Qia

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

The smile on her face falters as Kate approaches her, placing a hand on Alayna's wrist. She watches with curious eyes as the wound there begins to close until there's nothing but a thin pink line remaining. Healing magic, while not being her weakest area, is definitely something that she's struggled with for years, so it is always amazing to encounter a person good at it. Hearing the other person's words also surprises her, especially once she realizes that it is an attempt to cheer her up despite not having talked to Kate since, well, ever.

Alayna doesn't even think she knows what her name is. And she certainly doesn't ask.

Instead, she simply says," I guess you make a good point," before looking over at the passed out Summer. Alayna almost wants to laugh at the situation, considering what a strange one it is, but then it occurs to her that the worst of it is over now.

She's finally a witch.

As she takes off her robe, folding it neatly and tucking it underneath her arm, the girl chuckles to Kate, "I feel like the Scars is a much better name, but I appreciate your words of encouragement."

Because Alayna will definitely need the courage once she faces her parents again and all of their interrogating questions about the initiation. She was never good at hiding things from them.

"I think I'm going to head back up if you want some company?" There's nothing she can do for anyone here, anyway.

@sassy1085

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

Her eyes pop open when she hears a voice she vaguely recognizes, its source directing her attention to a person she's never met before. The wood staff this person holds is what really catches her eyes, as the designs on it are peculiar. She wonders if the clouds carved into the wood have anything to do with this person's magic, but it is also possible that they simply like clouds or it represents something to her. Would it be rude of her to ask after the ceremony? Alayna smiles to herself.

Probably.

Her curiosity piques, however, once the girl hears that Isolde has a wellspring of her own. Why would someone who has access to that kind of power want to join a coven where that power now has to be shared? Her question remains unanswered for now, Alayna taking one of the black robes for herself.

After she puts it on, she follows the group a few minutes later as they are led down the dirt path to what she assumes to be the wellspring. If she'd known that she would be doing more walking tonight, she would have worn better sneakers. Her feet in her converses are now as sore as they were when she'd gotten to the barbecue. They throbbed with each step, and Alayna wonders if she can take them off once at the wellspring.

Probably not.

Her slight pain becomes a mere discomfort, however, once the group finally arrives at their destination, Alayna's mouth dropping open as her eyes take in everything around her. The wellspring appears as a lake, but the water ripples with a force of magic that seems to surround her like a cloak, comforting her and making her forget about everything except for the tranquil scene before her.

"Holy shit," leaves her mouth in a whisper, and she drops to her knees on the pillow assigned to her without a second thought. Not even the dagger beside the pillow can keep her from this moment of ecstasy. The place is a dream, a memory, a fantasy, a reality. One that only becomes something different once Calypso's interruption occurs. Alayna's eyebrows furrow in confusion. A witch afraid of blood. That definitely is a rare one. She almost feels sorry for her- almost. Everyone knows better than to interrupt Sister Deborah, though. Calypso was begging to die before her ceremony, apparently.

Alayna shakes her head, picking up her own dagger and examining it. Taking a small breath, she drags it across the inside of her wrist as demonstrated, using her other hand to fill the cup with the spring's water beforehand. She allows her blood to drip into it, closing her eyes as a dull pain begins to build at her wrists. Shakily, she takes hold of her cup, trying not to flinch at the sight of the mixture and the coppery sensation on her tongue as she takes a small drink. She then allows some of her blood to drip into the wellspring, feeling nothing at first except a dull shock in her arm where her scar is. The girl has to cover her mouth, however, once she feels the familiar rush of pain from the time she'd attained her scar, tears springing to her eyes at the memory of being alone in the forest, pain and fear her only nonphysical companions.

A grateful shudder escapes her as the pain quickly recedes however, Alayna's hands reaching up to wipe away the tears that had yet to fall. She looks over at her fellow candidates, most seeming to hold up pretty well like her. Something akin to compassion crosses her features once she spots Calypso's new condition, but her compassion doesn't last once she feels some kind of liquid flowing down her arms, leaving small dark red droplets on her robe.

Oh right. Perhaps she should close up her cut. Healing magic has never been her forte, the best she is able to do being to slow the bleeding. Alayna's almost tempted to take on Hana's offer of help, but she manages to restrain herself.

"You need to be able to take care of yourself more, now that you're truly becoming a witch," her mother's words from this morning suddenly ringing in her mind. Alayna swallows, hard, but tries to keep a smile on her face through the small twinge of pain caused by the trueness of her mother's words and her physical injury.

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

Alayna looks up at Rebecca, blinking. To say she is surprised by the girl's defense of her and her clan is an understatement. She's heard the rumors before and, honestly, she hardly pays them any mind herself. They were only made because of the fear of the unknown, the fear of what her family could do. After all, no one else in the coven knows truly what happened to her original coven other than her own people and the Elders. And no one else needs to know, really. The past is the past.

It takes her some time to give a reply, digging into the rest of her food as she thinks of how to respond. Finally, "Thanks, I guess," is the best she can manage, giving the other girl a wave goodbye as she leaves to go to her assigned seat. Alayna's mind drifts back to her previous thoughts now that she's alone again, looking down at the one leg of chicken she has left on her plate. To eat it or not to eat it. That is the question. And her answer to it comes in the form of feedback from a microphone coming over the speaker near her, her eyes automatically flicking to its source.

Sister Deborah Ledoux, the most powerful witch in the coven and, thus, the head of it. Alayna has only ever spoken to her once before, the day she'd started her witch training. Yet, despite this day being so long ago, Sister Deborah's eyes still seem to be the same as it was back then. Full of wisdom. The kind of wisdom that makes her uncomfortable because of its strength.

Alayna hopes to be like that one day.

When people turn to cheer on her and her fellow initiates, she has to fight off the urge to duck and hide. The moment is quickly over, though, and as Sister Deborah calls all the names of the initiates this year, Alayna can't help but feel a little bad that she only recognizes a few of them. The witch tells herself that it's because of the sheer number of candidates this year but she knows better. She's never had the nerve to try and make friends of any of them, the small friendship she has with Rebecca being nothing short of a miracle.

Well, it's too late to change any of that now. With this thought, Alayna takes a bite of her last leg of chicken and dumps her plate in the nearby bin, satisfied for now with what she's eaten and no longer having the time for a second plate, anyway. She finishes her lemonade as well, throwing the cup away and making her way to the meeting place by the house. She finds a spot where she can get away with not interacting with anyone if she wants to, sitting on the grass and leaning her head against the wall.

Almost there, is the thought that drifts across her mind as her eyes close.

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

Their hard work? What hard work? Alayna thinks. The only hard work her parents have done for her with her craft is making her despise it sometimes. Even if she isn't up for it, she has to set aside time every day to practice her magic, especially the aspects of it she sucks at. She is, after all, to serve as a reminder of why keeping the Castellanos around is an outstanding idea for the Elders. She didn't tell Rebecca any of this, though. There were some things better kept within the family.

At the mention of the allure of the wellspring's power, Alayna nods her head in agreement. Her control of the elements is already so strong. So with the wellspring, there will probably be nothing she cannot do with her talent.
"Hey, everyone's got stuff that they're good at, so there's no reason to envy me, " The blonde replies, pointing a finger at the scar on her arm, "I don't always get it right either." And that is why she's never felt the need to cover her physical imperfection. Even she needs to remember that it isn't always going to be easy, especially with how often she likes to experiment with the physical world.

In answer to her question about having anything up her sleeve, Alayna deadpans, "If I told you, I would have to kill you." She takes a sip of her lemonade then, avoiding Rebecca's eyes as to not give away her feelings. Truthfully, she doesn't like to talk about the things she tries to do with her magic, as she can be reckless with it.

"I'm not up to anything bad if you're thinking that," she says to be safe.

Speaks to: @blackdragon

Harry Potter, But Original

I love me some HP :)

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

Mmm, is the thought that runs through Alayna's mind as she continues digging into her mashed potatoes, looking down at her plate as if it is all she has left to eat in the world. She hasn't even dug into the rest of her food, the potatoes being the only thing she's touched. That is probably the reason why there isn't much of it left. And why the smell, oh god the smell, makes her stomach turn and her mouth water. She rubs her belly and tries to push the feeling down. This is the last time she'll ever have something so small for breakfast.

Alayna looks up from her meal then and at the food table, tempted to run and get some more. Although, by now, there were several more people gathered there. The thought of facing that many faces, possibly being forced to engage in conversation with them, makes her insides twist. Still, the thought of getting more of her mashed delight is too tempting to ignore. Before she can make up her mind about it, however, she feels a presence and a familiar voice speak from beside her. She turns her head, coming face to face with Rebecca Delacroix. Or, as she likes to call her in her head, Ghost Girl, the irony of the name being that she's actually the person that's most alive in the initiate group.

"Oh, hey Becca," the blonde replies with what she hopes is a bright smile, "More or less. Honestly, I think I'm just ready to get this whole thing over with so my 'rents cool off a bit." She nods at the girl's plate.

"Just vegetables? You should give the mashed potatoes a try. It's really good."

Speaks to: @blackdragon

Resident Evil: The Forgotten

Newbie Katniss Everdeen

Qia

Name

Maisie Kim

Age

20

Personality Traits

Major strength: Maisie is seen as a friendly and trustworthy person by her peers. People are usually drawn to her as a result, her demeanor often appearing open and approachable. Her mother is probably the most important person in the world to her, as they are very close and only have each other as family. So, when everything started to go to hell, she'd been understandably concerned for her mother's welfare when she could not be contacted. Not that this situation deters her gentle side when it comes to those around her now. In fact, she still very much cares about others more than she does herself, fully understanding that they may be looking for someone as well.
Major Flaw: Like a double-edged sword, Maisie's friendliness is probably her greatest weakness as well, as she is a lot more likely to used by those who see her an easy target. She is also a lot more likely to take risks if it means saving a person's life or protecting someone (This, however, does not mean she will sacrifice her life for someone).

Backstory

Maisie Kim was born to single mother Kim Eun-byul in Virgil's Grove, Oregon. Growing up as an only child, she'd learned from an early age the meaning of hard work, as her mother had to work two jobs to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table, despite her physical disability. And so, she'd strived and succeeded to do the very best she could with her studies to get a scholarship for a small but prestigious college not far from home. That way, if she was in any need of assistance, Maisie would be there. The catch was, however, that she hadn't planned for a zombie apocalypse as a part of this agreement.

Once she heard that there was a serious illness going around, everything changed. She'd had to leave in the middle of her second semester, and had barely gotten into the city before it was shut off from those on the outside. Unfortunately, she never made it back home, being forced to find a safe spot instead away from all the zombies and strange creatures now prowling the streets. She hopes that, once she has a way to properly defend herself and get to her place, she can find her mom, hoping in her heart that she is not dead.

Other Info

Despite putting most of her focus on her studies, Maisie loved doing archery while in high school. After joining the team, she even got second place in a regional school competition. Although she's no expert at it, she would say. But it's a sport that she tried to keep up with even at the end of her high school days.

Resident Evil: The Forgotten Interest Check

I love resident evil so much. This sounds like fun! :D

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

She lifts her head, staring at him with curious eyes. Charlie. That is the name appearing in her mind. The boy with the reddest hair she's ever seen, Summer's seeming not as bright to her. The boy who likes to spout random useless things at times in an accent that suggests he bathes in English tea every day. The boy she cannot help but remember. Why? It is probably the hair. And when she is further caught in her musing of him, she forces her expression into a neutral one. Why? She doesn't know. Perhaps it's because she does not know what to expect, so it's best to prepare herself for the worst.

So when he simply smiles and says hi, Alayna is caught off guard. She has every reason not to be surprised, as Charlie has never uttered a mean word to her before. But it is a habitual reaction to niceness that is hard to break. She opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of water, unable to respond but managing to offer a weak smile before he walks away. She watches as he walks over to the initiate table, her eyes moving to the other initiates there briefly before turning her attention back to her food. After only eating an apple, the last thing she wants is fruit. So, she's piled her plate with mostly creamy mashed potato, two barbecued chicken legs, and an assortment of veggies on the side. She dips the tip of her finger in the mashed potato, bringing it to her lips and smiling to herself at the taste. If she had to choose to eat only one thing for the rest of her life, it would be this. When she realizes how strange she must look, however, she clears her throat and quickly walks to the section where the drinks are.

After grabbing herself a cup of lemonade, Alayna looks to the initiate table once again. By now, a good bit of people is seated, engaged in conversation. She looks back at the main house then, pondering whether she would be allowed to eat inside before catching sight of her mother and father seated at one of the nearby tables. Right away, she speed walks to the initiate table, not yet ready to face her parents, and keeps her head done while side glancing at the names on the table. Once she finds hers, which happens to be next to a person named Maggie, she takes a seat and digs into her mashed potato with her spoon this time. The name Maggie doesn't ring any bells but she's thankful that the two people beside her are yet to appear.

Mentions:@Melissa@KaijuBaragon@Danvers

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

And she wanted me to at least wear heels, is the thought that drifts through her mind as she watches the trees around her swaying in the breeze. Alayna's pair of pink converse sneakers crunches over the dry dirt soil, her hand instinctively reaching up to swipe some dampened strands of hair from her face. She is close. The smell of barbecued meat is already in the air, causing her stomach to rumble and a red tint to appear on her already ruby cheeks. No one else is around as far as she can tell, but she still feels a little embarrassed. Especially considering her mode of transportation isn't exactly one that a sane person would choose, her feet throbbing somewhat from all the walking she's done. It is nice being around nature, however. It is nice being around something that she can understand completely today.

Her mother this morning had been beyond annoying. She'd felt this need to remind her of her family's position within the coven and how important it is that she makes a good impression today. The thing is, Alayna didn't need reminding of this. She'd already received enough reminders from others before. And as this is unbeknownst to either of her parents it is hard to hold a grudge. Still, the whole thing just makes her feel...less somehow. So much time has come and gone since her family's joining of the coven yet it seems to not matter for some people. To make matters worse, she isn't even sure what she's supposed to feel guilty for exactly. She doesn't know enough about the circumstances of her family's past wrongdoings and what it has to do with her present. Thinking of the entire situation just ends up bringing a scowl to her face, Alayna's brow crinkling in indignation. While she is privy to knowing certain things about her family, those things do not include everything she would like to know. Her curiosity is also, unfortunately, like a mouse is to a cat. Any information must be hunted down and taken in, or else how can she go on?

Dramatic? Maybe. Deniable? No.

The girl smoothes out her dress then, despite there being nothing wrong with it. Now right outside of the main house's back entrance, she wobbles the doorknob to test if it is open, quickly stepping through the door and shutting it behind her. She opens the first door she comes to once inside, knowing that it is a bathroom from having been inside the house a few times. The blonde then enters and locks the door behind her, turning to face the bathroom mirror. She heaves a sigh at the sight of her red face in the mirror. No, this won't do. Turning the cold tap, she splashes her face with water, shivering at the icy temperature. The last thing she wants right now is to be noticed immediately by those she would rather not see, including her parents who should be here by now having taken the car. She knows better than to think that she can avoid the stares all night, as she's destined to become a witch by the time the sun goes down. Maybe...Maybe she will leave her hair down. Just in case. She acts on this decision, taking her hair out of its usual messy bun and combing through it with her fingers self-consciously. Her genetics may be on her side for many things, but her lanky hair is not one of them.

Still, Alayna eventually leaves her hiding spot and walks to the main area for the party. She first notices the few familiar faces of her peers, but her eyes stray and glue themselves to the table with various foods. Food first. That's the priority, she thinks to herself, moving to the table and grabbing a paper plate from a stack.

Now, where to start....