Female | 29 | 5’4.5” | 130lbs
American | Yellowstone National Park Guide
Profile
Appearance:
A rather petite woman, with a well-muscled body from years spent in the outdoors, Athena Joan Wolfe is a woman that most folks on the street would simply miss due to her short stature. She has delicate hands and wrists, with defined legs, while her stomach isn’t as toned (she does enjoy eating sweets), though she’s not fat by any means, a pair of wide hips give her a curvy appearance with her narrow waistline. Straying from the popular beehives, and other fashionable styles of the early 60s, Athena once possessed long hair. However, as the era slowly approached the more laid-back styles of the soon-to-be 70s, and after ending her engagement with Lance, she cut loose the long tresses, and sports a shaggy bob of black hair. Dark grey eyes, like those of thunderclouds waiting to burst, observe every aspect of the world surrounding her, some would think she is busy scrutinizing them instead of simply being engaged in observation. Athena dresses rather plainly, having an affixation for the earth tone colors, such as tan, brown and green; although her wardrobe is littered with black articles of clothing. She prefers to wear blue jeans and simple t-shirts, though depending on the season, and what task she has undertaken, one can find her wearing heavy sweaters in the winter, or shorts in the summer. As a matter of footwear, Athena strays away from heels, unless of course, it’s a special occasion. One will normally find a pair of Herman survivor boots on her feet, as she spends most of her time outdoors and doesn’t see the need to change her shoes to match her outfits.
With soft, delicate features, laugh lines are evident around her mouth. She has a long, sharp nose, and a round forehead. Her black brows are highly expressive, giving away any emotion she has brewing beneath the surface. A slightly cleft chin is marred with a scar that extends from the right cleft, up to her jaw bone, where she received that in an accident during one hiking excursion. A pallid complexion leaves her prone to sunburn, so she often wears a wide-brimmed hat of some sort to shield her eyes from the harmful UV rays. When speaking, most people have to strain to hear what she’s saying as Athena speaks in a whispery, albeit rather husky, voice.
Background:
Born in Montpelier, Vermont on September 19th, 1940 to a mother that was never there, and a father just as absent, Athena looked after her little brother Maxwell while her parents worked late hours. Yvonne held a position at the local hospital as an emergency room nurse, and Allen, her father, worked even later hours at the law firm Johnson & Blackwell Firm, as an attorney for criminal cases. During World War II, while Allen registered to enlist after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he managed to avoid the call to duty because of his occupation in society. While those that remained behind in Montpelier, either too old, or unfit for the draft remained behind looked down upon Allen Wolfe due to the fact that he was perfectly eligible, asides from the prominent point that he was a criminal case lawyer. However, as explained by the government, someone needed to stay behind to guarantee that society ran accordingly, and being a lawyer aided that aspect of a functioning community. In the beginning years of the war, Athena did not remember anything, not until the end of the war neared to its final close when she reached her fifth birthday, did she fully understand the ongoing war across the Atlantic Ocean. Maxwell, her little brother, arrived in 1943 in early October.
Growing up in close proximity to the woods, as her parents lived on the outskirts of Montpelier in a two story manor built in the early 1800s, she enjoyed spending endless hours out under the green canopy of the forest. This is where her love for nature grew. By all means, Athena had a thirst for learning, and from a young age, she had the chance to skip grades, from 2nd to 4th, 4th to 6th, and 8th to 10th. Her parents were pleased with their daughter’s academic achievements, and when she came to enter her 10th grade year, they enrolled her in private school, for the hopes of securing an eligible scholarship to one of the great universities across America. There was no class too difficult for her, and she rather enjoyed the burden of difficult homework for her Advanced Placement courses, undertaking Chemistry, Biology, and Anatomy classes when she could. While she succeeded in all aspects of her schooling, in one major area she lacked, that was in normal, social communication with her peers. Athena viewed the teachers as her friends, as she found it exceedingly difficult to make any friends, thinking them air-heads for being concerned with fashion and the latest gossip. While she pursued her academics with gusto, and buried her nose into every book concerning the forests, mountain ranges, ecosystems around the world, animals and their habitats, she fell in love with being able to identify plants, especially when Max fell into a batch of poison ivy and came home covered in red patches. Eager to make certain he would never contract poison ivy again, or at least while she was around.
When the day came that she received her acceptance letter in the mail from University of California – Berkeley, her parents rejoiced once more, excited to see her daughter achieve greatness in the world. They had counseled her in the idea of accomplishing what her heart desired, even when they weren’t so readily present in her life. Athena packed her belongings, and headed across the great United States. When she arrived for the winter semester, she settled in easily into school life, and surprisingly, made friends in her ecology classes, who shared the same ideas, and passions as Athena. School flew by in a blur, and when she reached her final year towards achieving her Bachelors of Science degree in Ecology, her close-knit group of friends embarked on a daring expedition to climb Mt. Rainier in Washington. The journey proved harrowing, as Athena had never climbed a mountain before, yet when they reached the top, surrounded by silence, save for the whistling of the wind through the pine trees below, she felt as if for the first time in her life that she had accomplished something monumental. Just a month later, they sat out on another expedition to hike the Appalachian’s. Her group of friends, that consisted of Jane Greer, Alexander Cooke, Ellie Stevenson, and Penelope Morris, managed to hike half of the Appalachian mountain range before calling the expedition off due to foul weather. It took them a month and a half to reach their stopping point.
When they returned from their expedition, Athena encountered a charming fellow by the name of Lance Elwood, a man that would steal her heart within weeks. Lance studied at Berkeley as well, aiming to become a pediatrician upon graduation. She found him to be a confident, charismatic type, one that enjoyed being in the center of attention. They were polar opposites in every sense of the word. He dressed in a flamboyant, attention-grabbing manner, and Athena preferred a down-to-earth style. He liked taking her out to fancy dinners, visiting art galleries while she wanted to go on strolls along the beach, or go camping in the surrounding forests. The time came when they moved in together during her second year studying for her Masters of Science in Forest Management; again, the polar differences between them were magnified. Lance threw extravagant house parties, purchased a Mercedes, wore expensive Italian leather shoes, while Athena opted for a night out with her friends, and preferred to shop at the local farmer’s market. Unforeseen complications arose after her graduation, where she landed a job as a forest technician in Northern California. Lance displayed a deeply rooted animosity toward the idea of her having to rent her own apartment, and even relocate to the northern region of the state for her job. Athena felt it to be a loving gesture, as she assumed that he would simply miss her companionship. However, he became controlling, domineering, and demanded her to call him every morning and evening, before he eventually found a job close to her as a pediatrician. She continued to believe that his actions were out of love. Now living together once more, Athena and Lance were strained, happy with her job, he argued every night that she ought to find a more reputable position, and suggested on several occasions that she ought to go back to school to study for a different degree.
By the time Lance had proposed to her, which she unwittingly said yes to, Athena found a job at Yellowstone in 1967, working as a park guide. For her, this was her dream job in every sense. She could speak with park visitor’s, and most importantly, take the visitor’s on guided tours. Being outside everyday brightened, and lifted her sense of well-being. As for Lance, he continued down the path of a controlling psycho. He wanted her to focus on him, to devote time to their future wedding, a grand event to be attended by their family, and his extensive network of friends. Athena had met his mother and father on a few occasions, and understood that Lance came from an astonishingly wealthy family. In fact, his family were shareholders in California’s electric company. When she explained that she didn’t care for such an extravagant event, and preferred a small wedding with family and close friends, Lance erupted like Mt. Vesuvius onto Pompeii, however, it was Athena instead. He threw dishes at her, shouted insults at her, belittled her, and demeaned her sense of self-worth, watching as she cringed in fear, horrified that he would act so ignobly towards her. Where was that charismatic man that used to make her laugh? This continued for months on end, eventually turning into two years of stressful living for Athena. She confided in her friends, and they all told her the same story, to leave Lance. Yet, when she spoke to her parents, who she called on a weekly basis, they encouraged her to remain with Lance, reassuring her that things would eventually smooth over. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore, and broke off the engagement with Lance in a desperate attempt to take control of her life once more. He couldn’t believe she had the guts to do so, again, he descended into a tirade of insults and breaking objects. He lunged at her with a knife, aiming to cause physical harm, Athena fled their apartment, and sought refuge from their neighbor. Once inside, Athena called police, angry and hurt that Lance had tried to hurt her. The police arrived shortly after the phone call, and arrested Lance for assault. However, when the time came for him to go to court, the case fell apart due to his family’s high-status in the state of California.
After the traumatizing events of living with Lance, Athena went for counseling in hopes of healing her wounded heart. During her time there, her counselor encouraged her to travel the world while she was still young before she encountered the burden of family life. In the meantime, before her approaching travels, Athena reconnected with her college friends, and attended many concerts across the nation seeing many bands such as The Doors, Janis Joplin, The Who, and The Velvet Underground. One could even say, that she developed a hippie-like persona, taking the time to live in a commune and experimenting with a limited amount of hallucinogenic narcotics. By February of 1969, with the help of her parents Athena acquired her passport, and set out on a plane ride from Anchorage, Alaska to Tokyo, Japan. She wanted to explore the Pacific, to see Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and hopefully end her travels in Europe before coming home. She boarded a Northwest Airlines, Boeing 707 plane, her journal her sole companion, asides from the suitcase full of outfits. Athena would acquire more necessities along the trip according to weather, and where she travelled. Yet, eight hours into the flight, an expanse of snowy, pine forests appeared out the cabin window. She knew that they weren’t anywhere near Japan, for she knew it to be a tiny, mountain island. The airplane began to descend in altitude, when the pilot came on, announcing the worst. They were going to crash.
Personality and Outlook:
Athena Joan Wolfe, a woman approaching her thirties, stressed from her romantic relationship with an abusive partner, has sought to travel the world to find herself. She is open-minded, knowing full well, the changes this decade has gone through, and many more to come. Timid, meek, and shy, Athena prefers to avoid any conflict that might cause her, or others harm. She is easily frightened, though some would consider her brave in the aspect that she enjoys hiking as a hobby, and has climbed one mountain in her lifetime. Think of her as a mouse. With no physical skills to defend herself, Athena feels rather helpless. Though, were one to engage in a debate, or even enter a conversation with her, one would know how deep her well of knowledge she possesses. Some might consider her to be a know-it-all, as she has endless facts to share, but rather, Athena doesn’t parade herself around like an ego-maniac. She is humble, and quiet. It takes her a while to warm up to others, especially if she doesn’t know anything about them.
She can be a bit standoffish, if one were to corner her, and demand anything from her. Yet, she would never say a word to harm another. Even when she mentions Lance, which is little in regards to her friends, she prefers to use words that do not highlight him as a psychopath, saying that he didn’t mean to, or that it was her fault. Athena is still in denial over the type of man that Lance was, and how he treated her. She simply doesn’t know any better. While love is not at the forefront of her mind, Athena is hesitant when it comes to the ideals of love. She certainly has trust issues with men now, and finds herself looking more and more at the fairer sex. Athena is a puddle of emotions, and is simply trying to discover who she really is, and what she wants in life. In regards to the events of the plane crash, Athena tries to remain positive, although she is still shy, knowing that she possesses the knowledge and skill to survive.
Capabilities
Skills:
Bachelor of Science - Ecology
-Includes knowledge and skill in determining types of ecosystems, animal habitats, field research, forest technician duties, and collecting soil/wood/water samples.
Master of Science - Forest Management
-Includes knowledge and skill in written & verbal communication, traversing difficult terrain, managing forest properties, and negotiation between concerned parties’/land owners.
Cooking
-Having to learn from a young age while her parents were incredibly busy during WWII. She knows how to boil water, when vegetables are thoroughly cooked, and knows when cooking meat when it is at the right temperature to eat. She may not be the best cook, but she's kept herself fed through her days in college.
Risk Assessment
-While most would consider this a skill, for Athena, it is like second-hand nature. She has always had an eye for identifying risky endeavours, and promptly avoids situations that would put her in harm’s way. She is a safe, practical person, one that follows all of the rules to a T. Working as a forest technician, and then as a park guide for Yellowstone, Athena's risk assessment capabilities have become fine-tuned.
Plant Identification
-From a young age, Athena has studied plants, and during her studies for her Ecology degree this was further explored. Athena can discern which plants are edible, poisonous, and beneficial.
Animal Track Identification
-When studying ecosystems during her Ecology courses, Athena had the opportunity, on numerous occasions to study, and identify, animal tracks. She can also determine how recent the tracks were made.
Survival Techniques
-Not only did she learn this over the course of her studies, Athena has gone on countless hiking expeditions. One of the most notable expedition being the climb up Mt. Rainier, and hiking half of the Appalachian Mountains. From these experiences, Athena knows how to distill safe drinking water, construct a safe campsite, build a fire, and can go for days without modern commodities. If she has to piss outside, don't think she won't hesitate.
Navigation
-One of the many other skills she learned at college, and from personal experience, Athena can discern which way is north, by looking at trees to see which side the moss grows on. If she is in a forest, it is harder for her to tell which direction is which, but depending on the time, she can know which way is east and west.
Weaknesses:
Meek - Athena is overly submissive, even when she believes that the person wielding power is wrong, she will be too timid to speak up. While a shy child growing up, after breaking off her engagement with her ex-fiancé, Lance, has increased this side of her ten-fold.
Perfectionist - While she never exhibited this aspect in her early childhood days, Athena developed this habit, so to speak, during her college years, and then magnified in her career with the forestry services. She strives for impeccability, and it is hard for her to except that some things in life, cannot be perfect.
Pacifist – Walking hand-in-hand with her meek attitude, is her abhorrence against the idea of violence. Perhaps this came about from when Lance would badger her, being verbally abusive, and while he wasn’t physically abusive, he preferred to break things in order to evoke some kind of reaction out of her. She is the peacemaker, the one that will step up to dissuade angry minds, and try to steer upset individuals into passive debates.
Inventory
- A packed suitcase full of clothes, (x6 shirts, x6 pants/skirts, x6 pairs of socks, x6 sets of undergarments, a parka, a knitted scarf, a pair of heavy wool mittens, a wool hat, a pair of kitten-heel black shoes and a nice day dress.), including necessities, (x1 tooth brush, x1 bottle of toothpaste, x1 dental floss, x1 shampoo bottle, x1 conditioner bottle, x1 bar of soap, x1 bottle of aspirin, x1 bottle of Tums, and x1 box of feminine hygiene products.), along with her favorite coffee mug, and two books: The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir, and Folk Medicine by D. C. Jarvis. Also, she has two notebooks, and three ink pens.
- Passport
- Wallet with Photo ID, $300 American Dollars, Family Photograph
Opinions
To be completed following selection.
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