out penalties for what others view as tiny infractions. However, no one has ever called him unfair. Nathaniel believes strongly in doing his duty and being an honorable person. He is reliable and loyal, even if he disagrees with you. Nathaniel loathes people who do not tell the truth. To him, that is one of the biggest crimes that one can commit. Nathaniel believes in justice and defending those who cannot defend themselves, which is very compatible with his position in the Aeronaut Guild.

[/div][/div]Likes:
*Flying an airship; there is something exhilarating about it that Nathaniel definitely enjoys, and that feeling has not faded through the years
*Spending time with his family-Nathaniel values what little time he gets with them, since most of his family members are all in different sections of the Aeronaut Guild and live in different barracks in Peripoint
*Learning about cybernetic enhancements, especially cybernetic wings-Nathaniel is just a tad envious of the pirates who are able to use them, though he maintains that the Aeronaut pilots are better with airships than the pirates (of course, there is a good degree of bias behind that opinion)

Dislikes:
*Pompous and pretentious people; to Nathaniel, they're basically just liars
*Liars, cheaters, and fakes
*Asparagus (even though few have ever had the good fortune to try it, Nathaniel thinks it's gross)

Fears:
*Being unable to do his duty, whatever it may be
*Doing the wrong thing, either morally or strategically 
*Being totally, completely, and utterly helpless

Skills: 
*Flying airships-Nathaniel has flown a wide variety of them in his lifetime, from new state-of-the-art airships to airships that are literally being held together by the sheer willpower of the pilot
*Combat, most notably hand-to-hand combat or sword-fighting, though he is decent with a pistol
*Making soup; Nathaniel makes a killer tomato soup

Guild Gift Explanation: Nathaniel's Guild Gift has most remarkably manifested itself in him in the form of heightened cardiorespiratory endurance, super strength, and lightning-fast reflexes. 

Biography: Born to a member of the tactical operations branch of the Aeronaut Guild and a member of the investigation branch of the Aeronaut Guild, nobody was expecting Nathaniel to excel in flying. In fact, during his early years, even Nathaniel himself thought that he would probably be assigned to one of the less hands-on branches of the Aeronaut Guild. He was not particularly tall, nor was he particularly muscular or athletic. It wasn't until he boarded an airship for the first time that he knew in his heart that he was meant to be a pilot.

Like all members of the Aeronaut Guild, Nathaniel went through basic training as a cadet from the ages ten to fifteen. During each of the five years, cadets focused on one specific branch of the Aeronaut Guild as well as honed their physical abilities according to their Guild Gifts. The first two years were dedicated to tactical operations and investigation due to the fact that most of the cadets would not develop the physical abilities needed for training in the other branches until they hit puberty. Nathaniel was alright in these two; he didn't completely flunk out, but he didn't excel either.

Then, during the third year of basic training, the cadets began to delve deeper into the pilot branch of the Aeronaut Guild. Nathaniel instantly fell in love with airships, pilots, hot air balloons...anything and everything that had to do with flying. He threw himself into his studies, quickly rising to the top of his class, to the surprise of most of his peers. Before, Nathaniel had just been average. Now, though, he was a super star. Before even half of his third year of basic training was over, Nathaniel knew that he was going to be a pilot, no matter what anyone else said.

The military-esque atmosphere of basic training also played a big part in the development of Nathaniel's commitment to honor, duty, and loyalty. His friends would tease him of being no fun and unwilling to relax a little, but Nathaniel brushed off their playful taunts. To him, there was much more at stake than just a demerit for breaking the rules. There was the matter of his honor and the fact that he had a duty to become the best Aeronaut that he could possibly be. And if that meant staying in his room and studying rather than going out and partying with his friends, then so be it.

Nathaniel's complete change in attitude came as a pleasant surprise to his instructors. He was top of his class at the end of the third year, and was praised for his determination and his all-or-nothing attitude. He then proceeded to pass his fourth and fifth years of basic training with flying colors. Although he dropped down from number one in his class, he never strayed far from the top ten.

After basic training, Nathaniel was, to no one's surprise besides that of his parents, assigned to the pilot branch of the Aeronaut Guild. He studied and trained for another three years until he was eighteen, which was when cadets were officially initiated into the Aeronaut Guild. It wasn't long after Nathaniel became an official member of the pilot branch that the Guild system was implemented. Nathaniel was relatively indifferent toward it, since it did little to change the Aeronaut Guild, but he did recognize the benefits that it gave to the other Guilds, which had been fairly disorganized before the changes were made.

Nathaniel slowly worked his way up the chain of command as a pilot, eventually achieving the prestigious rank of lieutenant. He is an officer aboard the airship Bronze Wind. When he was thirty-one years old, Nathaniel married a woman named Elizabeth from the ground patrol branch of the Aeronaut Guild. They have a son who is twelve years old and currently going through basic training himself. Nathaniel has an older brother of eight years that is a member of the tactical operations branch of the Aeronaut Guild, and a younger sister of three years who is a member of the tactical operations branch as well. Both his parents are still alive, and Nathaniel sees them when he can.

»Name: Shaoqing Wang (as per the Western way of naming); 王烧清 in Chinese characters; Wáng shāoqīng in pinyin
Stephanie/Steph to her English-speaking friends
»Age: {19+} 22
»Birthplace: Beijing, China (currently attending Nankai University in Tianjin)
»Field of study: anthropology and museum studies (dabbles in fashion design and historical fashion as well)

»What makes you an asset to the team? Shaoqing possesses a sharp intellect that allows her to quickly analyze any situation from every perspective and come up with a solution. She is also capable of nigh on regurgitating facts and figures, a product of all her years in the Chinese education system, and she is a veritable treasure trove of information concerning human culture. Shaoqing has always been an organizational genius, and she is constantly prepared for anything-be it a slew of paperwork or a broken nail or a car that's out of gas.

»Personality: At a first glance, Shaoqing is unnecessarily focused on small, overly specific details and unbearably girly. She is bubbly and outgoing, and her friendly, cheerful disposition is well-liked by her peers, even if they do make fun of her for her propensity of wearing high heels /everywhere/ she goes. Though Shaoqing can be very prissy and a bit shallow or superficial, she doesn't have a single mean bone in her body. She can talk about anything and everything for hours on end. Some tend to find this incessant chatter exceedingly irritating, which Shaoqing is not always the most aware of. She is a kind and sweet person at heart, and she refuses to say anything bad about other people as a general principle.

If Shaoqing is not always aware of how much she talks, she /is/ aware of the feelings and thoughts of others. Shaoqing is naturally people-smart and is good at picking up subtle hints that indicate shifts in emotions in others. She's a very good listener and always willing to offer comfort to other people. Empathetic, understanding, and cheerful, Shaoqing is perpetually impeccably organized and ready for anything. She's a bit of a perfectionist with a stickler for keeping everything neat and organized. Shaoqing has an infernal inability to keep her mouth shut on things that don't really matter, making her an incorrigible gossip.

Despite her rather silly tendencies, Shaoqing is a natural-born diplomat and compromiser, capable of expertly mediating tense situations. Armed with a firm belief in common courtesy and a natural gift for "reading" people, she is able to get even the most stubborn of people to agree to things through the application of hot drinks and sugary treats and pure politeness. She has a breezy, brisk way of going about her business, and she is remarkably good at keeping track of and managing people, for all her sparkly ways.

Finally, although one wouldn't guess it from Shaoqing's outward appearance and mannerisms, Shaoqing possesses a sharp intelligence and an ability to analyze all sorts of problems and situations in the blink of an eye. She is most certainly not as ditzy as she comes off as, in terms of academics. Shaoqing has always maintained high expectations for herself, and she refuses to be anything less than perfect in everything from her grades to her hair to her hot pink planner.

»Likes: flowers and floral print (Shaoqing is obsessed with flowers, for some obscure reason that even she is not entirely sure of), sushi, red bean baozi, Chipotle (she has cousins in America, and she has visited before, and oh my goodness, Mexican food is pure /heaven/), a certain stir-fried egg and tomato dish (known as fānqié chǎo dàn in Mandarin Chinese), watermelon and watermelon juice, short, ruffled/pleated skirts, crop tops, tank tops/spaghetti strap tank tops, sundresses, the smell of old books, sweets and sugary drinks, blueberry juice (yes, it's a thing in China!), organization, sparkly gel plans and colorful planners, history, period dresses (she adores Victorian-era gowns), museums, high heels, choker necklaces, make-up, shopping, hoop earrings, cute clothes in general, strawberry milkshakes, Chinese dance, glitter/sparkles, pop music, Chinese period dramas (because the outfits are /so/ gorgeous), her electric-blue scooter

»Dislikes: boats (she gets horribly seasick), hamburgers (one thing from American culture that she is content to stay far, far away from, thank you very much), coerced physical activity (she hated gym class with a burning passion), feeling less than perfect, disappointing other people, feeling like she hasn't met her own expectations, people who think she's stupid because she likes gossiping and make-up, singing (she has a horrible singing voice, and everybody knows it), plain steamed buns (a staple of Chinese cuisine, yes, but she likes them with raisins), messy notes, drab clothing in subdued colors, ruining her hair/clothes/make-up, bitter melon (a Chinese thing. Don't ask), the smell of cigarette smoke (and of course, /everyone/ in China smokes. Sigh.), big dogs, disorganization, rainy days, long plane rides, the CCP's policies of censoring the Internet and history books

»Bio: Shaoqing was in high school when the CCP blocked Google.

After Google came a whole slew of websites: Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, even Microsoft OneDrive, for heavens' sake. Twitter. Snapchat. /Pinterest/. What the hell had Pinterest done to the CCP? Did they feel threatened by the DIY scrapbooks and cheesecake recipes that proliferated the website?

But the CCP had been familiar with censorship long, long before the advent of the modern age and the Internet. During the time of Mao, for instance. Most of China still regards him as a great leader-the Chinese equivalent of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Shaoqing knows better. She's read textbooks written by Westerners, for Westerners; not without their biases, no, but at least they were /mostly/ objectively accurate. American history textbooks always mentioned the Trail of Tears without fail, for example. The democracy protests of '89 that culminated in the Tiananmen Square Massacre are completely omitted from Chinese textbooks.

Shaoqing spent two years of high school in America, and coming back to the censorship and firewalls of China was like going from the cool air of a crisp autumn morning in Massachusetts to the stifling, oppressive heat of a summer afternoon in Shanghai. And, for goodness' sake, she's not /ignorant/. Even if journalists can't talk, her parents do. Her parents, who both supported reform, had taken part in the protests. Her mother lost her best friend to the chaos of June 4th, 1989, while she herself rallied against the government in Shanghai. Her father narrowly escaped the violence-he left the Square on June 3rd.

Tiananmen Square. The Gate of Heavenly Peace, indeed.

Shaoqing's grandmother died of malnourishment, thanks to the CCP and the utterly /idiotic/ Great Leap Forward. Her mother has told her all the stories-how they were so hungry that they ate dogs and grass. How, despite it all, the CCP /still/ felt it necessary for people to retain their ideological purity and commitment to Mao's brand of communism-Maoism. And as for her father? Well, her father's family was unfortunate enough to be composed almost entirely of intellectuals. His mother and sister and younger brother fled to Taiwan, and then to America. He didn't see them for decades.

But enough of that for now. Shaoqing values competence and accuracy and cute clothes over everything else. And in her book, the CCP is hurting China with their glorified version of Chinese history, and she resents the woefully incompetent government officials and bureaucrats of the past for the famines and the shortages. But they're doing alright in terms of cute clothes (the new /malls/ everywhere are absolutely breathtaking!).

Shaoqing's parents never tried to hide the reality of their government from her. They cautioned her against speaking out, though. She has a distant cousin, a journalist, who was arrested for being overly critical in his writings. So Shaoqing doesn't really think about how the CCP has wronged the Chinese people. She tries not to, anyway. She'll just get upset that she can't really /do/ anything, at least not from inside China.

Shaoqing was born and raised in Beijing. She spent two years in America with her cousins, attending a private school. She is currently about to enter her fourth year at Nankai University in Tianjin in the fall.

Shaoqing likes people and she finds human culture fascinating-hence her interest in anthropology. She likes the idea of working at a museum, of acquiring new artifacts and such and organizing everything perfectly. Shaoqing dreams of becoming a curator at the National Museum of China like her mother. She is also very interested in fashion, even if she doesn't want to make a career out of it (her meticulously organized, though overflowing, closest speaks for itself). She decided to apply for the summer program in Egypt because, well, it's Egypt! How amazing would it be, to see the ancient ruins in person? And there is something so endearingly quaint about the whole archaeologist aesthetic, too (blouses and skirts and whatnot). Throw in some Turkish Delights to the mix, and what more could a girl /ever/ need?

»Face claim: Estelle Chen

»Taken by: @ayzrules

»Entry/Story: polyvore.com/journal_entry_for_shaoqi…

»Optional:

Collection: polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6724365

Playlist: polyvore.com/wont_sit_still_look_pret…

Aesthetic board: polyvore.com/keep_your_head_heels_sta…

»Shaoqing did Chinese dance for the majority of her life. As such, she is inordinately flexible and lithely strong, even if some of this has faded with time. Nowadays, the most exercise she gets is sprinting to class in stilettos because she is late /all/ the time (you'd think that with her organizational skills she would always be on time, but apparently not!)

»Referring to the point above-yes, Shaoqing can run in heels. She's quite good at it, actually

»Bubble tea. Because, yes

»Also, ice cream sundaes and Oreo cookies and ooooh, is that cake?!

»Shaoqing's aesthetic consists of bright pinks and yellows and glitter and floral-print, topped off with a pair of suicidally-high heels

»Shaoqing likes to decorate her notes and planner with cute stickers and she adores stationery and pretty notes written in sparkly gel pens

»"Legally Blond", "Clueless", and "The Devil Wears Prada" are three of her all-time favorite movies. Though "Tangled" and "The Princess and the Frog" are wonderful as well. Oh, and who can forget "Journey to the West" (西游记)?

»tl;dr Shaoqing is a extra as hell and completely prepared to traipse through ancient ruins in high heels carrying a purse filled with make-up

🌸Name, age: Stephanie Shaoqing Wang (Her Chinese name being 王烧清, or Wang Shaoqing), 21
🌸“Life is short. Wear cute shoes."
🌸Nickname: Steph
🌸Birthday / Zodiac: August 25th, 1995//Virgo//Year of the Rat
🌸Hometown: Born in Nanjing, China; moved to O'ahu at age two
🌸College Major: A double-major in political science and Spanish (dabbles in anthropology and historical fashions as well) at NYU
🌸Current Job: Spanish tutor and assistant gymnastics instructor (with an internship at the Hawaiian Senator's office secured for the latter half of the summer)
🌸Model: Estelle Chen

🌸Likes: flowers and floral print (Steph is obsessed with flowers, for some obscure reason that even she is not entirely sure of), sushi, red bean baozi, Chipotle (Mexican food is pure /heaven/), a certain stir-fried egg and tomato dish (known as fānqié chǎo dàn in Mandarin Chinese), watermelon and watermelon juice, short, ruffled/pleated skirts, crop tops, tank tops/spaghetti strap tank tops, sundresses, the smell of old books, sweets and sugary drinks, blueberry juice (yes, it's a thing in China!), organization, sparkly gel plans and colorful planners, history, period dresses (she adores Victorian-era gowns), museums, high heels, choker necklaces, make-up, shopping, hoop earrings, cute clothes in general, strawberry milkshakes, artistic gymnastics (though she will forever be in awe of rhythmic gymnasts), glitter/sparkles, pop music, Chinese period dramas (because the outfits are /so/ gorgeous), her electric-blue scooter, her younger brother (Kevin)

🌸Dislikes: boats (she gets horribly seasick), hamburgers (one thing from American culture that she is content to stay far, far away from, thank you very much), coerced physical activity (she hated gym class with a burning passion), feeling less than perfect, disappointing other people, feeling like she hasn't met her own expectations, people who think she's stupid because she likes gossiping and make-up, singing (she has a horrible singing voice, and everybody knows it), plain steamed buns (a staple of Chinese cuisine, yes, but she likes them with raisins), messy notes, drab clothing in subdued colors, ruining her hair/clothes/make-up, bitter melon (a Chinese thing. Don't ask), the smell of cigarette smoke, big dogs, disorganization, rainy days, long plane rides, the CCP's policies of censoring the Internet and history books, racist/sexist people, when Kevin is being an annoying piece of sh/t

🌸Personality: At a first glance, Steph is unnecessarily focused on small, overly specific details and unbearably girly. She is bubbly and outgoing, and her friendly, cheerful disposition is well-liked by her peers, even if they do make fun of her for her propensity of wearing high heels /everywhere/ she goes. Though Steph can be very prissy and a bit shallow or superficial, she doesn't have a single mean bone in her body. She can talk about anything and everything for hours on end. Some tend to find this incessant chatter exceedingly irritating, which Steph is not always the most aware of. She is a kind and sweet person at heart, and she refuses to say anything bad about other people as a general principle.

If Steph is not always aware of how much she talks, she /is/ aware of the feelings and thoughts of others. Steph is naturally people-smart and is good at picking up subtle hints that indicate shifts in emotions in others. She's a very good listener and always willing to offer comfort to other people. Empathetic, understanding, and cheerful, Steph is perpetually impeccably organized and ready for anything. She's a bit of a perfectionist with a stickler for keeping everything neat and organized. Steph has an infernal inability to keep her mouth shut on things that don't really matter, making her an incorrigible gossip.

Despite her rather silly tendencies, Shaoqing is a natural-born diplomat and compromiser, capable of expertly mediating tense situations. Armed with a firm belief in common courtesy and a natural gift for "reading" people, she is able to get even the most stubborn of people to agree to things through the application of hot drinks and sugary treats and pure politeness. She has a breezy, brisk way of going about her business, and she is remarkably good at keeping track of and managing people, for all her sparkly ways.

Finally, although one wouldn't guess it from Steph's outward appearance and mannerisms, Steph possesses a sharp intelligence and an ability to analyze all sorts of problems and situations in the blink of an eye. She is most certainly not as ditzy as she comes off as, in terms of academics. Steph has always maintained high expectations for herself, and she refuses to be anything less than perfect in everything from her grades to her hair to her hot pink planner.

🌸Bio: Steph was in high school when the Chinese Communist Party blocked Google.

After Google came a whole slew of websites: Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, even Microsoft OneDrive, for heavens' sake. Twitter. Snapchat. /Pinterest/. What the hell had Pinterest done to the CCP? Did they feel threatened by the DIY scrapbooks and cheesecake recipes that proliferated the website?

She felt terrible for her Chinese cousins.

The CCP had been familiar with censorship long, long before the advent of the modern age and the Internet. During the time of Mao, for instance. Most of China still regards him as a great leader-the Chinese equivalent of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Steph knows better. She's an American, for heaven's sake, and she's read textbooks written by Westerners, for Westerners; not without their biases, no, but at least they were /mostly/ objectively accurate. American history textbooks always mentioned the Trail of Tears without fail, for example. The democracy protests of '89 that culminated in the Tiananmen Square Massacre are completely omitted from Chinese textbooks.

Steph spent two summers in China, and going into the censorship and firewalls of China was like going from the cool air of a crisp autumn morning in Massachusetts to the stifling, oppressive heat of a summer afternoon in Shanghai. And, for goodness' sake, she's not /ignorant/. Her parents have told her everything, and why not? They have that privilege in America.

Steph's parents, who both supported reform, had taken part in the 1989 protests. Her mother lost her best friend to the chaos of June 4th, 1989, while she herself rallied against the government in Beijing. Her father narrowly escaped the violence-he left the Square on June 3rd.

Tiananmen Square. The Gate of Heavenly Peace, indeed.

Steph's grandmother died of malnourishment, thanks to the CCP and the utterly /idiotic/ Great Leap Forward. Her mother has told her all the stories-how they were so hungry that they ate dogs and grass. How, despite it all, the CCP /still/ felt it necessary for people to retain their ideological purity and commitment to Mao's brand of communism, his so-called "Maoism". And as for her father? Well, her father's family was unfortunate enough to be composed almost entirely of intellectuals. His mother and sister and younger brother fled to Taiwan, and then to America. He didn't see them for decades.

But enough of that for now. Steph values competence and accuracy and cute clothes over everything else. And in her book, the CCP is hurting China with their glorified version of Chinese history, and she resents the woefully incompetent government officials and bureaucrats of the past for the famines and the shortages. But they're doing alright in terms of cute clothes (the new /malls/ everywhere are absolutely breathtaking!).

Of course, America is not without its problems (take the fxcking hypocritical policy of Affirmative Action, for instance), but like Steph reminds herself every time she gets overly worked up over American racism-at least she can watch YouTube and maintain her Snapchat streaks in the United States, for Pete's sake!

Shaoqing's going to change the world. Some way or another, she's going to help bring about the downfall of the CCP-she just doesn't know /how/ yet.

And she'll need to buy a new outfit before she seriously commits. A girl can't take on a quasi-dictatorship without a pair of killer heels, now can she?

🌸Family:
*Wang Hao (Hao Wang by the Western custom of naming)-Steph's fifty-three-year-old father, originally from a small town in Anhui, China called Shui Kou (or 水口, literally "water mouth"). Witty, sarcastic, and never one to keep his mouth shut, Hao was able to bring his family to Hawaii since his aunt and uncle (who he hadn't seen since he was a child) were living in the US. Gets "roasted" by his family a /lot/.

Steph has a pretty good relationship with her father, and she enjoys his cheesy jokes, as much as she rolls her eyes in response. She also thinks that his Instagram captions are /atrocious/.

*Zheng Xiaohong (Xiaohong Zheng to Westerners)-a fifty-year-old woman who is as smart as a whip and expects her children to be the same. Born and raised in Nanjing, China, Xiaohong went to the best college in the country (Peking University in Beijing, China; known colloquially as "北大", or "bei da"), before she became a journalist and quickly rose up the ranks. However, she soon found herself in a spot of trouble for her articles that were a little /too/ critical of the Chinese Communist Party, so she decided to leave the country, using her husband's family as an escape route.

Steph has always admired her mother (who gave up journalism in favor of law after attending law school in the US) and strives to meet her expectations. Xiaohong is the epitome of a "tiger mom", but Steph knows that her mother truly does love her very much. Even if she doesn't always show it.

*Kevin Minghao Wang-Steph's sixteen-year-old brother who has a penchant for video games and soccer and a habit of slacking off 24/7. Also more than just a /bit/ of a player, which irritates both Steph and their mother to end. Steph hates how he gets wasted all the time (/especially/ when it's on school nights), and she also hates how he comes off as a fxckboy. However, she doesn't hate /him/ (though she would never admit to otherwise)-she just wishes that he would get his act together and start paying attention in class before their mom explodes with frustration and sends him off to military academy or something.

🌸Relationship Status: single....and it'll likely stay that way until at /least/ after she finishes grad school

🌸Other Important People:
*Angelica Adachi-Steph's best friend and a rising fourth year at Vassar, Angelica is American-born Japanese and a native to O'hau, Hawaii. Steph and Angelica are about as different as day and night-Steph is all florals and bubblegum pink and designer handbags, while Angelica is combat boots and leather jackets and the smell of engine grease-but the two grew up together and remain close to this very day. Angelica enjoys fast cars and faster motorcycles and speeding down the highway (which Steph wholeheartedly disapproves of, but tolerates because she /adores/ Angelica). GC: Tao Okamoto

🌸Taken by: @ayzrules

🌸EXTRA:
+moodboard- polyvore.com/keep_your_head_heels_sta…
+how to write
+storyboard
+playlist
+story

+anything else-
»Steph has done artistic gymnastics for the majority of her life. As such, she is inordinately flexible and lithely strong. Nowadays, she also gets exercise sprinting to class in stilettos because she is late /all/ the time (you'd think that with her organizational skills she would always be /early/, but apparently not!)

»Referring to the point above-yes, Shaoqing can run in heels. She's quite good at it, actually

»Bubble tea. Because, yes

»Also, ice cream sundaes and Oreo cookies and ooooh, is that cake?!

»Steph's aesthetic consists of bright pinks and yellows and glitter and floral-print, topped off with a pair of suicidally-high heels

»Steph likes to decorate her notes and planner with cute stickers and she adores stationery and pretty notes written in sparkly gel pens

»"Legally Blond", "Clueless", and "The Devil Wears Prada" are three of her all-time favorite movies. Though "Tangled" and "The Princess and the Frog" are wonderful as well. Oh, and who can forget the 1986 version of "Journey to the West" (西游记), with all its cheesy special effects?

»tl;dr Steph is a extra as hell and completely prepared to slapbox Bible-thumpers and Chinese officials alike in high heels and a short skirt

✨WRITTEN REQUIREMENTS✨

(X) Background (5)
🌟Name of your Show: Of Daises and DDT
🌟Aesthetic: A combination of the charm and whimsy of solarpunk and the sleek surfaces and pristine edges of a modern, high-tech world. Lush, verdant greenery meet gleaming solar panels, busy shopping malls, and quiet suburban streets. Picture spotless greenhouses filled with plants growing from beakers and nursed to life with artificial lighting that mimics the sun, crystalline pools surrounded by artificial forests, roof gardens illuminated by soft golden sunlight and exploding with trellises and potted plants, and highways lined with perfectly trimmed trees and colorful flower bushes.

🌟Premise in 140 characters: In a world of industrial toxins and Instagram captions, an ancient enemy has re-emerged. The deities of the old enlist three high school girls to defend life on Earth against dark magic and deadly pollutants alike.

(X) Character info (10)
🌟Name: Stephanie "Steph" Shaoqing Wang
🌟FC: Estelle Chen
🌟Age: 16 and 1/2
🌟Role on team: Faithful sidekick

🌟Personality (at least 5+ and 5-): At a first glance, Steph is unnecessarily focused on small, overly specific details and unbearably girly. She is bubbly and outgoing, and her friendly, cheerful disposition is well-liked by her peers, even if they do make fun of her for her propensity of wearing high heels /everywhere/ she goes. Though Steph can be very prissy and a bit shallow or superficial, she doesn't have a single mean bone in her body. She can talk about anything and everything for hours on end. Some tend to find this incessant chatter exceedingly irritating, which Steph is not always the most aware of. She is a kind and sweet person at heart, and she refuses to say anything bad about other people as a general principle.

If Steph is not always aware of how much she talks, she /is/ aware of the feelings and thoughts of others. Steph is naturally people-smart and is good at picking up subtle hints that indicate shifts in emotions in others. She's a very good listener and always willing to offer comfort to other people. Empathetic, understanding, and cheerful, Steph is perpetually impeccably organized and ready for anything. She's a bit of a perfectionist with a stickler for keeping everything neat and organized. Steph has an infernal inability to keep her mouth shut on things that don't really matter, making her an incorrigible gossip.

Despite her rather silly tendencies, Steph is a natural-born diplomat and compromiser, capable of expertly mediating tense situations. Armed with a firm belief in common courtesy and a natural gift for "reading" people, she is able to get even the most stubborn of people to agree to things through the application of hot drinks and sugary treats and pure politeness. She has a breezy, brisk way of going about her business, and she is remarkably good at keeping track of and managing people, for all her sparkly ways.

Finally, although one wouldn't guess it from Steph's outward appearance and mannerisms, Steph possesses a sharp intelligence and an ability to analyze all sorts of problems and situations in the blink of an eye. She is most certainly not as ditzy as she comes off as, in terms of academics. Steph has always maintained high expectations for herself, and she refuses to be anything less than perfect in everything from her grades to her hair to her hot pink planner.

+Friendly, outgoing, intelligent (academics-wise), welcoming, optimistic
-Talkative to the point of being annoying, impulsive, a bit shallow and superficial, silly, slightly ridiculous

🌟Likes: flowers and floral print (Steph is obsessed with flowers, for some obscure reason that even she is not entirely sure of), sushi, red bean baozi, any restaurants that serve vegan dishes, watermelon and watermelon juice, short, ruffled/pleated skirts, crop tops, tank tops/spaghetti strap tank tops, sundresses, the smell of old books, sweets and sugary drinks, blueberry juice (yes, it's a thing in China!), organization, sparkly gel plans and colorful planners, history, period dresses (she adores Victorian-era gowns), museums, high heels, choker necklaces, make-up, shopping, hoop earrings, cute clothes in general, strawberry milkshakes, tumbling, glitter/sparkles, pop music (especially of the "trashy" variety), Chinese period dramas (because the outfits are /so/ gorgeous), her hot-pink solar car, her younger brother (Kevin), social media, environmental science, environmental law, anything pink

🌟Dislikes: boats (she gets horribly seasick), hamburgers (one thing from American culture that she is content to stay far, far away from, thank you very much), feeling less than perfect, disappointing other people, feeling like she hasn't met her own expectations, people who think she's stupid because she likes gossiping and make-up, people who are ignorant about the environmental problems faced by society in the contemporary era, plain steamed buns (a staple of Chinese cuisine, yes, but she likes them with raisins), messy notes, drab clothing in subdued colors, ruining her hair/clothes/make-up, bitter melon (a Chinese thing. Don't ask), the smell of cigarette smoke, big dogs, disorganization, rainy days, long plane rides, racist/sexist people, when Kevin is being an annoying piece of sh/t, when Anjali is being /mean/ mean (not just mean-/mean/ mean)

(X) 🌟Character bio: (10)

Stephanie Shaoqing Wang was born to immigrant parents in Hawaii, who had fled the political climate in China for the relative safety of the United States. Zheng Xiaohong (Xiaohong Zheng to Westerners), Steph's mother, was born and raised in Shanghai. She went to Peking University before becoming a journalist. However, she was soon frustrated by the Chinese Communist Party's censorship policies, and she began to delve into the world of "hacktivists"- computer hackers whose activities were aimed at promoting a social or political cause, according to Xiaohong's well-loved Oxford Dictionary.

As smart as a whip, Xiaohong easily picked up the basics of subversive software and began devoting the time she had outside of her job to exposing the corruption inherent in the CCP...starting with the Great Firewall. Xiaohong still remembered a time when Google and Facebook and Youtube were accessible to the general populace. She remembered how her mother, Steph's grandmother, told her how she'd lost her best friend to the chaos of the June 4th, 1989-the Tiananmen Square Massacre. She remembered how her grandmother, Steph's great-grandmother, died of starvation during Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward. And, heavens above, she was /angry/.

Xiaohong's illegal activities soon caught up with her, and she was warned by a colleague of her impeding arrest the day after she got engaged to Steph's dad, Wang Hao. She immediately made arrangements to leave the country, and re-settled in Hawaii with her husband's older sister.

And that was where Steph grew up. Hawaii seems like a half-remembered dream, nowadays; all blue skies and golden sunshine and warm breezes. Her mother was always /very/ outspoken in her political views, and Steph can hear her mother reading an online newsletter out loud in strained, clipped Chinese, Steph listening attentively while her younger brother played with his toy cars. She can still remember, every June 4th-"勿忘六四," she would say to Steph's dad and her aunt and uncle. Wù wàng liùsì. Do not forget 6/4.

But Steph's mother was not only an outspoken political activist. She was also a passionate environmentalist, and during the years following her graduation from Peking University, Xiaohong published many articles that advocated for radical policy changes that would help China move towards a more sustainable way of life. In Hawaii, Xiaohong found her niche in the Information Technology Department of a company that made solar panels.

Steph was raised on her mother's expectations that she would excel in school and go on to affect changes in the US's environmental policies in some way, shape, or form. And Steph /did/ excel in school-she had straight A's, all her teachers adored her, and she was quite popular among her peers. She did gymnastics and martial arts outside of school, along with a whole slew of other extracurricular activities that came and went like the seasons.

Steph was ten years old, in fifth grade, when everything changed.

Her father, Wang Hao, had traveled to Japan to visit one of his friends and conduct some business. During his extended stay, a tsunami slammed into the island nation, taking thousands of lives. Wang Hao's was one of them.

Weathermen and meteorologists and all scientists in /general/ were shocked by the sheer size and magnitude of the tsunami. They were calling it the largest tsunami /ever/ recorded, in part influenced by global climate change.

But ten-year-old Steph didn't care about something as trivial as /global climate change/. One day, she had a father. And the next, she didn't.

Steph's mother decided to move to the mainland United States, after that. She found a job in the IT department of a government-run laboratory dedicated to monitoring environmental conditions in areas surrounding Canary Canal (including Love Canal, where the first Superfund clean-up was ever initiated), and life went on. Sort of. Steph started at a new school, made new friends (one of them being Anjali), and went to gymnastics practice at her new gym. But still. Her dad was dead, and he was never coming back, and it was all because of a stupid tsunami that was so big because of stupid /climate change/.

During eighth grade, Steph was initiated to something called "the Sisterhood" with Anjali Tripuramallu and Kaela Jones, her two best-/best/ friends at the time. That was when she began spending half of her life battling undead zombie-birds.

Kaela's death hit Anjali hard, Steph could tell. Steph herself felt more prepared to deal with the grief, but things weren't exactly /easy/. Then, everything got more difficult as Steph's mother became closed-off and withdrawn and Steph's brother, Kevin, began getting drunk every single night for no goddamn /reason/.

So Steph fills her time with Starbucks frappuccinos and math homework done in sparkly gel pen and giggly gossip and frying undead zombie-birds with her beloved lipstick-taser, and she can mostly forget about everything. But some things, Steph is learning, aren't /meant/ to be forgotten.

In any case, Steph is fully prepared to take on both Dr. Zombyss and his industrial-grade black magic as well as big corporations that are exploiting the Earth's natural resources for nothing but their own gain in a pair of suicidally high-heels and a miniskirt, whether it be on the battlefield or in the courtroom.

(X) 🌟Skills (5):
-Steph possesses a sharp intellect that allows her to quickly analyze any situation from every perspective and come up with a solution
-Capable of regurgitating all sorts of facts and figures
-A very talented multi-tasker-Steph can apply sparkly pink eyeshadow while reciting the exact wording of the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act while operating a motor vehicle
-Running in high heels of any sort
-Steph is an organizational genius-she is prepared for /everything/, be it a slew of paperwork or a broken nail. And if she herself doesn't know how to fix it, there's a 99% chance that she knows someone who can
-Friendly and outgoing, Steph easily makes connections with people. She is well-liked amongst her peers. Her knack for remembering random facts and figures applies to faces and names as well
-A very good listener and slow to anger
-Nimble and agile, Steph is nothing but a blur of pink when she fights. She's also been doing martial arts (wushu) since she was a little girl
-Along with her enhanced speed/reflexes, Steph is capable of manipulating light and air and communicating with animals

(X) 🌟Weaknesses (5):
-Steph just can't /shut up/. Which, according to anyone you ask, is her worst trait
-Can be shallow and superficial, especially when it comes to her looks
-Extra. Like, really, /really/ extra
-Gets distracted very easily
-An over-achiever
-/Will/ fight anyone who a) insults or hurts her friends b) tries to pretend that environmental problems aren't a /huge/ issue c) is racist/sexist/homophobic/etc, etc
-Steph's fighting style is a bit erratic and inconsistent; her flighty nature means that she's always flitting from one spot to the next. She's the exact opposite of Anjali-Steph is can pinpoint the enemy's "source", so to speak, and somersault right over and fry it to bits, but she'll forget that she has three dozen foes who now stand in between her and the way she came

(X) 🌟Greatest wish and greatest fear: (5)
Greatest wish-for humans to start living sustainably, thereby saving the Earth from certain catastrophe. Oh, and also killing the dude who's re-animating dead birds and using them to further the degradation of the environment. That too.

Greatest fear-that her favorite clothing line, Green Glitz (TM) will be bought out by some evil capitalist corporation and forced to abandon its principles of environmentally-friendly fashion.

✨BONUS WRITING REQUIREMENTS✨
(X) 🌟Write at least 4 sentences for the character bio (5)
(X) 🌟Include a link to a gif of your FC or that is evocative of their aesthetic: (5)
media.giphy.com/media/OzU7LQzfi8Wqc/g…

(X) 🌟 How do (or will) they feel about being a magical kid? (3)
Steph feels like it's her solemn duty to eradicate the world of not only Dr. Zombyss and his hideous birds (whoever their stylist is /needs/ to be fired), but also of amoral corporations who exploit the Earth's natural capital for their own gain. She wholeheartedly embraces her double-life, even if it means broken nails and ruined shoes since Dr. Zombyss just doesn't seem to understand how much /work/ Steph puts into looking good.

(X) 🌟 What's their biggest challenge faced by everyday life (3)
Trying to find high-quality, affordable brands of clothing, shoes, and make-up that make, transport, and market their products in an eco-friendly way. It's a /lot/ harder than it seems!

(X) 🌟 What would be your OC's catchphrase, or what phrase do they use constantly? (2)
"Does it come in pink?"

​​

🌀 STEPHANIE "STEPH" SHAOQING WANG

"Does it come in pink?"

Nicknames — Steph
Age — 21
Birthday — July 20th
Zodiac — Cancer
Occupation — Full-time college student, part-time rhythmic gymnastics instructor, intern at a law firm

Secrets — she's probably been the cause of at least 75% of the drama in her various social circles, the fact that she /sucks/ at keeping secrets despite being a pretty good listener, the numerous times that she accidentally let something slip which spiraled into some kind of crazy drama

Fears — that her favorite "green" clothing lines will be bought out by some evil capitalist corporation and forced to abandon its principles of environmentally-friendly fashion, ruining her hair/make-up/clothes/shoes/nails/et cetera due to circumstances that are out of her control, most bugs (they're freaking /gross/, even if they do happen to be an important part of the earth's ecosystem)

Goals — graduating with a bomb as.s GPA, getting into law school, keeping bi.tchy as.s corporations from trashing the environment, finding the best brands of vegan make-up and beauty products, transitioning to a zero-waste lifestyle, always on the look out for good vegan recipes (especially for baked good) and "cruelty-free" food (and clothing and make-up and other products in general), getting as many people as she can to jump on the plant-based/vegan lifestyle

Skills —
-Steph possesses a sharp intellect that allows her to quickly analyze any situation from every perspective and come up with a solution
-Capable of regurgitating all sorts of facts and figures
-A very talented multi-tasker-Steph can apply sparkly pink eyeshadow while reciting the exact wording of the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act while operating a motor vehicle
-Running in high heels of any sort (and outrunning you while she's at it)
-Steph is an organizational genius-she is prepared for /everything/, be it a slew of paperwork or a broken nail. And if she herself doesn't know how to fix it, there's a 99% chance that she knows someone who can
-Friendly and outgoing, Steph easily makes connections with people. She is well-liked amongst her peers. Her knack for remembering random facts and figures applies to faces and names as well
-A very good listener and slow to anger
-Nimble and flexible and lithely strong from her years of cheerleading, gymnastics (both rhythmic and artistic), and dance
-Conversationally fluent in Mandarin Chinese; reasonably proficient in Spanish

Weaknesses —
-Steph just can't /shut up/. Which, according to anyone you ask, is her worst trait
-Can be shallow and superficial, especially when it comes to her looks
-Extra. Like, really, /really/ extra
-Gets distracted very easily
-A total over-achiever, which is more of a weakness than you would expect
-/Will/ fight anyone who a) insults or hurts her friends b) tries to pretend that environmental problems aren't a /huge/ issue c) is racist/sexist/homophobic/etc, etc
-Flighty and erratic and inconsistent when she doesn't care about something with every fiber of her being
-/Lives/ for drama, which means that she's usually in the middle of every scandal. Can't keep out of other people's business, either
-Not very practical when it comes to clothing choices. She's been known to wear miniskirts in 15 degree weather then hate herself for it, only to do the /exact same thing/ the next day
-Kind of a shi.tty driver, despite the fact she can apply some bomb as.s winged eyeliner while operating a motor vehicle
-Also loves to gossip, and she's not great at keeping secrets, either

Personality — At a first glance, Steph is unnecessarily focused on small, overly specific details and unbearably girly. She is bubbly and outgoing, and her friendly, cheerful disposition is well-liked by her peers, even if they do make fun of her for her propensity of wearing high heels everywhere she goes. Though Steph can be very prissy and a bit shallow or superficial, she doesn't have a single mean bone in her body. She can talk about anything and everything for hours on end. Some tend to find this incessant chatter exceedingly irritating, which Steph is not always the most aware of. She is a kind and sweet person at heart, and she refuses to say anything bad about other people as a general principle.

If Steph is not always aware of how much she talks, she is aware of the feelings and thoughts of others. Steph is naturally people-smart and is good at picking up subtle hints that indicate shifts in emotions in others. She's a very good listener and always willing to offer comfort to other people. Empathetic, understanding, and cheerful, Steph is perpetually impeccably organized and ready for anything. She's a bit of a perfectionist with a stickler for keeping everything neat and organized. Steph has an infernal inability to keep her mouth shut on things that don't really matter, making her an incorrigible gossip.

Despite her rather silly tendencies, Steph is a natural-born diplomat and compromiser, capable of expertly mediating tense situations. Armed with a firm belief in common courtesy and a natural gift for "reading" people, she is able to get even the most stubborn of people to agree to things through the application of hot drinks and sugary treats and pure politeness. She has a breezy, brisk way of going about her business, and she is remarkably good at keeping track of and managing people, for all her sparkly ways.

Finally, although one wouldn't guess it from Steph's outward appearance and mannerisms, Steph possesses a sharp intelligence and an ability to analyze all sorts of problems and situations in the blink of an eye. She is most certainly not as ditzy as she comes off as, in terms of academics. Steph has always maintained high expectations for herself, and she refuses to be anything less than perfect in everything from her grades to her hair to her hot pink planner.

+Friendly, outgoing, intelligent (academics-wise), welcoming, optimistic, determined
-Talkative to the point of being annoying, impulsive, a bit shallow and superficial, silly, slightly ridiculous, really extra

Biography — Steph was in middle school when the Chinese Communist Party blocked Google.

After Google came a whole slew of websites: Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, even Microsoft OneDrive, for heavens' sake. Twitter. Snapchat. /Pinterest/. What the hell had Pinterest everdone to the CCP? Did they feel threatened by the DIY scrapbooks and cheesecake recipes that proliferated the website?

She felt terrible for her Chinese cousins.

The CCP had been familiar with censorship long, long before the advent of the modern age and the Internet. During the time of Mao, for instance. Most of China still regards him as a great leader-the Chinese equivalent of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Steph knows better. She lives in America, for heaven's sake, and she's read textbooks written by Westerners, for Westerners; not without their biases, no, but at least they were /mostly/ objectively accurate. American history textbooks always mentioned the Trail of Tears without fail, for example. The democracy protests of '89 that culminated in the Tiananmen Square Massacre are completely omitted from Chinese textbooks.

Steph spent two summers in China after she and her family settled in New York City, and going into the censorship and firewalls of China was like going from the cool air of a crisp autumn morning in Massachusetts to the stifling, oppressive heat of a summer afternoon in Shanghai. And, for goodness' sake, she's not /ignorant/. Her parents have told her everything, and why not? They have that privilege in America.

Steph's parents, who both supported reform, had taken part in the 1989 protests. Her mother lost her best friend to the chaos of June 4th, 1989, while she herself rallied against the government in Beijing. Her father narrowly escaped the violence-he left the Square on June 3rd.

Tiananmen Square. The Gate of Heavenly Peace, indeed.

Steph's grandmother died of malnourishment, thanks to the CCP and the utterly /idiotic/ Great Leap Forward. Her mother has told her all the stories-how they were so hungry that they ate dogs and grass. How, despite it all, the CCP /still/ felt it necessary for people to retain their ideological purity and commitment to Mao's brand of communism, his so-called "Maoism". And as for her father? Well, her father's family was unfortunate enough to be composed almost entirely of intellectuals. His mother and sister and younger brother fled to Taiwan, and then to America. He didn't see them for decades.

If there's one thing that you don't want to get Steph started on, though, it's the environment. She's equally willing to bash China and America and the United Kingdom and Brazil and any other country in the entire dam.n world about how they're ruining the Earth (save for impoverished places like Rwanda. Steph's not /heartless/). Needless to say, Steph has absolutely no chill when it comes to that kind of stuff.

Steph likes to think that it's understandable. She was born in Beijing, but her grandparents all live in the countryside, and she's heard plenty of horror stories about factories poisoning water supplies and soil erosion caused by deforestation.

But enough of that for now. Steph values competence and accuracy and cute clothes over everything else, and in her book, the CCP is hurting China with their glorified version of Chinese history and their lax environmental regulations. She resents the woefully incompetent government officials and bureaucrats of the past for the famines and the shortages, but they're doing alright in terms of cute clothes (the new /malls/ everywhere are absolutely breathtaking, even if they are horribly wasteful).

Of course, America is not without its problems (take the fxcking hypocritical policy of Affirmative Action, for instance), but like Steph reminds herself every time she gets overly worked up over American racism that at least she can watch YouTube and maintain her Snapchat streaks in the United States, for Pete's sake!

(Even if America literally /sucks/ at environmental stuff. They're trying, though. Sort of.)

Steph's going to change the world, after she graduates from NYU and gets into law school. Some way or another, she's going to help the Earth.

And she'll need to buy a new outfit before she seriously commits. A girl can't take on a huge potentially irreversible global problem without a pair of killer heels, can she?

How They Found Jumanji — Steph was just out on the way to class (and not sprinting down the street in her sparkly pink stilettos, this time-she wasn't running late, which was a veritable miracle) when she found the flyer. One night, while her friends were all cramming for an exam, Steph decided to join in on the Escape Room fun.

Avatar Top Three — 8, 4, 5

{Estelle Chen}

*****

EXTRA STUFF

Likes: flowers and floral print (Steph is obsessed with flowers, for some obscure reason that even she is not entirely sure of), sushi, red bean baozi, any restaurants that serve vegan dishes, watermelon and watermelon juice, short, ruffled/pleated skirts, crop tops, tank tops/spaghetti strap tank tops, sundresses, the smell of old books, sweets and sugary drinks, blueberry juice (yes, it's a thing in China!), organization, sparkly gel plans and colorful planners, history, period dresses (she adores Victorian-era gowns), museums, high heels, choker necklaces, make-up, shopping, hoop earrings, cute clothes in general, strawberry milkshakes, tumbling, any rhythmic gymnastics apparatus (she's especially fond of clubs, though. But ribbons are /so/ pretty!), glitter/sparkles, pop music (especially of the "trashy" variety), Chinese period dramas (because the outfits are so gorgeous), her hot-pink car, her younger brother (Kevin), social media, environmental science, environmental law, anything pink, cheerleading/rhythmic or artistic gymnastics/dance, being active, strawberries, Starbucks

Dislikes: boats (she gets horribly seasick), hamburgers and just eating meat or animal products in general (one thing from American culture that she is content to stay far, far away from, thank you very much), feeling less than perfect, disappointing other people, feeling like she hasn't met her own expectations, people who think she's stupid because she likes gossiping and make-up, people who are ignorant about the environmental problems faced by society in the contemporary era, plain steamed buns (a staple of Chinese cuisine, yes, but she likes them with raisins), messy notes, drab clothing in subdued colors, ruining her hair/clothes/make-up, bitter melon (a Chinese thing. Don't ask), the smell of cigarette smoke, big dogs (but only when they slobber all over her. Big dogs are fine as long as they stay far, far away, ya feel?), disorganization, rainy days, long plane rides, racist/sexist people, when Kevin is being an annoying piece of sh.t, dumb frat boys who don't know when to stop trying to get into her pants

Random Facts:
-Steph did traditional Chinese dance up until she moved to NYC at the age of seven. Then, she began rhythmic gymnastics and dance, until middle/high school, where she dropped dance for cheer and dabbled in artistic gymnastics

-Although her family doesn't live in Chinatown, Steph nevertheless goes there every weekend, if only to buy yummy red bean baozi

-Steph runs a studyblr account. She loves it

-Steph is majoring in Environmental Thought and Practice and double-minoring in Mandarin and Spanish. After she graduates from NYU, she fully intends on going to law school

 

❀ 𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐋𝐄
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
So I think, because Aria's the star pitcher of the softball team and all, Steph and Aria might have met before? Just at general athletics stuff like pep rallies & whatnot. Maybe they don't know each other that well, but they've seen each other around? Steph would wave to her and such if she ever saw her while she was working at the diner, etc

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐉𝐀𝐇 𝐎'𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐘
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
I think Steph and Elijah probably aren't BFFs and run in different social circles, but Steph would like Elijah a lot if they ever talked! She loves everything Starbucks (including the iced caramel macchiato, lbr), and if it was common knowledge that he can play guitar/sing, Steph would be HELLA impressed.

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐑
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
I think Steph and Elijah probably aren't BFFs and run in different social circles, but Steph would like Elijah a lot if they ever talked! She loves everything Starbucks (including the iced caramel macchiato, lbr), and if it was common knowledge that he can play guitar/sing, Steph would be HELLA impressed.

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐉𝐊 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐄
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
I'm not sure if Steph and JK would run in the same social circles - if JK is friends with Melissa, then they've deffo at least met each other - but regardless, Steph would think that JK is super fun and also super funny. If JK is super into hair/makeup, I could see Steph excitedly talking to her about that, but otherwise she'd 100% compliment her on her outfit and makeup and such! (also, if Melissa's in on the pot brownie thing then Steph prob knows about it, but she's way too much of a goody two-shoes to ever take JK up on one of them ;D)

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐓𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐍
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
Uhhhhhhhhhhhh look Steph is basic as FUCK and probably thinks that his accent is hot. She probably didn't know much about him other than the new kid from London at first, and I'm not sure if they'd run in the same social circles, but if they were ever in a class together when he first started she definitely would have asked him a lot of questions about how it's different in London hahahaha

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐀 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
If Samantha gets along with the Thorns, Steph has definitely talked about hair/makeup/clothes with her before! She has absolutely no idea how to play any video games besides like, mario kart, so rip Samantha LOL. Also probably doesn't know what Twitch is, but thinks Samantha's super cool regardless

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊
⇒ "Oh, I LOVE Jules! We haven't talked in a long time, but she's always been awesome."

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
During middle school, Steph was best friends with Jules and Daze, but once they got to high school, Steph began spending more time with her friends from cheer - namely Melissa and Tiffany. In middle school, the three of them got matching charm bracelets, and Steph still has hers in her room. Also, Jules x Steph is going to be a thing (spoiler, they're going to hoco together)

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❀ 𝐃𝐀𝐙𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊
⇒ "Daze is great! She's such a good dancer."

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
During middle school, Steph was best friends with Jules and Daze, but once they got to high school, Steph began spending more time with her friends from cheer - namely Melissa and Tiffany. Steph and Daze used to do dance-y things together (Jules was also involved), before Steph switched into cheerleading. Steph thinks Daze is awesome, and the three of them tag each other in posts in subtle asian traits on FB.

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❀ 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐆𝐎𝐇
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
Steph probably doesn't know Minty all that well since they seem like they'd run in different social circles, but she probably follows Minty's art IG and thinks that it's the coolest shit. She'd be hella impressed by Minty's stuff, and if they ever talked, Steph would be nice to her (b/c she's nice to everyone, tbh)

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍
⇒ "Oh, Rich is so funny! He's always joking around. I like him, but I don't think Melissa does."

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
Steph sees Rich around a lot, because he hangs out with the jocks (so by extension, he hangs out with the cheerleaders). She thinks he's hilarious, and appreciates how genuinely fun he is, even if he can be a bit immature (but then again, all high school boys are) and even if she's not totally digging his 'chic 90s tourist' aesthetic. Rich jokingly flirts with her a lot, which makes her a bit flustered, but she knows that he's just joking.

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❀ 𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐀 𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐓
⇒ "I LOVE MELISSA! She and Tiff are my best friends in the world!"

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
Steph and Melissa have been best friends since she met both Melissa and Tiff in cheer, during their freshman year. She admires Melissa a lot - she's a great cheerleader, of course, but she also knows what she wants and how to get it, which is something that Steph can struggle with. Steph trusts Melissa with everything, and the Thorns are always texting each other and hanging out at the mall when they don't have to be in school.

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❀ 𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐘
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
Steph is a simple person, and if Alana doesn't want to be noticed, Steph probably wouldn't notice her. But if they ever interacted - maybe forced to sit next to each other for something in school - Steph would make conversation, ofc, and she probably at least recognizes her face/knows her name, so she'd say hi if she ever saw her at the diner while Alana was working.

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐌𝐈𝐍-𝐉𝐔𝐍 𝐀𝐇𝐍
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
Steph knows of Min-Jun's reputation, and probably thinks that he's a total fuckboy, tbh. But she wouldn't hold it against him haahahha ;D I'm not sure if they'd know each other very well, but if he's one of the more """""""""popular"""""""" kids, then they've probably run into each other/interacted before!

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐘
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
Lowkey, Steph thinks that Alex is both super edgy and super cool, and they probably don't really know each other yet because he's new, but if his photography/art got featured at school somehow, she'd probably think it was hella impressive because ya girl can't art, lol. Also, I'd think it'd be super funny if they were somehow forced to work together for a class project or something? Just because Steph is just constantly talking your ear off and super pink and Alex is.....very decidedly not, lol

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐘 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐍
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
Steph has probably seen him around, what with him being a linebacker and Steph being a cheerleader, but if he generally keeps to himself, Steph would respect that and let him be/not actively seek him out to talk to him, so he could very well be the one football player that she doesn't really know. Regardless, she'd be her usual bubbly self with him if they ever talked

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐐𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐓
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
I think it'd be fun to explore connections between Ludvig and Steph given how Arthur is hitting on Steph and the fact that Steph was close friends with Jules and Daze in middle school! In general, Steph thinks that Ludvig is super nice and the two of them have probably been in a few upper level classes together (if Rosefell does honors/AP/IB/what have you)

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
So since Arthur is very obviously into Steph and very obviously hitting on her, I think Steph and Lance could have a very interesting dynamic! Steph probably doesn't know Lance as well as she does Arthur, and thinks of him as 'Arthur's brother' in her head, but she'd think he's super fun and I can imagine that they have a pretty similar friend circle because football/cheer

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
Steph thinks Sage is super chill, probably, even if they haven't talked, and would 100% compliment her on her outfits when she's rocking the bohemian/hippie stuff. I think it'd be super cute if they somehow started talking while Steph visited her mom's bookstore one day, just randomly (maybe with her own mom?), and Sage was working there at the time. Steph'd totally compliment her on her art & stuff too, if she ever went more public with it

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐉𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
I think it'd be fucking HILARIOUS if at some point, Jordan's gossip-loving self managed to get Steph to spill some Big Secret TM about a football player or something that she wasn't supposed to tell people about, lmao. Wouldn't be that hard of a task honestly; Steph loves to talk and goes on tangential rambles all the time. Also, if Steph ever noticed him wearing eyeliner, she'd def compliment him!

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐁𝐀𝐊𝐊𝐄𝐑
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
If Hendrick has been involved with sports at Rosefell, there's a good chance that he and Steph have at least seen each other around, because Steph's on the cheer team! In general, she'd think he was chill, and appreciate his elegant winter trenchcoat ;D

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐙
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
I'm not sure if Steph and Mikey would know each other, because they seem like they'd hang around different people? But if they ever had a class together or got assigned to be partners or whatever, Steph would be perfectly willing to talk! She's a bit of a goody two-shoes and would decline if he offered her weed or whatever, but she wouldn't snitch on him, either, because she isn't an asshole lol

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐇 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒
⇒ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
So Steph and Joey might have run into each other before, but not sure if they'd be friends b/c very different interests lol. Nevertheless, Steph would think that he's funny!

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
TBD

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❀ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄
⇒ "Aw, Artie! He's so nice!"

⇒ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
Steph and Artie know each other through football/cheer, but won't really start talking until the ~mom van~ incident. Artie hitting on Steph and trying to ask her to hoco but Jules like soooo wassup *kisses steph*

 

Isadora Escalante

Alias - People who know her call her Isa

Age 22

Gender - Female

Occupation - Saloon worker

Appearance - Isadora is lightly tanned, with caramel-colored skin and warm brown eyes. She has dark, chocolate-colored hair that is naturally curly and falls in ringlets. Her thick hair ends just past her shoulder blades. Isadora is of an average height and is on the thinner side. She more often than not pulls her hair back into a high ponytail since it tends to get everywhere when left hanging loose. Isadora's hands are rough and calloused from years of scrubbing floors and washing dishes and doing the laundry. Her brown eyes are full of mirth and her lips are almost always quirked up in a playful smile.

Height - 5 feet and 5 inches

Weight - 115

Apparel - When she is not working, Isadora usually settles for a plain yet flattering dress made from linen or cotton. She favors lighter colors that go well with her skin tone and eyes/hair, especially a deep forest green that brings out her eyes. She also likes to add small ornamentation to her attire by embroidering hems and making something by herself. Isadora can also be seen in prairie skirts.

When she is working, Isadora likes to wear clothing that is brighter and more eye-catching, and on special occasions Isadora goes all-out. She likes getting all dolled up and jumps at any opportunity to wear something nice.

Weaponry - The only weapons that Isadora carries with her are a pair of plain, unadorned daggers-one is usually in the bodice of her dress, and the other one is concealed underneath her skirts. She decided when she first began working that it would be prudent to have some sort of weaponry with her in the case of more...unsavory patrons.

Equipment - Isadora usually carries a couple of needles and a bit of thread with her, as well as a scrap of cloth and a couple of plain hairpins that she typically ends up using to tie her hair back and to keep her curls out of her face. She also will have a couple of coins with her, just in case of an emergency.

Skills -
*Isadora is an expert in mending clothing, from silk dresses to roughspun aprons. She has plenty of experience with a needle and thread as well, and has a penchant for embroidery, although she does not frequently embroider due to her current circumstances
*Isadora grew up helping her oldest sister cook for three younger siblings and a handicapped mother. She can whip out a meal from anything and everything, granted that you don't mind the taste of it too much
*Some may call her sneaky, but Isadora thinks of it as having a "good sense of hearing". Isadora is a big eavesdropper and is quite skilled at remembering important tidbits of information and random rumors that she hears on the streets
*Isadora is able to clean and do laundry fairly well
*Although Isadora doesn't look like much at a first glance, she's quick and light on her feet-even in floor-length skirts
*One of Isadora's favorite past-times is dancing; not ballroom dancing, but spontaneous dances with fast music and faster steps.

Flaws -
*Despite what she might say, Isadora is downright nosy. Not only that, she is a gossip who couldn't keep her mouth shut if her life depended on it
*Isadora is rash and can be hot-tempered when provoked
*Isadora has never learned to ride a horse or shoot a gun properly. Her general knowledge of firearms amounts to "point the barrel away from you and press the trigger"
*Isadora is flighty and tends to have a very short attention span. People have also characterized her as "frivolous" and "shallow"
*Isadora hates being told what to do when it comes to her personal life. She can be headstrong and unyielding if she has set her mind on something, even if she sees how the other side could be logical

Personality - Isadora is generally an outgoing and friendly person. She always has a bright smile or cheerful greeting for people she knows. She can be rather impulsive and doesn't always think things through. Isadora lives life in the moment and would rather focus on the present than anticipate the future or brood on the past. She is lively and vivacious-she lives to laugh and loves to live. Isadora is quick to anger but she is also quick to forgive and forget, and she firmly believes that life is much too short to hold petty grudges. Isadora has a knack for remembering everything she hears, especially anything that she deems especially important. She is also quite the conversationalist, willing to talk to anyone and everyone-and she just can't seem to keep her big mouth shut. Isadora is an avid gossiper and knows the dirt on seemingly everyone in town, and she's not afraid to share the information she knows. Isadora can be witty and playfully teasing and even flirtatious and coy if the situation calls for it. Isadora is headstrong and willful and hates being told what to do when it comes to matters that concern her personal life, much to the vexation of her mother and older sister. She is perceptive and good at guessing the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of others, and Isadora is keenly aware of her surroundings.

At the core of her personality, Isadora is ferociously loyal to her family and friends. She may be blabbing about Jane cheating on John for all to hear, but you will never hear a word from her about her own mother and siblings if she doesn't want to talk about them.

Backstory - Isadora was born and raised in Soursprings. She has never been beyond five miles of the town. Her mother, Rita, was married to a white man who abandoned her not long after Isadora was born. Rita herself was born in Soursprings, although both of her parents were born in Mexico. Isadora never even got her father's name out of her mother, although according to her older sister who still vaguely remembered their father-Elena-he had blonde hair and brown eyes. Rita would always dismiss questions about her first husband with an impatient gesture and a "don't-you-have-anything-better-to-do?" glare. Rita married Manuel Escalante when Isadora was three, and Isadora soon had three younger siblings-twins Maria and Rosa, followed by Carlos. Unfortunately, Manuel died of a heart attack when Isadora was ten, and Rita succumbed to an unknown illness that left her crippled and unable to walk a year after Manuel died. It fell to fifteen-year-old Elena and eleven-year-old Isadora to raise their siblings.

Elena had always been the dutiful and obedient sibling. Isadora, on the other hand, was willful and wild. When they were younger, while Elena brushed her hair properly and followed all the rules like a proper young lady, Isadora was running through town barefoot with dirt streaked across her face and smashing the rules to pieces. After Rita fell ill, however, Isadora cleaned up her act. The Escalantes were far from wealthy, and with Manuel dead and Rita crippled, they had no steady income coming in. Rita took on whatever odd jobs she could to bring in some money. Elena herself soon got a job and spent most of her time working. Isadora, who was still too young to be hired, began to take over the household chores. She cooked, cleaned, and did laundry while yelling across the street for Maria and Rosa to "leave the poor horse alone, for Chrissake!".

It was not until Isadora was around fourteen or fifteen that she began to work herself. She very quickly found a job in the local saloon-Burnside-owned by a certain Joshua Darwall. At first, she was stuck in the kitchens washing dishes and scrubbing floors, but as she grew older Isadora was allowed to work in the dining area. That was when she became more conscious of her general appearance and began to take after Elena in her concern for her clothing. Isadora differed from Elena in that she found most of the "acceptable" clothing for her age and gender much too stuffy and boring. She was always looking for ways to spice things up a little, and she even managed to get the wife of the owner of the general store to teach her some basic embroidery.

The saloon was a whole new experience for Isadora. She had grown up living in a ramshackle house with cramped rooms and chaotic clutter and young children always underfoot. In the saloon, Isadora was faced for the first time with a sense of order. Isadora enjoyed working in the saloon-even if she did have to scrub floors and wash dishes and wipe down furniture, at least she could do it without small children running around willy nilly and getting in the way-and she especially enjoyed listening to random snatches of conversation as she poured drinks and collected empty glasses. She silently listened to stories of the fantastical and the mundane and the morbid, filing away anything particularly noteworthy for the future. She listened to soldiers talking about the war, young women discussing the latest fashions from England, deputies and sheriffs recounting feats of extreme daring and courage and farmers predicting how good the harvest would be for the upcoming year. Isadora listened and remembered, and if there was a subject that was of a special interest to her, she would sometimes interject with a few sentences herself.

In the last couple of years, Isadora has begun to converse with patrons a lot more, and the people in town know to go to Burnside if they want to catch up on the latest news. The saying goes that if Joshua Darwall doesn't know, Isa will be happy to help. Indeed, Isadora may know much and more about matters of actual importance, but she always enjoys regaling listeners with tales of how Mary had been cheating on her husband Joe for ten years with a man who lived in Chicago, or how Sue and Beth are no longer friends because Sue made a snide remark about Beth's expensive brand-new dress imported from New York.

Recently, Elena and Rita have been getting on Isadora's case about marrying a suitable man and settling down as well, especially after Elena married the older brother of a family friend-Pablo-and moved in with him. Isadora scoffs at that. She certainly has not had a lack of suitors with her infectious laugh and lively eyes, but Isadora is by no means ready to get married and have children. She would rather have a taste of everything before deciding, so to speak.

​​

NAME


ALIAS


GENDER


SKILLS


PERSONALITY


HISTORY


INVENTORY


REASON FOR VISITING


RELATIONS

{The sharp knife, of a short life, well I've had, just enough time}

Your Name: Alicia
Username: @ayzrules

Role Being Auditioned for: Rusalka

Other roles you're interested in: Dracula's brides

---x---
OC Name: Yelyzaveta Tereshchenko
Age: 315
Nationality: Ukranian
Occupation: marine biologist and ecologist, focusing on Dnieper River ecosystems

Personality: At first, Yelyzaveta comes off as a quirky, whimsical woman who may be just /slightly/ off her rocker. She is full of sweet smiles and strange mannerisms and flowing dresses. Yelyzaveta likes to wear flowers in her hair and dance to invisible music, and she flits about the world like a bird, full of dreamy nonsense and endearing eccentricities. Gentle and free-spirited, Yelyzaveta has a profound appreciation for the natural world and all it has to offer. She is rather emotional, thinking with her heart more than with her head, so to speak, and is prone to irrational flights of fancy. Yelyzaveta is good at "reading" people, and is surprisingly perceptive, given her temperament.

Underneath her flower crowns and tangled hair, however, Yelyzaveta is fragile and broken-hearted. She frequently stares out over the water at night, with nothing but shadows and stars for company, feeling empty and dead. Which, in a way, she is. She longs for companionship, for love, but every time she has loved someone after her death, it ended in heartbreak. Yelyzaveta would bring her lovers to the river, to her one true home, and as they sank into the water, she would sing to them-because she loves singing, and Mikhail loved her singing, and she loves the river and the fish and the water-and they would slowly lose all sense of conscious thought and follow her blindly underneath the surface while Yelyzaveta's skin turned into scales as she continued to sing the haunting, mesmerizing melody. Then, they would slowly drown, and even as they were drowning, they would still be unable to tear themselves away from Yelyzaveta, even as she realized what she'd done and tried to save them.

And so Yelyzaveta has resigned herself to being alone, and when she sings her favorite song, the haunting melody that has killed too many innocent young men, nobody will ever hear her besides the moon and stars and rivers and fish and sky. She is mournful and lonely, and she loves her river as if it could replace real, human companionship.

Recently, however, Yelyzaveta has become increasingly angry. What right did these people have to fill her beloved river with their chemicals and poisons and trash? What /right/ did these humans have to hurt her river, her little fish, like this? Yelyzaveta doesn't want to kill anyone-she's had enough of that for an eternity, thank you very much-but she knows that she may as well have to, if humans kept disrespecting and destroying her beautiful, beautiful river.

Powers: Siren song (Yelyzaveta is able to seduce people, most notably men, with her voice, drawing them to her physically and mesmerizing/hypnotizing them, effectively bending them to her will); shape-shifting (her entire body becomes covered in slippery scales as she sinks underwater, making it difficult for people to keep hold of her. It also allows her to stay submerged for an almost indefinite period of time, and she swims just as well as any aquatic animal in this state. Her hair, however, stays the same); communicating with aquatic life (more through feelings and emotions and sensations rather than coherent words/thoughts); appearing as the person her "victim" loves the most (an innate ability that Yelyzaveta must consciously suppress); ability to see in the dark

Talents and/or Skills: singing (as a human, Yelyzaveta had a lovely voice, a trait only amplified by her subsequent conversion into a rusalka), an extensive knowledge of the biology and ecology of the Dnieper River, cooking (she isn't a five-star chef, by any means, but she does have an extensive knowledge of food and how to make it), braiding hair, sewing, embroidery, calligraphy, fluent in Ukranian, Russian, and English

Likes: water, the Dnieper River, rivers in general, fish and all other forms of aquatic life, being outside, wildflowers (and flowers in general), willow trees, music, long, flowing dresses and skirts, birds, the smell of the world after a thunderstorm, fresh fruit, environmentalists and conservationists, fanciful fantasies of true love, cheesy rom-coms, historical fiction novels, books about the environment and its importance (notables being "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson, "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson, and "Five Past Midnight in Bhopal" by Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro), environmental documentaries/movies

Dislikes: large industrial conglomerates, people who litter, people who don't care about the environment, accidentally killing innocent people, seeing animals suffer, thinking about her past, people who disrespect the Dnieper River, burnt food, being abandoned, men who cheat on their wives and women who cheat on their husbands, crooked stitches (she is strangely obsessive over having straight, tiny stitches)

Bio/Background:

My lady why do you cry so? They would ask her.

My lady, why do you weep?

How could she have told them? Her husband would have been so terribly wroth with her. For she was simply the daughter of a petty lord whom he'd married on impulse one day, and he was her everything. Her father wasn't very powerful, not by any means, but they'd been happy. They had food and family and the river. Yelyzaveta's heart and soul belonged to the river.

And then Mikhail had come. Mikhal Tereschenko been the light of her life-his charming smile, his handsome face, his sweet kisses...and for a while, Yelyzaveta had thought that he'd loved her.

My lady, why do you weep? They asked.

How could she tell them that she wept because she missed her family, and she missed her river, when she was now married to one of the most powerful men in the kingdom? How could she tell them that he'd taken her maidenhead, so she /had/ to marry him, and how could she tell them that she missed her family when her family had been so eager to marry her to such a rich, powerful man? How, how, how?

How could she tell them that she wept because she loved him? Because she really, truly /did/ love him, even when he hurt her. And she'd still loved him, even as she watched from her tower bedroom as he returned from the capital with women who were younger and prettier than she was. How could she tell them that she wept because she longed for the days when he'd treated her like a queen, when she was the moon to his sun, the stars to his sky? When she was still young, still beautiful, instead of weak and frail and crippled?

She wept because of the illness that took her youth and beauty away had also taken away her beloved Mikhail. She had once danced and sang and laughed, and Mikhail himself had told her that there was no voice on earth more lovely than hers. But she'd fallen ill with some unknown disease, and soon she was too weak to walk, and her hair lost its brilliant shine and her eyes were dull and listless, and her voice was too hoarse to sing and her hands shook when she tried to embroider. Oh, how Mikhail had loved her embroidery, and her sewing-her neat, invisible stitches!

And so she could do nothing but weep, silent tears streaming down her face as she stared out the window at the lonely, lonely night and the bright, shining stars.

My lady, why do you weep? Why, why, why?

Yelyzaveta spent so much time at that tower window, crying. Her tears could have created a waterfall, the servants said, and once or twice, Yelyzaveta almost threw herself out of it.

But no, that was wrong. She belonged to the river, and the river belonged to her, and she would weep until she was returned to the river.

My lady, why do you cry so? They asked. And soon, they stopped asking, because Yelyzaveta had beseeched Mikhail to allow her to return to her family, and he'd allowed her to, his frail, forgotten wife, so she'd held onto life until she had been returned to the river, and then she let the water carry her away, to fill her nose and mouth and lungs, until there was so much water that her tears were part of the river...

Her family mourned her, of course, but Mikhail never noticed. Or he never cared.

And then when she was reborn, she was too numb to cry, though her legs were strong and graceful again, and her hair was glossy red. She saw young men in the distance, and she would sing to them, drawing them near, in the hopes that they would be Mikhail, come back for her. But no, they never were, yet they still came to her, and they still died as she wept over their waterlogged corpses, wondering why Mikhail had stopped loving her...

And then she'd been angry, so /angry/-why hadn't Mikhail seen how much she loved him? So she'd killed with her two sisters, not by blood but by rebirth, one from north and one from the east, much more vengeful than she was, but nevertheless, she'd been fueled by her rage as they traveled up and down the rivers...

And then she'd realized what she'd done, realized how many people she'd killed, so she'd gone on her own way, too sickened by her actions to stay with her sisters. She'd gone back to her river, her beautiful, beloved river, and she spent her days listening to the water and fish sing their songs, and sometimes she'd sing with them, though never when some unsuspecting passerby could hear her.

And so she spent the centuries like this, until her peace was disturbed by humans-those filthy /humans/, dumping their poisons into /her/ river-and now she is angry again, angry for the river, angry for the fish and water and sea, angry, angry, angry...

So she tries to help the good ones, the ones who care for her river-she pretends she is a scientist, and indeed, she has a degree in ecology, but in the end, she belongs to the river and the river belongs to her...

Traits they value in other people: loyalty, commitment, gentleness, kindness, compassion, a respect for the natural world, an appreciation for nature, faithfulness

What do they fear?: Being alone and forgotten for all of eternity and the complete degradation of the Dnieper River ecosystems

What or whom do they cherish/treasure?: The Dnieper River and all its marine life

Other: Yelyzaveta has a degree in marine biology and ecology from a university in Ukraine that she obtained in order to legitimize her "scientific" insights on the state of the Dnieper River and the aquatic life. She currently does research in the field for the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, drawing from both scientific data and from her innate connection to the river to provide her conclusions for the university. She lives along a deserted stretch of the river, in a house without electricity or running water.

Song you think most exemplifies your character: "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey, "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry, "1965" by Zella Day, "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri

Preferred Faceclaim: Jessica Chastain
Why you think they are suited to the role/your character: she's red-haired, and there are a wide variety of images of her that suit Yelyzaveta in that she looks wistful or dreamy in them-that's all there really is to it :D

Back-up Faceclaim: Holland Roden
Why you think they are suited to the role/your character: again with the red hair, and although the images of her aren't as suited to Yelyzaveta as Jessica Chastain's, I think I can still make it work

Bonus: I honestly have no idea, lol

---x---
Tag the mod: @drownedinmoonlight
Tag 5+: (optional, but greatly appreciated)
Group Link: goo.gl/qQKaj4

CODENAME ANUBIS
Lovely and bewitching and tragic, Anubis would not speak on her past even if she was allowed. A jilted bride, or a widow, or an ill brother, or murdered parents, or worst, a lost child, or all of those things — it seems impossible that all could happen to one person, and yet, so many things have to happen for someone for her soul to leave her eyes like that.

​​​​​​​Name and Age: Catalina Florencia Celís, 2​9
Codename: Anubis
Date of Birth: ​​August 12th​, 1988
Country of Birth: Chile

Previous Education​: Catalina was in school up until she was fourteen, though she didn't attend regularly because she had to help out around the house with chores and their farm. From her grandmothers, she learned to cook, clean, wash clothes, sew, and garden. In the village school, she learned basic arithmetic, history, how to read and write Spanish, and religion.
​
Special Skills​: Catalina seems rather harmless, at first-sad and lonely and distant, yes, but still harmless. That is an impression that the School has told her to use to her advantage. ​In reality, Catalina has received the same training that all her peers have undergone, so she is proficient in a wide variety of weapons and fighting styles. She prefers unusual weapons, though; Catalina is capable of decapitating an opponent with nothing more than two embroidery needles (she is also a /very/ skilled embroiderer, thank you very much). The blades she owns are all so small and delicate that they seem like they will snap if you use them, yet Catalina can kill men twice her size with them if needed. She also adores her "poison fingernails"-thin, nigh-on invisible needles that she can wear underneath her nails. They're filled with poison, and Catalina can inject a lethal dose of the substance into somebody's bloodstream with a flick of her finger.

Her real skills, however, lie in getting somebody to lower their guard. With her haunting eyes and small stature, Catalina seems like more of a dainty doll than a spy or an assassin. All she has to do is be /herself/ to deflect suspicion.

Likes​: ​flowers, fresh fruit, her dead husband and her family, pale colors, pastel colors, the color white, the village she grew up in, sewing and embroidery, the village church, cooking and baking, Chilean folk music, singing (Catalina has quite a lovely singing voice), watching the sunrise, gardening, her religion (Catalina is a devout Catholic, like the rest of her village and family), sunny days, when it's slightly drizzling outside, autumn and spring (she doesn't like extreme cold and extreme heat), corn and maize, seafood (Catalina never got to eat seafood very often when she was growing up), the smell of the world after a rainstorm, old photographs of her grandparents and parents, her wedding dress (although she wore the same dress when she was supposed to marry Juan, Catalina associates the dress with memories of Javier and their son, Alejandro), blueberries, being a mother, spending time with her brother (Catalina wasn't going to accept the invitation to apply to the School, at first, because she didn't want to leave Jorge, but he was the one who urged her to apply, and eventually, to attend), her handler (Ines Lelo, codename Diaphanous) to some extent, learning English and history, learning new subjects in general (Catalina was not given the opportunity to complete her education back at the village she grew up in)

Dislikes​:​ extreme heat/cold, the man who abandoned her at the altar (Juan), her husband's family (especially her mother-in-law), remembering the day she found her parents murdered, some of the men that she ended up /associated/ with after her mother-in-law threw her out of the house, wearing clothing that shows too much skin (Catalina dresses very conservatively, though she doesn't really care how other people decide to dress), the coldness and ruthlessness of some of her classmates at the School, remembering how Javier's family forced her to leave her son behind, airplane food, over-processed food (growing up in a rural community, Catalina is used to fresh, home-grown or locally grown produce), seeing mothers separated from their children (and vice versa), killing people (just because she knows /how/ to kill somebody doesn't mean that she /likes/ it), thunderstorms (she's always been terrified of thunder and lightning), thinking about or being reminded of her past

Personal​​​ ​"Essay": September 11th, 1973-General Augusto Pinochet overthrows President Allende and takes over the government of Chile, changing the course of history for thousands of people.

​Catalina's mother is five. Her father is six. Her grandparents on both sides are outspoken political activists who favored the leftist policies President Allende, and during the first months of Pinochet's regime, both of her grandfathers are arrested and executed.

By January 3rd, 1974, Catalina's grandfathers are dead. Her mother and father grow up together. Her grandmothers move to the countryside to escape the worst of Pinochet's brutality.

August 21st, 1980-they share their first kiss. Catalina's mother is twelve. Her father is thirteen. It is a sloppy, timid kiss, full of awkward glances and clumsy fumbling, but it is a kiss, nonetheless.

March 11th, 1981. A new constitution, drafted without the input of political dissidents, is approved by 66% of voters, in a referendum suspected of being highly fraudulent.

December 1st, 1987. Catalina's mother is sixteen; her father is seventeen. They are married in a quiet little ceremony on the steps of the village church.

August 12th, 1988-Catalina and her twin brother, Jorge, are born. Their parents are elated. Both are healthy, squalling babies, with dark peach fuzz covering the tops of their heads and the biggest, bluest eyes that the world has ever seen.

​January 26th, 1998. Catalina and Jorge are nine years old when they come home from the village school to find both of their parents dead, their throats slit and their eyes wide and unblinking. There is blood splattered everywhere across the pale blue kitchen tiles, and all Catalina can do is stare at the blood while her brother screams and screams and /screams/.

​The killer was never found. Nobody knows why they were murdered, though some speculate that their father's radical political articles, the ones that he wrote after coming in from the fields and sent off to his friend in Santiago to be published anonymously, were the cause.

But why, oh /why/? Catalina's grandmother lamented. Pinochet and the junta government were long gone. Life was getting better. And yet...

​November 1st, 2004. Jorge and Catalina are sixteen. It is All Saint's Day-​D​í​a de Todos los Santos.​ Catalina meets Juan, named after san Juan el Bautista, or John the Baptist. And she thinks that she is in love.

​February 23rd, 2006. Juan proposes to Catalina. The very next day, she finds out that she is pregnant.

May 1st, 2006. It is the day of Juan and Catalina's wedding. Catalina wears an exquisite, hand-sewn white gown, her hands ensconced in white gloves. She waits for Juan at the village church. She waits, and waits, and waits, but he does not come.

They look for him at his house. He, and his belongings, have all disappeared without a trace.

​July​ 15th, 2006. Catalina ​miscarries. She realizes that Juan is gone. He will never come back-not for her, not for their ​dead ​child.

​April 7th, 2007. Catalina's grandmother on her father's side dies early in the morning. A week later, her grandmother on her mother's side follows. Money is tight.

​June 10th, 2008. Catalina meets a wealthy man passing through the area. His name is Javier. After a whirlwind romance, the two are married, and Javier takes Catalina with him back to his estate near the capital. Jorge is unhappy about the arrangement, but Catalina promises to stay in touch.

May 30th, 2009. Catalina gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. He has inherited her eyes. She and Javier name him Alejandro, after Javier's dead father.

​November 29th, 2012. Catalina receives word that Jorge has cancer. The doctors predict that he has less than ten years to live. Catalina begs her husband to send him money, so that he doesn't have to work in the fields all day. So that he can rest and have his cancer treated. Javier agrees, but he doesn't send enough. Not /nearly/ enough.

March 3rd, 2013. Javier dies from a heart attack. His family, who have always despised Catalina, throws her out. They keep her son, though. They take her three-year-old son away from her, and they throw insults like knives at her, and they accuse her of only marrying Javier for his money. And then they throw her on the street and leave her to die. They won't even give her enough money to buy a train ticket back to her village.

​And so Catalina spends the next year fending for herself in Santiago. Desperate to return to Jorge, Catalina sells herself on the streets, trying to get enough money for a single train ticket. ​Along the way, she picks up some skills that will be vital in the next stage of her life.

April 19th, 2014. A woman Catalina doesn't recognize approaches her. She gives Catalina an application and enough money to last her a year.

​August 24th, 2014. Catalina gives Jorge all her money and boards a plane for Italy.​ She is given a code name; a new identity, of sorts. Anubis. She likes it-when she is Anubis, she is a fierce, jackal-headed Egyptian god. But she will always be Catalina at heart, and Catalina is a jilted bride, a widow, an orphan, and a mother without her child.

And so Catalina, Codename Anubis, begins her time at the School. She says nothing, but sees everything. She mourns for her husband and child and brother and parents, even as her teachers instruct her to forget. She sees her husband's cruel old mother as she picks up a knife. She sees Juan's laugh as she viciously stabs the dummy.

Exuberance's eyes might be cold and emotionless, they say, but Anubis's are so sad that they're terrifying.

Please answer this question:

Nice, or Vienna?
​ >Nice. Most likely, Nice. But if the rage in her awakens-for her husband's family, who stole her dear little son from her and then discarded her like she was nothing more than a pair of worn-out shoes, for her parents' murderer, for Juan, the man who abandoned her at the altar-then she may just start leaning towards Vienna.

And this one:
​​Whom is the Infanta of Spain and at what time can she be expected to arrive?
​ >​"The Infanta of Spain is the empress's successor, and she will arrive only when the men and the gods alike have realized their folly."

Person whom you most resemble: Luiza Scandelari

Handler (@ayzrules​)

OPTIONAL HANDLER INFORMATION

Name and Age​: Ines Mercedes Lelo, 38
Gender: Female​ (FC: Gal Gadot)
Codename​: Diaphanous
Date of Birth​: ​July 28th, 1979
Country of Birth​: Mexico​
Role​: Handler

Short synopsis of existence: ​Diaphanous-adjective. Light, delicate, and translucent.

Ines is anything /but/ diaphanous.

Like Anubis, Ines's codename is an ironic joke. Ines is as tough as old leather, hardened by battle and covered in scars. She grew up in Mexico, and became involved with drug lords and kingpins like El Chapo.

Nobody is quite sure what she actually did-the rumors whisper that she killed for them.

But somehow, in some way, she ended up with the School. And she has spent her years transforming young women into warriors.

She scours the Spanish-speaking nations for potential candidates. And when she came across Anubis, she saw a resilience in her melancholy blue eyes that bespoke of a greater strength. A weaker woman would have committed su.cide by now.

But not Anubis.

There is strength in being a mother, Ines knows. She herself was a mother once, an eternity ago. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned", Shakespeare said. Ines begs to differ-hell hath no fury like a /mother/ scorned.

Anubis is here, now, at the School, and Ines has been tasked with keeping an eye on her, as well as teaching her how to speak English.
​
Nobody knows very much about Ines, codename Diaphanous. But everybody knows that by the time that she's done with Anubis, Anubis will be unbreakable.​

Role: The Peacemaker
Name: Clarence Eugene Roberts
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Bisexual
Appearance:
(David Dawson)

Clarence is by no means an intimidating man. He has a slight figure, though he boasts a bit of lean, lanky muscle on his arms and legs. His face is rather mousy. This is further enhanced by the little spectacles that he wears. He keeps his face relatively clean-shaven (he really, really doesn't like facial hair) and his short brown hair cut in the most unassuming way. He wears solemn, simple clothing, usually in subdued hues. Clarence's eyes, like his hair, are a nondescript medium-brown color. His peachy complexion is fairly average-not overly pale, but not overly tan, either. In short, everything about Clarence's outer appearance is utterly forgettable.

Occupation: Clarence is officially the accountant and record-keeper of the Spiders, but he also serves as the unofficial "head" of their dockside black market. In addition, he is quite the negotiator, capable of extracting compromises from even the most stubborn of men and women in his own quiet way

Likes: clean clothes, clean spectacles, cleanliness in general, sharp pencils, tidy rooms, the smell of coffee, organized accounts, being polite to others, math, numbers and figures, going about on his way unnoticed, being underestimated by those outside of the Spiders, being prepared for everything, elegant solutions, profit, daffodils and daisies, subtle earth tones (namely greens and browns and beiges), everything being resolved in a peaceful manner, efficiency, the smell of the sea

Dislikes: facial hair, inappropriately loud people, rumpled clothing, bloodstains, ineffectiveness, disorganized messes, chaos, incompetent people, being unprepared, messiness, drunkards, bar fights, fighting in general, obnoxious displays of force, being underestimated by the Spiders, people outside of the Spiders realizing how capable he truly is, alcohol (he'll take it in moderation, but not enough to get drunk)

Skills: remembering small details, manipulating the situation in his favor, drawing up compromises, balancing the checkbook, good with numbers and figures, good with complex mathematics to a certain degree (more on the economics side than on, say, the calculus side), quick and nimble in a fight and half-decent with a gun/knife (Clarence draws upon his agile cunning and element of surprise more than his physical strength when he is engaged in any sort of physical altercation), makes a mean roast chicken

Weaknesses: his lack of brute strength puts him at a disadvantage in certain situations, tends to be a bit passive and go-with-the-flow, not very intimidating or assertive (and as such, he would not be a great leader), singing and playing instruments (Clarence is the opposite of "musically inclined")

Personality: Clarence is an exceedingly mild-mannered man. He is quiet and reserved and shows very little emotion, no matter if he approves or disapproves of something. Calm and collected, even in times of crisis, Clarence is as steadfast and as unmoving as a rock. Dependable and practical, Clarence always makes sure that whatever has to be done is done-in fact, he makes sure that it is done well. He carries all his tasks through with the utmost efficiency, and he values organized financial accounts over everything else. Clarence has a quick, analytical mind-he is always two, three steps ahead of everyone else. He prefers to examine all sides of an issue and take every variable into account before passing judgement, and he has a knack for coming up with elegant solutions that all parties can agree upon. 

Clarence tends to keep his thoughts to himself, and he prefers to sit back and observe than get involved in the fray. He always feels slightly uncomfortable in large crowds of people, though he is not easily intimidated (something that others usually miss, considering his outward appearance). Clarence carries out orders very well, even if he isn't the one issuing them. Polite and respectful, it is too easy to mistake Clarence's deference for submissiveness. Clarence doesn't mind-it makes him seem perfectly harmless and not threatening in the least. He does this on purpose, knowing all too well that if someone were to unearth some of the things he's done in the past, he would be in big, big trouble, because behind those inoffensive little round spectacles and meek expression, Clarence is just as cunning and manipulative as the worst of them.

Biography: Clarence was born and raised in New Cordova. His father was a middle-class accounting clerk, and his mother was a bank teller. Clarence got his love of numbers and finance from both of his parents. He has an older brother named Andrew and a younger sister named Katherine. Andrew is three years older, while Katherine is five years younger.

All three children were enrolled in school for a good deal of their early lives. The Roberts were fortunate enough to be able to afford it, though the school that Clarence, Andrew, and Katherine attended was by no means the best school in the city. It was a run-down schoolhouse located on the border of Pisswater Alley and Whisperwind Wharf, and although the surroundings were bleak, Clarence grew to love going to school everyday. He excelled in mathematics and had excellent penmanship. The various teachers they went through were all fond of Clarence, because unlike his older brother, who instigated a fight in the schoolyard almost every day, Clarence was never one to throw fists at the slightest insult or injury. In fact, he was known to be a mediator in between the combatants at times. He tried to get them to stop and work it out peacefully. It was at that schoolhouse where he first met Miss Jacqueline Reynolds, though he was only her student for a couple of years before he graduated and went on to study finance, economics, and accounting in the city's public university.

Clarence and his brother both fought in the war. Andrew enlisted voluntarily, because he was bloodthirsty and eager for a fight, while Clarence went along reluctantly. He abhorred fighting. Luckily, a couple months after he shipped out to Europe, he was sent back home due to a gunshot wound in the rear end-a "million dollar wound", so to speak. 

Once he came back to New Cordova, Clarence realized he had no money and no way of making money in a legitimate way, because who wanted to hire a newly-graduated accountant who'd just come back from the war? So instead, he sought out less savory employers. He eventually managed to land himself a job as a record-keeper and accountant for one of the leaders of the Silk Skulls, Earl Jones. The work itself was easy enough, so long as he didn't ask questions, but it was the...other services required of him that made Clarence grow to despise Mr. Jones. 

Long story short, Mr. Jones was drunk more frequently than not, and when he was drunk, he was prone to aggressive bouts of violence. Clarence bore the brunt of this, since he was always around Mr. Jones due to the nature of his job. Mr. Jones also had different tastes in lovers: he preferred men over women in almost every instance. Clarence bore the brunt of Mr. Jones's preferences in these matters as well.

Clarence considered leaving the Silk Skulls many times throughout his time with them, but Earl Jones was paranoid because Clarence knew too much, so he threatened to kill Clarence's family if he left. With no other options in place, Clarence decided that the best way to be rid of Mr. Jones and his abusive treatment was to eliminate the Silk Skulls altogether. At that time, the Golden Bulls had just started to grow restless. Clarence intentionally fueled that restlessness by subtly suggesting to Mr. Jones that the Skulls brutally crack down on the Bulls. This only made the Bulls angrier, which had been Clarence's purpose all along. Rising tensions in the seedier side of town led to the Silver Rats siding with the Golden Bulls-again, partially due to Clarence's maneuvering-and the Spiders' participation was sealed with a backroom deal he made with their leader.

The Spiders were, and still are, led by an indomitable spinster who valued efficiency over personal loyalty. Clarence met with her, and both agreed that the Skulls were on the brink of imploding on themselves. Clarence offered to tell the Spiders everything he knew about the Skulls in exchange for a position within their ranks after the gang war was over. 

With a promise of a job after the Skulls were gone, and the Spiders siding with the Bulls and the Rats,  Clarence allowed himself to sit back and watch the puzzle pieces fall in place. The final stage of his plan was somehow removing Maria Moretti from the scene-she always, always found out about everything. So, he tipped off the police on one of Alessandro Rossini's-a member of the Silk Skulls and Maria's father and employer-illegal activities, then convinced Earl Jones to convince Alessandro Rossini to frame Maria for the crime. Once Maria had been jailed, the Skulls were all but defeated.

After the fall of the Skulls, Clarence personally ascertained that Mr. Jones was murdered in his sleep, then pinned it as suicide, because who could believe that the quiet man busily scribbling in his notebook was capable of killing someone? Clarence took on his position with the Spiders as promised, and he has quickly risen through the ranks due to his efficiency and organization. He now manages the finances for the gang and oversees the dockside black markets and all its shipments.

Power(s) and how they got it: Clarence has no "powers" to speak of-unless both a photographic and an eidetic memory count as powers. He was born with a photographic memory, though his eidetic memory naturally developed as he grew older

Other: Clarence is very close with his sister, Katherine, though less so with Andrew. He mostly works in order to send money back to his family. Andrew is showing disturbing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, and Clarence isn't sure how to help him, which is worrying. Katherine's husband died four years ago from pneumonia, which has also been on Clarence's mind. His parents and sister are blissfully ignorant of Clarence's involvement in illegal activities and gang politics, but he knows that Andrew has probably guessed what Clarence has been up to for the last few years.

Extras: 
Quote-"There are snakes lurking in the grass." ~Virgil

♕Name: Alicia
♕Username: ayzrules
♕#mythologynoir
♕ Tag me: @questing-witch
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♕Mythological Role: Hestia
♕OC Name: Jacqueline "Jackie" Reynolds
♕Faceclaim: Natalie Portman (but slightly older-looking)
♕Age: 40
♕Faction: Heavens
♕Occupation: Innkeeper (formerly a schoolteacher)
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♕Personality: Jackie is probably the person you'd least expect to be involved with the three factions and their associated illegal activities. Patient, gentle, and warm-hearted, Jackie is full of kind smiles and reassuring looks. Jackie tends to be rather soft spoken and is quick to forgive and forget. She is not easily excitable and rarely loses her temper. She would never turn away a person in need, no matter what their past history may be, and she offers her assistance indiscriminately, refusing to take faction affiliations into account. Jackie seems to be perpetually calm and dignified, a pool of serenity in the chaos of the factional warfare. Indeed, Jackie has somehow remained relatively neutral throughout the years (though she is technically a part of the Heavens faction), staying above the violence and machinations of the gangs and lending a helping hand equally to all of them when they turn up on her doorstep. As such, she is perhaps one of the only people who can walk through all three of the territories unmolested.

Jackie is open and trusting-perhaps a little bit /too/ trusting, at times. Her refusal to involve herself directly with any gang activities brings her both the admiration and ire of the factions. Jackie's reliability and dependability are generally viewed as some of her best qualities, but with this rock-solid steadfastness comes a certain inability to easily adapt to changing, evolving situations. Those who know Jackie personally say that she is a bit stuck in the simpler ways of the past. She places high value in manners and civility and propriety, and nobody-/nobody/, not even the leaders of the three factions-tells her how to run her inn. Once you step onto her property, you listen to nobody but her.

Jackie offers anyone and everyone nonjudgmental acceptance, and she tries to see everything from all angles. She is pragmatically intelligent, with a sharp mind perfectly suited to running her inn and managing the accounts with a practiced efficiency. She likes to take the time to appreciate the small things in life (stopping to smell the flowers, so to speak).

+Kind
+Calm and level-headed
+Practical
+Caring
+Reliable
+Nurturing

+/-Believes that people are inherently good
+/-Generous

-Too trusting
-Doesn't adapt easily
-Old-fashioned
-Incurious of the world beyond the city
-Can be a bit of a pushover (with matters that don't concern her inn)

♕Likes: etiquette, good manners, organized and accurate monetary accounts, a surplus of supplies, food that is simple yet delicious, hearty, home-cooked meals, tea, fresh fruit, the smell of bread baking, a clean inn, punctuality, simple yet elegant dresses, flowers, early mornings, the sound of a fire crackling in the hearth, mathematics, organizing supplies, taking inventory, everybody getting along with each other, efficiency, reading (especially classical literature and poetry), sensible clothing

♕Dislikes: messiness and sloppiness, violence, gang politics and tensions, drunkards, bar fights, dust, dirt, grime, permanent stains, coffee with no added milk or sugar, most alcohol in general, wearing low-cut gowns (it makes her feel very self-conscious), loud music, the smell of cigarette smoke, impolite people, rudeness (especially rudeness that is completely unwarranted), unnecessary extravagance and/or pomp and circumstance, arrogance, frilly dresses

♕Skills: managing accounts and supplies (Jackie does this on almost a daily basis since she runs an inn), teaching (Jackie's personality and education makes her an excellent schoolteacher), sewing and mending, cooking, settling disputes (Jackie has a reputation of being a peace-keeper), mental math and mathematics in general, giving advice

♕Weaknesses: physical altercations (Jackie detests violence and is not a fighter at all; as such, she would be helpless against a physical attack), singing (she can't do it for the life of her), painting (Jackie doesn't have a single artistic bone in her body), her inability to adapt to sudden changes in her life (Jackie is adamant about regularity and routine)

♕Background: Jackie was born to a family that actively participated in illicit back-room dealings in Olympus, but as she grew older, Jackie refused to take part in them, and slowly cut off communications with her mother and father, both of whom were killed in the years following the First World War as the three factions took on the Titans.

Jackie grew up enmeshed in the politics of street gangs and violence, seeing as her parents were prominent Titans. Her mother took special care to shelter Jackie from the harsh realities of life, and as a result, Jackie grew into a kind-hearted young woman who would rather read classical literature and sip tea in a musty old library than rub elbows with suave gangsters (too intimidating) and surly hitmen (too crude). Her parents used the money that their family had amassed to send her off to school, where Jackie discovered she was quite good at arithmetic.

Jackie eventually discovered the full extent of her parents' involvement in the street gangs of Olympus as she grew older. When she finished her schooling and returned home, she was immediately thrust into the heart of the complex and cutthroat politics of street gangs; two different men with two different affiliations were vying for the hand in marriage of the daughter of one of the most prominent Titans in Olympus (the two men would later go on to join the Heavens and Docksides factions). While her father deliberated, Jackie decided to take matters into her own hands. She absolutely abhorred violence, and she was not so foolish as to believe that she would wed one man or the other and all would be well; no, there was bound to be some blood spilled over a dispute of this nature.

Unbeknownst to her parents, Jackie sought out a job as a schoolteacher in one of the seedier parts of town, and she was given the position once it was determined that she had enough education to teach the children. She then went to her parents and told them that she would not marry anyone because it would spark a gang war, and besides, schoolteachers couldn't be married, anyways. To this day, Jackie is surprised that her father went along with it.

Jackie packed her bags and relocated to a school building in the ambiguous swath of land bordering the present-day territories of the Docksides and Underworld factions. There, she taught the children who would one day become the leaders and members of the three gangs that dominated Olympus after the fall of the Titans. The school building soon became known as a safe haven of sorts for the children-Jackie was patient and kind, and she loved the children she taught with all her heart. When some of her children came in without lunches, Jackie would purchase something for them down the street. When they came in without coats or shoes, Jackie would hand out blankets for them to use in class to stave off the cold. She would not tolerate the children insulting or hurting each other, and although she was normally very gentle, Jackie could be quite firm if she wanted to, and the children soon learned to respect their new teacher.

Eventually, Jackie's children grew up and graduated (or they simply stopped coming to school altogether because of their...circumstances). Many of them got involved with the gangs that roamed the streets of Olympus, though they knew not to touch Jackie or her school, because even after all those years, she still would have welcomed them inside with open arms and given them food to fill their bellies and a roof to sleep under. Jackie finally gave up her position as a schoolteacher when her wealthy uncle died, bequeathing her a substantial sum of money and an inn.

It was during her time as a schoolteacher that Jackie began to distance herself from her parents, and by the time the war rolled around, Jackie hadn't talked to her parents in years due to her dislike of gang violence. She set up her inn, which is called the Blue Heaven Inn (an allusion to its location on the border of the Docksides and Heavens territories), and began running a moderately successful business. Her generosity with her former students and people in need, however, remained constant, and the inn soon had a reputation for being a sanctuary and neutral ground for all gang members. The inn itself has an endearingly quaint vibe to it that is reminiscent of a cozy country cottage.

Jackie's rules for her inn are rather simple: one-it is open to all; two-absolutely no violence is permitted; three-all gang politics and confrontations must stay off of her property, and four-if you break something, you pay for it (because smashing plates is just rude!). Jackie will frequently serve meals on the house as long as all of her rules are followed, and she rather enjoys conversing with some of her former students when they come in for a bite to eat or a drink. Jackie always ensures that the lodgings are immaculate and that the food is cooked to perfection, and she is very efficient at managing the accounts and taking inventory. As such, her inn is usually a busy place, and Jackie enjoys having something to fill her days.

With the onset of Prohibition, all alcoholic beverages were taken off the menu, though if Jackie likes you enough, she may offer you a little something in her wine cellar that was purchased before the law banning alcohol was passed. Jackie learned of her parents' deaths from the factions after the dust settled from the wars both at home and abroad, and she was surprised at her own indifference. But, she supposed that it was to be expected, considering the fact that she did not agree with what her parents stood for and the fact that she hadn't talked to them for years.

Nowadays, Jackie is enjoying her life as a spinster and an innkeeper quite well, though she is concerned about the mounting tensions that threaten the shaky peace established after the defeat of the Titans. She can only hope that the children she once taught and her beloved inn will emerge out of the inevitable conflict relatively unscathed.

♕Goals (may be public or secret): Jackie fervently hopes that she will be able to keep the tensions and violence to a minimum through her version of diplomacy (which most often involves steaming bowls of stew, freshly baked bread, a crackling fire, and soft, murmured discussions). She aims to provide sort of a second home to the gang members with her inn, and she wants to do all that she can for anyone seeking her assistance.

♕5 facts about them:

*Jackie wore her hair long and in a severe bun for most of her adult life; it was only recently that she was convinced to cut her hair shorter in an effort to follow the latest fashions (which she does not care very much for anyway)

*She frequently feeds and cares for the stray cats that turn up at her inn; as a result, Jackie has never had trouble with mice

*Jackie's personal living quarters are on the first floor of the inn, while guest lodgings are located on the second floor

*Though she loves children, Jackie swore off marriage before she became a schoolteacher, and as such, she is quite the spinster at forty years of age and /still/ without a husband

*Coming from a family with quite a bit of money, Jackie has never wanted for anything, but she was blessed with a large amount of sympathy for the less fortunate

♕Greatest Fear: seeing her inn destroyed and seeing the children she used to teach spiral deeper and deeper into darkness

♕3 things the value in others: Hospitality, a healthy dose of empathy, and good manners
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♕Describe how you drew on mythology for inspiration in your character:

Hestia was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea in Greek mythology, so I made her the daughter of two Titans. She was also known as the goddess of the home and hearth and portrayed as neutral and caring. In Greek mythology, she rejects the advances of both Poseidon and Apollo in order to keep the peace.

Role: The Innkeeper
Name: Jacqueline "Jackie" Reynolds
Age: 40
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Asexual
Appearance:
(Natalie Portman)

Jackie is of an average height and average weight. She has skin that appears to be lightly tanned under certain lighting and honey-brown hair. Jackie's hair is wavy and currently ends just above her shoulders, though she wore it long for most of her life. Jackie has hazel eyes and eyelashes that are inordinately long. Her lips are thin and a pale pink hue. The backs of Jackie's arms and a large portion of her back are covered in burn scars from an unfortunate factory explosion that occurred approximately twenty years ago.

Jackie can usually be seen wearing simple though pretty dresses and blouses that have a slightly old-fashioned vibe to them (she would never allow herself to be seen in one of those little dresses that these newfangled flappers favor so much, that's for sure). She rarely wears any jewelry, and if she does, then it is only a single gold chain or a pair of stud earrings. Jackie's clothes are always impeccably clean, even if they are indeed old-fashioned.

Occupation: Runs and manages the Summer Daffodil Inn (which is usually simply referred to as "the Daffodil), was formerly a schoolteacher in a small, run-down school on the border of Whisperwind Wharf and Pisswater Alley

Likes: etiquette, good manners, organized and accurate monetary accounts, a surplus of supplies, food that is simple yet delicious, hearty, home-cooked meals, tea, fresh fruit, the smell of bread baking, a clean inn, punctuality, simple yet elegant dresses, flowers, early mornings, the sound of a fire crackling in the hearth, mathematics, organizing supplies, taking inventory, everybody getting along with each other, efficiency, reading (especially classical literature and poetry), sensible clothing, teaching

Dislikes: messiness and sloppiness, violence, gang politics and tensions, drunkards, bar fights, dust, dirt, grime, permanent stains, coffee with no added milk or sugar, most alcohol in general, wearing low-cut gowns (it makes her feel very self-conscious), loud music, the smell of cigarette smoke, impolite people, rudeness (especially rudeness that is completely unwarranted), unnecessary extravagance and/or pomp and circumstance, arrogance, frilly dresses

Skills: managing accounts and supplies (Jackie does this on almost a daily basis since she runs an inn), teaching (Jackie's personality and education makes her an excellent schoolteacher), sewing and mending, cooking, settling disputes (Jackie has a reputation of being a peace-keeper), mental math and mathematics in general, giving advice

Weaknesses: physical altercations (Jackie detests violence and is not a fighter at all; as such, she would be helpless against a physical attack), singing (she can't do it for the life of her), painting (Jackie doesn't have a single artistic bone in her body), her inability to adapt to sudden changes in her life (Jackie is adamant about regularity and routine)

Personality: Jackie is probably the person you'd least expect to be involved with the three gangs and their associated illegal activities. Patient, gentle, and warm-hearted, Jackie is full of kind smiles and reassuring looks. Jackie tends to be rather soft spoken and is quick to forgive and forget. She is not easily excitable and rarely loses her temper. She would never turn away a person in need, no matter what their past history may be, and she offers her assistance indiscriminately, refusing to take gang affiliations into account. Jackie seems to be perpetually calm and dignified, a pool of serenity in the chaos of the factional warfare. Indeed, Jackie has somehow remained relatively neutral throughout the years, staying above the violence and machinations of the gangs and lending a helping hand equally to all of them when they turn up on her doorstep. As such, she is perhaps one of the only people who can walk through all three of the territories unmolested.

Jackie is open and trusting-perhaps a little bit too trusting, at times. Her refusal to involve herself directly with any gang activities brings her both the admiration and ire of the respective leaders. Jackie's reliability and dependability are generally viewed as some of her best qualities, but with this rock-solid steadfastness comes a certain inability to easily adapt to changing, evolving situations. Those who know Jackie personally say that she is a bit stuck in the simpler ways of the past. She places high value in manners and civility and propriety, and nobody-nobody, not even the leaders of the three gang-tells her how to run her inn. Once you step onto her property, you listen to nobody but her.

Jackie offers anyone and everyone nonjudgmental acceptance, and she tries to see everything from all angles. She is pragmatically intelligent, with a sharp mind perfectly suited to running her inn and managing the accounts with a practiced efficiency. She likes to take the time to appreciate the small things in life (stopping to smell the flowers, so to speak). Kind, calm and level-headed, and reliable, Jackie believes that people are inherently good and is very generous, acting as a mother-slash-teacher even though she is technically an innkeeper. 

Biography: Jackie was born into a wealthy family that had been wealthy for generations upon generations. The Reynolds were old money, used to being rich and used to being powerful. It was no secret that Jackie's mother had no love for her father-their marriage was an arranged one, and an unhappily arranged one at that. Jackie's father was heavily involved with the Silk Skulls (one of their main financial backers, actually), something that her mother heartily disapproved of. As a result, Jackie was mostly shielded from the harsh realities of her father's life, and Jackie grew into a kind-hearted young woman who would rather read classical literature while sipping tea in a musty old library than rub elbows with suave gangsters (much too forward) and surly hitmen (much too crude). Her mother sent Jackie off to school the first chance that she got, where Jackie discovered that she was quite good at arithmetic. 

Jackie eventually discovered the full extent of her father's involvement with the gangs as she grew older. When she finished her schooling and returned home, she was immediately thrust into the heart of the complex and cutthroat politics of gangsters with nothing to lose and the entire world to gain; two different men (one was a member of the Silk Skulls, while the other was a member of the Spiders) were vying for the hand in marriage of the daughter of one of the richest men in New Cordova. While her father deliberated, Jackie decided to take matters into her own hands. She absolutely abhorred violence, and she was not so foolish as to believe that she would wed one man or the other and all would be well; no, there was bound to be some blood spilled over a dispute of this nature.

Unbeknownst to her parents, Jackie sought out a job as a schoolteacher in one of the seedier parts of town (on the border of Pisswater Alley and Whisperwind Wharf, in fact), and she was given the position once it was determined that she had enough education to teach the children. She then went to her parents and told them that she would not marry anyone because it would spark a gang war, and besides, schoolteachers couldn't be married, anyways. Her parents were adamantly against this idea, but then her mother died of pneumonia and her father was killed by a stray bullet during a bar fight, so that was that.

Jackie packed her bags and relocated to a school building in the ambiguous swath of land bordering the present-day territories of the Silver Rats and the Spiders. There, she taught the children who would one day become the leaders and members of the three gangs that dominated New Cordova after the fall of the Silk Skulls. The school building soon became known as a safe haven of sorts for the children-Jackie was patient and kind, and she loved the children she taught with all her heart. When some of her children came in without lunches, Jackie would purchase something for them down the street. When they came in without coats or shoes, Jackie would hand out blankets for them to use in class to stave off the cold. She would not tolerate the children insulting or hurting each other, and although she was normally very gentle, Jackie could be quite firm if she wanted to, and the children soon learned to respect their new teacher.

Eventually, Jackie's children grew up and graduated (or they simply stopped coming to school altogether because of their...circumstances). Many of them got involved with the gangs that roamed the streets of New Cordova, though they knew not to touch Jackie or her school, because even after all those years, she still would have welcomed them inside with open arms and given them food to fill their bellies and a roof to sleep under. Jackie finally gave up her position as a schoolteacher when her uncle (who was just as wealthy as her father) died, bequeathing her a substantial sum of money and an inn.

She set up her inn, which is called the Summer Daffodil Inn (usually referred to as simply the Daffodil), and began running a moderately successful business. Her generosity with her former students and people in need, however, remained constant, and the inn soon had a reputation for being a sanctuary and neutral ground for all gang members. The inn itself has an endearingly quaint vibe to it that is reminiscent of a cozy country cottage.

Jackie's rules for her inn are rather simple: one-it is open to all; two-absolutely no violence is permitted; three-all gang politics and confrontations must stay off of her property, and four-if you break something, you pay for it (because smashing plates is just rude!). Jackie will frequently serve meals on the house as long as all of her rules are followed, and she rather enjoys conversing with some of her former students when they come in for a bite to eat or a drink. Jackie always ensures that the lodgings are immaculate and that the food is cooked to perfection, and she is very efficient at managing the accounts and taking inventory. As such, her inn is usually a busy place, and Jackie enjoys having something to fill her days.

With the onset of Prohibition, all alcoholic beverages were taken off the menu, though if Jackie likes you enough, she may offer you a little something in her wine cellar that was purchased before the law banning alcohol was passed. 

Nowadays, Jackie is enjoying her life as a spinster and an innkeeper quite well, though she is concerned about the mounting tensions that threaten the shaky peace established after the defeat of the Silk Skulls. She can only hope that the children she once taught and her beloved inn will emerge out of the inevitable conflict relatively unscathed.

Power(s) and how they got it: Jackie is capable of pyrokinesis-manipulating and creating fire. As she doesn't really use her power on a large scale, Jackie is unable to simply snap her fingers and create roaring flames capable of destroying an entire city. Jackie mostly employs her pyrokinesis when cooking, either making the flame bigger or smaller. Other than that, Jackie does not really utilize her ability.

Jackie obtained her ability one morning when she was walking to the schoolhouse she taught in. She was passing by a factory when it simply exploded, showering the street with broken chunks of the building and ashes and smoke. The fire quickly spread through the surrounding area, though it was eventually contained once it reached Whisperwind Wharf. Jackie took shelter in an abandoned factory warehouse-only to have that warehouse burst into flames a couple minutes later. Trapped inside the burning building, Jackie doesn't remember much besides passing out due to all the smoke.

She eventually woke to find the concerned faces of her pupils around her. Jackie's arms and back were badly burned, though she would survive the ordeal with nothing more than scars and her pyrokinesis.
Other: *Jackie wore her hair long and in a severe bun for most of her adult life; it was only recently that she was convinced to cut her hair shorter in an effort to follow the latest fashions (which she does not care very much for anyway-she has a rather old fashioned way of dressing)

*She frequently feeds and cares for the stray cats that turn up at her inn; as a result, Jackie has never had trouble with mice

*Jackie's personal living quarters are on the first floor of the inn, while guest lodgings are located on the second floor

*Though she loves children, Jackie swore off marriage before she became a schoolteacher, and as such, she is quite the spinster at forty years of age and still without a husband

*Coming from a family with quite a bit of money, Jackie has never wanted for anything, but she was blessed with a large amount of sympathy for the less fortunate

*Her greatest fear is seeing her inn destroyed and seeing the children she used to teach spiral deeper and deeper into darkness

*Jackie values hospitality, a healthy dose of empathy, and good manners in others

Extras: 
Quote- "A true lady never starts a fight, but she sure as hell can finish one." ~Anonymous
Aesthetic board-


Playlist-
1. "Hey Brother" by Avicii: "Hey brother! Do you still believe in one another?/Hey sister! Do you still believe in love? I wonder/Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you/There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do"

2. "Icarus" by Bastille: "Icarus is flying too close to the sun/And Icarus's life, it has only just begun/Standing on the cliff face/Highest fall you'll ever grace/It scares me half to death"

3. "Shelter" by The XX: "I find shelter, in this way/Under cover, hide away"

4. "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley: "Don't worry, 'bout a thing/Cause every little thing gonna be alright/Singin' don't worry about a thing/Cause every little thing gonna be all right"

5. "Hunnie Pie" by Zella Day: "You see the moon, I see the sun/Your day is gone, mine's just begun/Our time is more than a day (ahh ahhhhh, ahh)/I can't forget with you on my mind/The moment we started to live separate lives/Our love is more than a day (ahh ahhhhh, ahh)"

6. "Merry-Go-Round of Life" from Howl's Moving Castle

7. "Bright" by Echosmith: "I think the universe is on my side/Heaven and Earth have finally aligned/Days are good and that's they way it should be"

8, "Rainbow Veins" by Owl City: "Cheer up and dry your damp eyes/Tell me when it rains/I'll blend up that rainbow above you/And shoot it through your veins"

9. "House of Gold" by 21 Pilots: "I will make you queen of everything you see/I'll put you on the map, I'll cure you of disease."

10. "Together" by The XX: "I know to be there/When and where, I’ll be there/You know what’s to be said/We said out loud, we never said"

11. "If I Die Young" by the Band Perry: "If I die young/Bury me in satin/Lay me down on a bed of roses/Sink me in a river, at dawn/Send me away with the words of a love song/The sharp knife, of a sharp life/Well I've had, just enough time"

Name: Eleanor Fife-Stanpoth
Code Name: Cindy
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Appearance:


Eleanor has smooth, milky skin and a heart-shaped face. She has high cheekbones-a trait that has been in her family line for generations-and rather average lips that she has been painting with lipstick ever since she was twelve. Her eyes are a warm brown color and her hair currently falls about halfway down her back in carefully cultivated chocolate-colored waves. She is about five feet and seven inches tall and on the slimmer side, weighing approximately one hundred and twenty-five pounds.

Eleanor has always favored a very feminine, girly style. She loves frilly ruffles and bows and wears high heels and skirts, no matter what the occasion. Many people have described her manner of dressing as "doll-like" or "girlish". In terms of make-up, Eleanor always goes for what makes her appear innocent and doe-eyed. She is currently a fan of pale pink or cherry red lipsticks and soft, smoky eye shadows and the barest hint of blush brushed over her cheeks. Eleanor would never allow herself to be seen in public without a designer dress or flawless make-up.

Personality: If one were to sum up Eleanor's personality in the most succinct way possible, the first words that come to mind are "back-stabbing bitch". Indeed, Eleanor is almost ruthlessly amoral, doing only what she believes will benefit her and whoever she cares about at the moment. She is also exceedingly petty and takes every little slight as an insult. She may not act on her feelings if she deems it unnecessarily risky-but she never forgets. Eleanor can, and has, hold a grudge for years at a time. Many people find Eleanor's temperament to be startling similar to that of a high school girl.

Eleanor appears as innocent and naive and somewhat prissy, which is aided by her choices of clothing and make-up. She is the epitome of a drama queen or a spoiled brat at times, and her voice is the most whiny and petulant sound that you will ever hear. However, behind her childish squeals and full, pouty lips and shy yet somehow sultry glances, Eleanor is calculating her every move, analyzing every possibility, and listening to everybody's thoughts. Eleanor possesses a cold cunning that is concealed by frilly lace dresses and soft pink lipstick. She can be unhealthily fixated on revenge, and never, ever, ever lets things go. Oh, Eleanor will pretend to forgive and forget, but whether or not she actually does is another matter entirely.

The easiest way to anger Eleanor is to ruin her clothes or shoes or mess up her hair and make-up. She has never held back when exacting revenge against people who just can't seem to appreciate how much effort goes into looking good.

Power: Telepathy and other associated abilities-reading thoughts, communicating with others via thoughts, controlling others with her mind, absorbing/transferring large amounts of information at one time, creating illusions and altering or completely erasing perceptions/memories/knowledge, producing telepathic blasts which can induce pain or knock out a person, etc

Power Source: Eleanor grew up in a wealthy family that was among New York's social elite. She was always concerned with what others were thinking-what they thought of her, what they were planning to do, what they wanted. Eleanor became adept at manipulating her classmates in the Upper East Side's private schools, and part of that involved getting into their heads...so much that she became a telepath.

Power Fear: Her nails-if she notices that her nail polish is peeling or otherwise imperfect in any way, shape, or form, Eleanor can't use her abilities as well as she normally would. If the nails themselves are broken, Eleanor loses the ability altogether, until she fixes the aforementioned nails (for this reason, she always cares around a nail clipper and a nail file and extra nail polish. She also tends to wear gloves a lot).

Origin: Eleanor Fife-Stanpoth was born to a wealthy family who could trace their ancestry all the way back to the influential merchant class of New York City in the colonial time period. Her father was a businessman who had used old family money to triple his fortune, and her mother was a socialite who owned a fashion line. Eleanor is an only child.

Right from the start, Eleanor was sent away to prestigious boarding schools and the like all over the country. She received the best education that the country had to offer, and she clawed her way up the social ladder with a potent mixture of a pretty face, an undeniable confidence, and a frighteningly ruthless approach to taking down anyone who stood in her way. People learned not to cross Eleanor, for she would somehow find out their deepest, darkest secrets and tell the entire school (she was actually expelled once for revealing that the headmistress's daughter, one of her fellow classmates, was sleeping with a man twice her age-the headmistress expelled Eleanor on the grounds of spreading rumors, but Eleanor knew the truth). Catty and manipulative, Eleanor was well aware that nobody really liked her-but she didn't mind. Her father had always said that it was better to be feared than loved.

Eleanor transferred to an elite private school in the Upper East Side for high school. There, she came to the peak of her power, aided by her reputation and her family name-she was a veritable queen bee. Eleanor also began modeling for her mother's fashion line.

High school was a whirlwind of social drama, parties, and underage drinking. Eleanor's powers first began to manifest when she was in ninth grade, though she didn't know it was telepathy at the time. She used it to her advantage, and by the end of freshman year, even the seniors recognized that she was a real threat. Eleanor's popularity was aided by the fact that her parents were frequently away from home. She took advantage of this and threw parties in their large home. Her grades, which had always been good, soared as a result of her telepathy, and when she graduated, she was valedictorian.

College was much of the same. Eleanor became the president of a sorority and made her mark as one of the smartest students to ever attend the school.

After graduating from college, Eleanor decided to invest in the stock market. She blackmailed her father into doing as she said by revealing that she knew he was sleeping with another woman (in truth, neither of Eleanor's parents had been sharing a bed for years now). Armed with her developing telepathy and her cherry lip gloss, Eleanor set out to increase the family fortune by tenfold. She wasn't afraid of resorting to illegal means, though she was careful to cover her tracks carefully so that she would not be arrested for fraud, insider trading, and a whole host of activities that were against the law.

While she made a name for herself in the financial world, Eleanor also was taking the social scene by the storm. She continued modeling on the side for her mother's fashion line, and attended extravagant events all over the country, from weddings to award ceremonies to fashion shows. She dated a few men in order to discover their secrets, though she has recently re-connected with a college classmate who was quickly becoming one of the most influential businessmen in the world. After consulting with her parents, Eleanor decided that she would get him to marry her. At the same time, she discovered the full extent of her telepathic abilities. She subtly telepathically manipulated the college classmate into proposing, and it was the day after their lavish engagement party when she was taken by the Patriots.

Blackmail: The Patriots know much about Eleanor's illegal activities, and they had been indirectly spying on her for years (they would send agents out to spy on the people she came into contact with, and they always made sure to stay away from Eleanor herself, so that she would not be able to read their thoughts and deduce that the Patriots were keeping an eye on her). They have quietly collected enough evidence to convict her should they ever turn her in, leaving Eleanor no choice but to cooperate.

Alignment: Officially, the Fife-Stanpoths are pro-Trump, but in reality, Eleanor supports whoever she feels would best be able to serve her interests; right now, it just happens to be President Trump. She would be willing to negotiate with the Patriots if she feels that they offer some sort of substantial benefit to her.

Name: Ardelia Zahra
Alias: N/A
Age: 35
Gender: Female

Appearance:

Ardelia has wavy dark brown hair hair that is usually tied in a high ponytail and pulled away from her face or in a messy braid. On rare occasions, she lets it hang free, the wavelets cascading down her back. Ardelia has lively chocolate-brown eyes and tanned skin. She is rather tall, standing at five feet and eight inches, and weighs about 130 pounds. Ardelia likes to wear make-up; she is rarely seen without at least some mascara on, and she absolutely adores a particular lipstick that goes well with her skin tone and hair color. Ardelia always seems to have a playful smile on her face and prefers to wear bright, eye-popping colors. She frequently experiments with cosmetics and clothing, which doesn't always end so well-but that does nothing to deter Ardelia in the slightest.

Abilities: Ardelia is able to "see" people's emotions in their auras-translucent clouds of color that surround everyone, Ardelia herself included. Certain colors mean certain emotions, and flickers and shifts in the colors of an aura indicate changing emotions or mixed emotions. More often than not, there is also an overall "background" color that signifies what the person's general personality is like. As with actual people, auras can only be seen when some part of the person is visible, despite the fact that Ardelia finds the auras to emit a slight glow. For example, Ardelia would not be able to see the aura of somebody completely covered by a blanket, no matter how thin that blanket is. Although Ardelia technically has no limit to the distance at which she can see auras from besides the limits imposed by her eyesight, they all tend to blur together into one giant blob of moving colors with no meaning whatsoever when she is around large crowds.

Ardelia also can subtly alter the emotions of others by changing the colors in the auras with her mind. The most she can do is intensify or water down an emotion-she cannot change love to hate or anger to sadness, but she can make someone go from happy to ecstatic or slightly scared to terrified. Doing this requires the aura to be visible and can drain energy very quickly.

These abilities, though related to sight, does not come as naturally as sight. Ardelia has to "turn on" the auras, which takes two or three minutes at the very least and a good deal of concentration. Once the ability is activated, it does not require a significant amount of energy to maintain, but after an entire day with the ability turned on Ardelia is usually exhausted. The maximum amount of time she has gone with the ability switched on is sixteen hours. Falling asleep automatically "turns off" the ability.

Skills:
*Even without the auras switched on, Ardelia is very perceptive of others' feelings
*Ardelia is a people person and has good social skills
*Ardelia considers herself pretty good with make-up and has, in her opinion, a great taste in fashion
*Sketching from life
*Painting with watercolors-although Ardelia is certainly no professional, she has a knack for it and considers it one of her favorite things to do
*Running in heels and applying make-up while operating a vehicle
*Fashion design-Ardelia has always had an eye for color and composition that just sort of came naturally to her
*Ardelia is able to speak both English and Spanish fluently

Flaws:
*Thinking objectively-Ardelia tends to let her emotions get in the way of things
*Ardelia can be flighty and gets distracted often when she doesn't genuinely care about something
*Ardelia can be very, very chatty to the point of being flat-out annoying
*Ardelia is not the best at thinking ahead, as she prefers to live in the present and deal with things as they come
*Ardelia can be unbelievably petty and irrational, even when it is uncalled for (this goes back to the fact that she frequently lets her emotions cloud her judgement)

Background: Ardelia was born to an upper-middle class family in New York City. Both of her parents had moved to New York City from Puerto Rico before she was born. Ardelia has a brother who is three years older than her and a younger sister who is five years younger than her. Growing up, Ardelia led a fairly typical life. She went to school, dated, made friends, and so on. Ardelia was very artistic. She loved playing dress-up as a little girl, and this eventually led to her to begin seriously pursuing fashion design as a career. She had always had a natural eye for the aesthetics and what lip gloss worked with what skirt and the like. Ardelia majored in fashion design in college, and graduated with good grades.

After graduating, Ardelia quickly found a job at a minor clothing company and slowly worked her way up the ladder. Her big break came in 2195, when she was offered a position in a design firm that was partnered with the Lorne Corporation. Ardelia jumped at the chance, but she soon found herself faced with the most difficult decision of her life: whether or not to move to New London, the Martian city that Ardelia had never once in her life even dreamed of setting foot on. If she wanted the job, that was precisely what she had to do-move to New London. Apparently, there was a growing demand for consumer products on Mars, and people like Ardelia would meet the demand perfectly.

Ardelia ultimately decided that she was willing to make the move in order to keep the new job that paid far more than her old one. By 2196, she was settled into a small but comfortable apartment with a well-paying job in New London. Adjusting to New London took a while, but Ardelia soon settled into a familiar rhythm and decided that Mars was not bad at all.

Ardelia didn't think much of the subtle prejudices present in New London-in fact, she didn't even notice them until the UN began to maintain an increased military presence on Mars. Ardelia was not one to stir the pot when the law was concerned. She stayed under the radar and went about her life normally. None of the unrest seemed particularly related to her-she was a fashion designer, for Pete's sake, not a politician. Sure, she read about the protests in the news and everything, but it all seemed sort of...distant.

That certainly changed after the quake of 2200. Ardelia had been on her home from work when suddenly, there were flashing colors surrounding the people on the streets. The colors were versatile and variegated, flowing fluidly in their own little bubbles or writhing desperately, surging with energy or stagnant and lifeless. Ardelia thought she was hallucinating and took a nap. When she woke up, the colors were gone. But a couple hours later, they were back, and Ardelia began to become more and more confused. She noticed that there were colors that surrounded her as well, and watched in awe as the swirling shades of green and orange that indicated confusion changed to energetic waves of bright blue and shimmering gold. Ardelia seemed to instinctively know what the colors represented-the bright blue and gold, for instance, indicated fascination. Ardelia started to secretly experiment with the auras, finding that she could even manipulate the auras of others, to some degree. She has not told anyone about the colors for the fear of being labelled as crazy or insane, and the news of the UN imprisoning people who had exhibited superhuman abilities has reinforced Ardelia's promise to herself to keep the auras secret.

Personality-wise, Ardelia is bubbly and outgoing. Her friendly, cheerful disposition is well-liked by her peers, and Ardelia has never had a lack of friends. Ardelia is optimistic and a tad impulsive, with an "everything will be alright" attitude towards life. Ardelia relies more on her heart than her brain and frequently has no other explanation other than "it feels right". She can talk about anything and everything for hours on end. Some tend to find this incessant chatter exceedingly irritating, which Ardelia is not always the most aware of. She is a kind and sweet person at heart, though her more mean-spirited side can get the best of her at times.

If Ardelia is not always aware of how much she talks, she is aware of the feelings and thoughts of others. Ardelia is naturally "people-smart" and is good at picking up subtle hints that indicate shifts in emotions in others. Ardelia also is somewhat of a risk-taker, at least when it comes to her fashion choices. She is always boldly trying something new when it comes to her hair, make-up, or outfit.

Sample Post:

It was no ordinary day at work. Representatives from the Lorne Corporation would be coming to pick out designs to mass-produce. Ardelia stood anxiously by the rack of clothing that she had designed herself. She glanced down at her hands-a nervous turquoise danced a frantic Irish jig with vomit-green. Ardelia took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and she watched as streaks of ocean blue shot through the vomit-green. Out of the corner of her eye, Ardelia glimpsed the stern-looking representatives from the Lorne Corporation walking her way, and she straightened up, smoothing out her skirt and plastering a smile onto her face.

Curious yellow-orange surged through the aura of the more relaxed representative, while a bored light gray filled that of the second representative. The third had a slight tinge of vivid magenta moving languidly through his otherwise dark blue aura. Would it be wrong to...you know...right now? she wondered to herself. Ardelia looked on as the curious yellow-orange became infused with a subtle gold. I suppose it wouldn't hurt, she thought a tad mischievously. Ardelia concentrated on the gold, willing it to intensify. After a couple moments, the gold seemed to explode out all at once, "droplets" of it landing all throughout the representative's aura.

Ardelia felt a sense of excitement as the first representative turned to her. "You are the designer?" she asked. Ardelia noted that the representative was rather young-looking, despite the fact that Ardelia knew the woman was in her fifties.

Ardelia grinned. "Yes, I am," she said politely, giving the representative a dazzling smile.

"What's your name?" the representative questioned, and Ardelia didn't need the auras to know that she was entranced by Ardelia's designs.

"Ardelia Zahra," she replied, doing her best to hide her excitement.

The representative beamed. "Well, Ms. Zahra, I have to say that your work is the best that I have seen in years now. David, could you please write this down..." the representative trailed off, motioning for the second representative-the one with the bored light grey aura. Ardelia detected a flicker of orange surprise that materialized in the aura.

"I can't believe that no one has thought of this before," the first representative continued, gesturing toward the eye-catching floral print skirts and lacy tops. "It's a blast from the past, to be sure, but retro is all the rage nowadays. I'll definitely be in touch!" And with that, the representatives were off and on their way, examining the work of Ardelia's colleagues.

A low whistle sounded from behind Ardelia. She spun around, only to come face-to-face with Anya, one of her co-workers. Dark-haired Anya wore chunky earrings and big bangles and burgundy lipstick. "That one really liked your stuff, huh?" Anya asked, chuckling.

Ardelia felt a slight twinge of guilt. Doing this isn't fair to the others, she thought. However, Ardelia did not voice her concerns, simply smiling at Anya. "Yeah. Whoa, I was totally not expecting that, and I honestly have no idea what to make of it," she replied. "How's everything going with you? Did any of them say something?" she questioned, changing the subject to Anya's designs.

Anya nodded happily, her eyes twinkling. "Granted, they weren't as enthusiastic as they were with you, but I think that I've got a deal coming through," she answered.

"Oh my gosh! That's amazing!" Ardelia gushed, genuinely ecstatic for her friend. Ardelia could tell that Anya was overjoyed as well-her aura was enveloped in a sunny yellow-gold. She was quite literally glowing.

Ardelia lowered her voice as she caught sight of a few stern looks being shot her way. It probably was not the best idea to be loudly congratulating a friend while the representatives were still in earshot, now that Ardelia thought about it. "Listen. After all of this is done, let's go out and get lunch?" Ardelia said.

Anya nodded, letting a cheeky grin slide onto her face. "That sounds wonderful," she responded, giving Ardelia a playful wink before walking away. Ardelia let her gaze fall down to her hands-bubblegum pink and daffodil yellow popped like firecrackers in her aura. She sighed contentedly. Life was good.

Group: The Superhero Initiative (polyvore.com/superhero_initiative_rol…)
Hashtags: #superinitiative #supers
Song: "Rainbow Veins" by Owl City

{VALERIA MERCEDES ZAHRA}

{“A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” ~Roald Dahl}

Name || Valeria Zahra ("Val" to her close friends and family)
Age || 30
Hometown || Mexico City, Mexico (born), San Diego, California (grew up and currently resides)
Profession || High school art teacher and free-lance artist (her preferred medium being acrylic and oil paint). She also does some calligraphy work on the side, and tutors kids in Spanish when she can.
Model || Shay Mitchell

Personality || Valeria is bubbly and outgoing. Her friendly, cheerful disposition is well-liked by her peers, and Valeria has never had a lack of friends. Valeria is optimistic and a tad impulsive, with an "everything will be alright" attitude towards life. Valeria relies more on her heart than her brain and frequently has no other explanation other than "it feels right". She can talk about anything and everything for hours on end. Some tend to find this incessant chatter exceedingly irritating, which Valeria is not always the most aware of. She is a kind and sweet person at heart, with not a mean bone in her body.

If Valeria is not always aware of how much she talks, she /is/ aware of the feelings and thoughts of others. Valeria is naturally people-smart and is good at picking up subtle hints that indicate shifts in emotions in others. Valeria also is somewhat of a risk-taker, at least when it comes to her fashion choices. She is always boldly trying something new when it comes to her hair, make-up, or outfit. Valeria has always thought more with her heart than with her head, which means that her emotions tend to cloud her judgement more often than not. She is extremely empathetic and very cheerful.

When creating art, however, it's like the regular Valeria was abducted by aliens and replaced with a clone. Valeria is extremely concentrated when painting, and her flighty nature replaced with razor-sharp focus. If she gets in the "zone" (as she likes to call it), the rest of the world melts away and nothing exists but the dozens of paintbrushes that she goes through, her paint palette, and the empty canvas.

With her students, Valeria likes to treat them as if they were her peers. She laughs and jokes around with them quite often, and she is always happy to offer someone advice on their latest project. Valeria is very supportive and doesn't have it in her to harshly criticize somebody's artwork. She is open and accepting and /tries/ to follow the rules most of the time when it comes to what she teaches, but she's very willing to take advantage of loopholes and to let her students do the same. Valeria lives to love, to laugh, to enjoy life and eat good food, and to make art.

Likes || Floral print, bright lipstick and eye shadow, winged eyeliner, eyeliner in general, make-up in general (especially brightly-colored make-up), cute shoes (especially high heels), painting (acrylic and oil), calligraphy, her trusty set of paintbrushes, splatter paint, finger paint, cheerful music, Mexican food, fruit juices/smoothies, summertime, sparkly nail polish, eye shadow, and gel pens, pretty notebooks/sketchbooks, sunny days, sleeping in late, Saturday mornings, flowers, dancing, funky clothes and shoes, the beach, summer sunsets, summer storms, teaching, art, romantic comedies and chick flicks, abstract expressionism and surrealism, ice cream and frozen yogurt, books that make her laugh, birds

Dislikes || Cold and the winter, snow, blizzards, people who don't know how to "have fun", stuffy people, snitches, people who always insist on following every single rule in the book, people who are sticklers for punctuality, brussel sprouts, dirty brushes, when her students don't do a good job of cleaning the art room supplies, people who view the arts as "useless", horror movies, dark chocolate, black coffee, being stuck in the rain without an umbrella, people with no sense of humor or can't take a joke, sitting still until her foot falls asleep, still lifes, drawing from life in general (though she recognizes that this is necessary), Shakespeare (she can't understand a /word/ of his stuff), spiders (she's absolutely terrified of them)

Strengths ||
*Valeria is a people person and has good social skills
*Valeria considers herself pretty good with make-up and has, in her opinion, a great taste in fashion
*Painting (acrylic/oil paint being her preferred medium and abstract expressionism or surrealism being her preferred styles)
*Calligraphy (for some reason, the meticulous art of beautiful writing just clicks with Valeria)
*Drawing (though she tends to lose patience with still-lifes rather quickly)
*Running in heels and applying make-up while operating a vehicle
*Valeria is able to speak both English and Spanish fluently
*Good listener

Weaknesses ||
*Thinking objectively-Valeria tends to let her emotions get in the way of things
*Valeria can be flighty and gets distracted often when she doesn't genuinely care about something
*Valeria can be very, very chatty (to the point of being flat-out annoying)
*Valeria is not the best at thinking ahead, as she prefers to live in the present and deal with things as they come
*Valeria can be unbelievably petty and irrational, even when it is uncalled for (this goes back to the fact that she frequently lets her emotions cloud her judgement)

Hobbies || Painting (anything goes-traditional painting, splatter paint, finger paint, spray paint, etc) and making art/beautifying things (she enjoys bedazzling her belongings with an excessive amount of fake flowers and rhinestones), calligraphy, doodling, movie marathons, shopping, tutoring (Valeria has the patience of a saint when it comes to children, and she tutors kids in Spanish on the side), going to fun parties, spending time outside, taking artsy pictures, spending time with her friends and family, dancing (not that she has any formal dance experience, of course-it's mostly just jumping up and down and belting out the song at the top of her lungs), experimenting with clothing/make-up/hairstyles, obsessing over aesthetically pleasing planners and notebooks

Family ||
Maria Zahra (mother, 53): Valeria loves her kind-hearted, loquacious mother dearly. She admires how this amazing woman managed to raise her and all her siblings without going insane, and all the sacrifices that she made to give her kids the best opportunities that she could. Valeria has inherited her mother's love of flowers and her mother's habit of talking your ear off. Maria began working at a florist after she sent her last child off to college.

Jorge Zahra (father, 54): Valeria and her father are particularly close. Valeria's father was a painter himself, and he taught her much of what she knows today. Jorge is a quiet, mellow soul, a perfect complement to Valeria's excessively talkative nature. Jorge now works for a real estate company, though he still tries to paint when he can.

Manuel Zahra (uncle, 59): Valeria's uncle on her father's side is a jolly, cheerful man with an abundance of optimism and a great love of good food. He managed to secure a well-paying job years before Valeria was born, paving the way for Valeria and her parents and siblings to move to America to join him. Manuel is now one of the managers in an accounting firm.

Julia Zahra (aunt, 56): Valeria's aunt is rather quiet, full of soft smiles and gentle touches. She works as a math teacher at Valeria's old high school, and Valeria respects and loves her aunt, who was like a second mother to Valeria.

Alicia Zahra (older sister, 35): Valeria and Alicia get along as all sisters do-they grew up calling each other names and constantly arguing, though now they are capable of being perfectly civil to each other and laughing as they remember their childhood antics. Alicia tends to be a bit bossy and always insists on doing things her way. She is now the head of human resources at a large company based in New York City. Alicia married when she was 29 and had a son when she was 31.

Miguel Zahra (younger brother, 28): Valeria and Miguel were /always/ picking fights when they were children, before they decided to team up against their bossy older sister in their teenage years. Valeria and Miguel are as thick as thieves, with Valeria always following Miguel in his mischief. Nowadays, Miguel maintains his impish, adventurous personality, though it has been somewhat tempered as he grew older. Miguel is unmarried and works in Los Angeles in the film industry.

Juan Zahra (cousin, 37): Manuel and Julia Zahra's only child. Juan was always closer with Alicia than he was with Valeria due to their age difference. Valeria views Juan as somewhat of an older brother and is on good terms with him and his wife and two kids. Juan now lives in Virginia, working on the board of admissions for the University of Virginia.

Pets || Surprisingly enough, Valeria has no pets, though she can envision herself as a crazy cat lady after she retires

Bio || Originally from Mexico City, Valeria's family was lucky enough to be granted entrance into the United States due to the fact that Valeria's uncle lived in San Diego. Valeria has very few memories of her life before she moved, since she was only three when they crossed the border and settled down with her uncle's family, but the memories that she does have are all pleasant-her grandmother's warm brown eyes and face lined with laugh lines; the smell of spicy stew being ladled out to each person sitting at the table; stubborn flowers that popped up on the sides of busy streets every year, refusing to be trampled by the hustle and bustle of Mexico's capital city.

Valeria's younger brother, Miguel, was born shortly after her family arrived in America. Valeria lived with her uncle and his family for a year or so, before her parents began making enough money to pay the rent for an apartment of their own. Her mother worked as a housekeeper while her father painted murals until he secured a job at a real estate firm. Valeria loved to draw on the sidewalks and streets outside their apartment building with brightly colored chalk, and her father decided to teach her how to properly draw, sketch, and paint. Art was an integral part of Valeria's life.

While Valeria's family wasn't necessarily poor, they were far from rich. Valeria always appreciated how her mother worked longer hours and her father went out of his way to work on holidays and overtime in order to give their children the best life that they could get. Valeria never wanted for anything, and she was happy at her school-she didn't flunk any classes (though her parents were /extremely/ upset whenever she brought home C's) and she liked her classes well enough. The teachers liked Valeria too, even if they complained that she talked too much in passive aggressive letters to her parents.

Valeria graduated and went to college for art and teaching. She'd gone to school solely for art at first, but discovered that she very much liked working with children and that there were many more jobs available as an art teacher than there were as painters. Valeria worked as a Spanish tutor on the side-Spanish had been her first language, and besides, it was a lot better than her job in high school as a waitress. She continues to tutor kids in Spanish to this day.

After completing her education, Valeria moved back to San Diego and found a job as an art teacher in a high school not far from the one she attended. Valeria remains close to her family and loves getting together for holidays and parties and reunions. Valeria signed up to be a test subject on a whim one day, not entirely realizing how far-reaching the effects of her decision would be.

Extra Information || Valeria is unmarried...for now. Her friends are always devising up schemes to get her into a relationship.

Quirks || Valeria's fingers are perpetually stained with paint or ink. She always carries around extra lipstick and a hot-pink gel pen.

Extras:
Storyboard -
Short Story -
Wardrobe -
Closet -
Playlist-
Inspiration Collection -
Character Study -

("With great power comes great responsibility"...I'm supposed to put that here, yes? :D)

Name/Alias: actual-Mina Willow Brown, alias-Wilhelmina "Willa" Wistmore

Age: 55 (turned into a vampire at age 31, living as a vampire for 24 years)

Physical Description/Picture:

Willa/Mina has always been somewhat scrawny due to her family's financial hardships. She stands at a mere five feet and two inches, and there was always something fragile-looking about her-like a strong gust of wind could blow her away. She has wavy, warm chocolate-brown hair ending just under her shoulder blades that's usually pulled back from her face in a messy bun. Her eyes are the same brown of her hair, she has a pale complexion and an oval-shaped face. Willa has a frail, diminutive stature and has frequently been described as "bird-like". After being turned into a vampire, Willa has become unhealthily thin and gaunt, her skin stretched tightly over her bones. She has also become much paler, even for a vampire's standards. Her expression always appears to be nervous and anxious, and her eyes flit around the room erratically, filled with wariness and a thinly veiled fear. There is a haggard air to her, and Willa looks like she barely has the energy to stay on her feet. She walks with a heavy limp.

Strengths:

Pain Manipulation:

The vampires of Willa's bloodline can sense and manipulate pain as if it were a physical thing like water or fire. Similar to fire and water, you can't just conjure it up out of nowhere. Vampires with this ability must draw their pain from somewhere, be it the guy with a migraine next to you on the bus or a stranger from halfway across the globe being crushed to death by a building toppling over. The more skilled a vampire is, the greater the distance they can draw pain from. The only way to cause a difference in the amount of pain someone is feeling is by transferring the pain to a separate 'vessel'. Newer vampires have no way to transfer pain to anywhere but into themselves, although older vampires can transfer pain quite easily to other people. The way this works is that they channel the pain through themselves then to some other 'vessel', but newer vampires haven't developed the ability to channel pain to another 'vessel'. Willa has rarely ever used this power before, and therefore she has little control over it.

Weaknesses:

There is some degree of pain felt by the vampire transferring pain from one 'vessel' to another, even if they transfer the pain to someone else (basically, they can't get away with manipulating pain scot-free). Granted, the older vampires and the Baroness will be used to the pain involved in transferring it and the amount that affects them decreases with time. The only thing that Willa can do in regards to this ability is transfer pain to herself or transfer her own pain to a human in close proximity (she finds that transferring pain to vampires is infinitely more difficult than transferring it to a human).

Motivations:

First and foremost, Willa wants to be free of her sire. Years and years of physical abuse bordering on torture have left her fearful and resentful of her. Sometimes Willa entertains private thoughts of revenge, but deep in her heart she knows that getting revenge for all her suffering would be impossible-Willa has no idea how to go about doing so in terms of physical acts, and her sire is much more powerful than she is.

Willa wants to be with her family again, not necessarily because she holds a great love for them after being a vampire for twenty years, but more of because her life was stable and easier when she lived with them. Money is another major factor-growing up in poverty has left her always looking to get money into her hands in the easiest way possible, though she wouldn't risk illegal activities like stealing or selling drugs. Nowadays, however, much has changed, and Willa is willing to risk getting into trouble with the law if it means she can live out the rest of her life as a vampire in relative comfort and isolated from all the power struggles that are inherent within the vampiric community.

History:

Mina Willow Brown was born in 1961. She was raised in a small town in the middle of nowhere in South Carolina, about a seven to eight hours' drive from Charleston. Her family had always been struggling to make ends meet, especially since her father could never seem to keep a job. With both parents working full-time and being the oldest out of three children (she had a younger brother named Jason and a younger sister named Elizabeth, nicknamed Lizzy), Mina grew up memorizing vocabulary words while doing the laundry and reciting her multiplication tables while scrubbing the floors and making dinner for her siblings. As she grew older, her family's economic situation worsened because her mother lost her job, and Mina began working as a waitress in the local run-down diner to help make ends meet. She dropped out of high school halfway through her junior year to begin working full-time.

After a few years of ten-hour work shifts six days a week at a crummy diner in the middle of nowhere, Mina's friend from high school-a blonde, peppy woman who had gone to college around the same time Mina dropped out of high school named Caroline-invited Mina to become a roommate of hers in Charleston. After carefully considering the offer, Mina accepted. It was the first time in her entire life that she'd left the town that she was born in. Mina got a job working as a barista in the poorer part of the city during the night and continued working as a waitress during the day.

The next five or six years were filled with the constant struggle to survive. With virtually no opportunities to get a job that paid above minimum wage, Mina soon found herself unable to contribute as much to the rent for the apartment she shared with Caroline, and the two women had a hard time getting on their feet. After a couple of years, Caroline landed a job that paid fairly well, and began to take over most of the financial responsibilities despite Mina's protests. This went on for a year or so before Caroline grew resentful that she was paying for everything and decided to look for housing somewhere else. Caroline offered to let Mina live with her again, but Mina knew fully well how Caroline felt and declined.

With Caroline gone, Mina had no hopes of keeping up with the rent payments. She was evicted from the derelict apartment building and found herself homeless. At the same time, she was let go from both of her jobs due to the establishments suffering from financial difficulties. Desperate, Mina began to seek out whatever odd jobs she could find-anything to keep her from starving. She considered going home to her parents, but when she found out that her dad died of a sudden heart attack and her mother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Mina decided to remain in Charleston since she didn't want to become an added burden to her already struggling family members. She eventually fell out of touch with the rest of her family, as she rarely had access to a post office or a telephone-and a payphone was out of question, considering that she barely could get enough money to pay for food.

Mina learned of her younger brother's death due to a drunk driver three months after his funeral from an obituary published in a newspaper in the garbage that she'd noticed by chance. Fraught with worry and concern, Mina managed to scrape up a few dollars to call her mother, although it was Lizzy who answered. Mina learned that their mother was "going insane", according to Lizzy, and that Lizzy barely earned enough money to take care of both herself and their mother. That was the last time Mina had any contact with her family.

A little after her thirty-first birthday, Mina was settling down in her usual spot for the night after a day of foraging and looking for a job. The chances of Mina landing any job at all at this point were extremely slim, but she kept searching despite the odds. Mina had just closed her eyes, anticipating another sleepless night, when out of nowhere she felt herself being lifted into the air and then slammed against the concrete wall behind her. She barely had time to open her eyes before a rough hand covered her mouth and a searing pain flared up the side of her neck, knocking her unconscious.

Mina woke up a few hours later with her hands and feet bound together in a dark, stuffy room. Her head was spinning, and she found that she could see surprisingly well despite the darkness. Frightened and confused, she remained in the same position for about an hour before a powerful and influential enforcer named Stella Havisham entered the room.

In terms of appearance, Stella was, well, perfect. She had a porcelain complexion, emerald green eyes, and thick inky-black hair that cascaded down her back like a shimmering ebony waterfall. Mina was immediately intimidated by her forceful presence and the aura of authority that Stella exuded. But she soon learned that Stella was as cruel as she was flawless. Stella did nothing other than to inform Mina that she was now Wilhelmina Wistmore and give Mina-now Willa-her first taste of human blood. After that, she left Willa alone in the darkness.

It was a week later when Stella came back. She beat Willa bloody before leaving her in solitude again. Over the next month or so, Willa noticed that the initial pain gradually faded until nothing was left. It was odd to wake up every day (though Willa had no inkling of the passage of time) and see lacerations covering her skin, blood staining the ground and her clothing, yet feeling no pain. When Stella next paid her a visit, Willa was so starved for blood that she could barely stand. Stella permitted Willa to go out and feed, and Willa did just that-she drank from the first human being she could find, who happened to be a homeless old man. Afterwards, she felt an immense sense of guilt, still not fully coming to terms with her new status as a vampire. When Willa returned, she was forced back into the closet-like room, and the same cycle continued on.

From her infrequent trips to the outside world and sporadic contact with other vampires over the years, Willa managed to learn about the power of pain manipulation and the way that vampire society in Charleston was structured. With the information she gathered, Willa concluded that Stella was using her as a tool by taking pain previously inflicted by her on Willa and transferring it to whomever she was fighting. Stella was the favored assassin of some Baroness, which was the source of her apparent wealth, although Willa could not say which Baroness it was. Willa also inferred that Stella had chosen her because nobody would even notice her disappearance after being plucked off of the streets in the middle of the night.

A lingering sense of hopelessness has permeated the core of Willa's being, and the constant pain has taken its toll on her as well. Willa walks with a heavy limp from a broken leg that was never properly healed. After the first ten years, Stella gave Willa her own room in Stella's luxurious residence and permitted Willa to leave her "home" as she pleased, although Stella still uses Willa for her own purposes fairly often. Willa has experimented with pain manipulation, but she finds it to be very difficult. Willa rarely has the energy needed in order to effectively use the ability and she has a hard time concentrating. Sick and tired of being treated as merely somewhere to "store" pain, there is nothing more that Willa wants than to be free of her sire.

Connections:

Stella Havisham (sire)-An enforcer of one of the Baronesses of Charleston, Stella is notorious for her ways of disabling her targets with a crippling pain in order to kill them. She is cold, calculating, and ruthless, yet ferociously loyal to the Baroness she serves, though for what reason, no one can say. She has straight black hair that falls about halfway down her back and mechanical green eyes. Stella is a little over one hundred years old and was originally from France.

Personality (extra):

As a little kid and a teenager, Willa was never particularly shy-she loved to laugh and loved to live. Despite her hardships, she remained optimistic and tried to be kind to everyone. During her adult years Willa was more wary and less trusting of complete strangers, partly because of her transition from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere to a large, bustling city. She retained some of her characteristic kindness after becoming homeless, but she grew less and less optimistic with each passing day.

That all changed when she became a vampire and the property of her sire. Willa has become skittish and afraid, jumping at the slightest sounds and as timid as a mouse. She has begun to unconsciously try to shrink into the corners and make herself appear small and insignificant in order to avoid confrontation.

Name/Alias: Wilhelmina "Mina" Wistmore

Age: 45 (turned into a vampire at age 21, living as a vampire for 24 years)

Physical Description/Picture:

Mina has always been somewhat scrawny due to her family's financial hardships. She stands at a mere five feet and two inches, and there was always something fragile-looking about her-like a strong gust of wind could blow her away. She has wavy, warm chocolate-brown hair ending just under her shoulder blades that's usually pulled back from her face in a messy bun, though as of late it has been thin and brittle. Her eyes are the same brown of her hair, she has a pale complexion and an oval-shaped face. Mina has a frail, diminutive stature and has frequently been described as "bird-like". After being turned into a vampire, Mina has become unhealthily thin and gaunt, her skin stretched tightly over her hollow cheeks. She has also become much paler, even for a vampire's standards. Her expression always appears to be nervous and anxious, and her eyes flit around the room erratically, filled with wariness and a thinly veiled fear. There is a haggard air to her, and Mina looks like she barely has the energy to stay on her feet. She walks with a heavy limp.

Strengths:

Pain Manipulation: The vampires of Mina's bloodline can sense and manipulate pain as if it were a physical thing like water or fire. Similar to fire and water, you can't just conjure it up out of nowhere. Vampires with this ability must draw their pain from somewhere, be it the guy with a migraine next to you on the bus or a stranger from halfway across the globe being crushed to death by a building toppling over. The more skilled a vampire is, the greater the distance they can draw pain from. The only way to cause a difference in the amount of pain someone is feeling is by transferring the pain to a separate 'vessel'. Newer vampires have no way to transfer pain to anywhere but into themselves, although older vampires can transfer pain quite easily to other people. The way this works is that they channel the pain through themselves then to some other 'vessel', but newer vampires haven't developed the ability to channel pain to another 'vessel'. Mina has rarely ever used this power before, and therefore she has little control over it.

Weaknesses:

There is some degree of pain felt by the vampire transferring pain from one 'vessel' to another, even if they transfer the pain to someone else (basically, they can't get away with manipulating pain scot-free). Granted, the older vampires and the Baroness will be used to the pain involved in transferring it and the amount that affects them decreases with time. The only thing that Mina can do in regards to this ability is transfer pain to herself or transfer her own pain to a human in close proximity (she finds that transferring pain to vampires is infinitely more difficult than transferring it to a human).

Motivations:

First and foremost, Mina wants to be free of her sire. Years and years of physical abuse bordering on torture have left her fearful and resentful of her. Sometimes Mina entertains private thoughts of revenge, but deep in her heart she knows that getting revenge for all her suffering would be impossible-Mina has no idea how to go about doing so in terms of physical acts, and her sire is much more powerful than she is.

History:

Mina Willow Brown was born in 1972. She was raised in a small town in the middle of nowhere in South Carolina, about a seven to eight hours' drive from the city. Her family had always been struggling to make ends meet, especially since her father could never seem to keep a job. With both parents working full-time and being the oldest out of three children (she had a younger brother named Jason and a younger sister named Elizabeth, nicknamed Lizzy), Mina grew up memorizing vocabulary words while doing the laundry and reciting her multiplication tables while scrubbing the floors and making dinner for her siblings. As she grew older, her family's economic situation worsened because her mother lost her job, and Mina began working as a waitress in the local run-down diner to help make ends meet. She dropped out of high school halfway through her junior year to begin working full-time.

Mina eventually moved to the big city after her father died from a sudden heart attack. She promised to send money back while her mother looked after her younger siblings. However, Mina struggled to make ends meet and soon found herself evicted from her apartment. That night, she settled down on a park bench after an exhausting day, deciding to remain there till morning. Mina had just closed her eyes when out of nowhere she felt herself being lifted into the air and then slammed against the concrete wall behind her. She barely had time to open her eyes before a rough hand covered her mouth and a searing pain flared up the side of her neck, knocking her unconscious.

Mina woke up a few hours later with her hands and feet bound together in a dark, stuffy room. Her head was spinning, and she found that she could see surprisingly well despite the darkness. Frightened and confused, she remained in the same position for about an hour before a powerful and influential vampire named Stella Havisham entered the room.

In terms of appearance, Stella was, well, perfect. She had a porcelain complexion, emerald green eyes, and thick inky-black hair that cascaded down her back like a shimmering ebony waterfall. Mina was immediately intimidated by her forceful presence and the aura of authority that Stella exuded. But she soon learned that Stella was as cruel as she was flawless. Stella did nothing other than to give Mina her first taste of human blood. After that, she left Mina alone in the darkness.

It was a week later when Stella came back. She beat Mina bloody before leaving her in solitude again. Over the next month or so, Mina noticed that the initial pain gradually faded until nothing was left. It was odd to wake up every day (though Mina had no inkling of the passage of time) and see lacerations covering her skin, blood staining the ground and her clothing, yet feeling no pain. When Stella next paid her a visit, Mina was so starved for blood that she could barely stand. Stella permitted Mina to go out and feed, and Mina did just that-she found a dead rat and eagerly drank its blood. When Willa returned, she was forced back into the closet-like room, and the same cycle continued on.

From her infrequent trips to the outside world and sporadic contact with other vampires over the years, Mina managed to learn about the power of pain manipulation and the way that vampire society in the city was structured. With the information she gathered, Mina concluded that Stella was using her as a tool by taking pain previously inflicted by her on Mina and transferring it to whomever she was fighting. Stella was the favored assassin of some Baroness, which was the source of her apparent wealth, although Mina could not say which Baroness it was. Mina also inferred that Stella had chosen her because nobody would even notice her disappearance after being plucked off of the streets in the middle of the night.

A lingering sense of hopelessness has permeated the core of Mina's being, and the constant pain has taken its toll on her as well. Mina walks with a heavy limp from a broken leg that was never properly healed. Mina has experimented with pain manipulation, but she finds it to be very difficult. Mina rarely has the energy needed in order to effectively use the ability and she has a hard time concentrating. Sick and tired of being treated as merely somewhere to "store" pain, there is nothing more that Mina wants than to be free of her sire.

Connections:

Stella Havisham (sire)-An assassin under the employ of one of the Baronesses the city, Stella is notorious for her ways of disabling her targets with a crippling pain in order to kill them. She is cold, calculating, and ruthless, yet ferociously loyal to the Baroness she serves, though for what reason, no one can say. She has straight black hair that falls about halfway down her back and mechanical green eyes. Stella is a little over one hundred years old and was originally from France.

Personality:

As a little kid and a teenager, Mina was never particularly shy-she loved to laugh and loved to live. Despite her hardships, she remained optimistic and tried to be kind to everyone. During her adult years Mina was more wary and less trusting of complete strangers, partly because of her transition from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere to a large, bustling city. She retained some of her characteristic kindness after becoming homeless, but she grew less and less optimistic with each passing day.

That all changed when she became a vampire and the property of her sire. Mina has become skittish and afraid, jumping at the slightest sounds and as timid as a mouse. She has begun to unconsciously try to shrink into the corners and make herself appear small and insignificant in order to avoid confrontation.

Name: Eloise Wilhelmina Portsmouth

Age: 175 (appears in her late twenties)

Height: 5 feet and 2 inches

Weight: 65 pounds

Race: Nosferatu/Vampire

Gender: Female

Appearance:

Eloise always been somewhat scrawny due to her family's financial hardships. She stands at a mere five feet and two inches, and there was always something fragile-looking about her-like a strong gust of wind could blow her away. She has wavy, dirty blonde hair ending just under her shoulder blades that was usually pulled back from her face in a messy bun, though as of late it has been thin and brittle. Her eyes were a bright, shining blue before she was changed, but they have since turned watery and listless. Eloise has a pale complexion, and her cheekbones jut out of her face like knives. Eloise has a frail, diminutive stature and has frequently been described as "bird-like". Before her life (or should I say unlife?) went to hell in a hand basket, Eloise was never anywhere without a cheerful smile on her face. Nowadays, she can't even remember the last time she wasn't hungry or scared.

After being turned into a vampire, Eloise has become unhealthily thin and gaunt, her skin stretched tightly over her hollow cheeks. She has also become much paler, even for a vampire's standards. Her expression always appears to be nervous and anxious, and her eyes flit around the room erratically, filled with wariness and a thinly veiled fear. There is a haggard air to her, and Eloise looks like she barely has the energy to stay on her feet. She walks with a heavy limp.

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Personality: Scared. That's how most people describe Eloise when they first see her. Scared and frightened and weak. Nervous, anxious, apprehensive; timid.

Eloise herself can't remember much beyond the fear and exhaustion and hunger that pervades every fiber of her being, most days.

Once upon a time, she had been a gentle, cheerful woman who ran a bakery with her husband. Once upon a time, she had children she loved and happiness in her heart.

But that woman is gone.

Ever since she was changed, Eloise has been meek and obedient, her fearful, melancholy eyes perpetually lowered submissively. She keeps her head down and does what she's told without complaint. She doesn't speak unless spoken to. She doesn't ask for anything, and she makes herself scarce unless someone summons her.

Before, Eloise was carefree and kind. She was always an optimist, and she stubbornly saw the good in everything. Friendly, talkative, and impulsive, Eloise lived to laugh and loved to live. She was known to welcome anyone and everyone into the bakery that she and her husband ran with open arms. She was quite a gossip, but never in a mean-spirited way, and she would never, /ever/ intentionally hurt anyone's feelings. Loyal to people (but not ideas, nor causes), Eloise had been as flighty as a bird and as chirpy as one, too. An excellent listener despite her loquacious nature, Eloise was well-liked by the people of her village and famous for her delicious blueberry scones.

Before.

Now, though, Eloise knows there isn't much too her other than the never-ending cycle of pain and exhaustion and hunger and fear. She lives only because her sire allows it, and she is well-aware of this fact.

Eloise has become skittish and afraid, jumping at the slightest sounds and as timid as a mouse. She has begun to unconsciously try to shrink into the corners and make herself appear small and insignificant in order to avoid confrontation. Eloise doesn't really have a personality besides deferential obedience. She is a shadow of a shadow of a shadow of her former self-indeed, Eloise has been through enough to last her twenty lifetimes.

Biography: Eloise had always known that vampires existed.

Everyone in her village knew this: after all, it was a Covenant base in the middle of the secluded English countryside, selected for its proximity to London. The Covenant needed to keep an eye on the vampires of London, after all. The name of the village doesn't matter; it's gone now, and besides, Eloise doesn't know if she remembers the name of it anyway.

Some days, she doesn't even remember her own name.

But more on that later.

Eloise had a happy childhood, though her family was on the poorer side. All the people of her village were poor, minus the members of the Covenant. They were extravagantly rich. All the young men talked of joining the Covenant; joining meant glory and gold. It meant instant fame (at least, in a tiny little village in the English countryside) and the admiration of their fellow villagers. They always seemed to forget the whole part about hunting and killing vampires, though.

Eloise had many friends as a child, but her best friend was a tall brunette named Sarah. Nobody was sure why or how they became friends-Sarah was quiet where Eloise was irritatingly talkative; as steadfast as a mountain where Eloise was as flighty as a bird. The two were inseparable growing up, and even if Eloise can't remember Sarah's name half the time, she still remembers her soft laugh and twinkling brown eyes and comforting presence.

Eloise married the baker's son, John Portsmouth, when she was sixteen. She had children with him-three, in fact-but their names elude her, on most days. She remembers their faces, though, and she holds the memories tight and close when she's conscious enough to think and remember. Eloise loved John; he was kind and sweet and funny, and he made the best bread in the entire world. She was happy with him. That much, she remembers.

Sarah, on the other hand...when Eloise was twenty and Sarah twenty-one (and unmarried!), she joined the Covenant. It turned out that she had some distant aunt or uncle in the Covenant, which made her eligible to join, provided she go through all the required training. Although Eloise didn't see Sarah as often after that, their friendship never wavered.

Then, the winter of 1870 rolled around. It was one of the coldest yet, and one night, Eloise came home to her beloved bakery to find-

-to find an evil, sinister form hunched over her husband's body, blood dripping from its fangs, Eloise's three lovely little children already dead-

-and the thing looked up at stared right at Eloise with emerald-green eyes that glittered like ice in the moonlight-

-and faster than humanly possible, the vampire had Eloise in her impossibly strong hands, and a searing pain tore up the side of Eloise's neck, and she thought that she was going to die, right then and there. But instead, the vampire turned Eloise, and suddenly she was weak with hunger, longing for the taste of human blood.

Eloise's sire is (was? Eloise isn't so sure if she's alive anymore) a vampire named Stella Havisham. After Eloise was turned, Stella immediately etched a rune into Eloise's forearm that bound her will to Eloise. From then on, Eloise would have to obey everything that Stella said.

Stella was a frighteningly powerful vampire who, along with binding others to her will, could manipulate pain (namely, transferring pain from one person to another). She was also a skilled assassin, sent to Eloise's village to kill a few key members of the Covenant. Stella had learned of Eloise's connection to Sarah, and Eloise became a pawn in Stella's plans to expel the Covenant from the village. At first, Stella ordered Eloise to do nothing more than cook and clean (which was still a nerve-wracking task, especially since Stella had quite a ferocious temper in those days), and she forbade Eloise from drinking enough blood on purpose; Eloise was to be nothing more than a temporary storage place for pain that Stella could readily transfer to her opponents in a fight. She needed Eloise's fast vampiric healing to be nearly nonexistent for her plan to work.

The last time that Eloise ever saw Sarah, she had been so hungry that just the smell of human blood made her dizzy. She remembers a heavy bucket and a well an hour before sunrise; the scent of blood and the the feeling of snow soaking through her thin skirts as she fell to her knees, her fangs elongating as the hunger moved through her in waves; Sarah's horrified face, the sound of her own voice weakly begging for help, Sarah's retreating footsteps and the snow feeling strangely warm against her gaunt, bruised limbs. And then Eloise's head starts to hurt and she can't remember anything except pain and exhaustion and hunger.

Shortly after that incident occurred, Stella beat Eloise bloody and then locked her in the cellar before leaving the house. Eloise didn't understand what was going on until the pain was suddenly sucked out of her, leaving her exhausted and empty.

When Stella returned, she ordered Eloise to clean the blood off her blades.

And so the years passed like this. Stella moved back to London, bringing Eloise with her, after finishing her work in Eloise's village. Eloise cooked and cleaned and obeyed, and Stella did nothing but hurt her. Eventually, she grew too weak to perform even simple household tasks, so Stella simply locked her in a closet or cellar and summoned her when she needed Eloise to feel pain. Ever since the 1950s, Stella has simply left Eloise chained to the wall in the cellar, and Eloise spends most of her time in a half-conscious haze. She doesn't have the energy to think, and remembering hurts too much. Stella keeps her alive-just barely-and Eloise's enhanced healing still works, technically, though it doesn't do more than keep her half-alive at this point.

Recently, though, Stella had been using her more often. The beatings had increased exponentially, and there was something wild and frantic about Stella's blows, whereas they were even and methodical before. Eloise won't allow herself to hope-hope is such a dangerous, dangerous thing-but she speculates. Was her sire panicked because the Covenant was closing in?

The Covenant has found Stella, Eloise knows. Her sire has been missing for a month now...well, what felt like a month to Eloise, anyway. She knows that it will not be long before the Covenant finds her as well. Eloise can only hope that the Covenant will spare her any further pain and kill her when they do indeed find her. At this point, a quick, painless death would the greatest gift that anyone could give her.

Faction/Side: If given a choice, Eloise would not affiliate herself with anyone, but as for now, she is technically affiliated with the vampires

Abilities: Unbeknownst to anyone, even Eloise herself, Eloise is able to heal wounds and injuries with her bare hands, provided that she is physically strong enough to use her power. Silver sparks shoot from her fingertips, and when they make contact with the wound or injury, they start knitting the skin back together.

Skills: Eloise can cook (though Stella only ever required her to prepare blood for her) and clean very well, for 19th and 20th-century standards. Doing laundry and scrubbing floors is another area of expertise (she does know how to use a washing machine, surprisingly). Before she was turned, Eloise was a very good baker alongside her husband, and she had the neatest, tiniest stitches in the entire village. Eloise was a skilled seamstress and enjoyed embroidery, but now she reckons that her hands shake too much to embroider, though her eyesight has improved.

Strengths: Eloise is a good listener and a very empathetic person in general. She was very well-liked in her village before she was turned for her friendly disposition and delectable baked goods.

Weaknesses: Eloise has little to no knowledge on how to use any technology beyond the 1950s-1960s. She is more than useless in a fight, and she can be easily manipulated by others. Eloise's healing ability saps strength and energy just like any other physically exerting activity, throughout her entire time as a vampire, Eloise has never been strong enough to use her ability, let alone hone it to perfection. Her healing abilities cannot be used to heal diseases.

Likes: sunny days (as rare as they are in London and the English countryside), birds, flowers, scones of all shapes and sizes, fresh fruit (especially blueberries), the smell of bread baking, tea with plenty of milk, sugar, and honey, the color blue, lavender, the village that she grew up in, horses, cats, spring and summer afternoons, early mornings and sunrises, meadows and streams, gossiping, socializing, not feeling hungry or thirsty, soft blankets, sewing and embroidering

Dislikes: Stella, rainy days and thunderstorms, the darkness, being a vampire, rat blood, violent people and vampires, the smell of death that always seems to cling to Stella, emeralds, sleeping on the floor, the cold

Other: N/A

Kingdom Name:Castilya, the Kingdom of Castilya

Kingdom Colors: Scarlet and bright yellow

King and Queen: King Jose Jorge Aguíla de Agustín and Queen Catelina Maria Aguíla de Agustín

What the Kingdom is Known For: The Kingdom of Castilya is known for its widespread colonial influence that persists to this day in Spanish-speaking countries throughout the world and for its ancient history of conflicts with the long-dead Alysian Empire. Castilya is also remarkably neutral in a wide range of foreign affairs, and the province of Valencia is especially renowned for its importance in antiquity as well as in modern times as a stopping point for trade passing through the straits.

Castilya was known for its heavily Catholic population, and its religious faith was strengthened during its many violent confrontations with the Alysian Empire and its allies. Although the kingdom has moved away from religion in the past century or so, Catholicism is still a matter of great importance to the older and more conservative citizens. Castilya's information network is also quite notable, which stems from its long colonial past.

Finally, in terms of culture, Castilya is known for its food, its history and music, and its fashion. The city of Milano is a hotspot of haute couture, with seasonal fashion shows that are all the rage amongst international audiences.

Kingdom History: In the ancient times, the Kingdom of Catilya was a province of the mighty Alysian Empire until the it achieved its independence after a long, bloody war with its Alysian overlords. Queen Rosalina the Fair of Castellan and King Juan of Portaya joined forces to oust the Livinus Dynasty before combining their territories into Castilya with their marriage, effectively initiating the Evalisse Dynasty. Throughout the years of Queen Rosalina's rule, Alysian incursions continued to plague the newly-formed kingdom. They lasted well into the reign of Queen Elena the Wise, Rosalina's successor, who recognized that Castilya would not be able to withstand the continued attacks. As such, she agreed to marry her daughter, who would later become Queen Caterina the Gentle, to Julius Trajus of the Alysian Empire. Meanwhile, Prince Enrique Evalisse, Elena's younger brother, and his wife had a daughter who they named Valerie. Queen Caterina the Gentle gave birth to a daughter, Vhalerina, before giving birth to a son, Manuel, and pushed for peace with the Alysian Empire. For a short period of time, all was going well, until Queen Caterina the Gentle died unexpectedly from an illness.

King Julius immediately asserted his rule, though Caterina's daughter, Vhalerina, argued that she was the next in line for the throne. She was crowned Queen Vhalerina the Daring by her supporters, including the aged Enrique Evalisse and his daughter, Valerie Evalisse. Tensions were further escalated after Prince Manuel took poison meant for Queen Vhalerina the Daring and died. During the ensuing conflict, which has come to be known as the Trajus Rebellion, Julius Trajus dies of a stomach sickness (strongly suspected to be caused by poison by the hand of Queen Vhalerina the Daring), and the Alysian aid covertly supplied to his supporters dwindles as the Alysian Empire faces attacks on its capital city. Queen Vhalerina the Daring ruled for some time, constantly watching out for conspiracies to unseat her. Enrique Evalisse eventually passed away, leaving his daughter to take command of the newly-formed Queensguard (created specifically to protect and inform Queen Vhalerina the Daring). General Silvano Staavos is sent out to explore uncharted territories as Castilya looked to expand past its borders under Queen Vhalerina the Daring, and he stumbled upon an island located at a strategic point near a strait, which he dubbed Valencia.

Queen Vhalerina the Daring was assassinated shortly after General Staavos discovered Valencia, leaving Castilya without a monarch (Vhalerina never married or had children) and marking the start of the Viladi Revolution. All-out war broke out, pitting Lord Venesceslao Viladi against Valerie Evalisse (who was the closest in line for the throne) against meddling Alysian forces. King Veneceslao "the Cruel" emerged as a victor due to his collaboration with the Alysians, and Valerie Evalisse fled to the newly-discovered island of Valencia with the Queensguard. The War of the Straits commenced as King Venesceslao the Cruel, combined with the Alysian navy, attempted to apprehend Valerie Evalisse and Silvano Staavos, but Valerie secured the assistance of foreign powers through promises to grant trading rights on the island, and King Venesceslao and the Alysians were eventually defeated.

After King Venesceslao's death, his successor, King Victoriano the 2nd, agreed to open up trade in between Castilya and Valencia. Silvano Staavos succeeded Valerie Evalisse as the commander of the Queensguard (now referred to as the Queen's Legion, though they had no queen to serve), and together, Victoriano the 2nd and Silvano repaired hostile relations. Valencia was recognized as an "autonomous province" of Castilya, and the Castilyan crown quickly began reaping the benefits of the island's strategic location as trade exploded. The Legion was left in charge of Valencia's governance, so long as they paid their taxes and allowed Castilyan trade to flow through.

And so a prosperous century or two passed, with the occasional disturbance caused by either members within the Legion or the Alysian Empire popping up here and there. King Marcello the Good and Commander Minissa Staavos sign a pact pledging mutual defense (a mostly symbolic motion to further ease the rare Legion-Castilyan conflict), and Castilya provided Valencia with naval protection while the Legion advanced Castilya's interests abroad, seeing as they were a skilled group of spies and assassins and the like. Meanwhile, the Legion relinquished direct rule over Valencia to a special Council of merchants that they selected, usually of Castilyan descent. The Castilyan crown utilized the Legion in the War of Renouncement, carrying out a plot formulated by Marcello the Good to overthrow the Trajus Dynasty of the Alysian Empire and effectively sending the empire into its drawn-out downfall.

Another century later, Castilya and Valencia were once again embroiled in international politics-this time, though, the Alysian Empire had secretly allied itself with Nielsa, a province that had won its independence from Alys in a coup de'tat (but maintained good relations with Alys, for some inexplicable reason). The Nielsan military invaded Valencia with the help of the Alysian navy, while the Alysians took Castilya from the land. The Nielsans sought to control the prosperous flow of trade that came through Valencia, while the Alysians were still smarting over the War of Renouncement. Although the Nielsans and Alysians were ultimately unsuccessful, the Nielsans did manage to disband the Legion, while the Alysians severely strained Castilya's resources. At the same time, slave revolts within Nielsa toppled the Nielsan military government, and Nielsa was re-absorbed into the Alysian Empire. However, not a year later, the Alysian Empire was extinguished once and for all by the combined efforts of Castilya, Valencia, and their foreign allies.

The de Lelo Dynasty began after the demise of the Alysian Empire. Valencia lost its "autonomous" status, seeing as the Legion had been disbanded and its members absorbed into the Castilyan military. After the Third Alysian War (the first two being the war of independence and the constant skirmishes typical of the reigns of the Evalisse queens, respectively), the kings and queens of Castilya expanded into unclaimed territories on the other side of the world, becoming rich off of their colonies, though the spent just as much money guarding their colonies from foreign invaders. In the 1800s, the colonies began a series of independence movements, which caused Castilya to lose most of their overseas holdings.

The Aguíla de Agustín Dynasty began in the 1900s, after the overthrow of a fascist dictator. Although the Legion no longer technically exists, its legacy still lives on through the extensive espionage network run by the Castilyan military. Indeed, the Kingdom of Castilya remains neutral in many conflicts between world powers these days, preferring to sit back and observe and quietly gather information rather than actively engage in violent confrontation.

Nickname: He normally just goes by his ostentatiously long full name

Birth date and age: August 15th, 1996 (age 20)

Sexuality: Homosexual

In Depth Appearance:
Alejandro's features and svelte figure are extremely feminine. He has thick, dirty blonde hair that falls well past his shoulders. Alejandro is extremely particular about the upkeep of his hair; he has a complex routine set up for his luscious locks that he must follow every single day. For official functions, he will usually tie his hair back into a neat little ponytail or put it up in a bun. He has full, pouty lips (again, rather feminine), and he isn't above a little natural-toned lipstick here and there. Alejandro's spring green eyes are framed by enviably long eyelashes. He is very fond of eyeliner, and wears it frequently. He has fine, delicate features and an angular (though not overly angular) face. Alejandro has a slight, slender frame. He is not very tall, but he is not very short, either. Alejandro cannot abide by facial hair and is impeccably clean shaven, no matter what the occasion.

Alejandro moves with a lithe, catlike grace, an effect aided by his lean frame and long limbs. He is covered with a wiry, sinewy muscle and has perfected the intricate art form of 'prancing'. Though Alejandro moves with a quiet elegance, his clothing choices are usually anything but quiet. He wears loud, tight-fitting clothing and is not above wearing jewelry, either. He wears pinks and purples with pride, adores pretty little handbags, and so desperately wishes that it was considered socially acceptable for men to wear stilettos, too (as such, he has to settle for high-heeled boots).

Personality:

Alejandro exudes an aura of airy frivolousness, accentuated by his flamboyant style of dressing and his overly feminine features. He appears dismissively unconcerned about matters that are important to others (such as, you know, national security) and overly concerned with entirely trivial difficulties (how hard it is to coordinate a perfectly matching outfit, for example). Alejandro can be rather flippant and rarely, if ever, loses his composure. He has a penchant for creating entirely unfitting nicknames for others that some may find to be excessively irritating. Alejandro goes about everything with an air of nonchalance, and people who know him know to never expect him to be entirely serious during the course of a conversation. He has a habit of using extremely flowery language and gesturing airily as he speaks (Alejandro has a habit of calling others darling, dears, flower petals, pearls, and the like). He is extremely adamant on proper manners and etiquette; indeed, you could be holding a knife up to his neck, and he'd greet you properly and offer you a drink before issuing a light reprimand on the entirely uncouth way that you are behaving. Alejandro insists on dressing in the latest fashions (though his fashion sense tends to be a bit on the outrageous side) and is known as a social butterfly among his circles, which happen to be composed of the rich, the famous, and the fashionable. He puts up the appearances of being flighty and, although he's had a few flings in the past, nothing has come out of them, resulting in rumors that he likes to break girls' hearts just for the hell of it-nothing could be farther from the truth, of course, but Alejandro doesn't mind the gossip. Let them talk, he says, let them talk.

Alejandro is hellaciously vain, placing his looks and clothing very high on his list of priorities. He is very shrewd, a fact he hides through his outrageous demeanor, and keenly observant. Alejandro tends to hide what he's really thinking or feeling with an excess of false, over-exaggerated emotions, especially when dealing with highly personal issues such as his sexuality. He has an acute memory and is able to remember random little facts from years in the past. Alejandro happens to be good at remembering faces and names as well. Alejandro's attitude of airy disregard, excessive flattery, and impeccable fashion sense have earned him quite a reputation, though it is, in truth, meant to disguise his true nature of gathering all the information he can. Alejandro adores gossip of any kind, however, he is very tight-lipped when it comes to his sources. Alejandro values independence and the freedom to choose-the freedom to choose who he associates with, the freedom to love and marry who he wants, the freedom to gossip about who and what he wants, and most importantly, the freedom to choose what to wear. Alejandro does everything fashionably-sometimes to the exclusion of everything else, including common sense-and he fervently believes that 'outrageous' is oftentimes one's best disguise.

Likes:

• Gossip, gossip, gossip
• Dressing to the height of fashion in a very flamboyant manner
• Haute couture
• Spicy and "exotic" foods
• Flashy cars and flashier jewelry
• Using an excessive amount of eyeliner, kohl, and make-up in general
• Knowing everything
• Gold, rubies, emeralds, diamonds, etc
• Knives/daggers with extremely ornate, jewel-encrusted hilts
• Satire and books with a dry, ironic, and even dark sense of humor
• Beautiful people-especially beautiful men
• Witty comebacks
• Propriety, manners, and being civilized in general
• Modern technology, especially that used for espionage
• Ballet and interpretative dance

Dislikes:

• People who can't take a joke
• Being "out of the loop"
• People who are homophobic
• Being practical
• "Boring" people who don't know how to have fun
• Someone hurting one of his own
• Ill-mannered people
• Being forced to wear last year's fashions
• People with an absolutely horrendous taste in fashion
• Backwards views of religions and social norms
• Being told what to do

Fears:

• That his parents will take the rumors regarding his sexuality seriously
• The loss of his invaluable sources of information
• The loss of his relative independence and autonomy
• Committing a fashion faux pas (or a general faux pas)
• Being seen in public less-than-perfectly-attired
• The general public seeing through to his inner thoughts and feelings

Biography: Prince Alejandro Álvaro Aguíla de Agustín is the second-oldest child of King Jose and Queen Catelina. His older brother, Enrique, is to inherit the throne, and Alejandro is perfectly fine with that, thank you very much. He also has a younger sister, who is named Josefina, that he likes to dote upon, much to the disapproval of his parents and older brother.

From a very young age, Alejandro was aware of his...preferences, though he never spoke of it to anyone, least of all his parents. The conservatives were growing restless, and besides, his mother was a faithful follower of the Catholic Church. His father was indifferent to the faith, as was his brother, but Alejandro did not like the idea of facing their scorn and ostracism. His brother was an extremely dutiful child with an interest in history and politics and military strategy and diplomacy; the perfect king. Alejandro, on the other hand, was more concerned with metallic orange tuxedos and tight pants than ruling a kingdom. Enrique spent some time in the military, as was the custom among members of the royal family, but Alejandro scorned the idea and eventually had to be forced to partake in the basic training course. He refused to continue it after two or three years, instead deciding that he wanted to learn ballet, to the immense disapproval of his father.

One thing Alejandro did end up getting out of the military, however, was his strange penchant for knives. His parents are convinced that he took to blades because of the extremely ornate hilts of the decorative pieces, but nevertheless, they allowed him to purse that hobby, at least (they were still against ballet). Alejandro dabbled in a bit of music as well, before finding that sight reading and practicing was much to dull for him-he'd rather listen to somebody play the instrument than actually play it himself. Alejandro scorns the extreme masculinity presented by his father and his brother, what with their bulky frames and bulging muscles (he can appreciate musculature, yes, but he absolutely will not subject himself to that). He thinks that they're too afraid to show their more vulnerable sides to other people, though he understands how they feel-he does it himself all the time, with his frivolous ways and honeyed tongue.

When Alejandro was ten, he finally convinced his parents to allow him to take ballet lessons, though it was done in secret as to avoid an explosion of tabloid articles about his "unusual" hobbies. His instructor, a stern-faced Russian woman, appreciated his enthusiasm but not his flowery language, and Alejandro knows to tone things down at least a little bit when he's around her. Josefina eventually joined him in ballet, and Alejandro very much enjoys this time that he gets to spend with his younger sister, who is quiet and sensible but laughs until there are tears in her eyes at his antics.

Alejandro's childhood best friends were Vhalery and Eduardo de Mirabel, whom he referred to as Mirry and Eddy, respectively. The twins were the children of a prominent military family, and it was expected that Eduardo would become a general one day, while Vhalery would be involved in Castilya's expansive espionage network. The three were inseparable, and everyone joked that Alejandro would one day marry Vhalery. However, Alejandro was actually in love with Eduardo, a fact that was discovered by Queen Catelina when Alejandro was fifteen. He and Eduardo were caught kissing in Alejandro's spacious closet one day, and his mother was horrified. She immediately got King Jorge to send Eduardo away to a military academy, and Alejandro has not seen him since. The queen believes that Alejandro was 'just experimenting' and that he has since 'grown out' of it, and Alejandro is not inclined to convince her otherwise. Eduardo's twin sister, Vhalery, however, remains constantly by his side as a means of tapping into all of the pertinent gossip. Alejandro's parents approve of her pragmatic, efficient personality-they want it to rub off on him, though both Vhalery and Alejandro know that is about as likely as Enrique donning a pair of stilettos one day.

Alejandro is to become the Minister of Public and International Relations once the current one retires. He currently has access to a wide variety of international and domestic operatives working under the espionage department of the Castilyan military. As such, he has an uncanny knack for knowing everything-whether it's the identity of a movie star's mistress, what the latest fashions out of Paris will be for the upcoming season, or when a military officer in a foreign country is planning to plot a coup de'tat.

Theme Song:
Bubblegum Bitch-Marina and the Diamonds
<sub>I’ll chew you up and I’ll spit you out
Cause that’s what young love is all about
So pull me closer, and kiss me hard
I’m gonna pop your bubblegum heart

I’m miss sugar pink liquor, liquor lips
Hit me with your sweet love, steal me with a kiss
I’m miss sugar pink liquor, liquor lips
I’m gonna be your bubblegum bitch
I’m gonna be your bubblegum bitch</sub>

Other: His faceclaim is Danila Kovalev, color code=FF8C00

🧡𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮
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🧡𝓣𝓲𝓽𝓵𝓮
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🧡𝓐𝓰𝓮
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🧡𝓖𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻
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🧡𝓢𝓮𝔁𝓾𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂
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🧡𝓐𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮
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🧡𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂
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🧡𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 + 𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼
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🧡𝓑𝓲𝓸𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓱𝔂
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🧡𝓕𝓒 + 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓻 𝓒𝓸𝓭𝓮
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🧡𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓮 𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰
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🧡𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓣𝓸
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🧡𝓞𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻
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👑𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮
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👑𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓠𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷
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👑𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓻𝓼
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👑𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓲𝓼 𝓚𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓕𝓸𝓻
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👑𝓡𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓽/𝓡𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓿𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓗𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂
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👑𝓞𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻
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☮ 𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖
⇒ "Raven!!! What ISN'T there to like about Raven? She always has the best comebacks."

⇒ Castilya and Aciras are on friendly terms, and Alejandro has been to Aciras several times (especially during Fashion Month, or right around that time). He definitely appreciates Raven's sense of humor, and he loves checking out anything high fashion-related with her when they're both in the same city.

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☮ 𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄
⇒ "Arabelle is such a sweetheart, and I LOVE braiding her hair."

⇒ Being the partier that he is, Alejandro had met Arabelle on multiple occasions before they became friends. Since Arabelle was already friends with Gen and Phillip, who Alejandro was also friends with, Alejandro and Arabelle becoming friends was only natural. Alejandro appreciates her sense of style, and love love loves that she lets him and Gen braid her hair.

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☯ 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐊 𝐁𝐄𝐋 𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑
⇒ "If he wasn't betrothed to Ara, I might have flirted with him, just a little. Just to see his reaction. Still, he's definitely fun to talk to."
⇒ Although the two aren't close, Alejandro can totally appreciate Erik's stylish wardrobe.

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☮ 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐈 𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐔
⇒ "Aw, Henri's sweet. He seemed so flustered when he caught Phillip and I that one time - I kind of feel bad about it, now, just because of that."

⇒ Alejandro met Henri for the first time about a year ago, when Henri had been in Maris for an official visit (and Alejandro had been in Maris for a...not-so-official visit). Although they aren't extremely close, Alejandro will always like any friend of Gen's. He also feels very sympathetic, towards Henri; after Henri once caught Phillip and Alejandro making out (and promptly fled the scene), he had hinted at his sexuality to them. Alejandro did not pry, of course, but he feels for Henri.

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☮ 𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐁𝐎𝐍
⇒ "I am in LOVE with her hairstyles. The braids, the flowers, the JEWELS - everything!"

⇒ As fellow members of the Braid Squad, is it any question whether or not Alejandro and Leonor have met? Alejandro loves how fun she is - she's the veritable life of the party, in his opinion - and he could probably gush about her hair and makeup and clothes for like, ten hours straight. They aren't the closest of friends, but Alejandro knows that Leonor is always a good time.

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☯ 𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐓
⇒ "If he wasn't straight, I'd probably sleep with him. Just sayin'."
⇒ TBD

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☯ 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎
⇒ "I don't know her very well, but the palettes from her mother's makeup company are the most gorgeous things I have ever seen."

⇒ Alejandro has heard of Marcy through a few of their mutual friends, but he is not friends with her himself. Nevertheless, he has absolutely nothing bad to say about her wardrobe - ever - and he very much adores Castillo Cosmetics.

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♫ 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐌𝐍𝐎𝐒
⇒ "Chris is great! He has an amazing taste in fashion, and he's one of my closest friends."

⇒ Alejandro has known Chris since they were kids, mostly because he would go on official visits to Hellenica with his parents, and Chris would visit Castilya with his parents. They started casually fooling around behind closed doors a few years ago, which continued for a while, though Alejandro hasn't done anything with Chris since the other prince came out publicly. Nevertheless, they still are very good friends.

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☯ 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀 𝐎'𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍
⇒ "I've never met her, but I certainly can appreciate her style. Goth, but so very chic."
⇒ TBD

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☯ 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐀-𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐃
⇒ "He's cute. I mean, I think he's straight and he and Marcela are together, but he's cute."
⇒ TBD

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☯ 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐙𝐇𝐀𝐎
⇒ "I don't know him at all, but I can ALWAYS appreciate his hair."

⇒ Alejandro doesn't know of Raiden, other than from what he's seen online and in the media and the like. In addition, he thinks he's seen his bunny on Instagram, thanks to Gen. And, honestly, if Raiden ever let Alejandro touch his hair, Alejandro would totally put it in some kind of fancy braid that he learned from Gen.

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☮ 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈 𝐊𝐎𝐑𝐄
⇒ "Oh, Imani! I love the gifts she sends me, and even if she's a bit on the quieter side, she's very fun once you get to know her."

⇒ Alejandro and Imani met a couple years ago, when she was in Castilya for an official visit. Alejandro took it upon himself to show her around, and will totally let her borrow any of his clothes, makeup, or jewelry, anytime that she wants to. He 100% sympathizes with her in terms of a preference for warm weather and beaches (highkey, fuck the cold), and although he'd never admit it to himself, there's a teeny-tiny part of him that's envious of the fact that she gets to be engaged to Phillip - even though he's aware that it's all a sham.

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⚜ 𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐘𝐄𝐍
⇒ "I don't know Han very well, but our parents have us engaged. I LOVE her sense of style, though."

⇒ Alejandro and Han have only been betrothed for two months, and Alejandro has no idea if they will actually end up going through with the engagement - especially if she or her parents find out that he's not into girls at all. Alejandro has nothing against Han - he adores her tattoos - but a part of him knows that his parents have only arranged this so that the tabloids in Aciras and elsewhere will stop speculating about his sexuality.

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⚜ 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐊𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐆
⇒ "Beatrice has an excellent taste in fashion. Her shoes are to DIE for."

⇒ Alejandro has met Beatrice a few times, mostly through official visits and whatnot. And he has (jokingly) flirted with both of her brothers more than just a few times, though none of them have ever returned the sentiment - truly, a shame. He and Beatrice are not close, but she is certainly one of the people he is going to be familiar with in Aciras.

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♫ 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒
⇒ "Gen!!! Gen is the best. I absolutely adore her lipsticks, and her braids are always on point."

⇒ Alejandro met Gen through her brother, on one of the trips that he took to Maris. Alejandro love love loves her makeup - especially her lipsticks - and is always willing to let her braid his hair, or to braid Gen's hair. He is also happy to let her borrow any part of his (very extensive) wardrobe, at any time that she might want to.

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♥ 𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐏 𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒
⇒ "Is there anyone more excellent than Phillip? He's a good friend, plus [censored for explicit content]. And he looks so good in my scarves."

⇒ Phillip and Alejandro have been good friends for several years now, and Alejandro definitely enjoys his company. A couple years back, they started secretly hooking up (after Alejandro had jokingly flirted with Phillip for quite some time, as Alejandro would like everyone to remember), and although Alejandro has certainly fooled around with other people after they started casually getting together every few weeks or so to, uh, hang out, he finds that he would rather be with Phillip, instead of any of those other guys. And although he is too afraid to admit it to himself, Alejandro highkey has real feelings for the Marisian prince.

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§ 𝐌𝐀𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐍 𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐄
⇒ "I love her makeup! Very cool. But I know my parents don't want me associating with her family in general."
⇒ TBD

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☯ 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐇𝐘𝐒 𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐄
⇒ "I haven't talked to Rhys in a while, but he was a good time."
⇒ Rhys and Alejandro had a one-night stand about 6-7 years ago, but aren't really friends or anything otherwise.

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☯ 𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐇𝐀 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈
⇒ "I like her hair! She can make any outfit look good with that haircut."
⇒ TBD

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☯ 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍
⇒ "It's a shame that Mom and Dad don't want me being seen with him in public, really. Quentin's very fun."

⇒ Quentin and Alejandro have met before, and are on good terms - Alejandro can definitely appreciate Quentin's friendly energy. However, Alejandro knows not to come off as too buddy-buddy with the Texan prince, lest Castilya's South American allies find fault with it.

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☯ 𝐙𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐔
⇒ "I like her hair! She can make any outfit look good with that haircut."
⇒ TBD

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☯ 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄
⇒ "I like her hair! She can make any outfit look good with that haircut."
⇒ TBD

 

“Are you okay? Can you breathe?”

Name: 王星雨 (Wang Xing Yu)

Alias/Nickname: Wendy Wang (the English name that she has adopted)

Age: 33

Sex: female

Sexuality: asexual

“Can you move your arms and legs? Your fingers and toes?”

Appearance: Wendy is tall and slim, with relatively tanned skin and chocolate brown eyes. She has thick, straight black hair which she usually wears in a high ponytail. Her hair goes halfway down her back, but she is considering cutting it to shoulder length because it can be a pain to keep long hair out of her face. Wendy has long, slender fingers characteristic of a piano player although she has never touched a piano in her life. Wendy has a heart-shaped face and eyes that are rather thin. She has a small, flat-ish nose and average sized lips which are a pale red color. Wendy's feet are small in comparison to the rest of her body.

Height:
5 feet and 7 inches
170.18 centimeters

Weight:
120 pounds
54.43 kilograms

Body Type: willowy

Distinguishing Marks: A long, thin scar running down the side of her face from her left eye to where her face meets her neck-can usually be partially hidden by her hair. The scar is the only mark left from a car accident.

Clothing Style: Casual-usually sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. She isn't really one for fashion.

“Where is the pain coming from?”

Personality: Wendy has always been a relatively relaxed and easygoing person. She is ferociously loyal to her friends and family and a go-with-the-flow kind of person. She's mellow and calm, and keeps a cool head under stressful situations. Wendy is always up for chatting with others, but she tends to keep to herself when she is around people that she is unfamiliar with. Full of soft smiles and gentle words, she can be a pushover at times, with a dislike of hurting other peoples' feelings, but if worst comes to worst then Wendy will bite back. She is not easily provoked and doesn't like getting into fights, and can easily sense how people are feeling. However, if someone or something is threatening people she is close to, Wendy will do whatever it takes to get them out of danger. Wendy is dedicated to any cause that she feels strongly about, and she doesn't wish harm upon others unless they're the ones causing harm in the first place. She likes to appreciate the simple things in life-stopping to smell the flowers, so to speak-and adapting to new situations isn't her strongest area of expertise. She genuinely cares for people, perhaps even too much at times. However, she can take charge under pressure if she knows what she has to do and how she has to do it. During those times, Wendy can transform from a shy, reserved woman to a focused, confident leader in a matter of seconds.

Biography: Wendy was born in the suburbs of Nanjing, China called Lai An (来安). She was an only child, as most of her peers were due to China's one-child policy, and she lived with her mother and father on the fifth floor of an apartment building. Her grandparents on her father's side lived in a one-story house five minutes away, walking. She had an aunt and uncle on her father's side in America, and two cousins-Alexandra and Alyssa-who lived in America too. Growing up, Wendy had always been interested in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and wanted to become a doctor when she grew up. Her grandfather was an expert on these traditional medical procedures, and she often spent afternoons learning from him about various herbal plants and remedies. Wendy studied hard in school, and eventually got into Johns Hopkins University. She moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and completed college there, with plans to go to graduate school.

Shortly before Wendy was to fly to America, she was walking across the street at night when a drunk driver came swerving in front of her. Wendy thought that she was surely dead, but she managed to survive with only a broken arm and a broken leg. The doctors said she was lucky-somehow, she had moved out of the way fast enough to avoid being totally crushed. Wendy forgot about it for a while, her broken bones her main priority. Wendy was released from the hospital in crutches and a cast, and one morning around two weeks after being let out she woke up to find that her leg was feeling strangely painless. Upon further examination, Wendy realized that it was perfectly healed, which puzzled her. How was that even possible? A few days later, Wendy got up, went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and accidentally tripped over the last step as she was walking down the stairs, causing bruises to form on her good leg. To Wendy's surprise, silver sparks began shooting from her fingertips and to the bruises. The sparks completely erased the bruises from her skin. Wendy began experimenting. The first thing she did was heal her broken arm-it came as naturally as breathing. She learned how to control the flow of sparks, instead of simply letting them come whenever there was even the slightest of injuries. That was her first power.

A year or so passed, and Wendy continued to hone her healing power, bewildered yet fascinated by it. She found that it was like running-healing continuously without a break would tire her out. At the same time, Wendy began to think back to the accident that led her to discover her power in the first place, remembering how everyone was shocked that she had even survived. Wendy had never been much of a runner, but she decided to start improving her cardio-respiratory endurance if only for the sake of making healing easier. She discovered her second power one day while out on an early-morning run during her first week in America, when her feet began to pick up speed seemingly on their own accord and she ran and ran before stopping, hardly out of breath. Wendy realized that she had ran out of town and into the surrounding countryside. After returning back to her cousin Alyssa's house, where she had been staying, Wendy began to look more into people with powers like her. She went off to Johns Hopkins, and was on vacation with Alyssa when the Technocrat and his Crusaders put the city on lock down. Wendy was twenty-three at the time. She lost track of Alyssa in the ensuing chaos, and joined up with the Resistance in an attempt to somehow get rid of the Technocrat and find her cousin in the process.

Skills: she can speak both Mandarin and English fluently, and she knows some Latin from studying medicine. Wendy has some medical skills although she doesn't have much experience in the field, and is a fairly good runner even without her power.

Powers: Healing and super speed

Both drain energy fairly easily, but as stated above improving cardio-respiratory endurance will make it easier for Wendy to use both powers for longer periods of time. As for the healing, she isn't much good with sicknesses and diseases-it has to be some external injury that she can see.

“Stay still for me please. This should only take a few minutes....”

Name: Ying-mei Liu ("Ying-mei" translates roughly to "silver sister")

False ID Name: Sylvia Wang

Nationality: Chinese

Age: 28

Height: 5 feet and 3 inches


Weight: 105 pounds (BMI: 18.6)

Appearance:


Ying-mei is short and slim, with relatively light skin and chocolate brown eyes. She has thick, straight black hair which she usually wears in a bun. Her hair goes halfway down her back, but she is considering cutting it to shoulder length because it can be a pain to keep long hair out of her face. Ying-mei has long, slender fingers characteristic of a piano player, although she has never touched a piano in her life (she did, however, play violin for a couple of years as a child). Ying-mei has a heart-shaped face and eyes that are rather thin. She has a small, flat-ish nose and average sized lips which are a pale pink color. Ying-mei's feet are small in comparison to the rest of her body, and she has a delicate, bird-like look to her, which is only enhanced by her diminutive stature.

Other Appearance: N/A-Ying-mei's ability ensures that she has no scars, and it would be utterly improper for her to get a tattoo of any sort (at least, in her opinion)

Superpower(s): Ying-mei is able to heal others with her hands; the silver sparks that shoot out from her fingertips can close wounds and erase bruises and put bones back together. However, when it comes to diseases, Ying-mei's power is virtually useless, and she is not capable of "regenerating" a body part-if somebody's finger was cut off, Ying-mei could possibly re-attach the finger to their hand if she had the finger (which would be a process that required a great deal of energy), but if the severed finger is gone for good, then the most Ying-mei can do is close the wound. As with all physical activities, Ying-Mei's power can be very draining and overuse could lead to bouts of dizziness and fainting.

Skills: Ying-mei is fluent in both Mandarin Chinese and the Shanghai dialect of Mandarin Chinese (sometimes referred to as "Shanghainese"). She is also fluent in American English, having studied in America for many years, and she knows a decent amount of French (as much as somebody who took four years of French in college would know, anyway). Ying-mei is an adept nurse and knows her way around bandages and splints and the like.

Personality: Ying-mei has always been demure to the point of meekness. She is ferociously loyal to her friends and family and a go-with-the-flow kind of person. She's mellow and calm, and keeps a cool head under stressful situations and does not panic very easily. Ying-mei is always up for chatting with others, but she tends to keep to herself when she is around people that she is unfamiliar with. Full of soft smiles and gentle words, she can be a pushover at times, with a dislike of hurting others. She is not easily provoked and doesn't like getting into fights, and can easily sense how people are feeling. However, if someone or something is threatening people she is close to, Ying-mei will do whatever it takes to get them out of danger. Ying-mei is used to obeying others and will readily follow orders without question; China's long-standing tradition of filial piety and respect for authority has not been lost on her. Her sense of duty and responsibility and propriety may seem rather old-fashioned at times.

Ying-mei does not wish harm upon others unless they're the ones causing harm in the first place. She likes to appreciate the simple things in life-stopping to smell the flowers, so to speak-and adapting to new situations is not her strongest area of expertise. She genuinely cares for people, perhaps even too much at times. However, she can take charge under pressure if she knows what she has to do and how she has to do it. During those times, Ying-mei can transform from a shy, reserved woman to a focused, confident leader in a matter of seconds. This is an extremely rare occurrence, and usually only happens when she is the only person with any sort of medical experience in the room.

History: Ying-mei was born to a wealthy family in Shanghai right after the Chinese Revolution of 1911-1912. Her father had various connections with Sun Yat-sen, the leader of the Nationalists (the two had gone to school together), which afforded Ying-mei's family various privileges and gave her father an important government position. She is the oldest of three children (she has a younger sister and a younger brother) and grew up in a spacious modern house in the wealthier parts of Shanghai. She was taught by private tutors while she was young, and attended an all-girls secondary school in her teen years. Her father, who had gone to school in the United States, arranged to have Ying-mei and her sister attend a college in the country when Ying-mei was seventeen and her sister was fifteen.

Ying-mei was taught English alongside Chinese in her youth, and as a result, she is very fluent in both languages. In college, Ying-mei originally decided to major in classical literature. She was about halfway through her first year when she discovered her ability.

One night, Ying-mei accidentally spilled a pot of boiling water on her arm. Nobody was around, and Ying-mei began frantically searching for cold water when she felt a tingling sensation in her hands. To her surprise, there were silver sparks streaming out of her fingertips and towards her left forearm. When the silver sparks made contact with the affected area, they somehow, in some way, healed the burn. Ying-mei was convinced that she was hallucinating, until she saw the sparks erase faint scars from mosquito bites that Ying-mei acquired while living in Shanghai.

Ying-mei told nobody about her newfound abilities. There was no place in the new world order for supernatural powers, especially not in her social circle of modern, educated, and rational thinkers. She could only imagine the scandal if the daughter of one of the President of the Republic of China's top officials announced that she could magically heal people! Not only would it ruin her reputation (and quite possibly her father's) for the rest of their lives, but it could also tarnish the new image that Sun Yat-sen was working to create for China. It would do no good for her to reinforce the world's stereotypes that all Chinese people were superstitious.

Nevertheless, Ying-mei experimented with her ability in her free time. She learned to "activate" it on will and how to control the flow of sparks, and the more that she learned, the more she wanted to use her ability to actually help others. After her second year of college and studying classical literature, she made the decision to transfer to the Yale Nursing School. Her father was originally against this idea, but Ying-mei managed to convince him to allow her to transfer. It was probably the first time that she had ever challenged her parents' authority.

While she was attending nursing school, Ying-mei gained some experience in actual hospitals, and although it was not what she had imagined herself doing five years earlier, Ying-mei found it to be extremely fulfilling. Whenever she was left alone with patients, Ying-mei would send a few sparks their way-not enough to arouse suspicion due to a miraculous recovery, but enough to alleviate some of the pain or speed up the healing process. Ying-mei knew that she would eventually have to return to Shanghai and most likely marry some rich politician or the other, but she knew that she had been most happy at nursing school and that she would not have traded the experience for the world.

After graduating, Ying-mei remained in America because her younger brother had just started his education in the country. Ying-mei worked at a local hospital and kept her brother company in the United States. Ying-mei found that she was quite fond of her quiet existence.

In 1941, right after her brother graduated, Ying-mei's uncle (who was living in Great Britain) invited the two to visit him in London. Ying-mei accompanied her brother across the Atlantic and arrived that spring. Although everybody was nice enough, Ying-mei did not like life in London very much. There was too much going on and everyone was always going somewhere and doing something.

One night, Ying-mei's younger brother convinced her to take a short cut through one of the poorer parts of the city. As they were walking, the pair was set upon by armed thieves who demanded that they hand over all their valuables. Ying-mei's brother, a stubborn young man with an easily hurt pride, bluntly refused. Ying-mei could do nothing but watch in horror as one of the thieves shot her brother in the chest and took all their valuables by force before melting away into the night. Distraught, Ying-mei did the only thing that she could think to do-she began to heal him with her abilities. The police, who had been alerted by the gunshot, soon arrived at the scene to see Ying-mei's silver sparks closing up a gunshot wound.

After that, Ying-mei was taken away and shuttled through various offices, holding facilities, and headquarters before ending up with the OSS and the Westminster League of Extraordinary Individuals.

Equipment: Standard British field agent gear and a basic (though more extensive than what a typical field agent would carry) first aid kit.

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​Appearance-Emma has a rather peachy complexion; she is neither porcelain pale nor dark-skinned enough to be considered tan in any way, shape, or form. She is tall and possesses a womanly figure, with wide hips and a narrow waist. Emma has ocean-blue eyes and blond hair that cascades down her back in waves. She is usually wearing white, as opposed to the yellow and blue of her house, and favors revealing, low-cut gowns of sheer ivory silk or cloth-of-silver fringed with Myrish lace or white fur. Emma also has a penchant for diamonds, and can be frequently seen wearing diamond jewelry or gowns with diamonds sewn into them.



Biography: House Frost originally had its seat in the snowy mountaintops of East March, but after it was awarded Eastport (Gulltown) during the Andal conquest, the lord of House Frost at the time moved his seat there. Since then, House Frost has ruled over Eastport, the biggest port city in East March. Many goods pass through Eastport, from the exotic spices of the Jade Sea to the fine wines of the Reach. Eastport is crucial to Eastmarch in the winter, when the passes through the mountains that separate Eastmarch from the Riverlands are closed.

Emma Frost was the third child of Lord Winston, the lord of Eastport and House Frost, and Lady Hazel, the daughter of a powerful Lyseni merchant. Over the years, House Frost had grown extremely wealthy from the trade flowing through Eastport, and Lord Winston brought House Frost to the height of its power. He wed Hazel Irnah of Lys in order to secure a pact with the Lyseni merchants.

Growing up, Emma found no love from her parents. Lady Hazel was distant and listless, while Lord Winston was intent on furthering his wealth and power through his children. As the eldest, Christian Frost would have been his first choice as heir, but Emma's ambitious sister Adrienne lied and manipulated in order to make her seem like the child most fit to inherit. It also helped that Christian was much too fond of wine and was drunk at least half of the time. Emma held no love for her father or Adrienne, but she was especially close to her brother Christian.

Emma's powers first began to manifest when she was approximately ten years old. At first, she was frightened by them, but she gradually began to accept them and use them to her advantage. Emma was present for many of her father's negotiations with other lords or merchants, and she watched, listened, and learned as Lord Winston struck deals and forged alliances.

When Lord Winston decided the time was right to name his heir, he picked Emma, rather than Adrienne, on the terms that Emma would marry a man of his choosing. He threatened to cut her off entirely if she would not comply. Emma managed to glean who the man was using her telepathy, and she refused, disgusted. That very night, she packed away some of her belongings-including a set of Myrish stilettos that her brother had given her, as well as a couple white gowns and a handful of diamonds-and stole away into the darkness.

Emma was not foolish enough to believe that she would be safe going to some other lord or lady, for they would simply turn her over to her father. No, she would have to remain anonymous if she wanted to keep her freedom, and she would have to remain alert if she wanted to keep her jewels. Emma honed her telepathy as she traveled the roads and mountain passes of East March, with one destination in mind-the seat of House M in the Mountains of the Moon. She had decided that if she was to marry a man, she might as well marry a powerful man. Alex Summers, the heir to East March, was already married, but Scott Summers was merely courting a woman. That, Emma could work with.

She made her move at a tourney held in honor of the Alex Summers's birthday. Being on the road alone for an extended period of time had allowed Emma to practice her telepathy on travelers, knights, and outlaws. She had also met another telepath who gave her instruction in a small town at the foot of the Mountains of the Moon named Astrid, only to wage a war on the astral plane with her after Emma leaned that Astrid intended on ransom her back to her father. Emma absorbed all of Astrid's knowledge of telepathy in the process, becoming quite adept at it, and she felt that she was ready to try something above her usual level. Emma dressed herself in a gown of sheer ivory silk, the bodice a deep V that reached past her ribcage and slashed with delicate Myrish lace, donned a strand of diamonds and pearls, and made her way to the seats reserved for the lords and ladies of East March, breezing past the guards with the help of her telepathy. There, she subtly began to telepathically manipulate Scott Summers, aided by her natural beauty (thanks to her Lyseni mother) and low-cut gown. In time, he asked for her hand in marriage, which Emma naturally accepted. It was there in the sept that they were wed that Emma revealed her true identity to the rest of House M and the lords and ladies of East March (Scott already knew), but there was not much that they could do about it. Emma was sure that her father would be both furious and impressed and Adrienne would be livid when they found out, but she realized that she did not care in the slightest.

A year or so after her marriage, Scott confronted Emma about her powers. Emma was forced to admit that she had telepathically influenced Scott into loving her over Lady Jean Grey of House Grey. In response to this, Emma conceded to Scott learning how to resist being manipulated by telepaths, and Scott saw Emma's abilities as a means of furthering his own agenda. The two now work closely together to advance the power and influence of House M. Scott handles the meetings and banquets and official decrees, while Emma's dealings are behind closed doors and involve at least a hint of telepathic manipulation more often than not.

Personality: Emma tends to be a bit cool and aloof, with a certain haughtiness to her that stems from her upbringing as a lady of a wealthy house sworn to House M. She has always been ambitious and power-hungry, wanting to get away from her father and older sister. Everything about her radiates confidence and refinement, from her daringly low-cut gowns to the diamonds she wears at her throat. Emma is able to read people very easily, even without her telepathy, and does not find manipulating others terribly difficult either. Whether this is because of her telepathy or simply a side effect of her upbringing is hard to determine, but needless to say, her telepathy definitely gives her a huge advantage. She is not usually a very compassionate person, coming off as cold and uncaring. Indeed, she regards the smallfolk and lesser lords and ladies as below her, although she hides this very well in the presence of others. Emma has more than just a streak of ruthlessness in her-she is willing to scheme, manipulate, steal, and even kill to get what she wants. She holds no qualms against using her telepathy and mind-controlling others to achieve her goals. Sly, shrewd, and sneaky, Emma has clawed her way to the top and will do whatever she needs to ensure that she stays there.

Outwardly, Emma appears calm and collected, full of coy smiles and coquettish glances and a borderline-snarky dry wit. She is willing to use whatever means of manipulation she has at her disposal, whether it be her telepathy, a suggestive smirk, or a revealing gown that only hints at what's underneath in order to gain the upper hand.

⚰ Name: Valeria Rodgriguez-Smith
⚰ Age (and apparent age, if relevant): Appears to be 16, but is, in reality, as old as life and death itself
⚰ Faceclaim: Shay Mitchell
⚰ Species: Goddess...sort of. Valeria and her two sisters (Xinyu Rodriguez-Smith and Serena Rodriguez-Smith) are the three Fates, reborn again into the tumultuous world of 2017, with all its honking cars and advanced technology. Valeria is the middle sister, meaning that she is "life"-she determines when threads of a person's life need to be spun and cut. Xinyu is the youngest sister, meaning that she is "birth" (she spins the thread of human lives) and Serena is the oldest sister, meaning that she is "death" (she is responsible for cutting the threads of people who are fated to die).
⚰ Gender: Female
⚰ Sexual/romantic orientation: Lesbian
⚰ One-adjective description: Determined
⚰ One-adjective description of their eyes: Sharp

⚰ Personality: Valeria is practical and pragmatic and gets things /done/. She values efficiency and a good work ethic, and she is quite the perfectionist when it comes to many aspects in her life. Valeria is a veritable battle-axe of a girl-she /will/ get what she wants, even if she has to constantly harangue an unfortunate soul to do so. Valeria never takes no for an answer, and she can be very, very pretentious. She's nigh-on indomitable and ever the realist, with no dreamy delusions of adventure (like one of her sisters) or beauty (like her other sister). Valeria is a social justice warrior wielding flamethrowers of compassion: unstoppable, unforgettable, and undeniably destructive...unless she gets the results that she wants.

Valeria is very driven and passionate-she whole-heartedly believes that everyone deserves a chance at a good life, though both her feet are planted firmly on the ground. She's especially passionate about saving the environment and feminism, the first because /she's/ going to be around forever, and she sure as hell doesn't want to be living on a lifeless planet, and the second because she's seen too much female oppression in her long, long existence.

Around the people at school, however, she is cool-headed and slightly callous. Valeria doesn't have time to take anyone's stupid sh/t. She's forever rushing from one place to another, whether it be a student council meeting, tutoring in Spanish and calculus, or her midnight parleys with her sisters, Valeria just doesn't stop moving. She has the unfortunate habit of interfering in /everyone's/ business. Valeria has absolutely no regard for one's "finer feelings" and "sensitivities"-she says what she means, head-on, without any subtlety whatsoever. Valeria always insists on being perfectly civil, though, even if her civility is tinged with a bit of good old-fashioned sarcasm. Valeria wields assertive behavior and bold bluntness like a weighty longsword, and the gods know that she is not afraid to use it.

⚰ Likes: pantsuits, no-nonsense dresses without any superfluous frills and/or decoration, black pumps, sharp pencils, being organized, all shades of dark blue, coffee without any added milk, cream, or sugar, dark-haired girls, girls who kick a$s, people who get straight to the point (she has no patience for people who uselessly skirt around a topic), punctuality, people who have a keen eye for small, specific details, being bossy, hosting all manner of fundraisers, community service (she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty to get things done), doing what needs to be done, organizing/planning events, practicality and productivity, being obeyed, helping others, fighting for what she believes in, studyblr accounts, economics and math, environmental science and sustainable development plans, the environment in general, minimalistic elegance

⚰ Dislikes: trashy pop music, dirty clothes, rumpled clothes, stains on her clothing, messiness and sloppiness, people who are disorganized, people who are unprepared, people who are late, incompetence, sugary drinks (soda? Ew. Frappuccinos from Starbucks? Even more /ew/.), stupid rap music with lyrics that make no sense or lyrics that are sexist, "frat" boys and preppy white boys, sexist people, homophobic people, the color cherry pink (it's so garishly bright that it hurts her eyes), cheap knock-offs, people who have no regard whatsoever for others, people who are constantly being careless, chocolate cake with too much frosting, "fake" people, people who don't care about the environment, history classes (all the books are just /so/ biased), overly extravagant/gaudy decorations

⚰ 3 traits they find attractive: bluntness, efficiency, and assertiveness

⚰ 3 traits they find unattractive: excessive sentimentality (often to the point of being maudlin), sexism, and blatant disrespect and carelessness

⚰ How did you become a monster?: There's not really a "how"...Valeria and her sisters have always just /been/. They've been reborn again and again and again, and Valeria has to say that this life has been her favorite so far (she thought her favorite was when she and her sisters were worshipped as goddesses in a country in the Mediterranean, but even Valeria has to appreciate the modern miracle of strawberry milkshakes)

⚰ Who knows they’re a monster?: Nobody but Valeria's two sisters

⚰ What powers do they have?: Valeria sees the threads that Xinyu spins and Serena cuts in shimmering colors, but the color starts to fade to gray when it is almost time for Serena to cut their threads. Valeria is the only one capable of determining when someone is to be born and when someone is to die. She is also responsible for all the events in between someone's birth and death-all the challenges, all the sorrows, and all the happy moments that define the human existence are because of /her/. Valeria creates the complexities of a person's life through tying or untangling knots in his or her thread.

⚰ What weaknesses do they have?: Valeria is just as human as anyone else at school. She bleeds, she feels, and she ages just the same. Eventually, she and her sisters will die and then be reborn into a different life, just like they have been for millennia. She is also not very good at listening to anybody else's opinions or admitting that she is wrong.

⚰ What’s high school like for them?: Valeria has taken high school by the storm-she is the student council president, she oversees many fundraisers and school events, she tutors kids in Spanish, economics, environmental science, and calculus, she is the president of the National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society /and/ the National Math Honor Society, she maintains a 4.0 grade point average, she is an officer in various other community service or eco-friendly oriented clubs throughout the school...all while constantly monitoring the threads of life for signs of graying and signs that knots need to be tied or untied. Valeria is /that/ girl-the girl who is involved in everything while somehow getting A's the entire time. She's a perfectionist who fully intends on getting a 1600 on the SAT, a 36 on the ACT, and an acceptance letter from an Ivy League that she deems is good enough for her.

Valeria and her sisters were adopted by a couple when they were squalling babies in an orphanage in New York City. Steven Smith married Isabella Rodriguez only a few months before their adoption, and when they discovered that Isabella was incapable of bearing children, they decided to adopt. Valeria was reborn into this life with sun-kissed skin and dark brown hair, while Xinyu was given small, slanted eyes and black hair and long limbs, and Serena dark skin and curly hair and a petite stature. The orphanage told the Rodriguez-Smiths that the three girls were named prior to their arrival: Valeria for "bravery" in Spanish, Xinyu for "new rain" in Mandarin Chinese, and Serena for "peace" in various languages derived from Latin.

Their adoptive parents have no idea of their true nature, though Valeria thinks that their mother suspects /something/. Ah, well, nothing to be done about that. Valeria wants to live fully and completely in this lifetime: finally, women are /almost/ equal with men. Finally, it's acceptable for her to go to school (and excel in it, for that matter) and get a job and run a business instead of sitting at home doing chores (none of the three sisters have /ever/ married-well, there was this one time when they were reborn into a Navajo tribe in New Mexico, and Serena loved and almost married a man, but Valeria saw his thread graying and Serena was forced to cut it, thereby ending his life-but that's all in the past now). Valeria really puts herself out there in high school. She is always finding some new cause to take up, some new club to join, and some new fundraiser to organize. She keeps herself busy, and she finds that she likes it that way.

Valeria is lesbian, though not entirely aware of it-she has a lot more to worry about right now, but you can bet that her sisters have /definitely/ picked up on it.
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⚰ What do they want?: Valeria wants peoples' lives to be easier, especially since she is to blame for all the challenges that people face through those deceptively harmless knots she ties in the threads of their lives. Not the lives of her fellow classmates, mind you-most of them have it easy enough-but the people in poor countries who have to walk miles and miles for water, whose kids are dying of malnutrition, and who have no electricity or plumbing systems. Valeria is determined to help them in this lifetime in a way that she can (because untangling knots in a thread of life can be dangerous if it isn't done at the right time). Valeria also wants people to stop destroying the environment (don't these people know that once the damage is done, it could be irreversible?!) and is really damn tired of seeing women being treated differently because of their gender.

Valeria has her whole life mapped out for her-she's going to major in business at a prestigious university, then go on to work for a company specializing in green energy or sustainable development or the like, while donating money to major feminist organizations and perhaps even getting a degree in law so she can become a bona fide environmentalist via the courtroom.

⚰ OPTIONAL EXTRAS ⚰

⚰ Moodboard: polyvore.com/valeria_aesthetic_board/…

⚰ Playlist:
1. "Sit Still, Look Pretty" by Alessia Cara
(Oh, I don't know what you've been told/But this gal right here's gonna rule the world/Yeah, that is where I'm gonna be because I wanna be/No, I don't wanna sit still, look pretty)

2. "Titanium" by Sia and David Guetta
(You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium)

3. "Run the World (Girls)" by Beyoncé
(Boy I know you love it/How we're smart enough to make these millions/Strong enough to bear the children/Then get back to business)

4. "Breath of Life" by Florence+the Machine
(I was looking for the breath of a life/A little touch of a heavenly light)

5. "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry
(No, I don't even know your name/It doesn't matter/You're my experimental game/Just human nature/It's not what, good girls do/Not how they should behave/My head gets so confused/Hard to obey/I kissed a girl and I liked it/The taste of her cherry chap stick/I kissed a girl just to try it/I hope my boyfriend don't mind it)

6. "Victorious" by Panic! At The Disco
(Tonight we are victorious/Champagne pouring over us/All my friends, we're glorious/Tonight we are victorious)

7. "Emperor's New Clothes" by Panic! At the Disco
(Heroes always get remembered/But you know legends never die)

8. "The Greatest" by Sia and Kendrick Lamar
(I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive/I'm free to be the greatest here tonight, the greatest)

⚰ Wardrobe:
⚰ Aesthetic Collection: polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6685533

⚰ Supporting Characters: Xinyu Rodriguez-Smith (birth and a fellow Fate, Valeria's younger sister, FC=Li Bingbing), Serena Rodriguez-Smith (death and a fellow Fate, Valeria's older sister, FC=Janelle Monae), Steven Rodriguez-Smith (adoptive father, Caucasian), Isabella Rodriguez-Smith (adoptive mother, Mexican)

⚰ Story: polyvore.com/three_fates/set?id=22282…