DREW.

Your life as a young girl was never what one would call easy, but it was a life shared with your best friend, your mother, and it was yours. So you loved it all the same, despite the hardships, despite the long and cold winters. You loved the evenings you spent sat upon a pile of the softest pillows your mother could find, pretending to do your homework whilst you were actually listening to your mother retell the story behind the magpies hanging above the door.You knew each line off by heart, had memorised each time your mother paused, each time she smiled or looked sombre. But you still relished in hearing it over and over. Your mother was the greatest of storytellers. " When I was a young girl, " she'd start, a small smile beginning to grow at the corners of cherry red lips, " magpies would follow me everywhere I went. at home, at school, everywhere I looked a bird or two would be following. Always a different number, a different pattern, but never gone completely. " She would pause here, building the tension with her customers. " and then, when I realised I was pregnant, well... the magpies still followed, but always three. Watching me from the fence, landing upon the windowsill of the café I worked at. Always three. " Another pause, her smile only growing as she glanced to you, giving you a secretive wink. You and your mother were the only two people in on this particular game. " I believe now that they were the messengers of the fates, telling me I was to have a daughter. You know the rhyme ? Three for a girl, and what do you know ? " She would gesture a theatrical hand towards you and you would blush and smile prettily. " Here is my darling drew ! "The sweetness of the story would always persuade the customers to purchase whichever book or bouquet your mother was trying to palm off to them, and they always bought a trinket or two - to remember the sweet little shop with the sweet little girl. But the story she told was only partly the truth. Your mother always told you: the most convincing of lies always begin in small truths, little bird. It is only now that you wonder just how many lies and half truths your mother fed to you.You are the owner of the three magpies now: bookshop and florist combined. Once, you had dreamed of a life beyond the small roads of starlight peaks, full of the adventures you so often read about in the books you were now destined to categorise and index; shelved away along with the dreams of leaving that you had once harboured. Your mother had left the shop and the flat above it to you within her will when you died, and you were too young, too full of grief, to question why she had even thought of a will so early in her life. Why it had been so particular in it's wording. Why she had thought it a necessary step to take, despite the safety of your town.Since you had not yet been eighteen, it was the kindness of that very town that kept you afloat until your birthday. Until you could leave school and take over the running of the place. A kindness you had vowed to payback, however you were able. So here you were, aged twenty four and still running the little shop. Still telling the same tales your mother became famous for. You were not even close to kind of storyteller that she was, but you made it work. Relied on other strengths to make ends meet.In your free time, what little you have, you volunteer your time to the local school and theatre, helping with costumes and props, providing discounted flowers for proud families and friends to buy and give to the performers after the show. You keep your grief and loneliness buried in a steel box deep within yourself, your anger at the world hidden beneath a carefully crafted mask of softness and gentleness. This would be your life now, and you were content.Until a single letter arrived. Until a single letter tipped your world off of it's axis and sent you spinning.A notice of death. An inheritance. A name you recognised, but not for any reason relating to the letter cradled between your fingers. It looked official enough, but how could it possibly be? Everyone knew the name listed, there was no possible way you were in anyway related to them... right ? Your mother would have told you...
in the dim light of the full moon, when you finally looked up from the thick paper held tight in your hands, you saw seven creatures looking back at you. Seven magpies sat atop your fence, watching. waiting.

• VERSES.
• BACK TO MUSES.

LUCA.

You are born into a life of servitude to the side of the war that you grow up being taught to be the right side. Your parents loyalty to the First Order, and their positions within it, always put before their supposed love for their only son. You are a tool in their game, a pawn to be used to grant them further power and acknowledgment. But you have known nothing else, so you allow it to happen, you allow them to teach you their ways and their skills. Perhaps you thought that in doing so you might finally earn the love of your parents. They teach you to fight, to fly, they tutor you in strategy of war and they allow you to be taught in the field of engineering. It is here that you find your calling, though you still continue your other studies, it is engineering that pulls you in. Eventually, when you are old enough, you become an engineer within the weapons division of your base. Your parents see this as a great opportunity for you to earn your reputation, and for them to be praised with your progress.But still you are unsure. Doubt fills your mind, a seed within you that is only watered the further into your work you get - seeing the damage that could be caused with the tools of your own design. It takes years for those doubts to blossom into a plan. There are people out there who are trying to fight against the regime that has held you in it's clutches since birth, and it is those people you should be helping, before there is any further blood staining your hands.
It is easier than it perhaps should be to trick your parents into believing that your work has sparked a new found ambition to grow under the leadership of the supreme leader. You tell them of your desire to climb the ranks and they fully endorse the effort, not because they believe in you and your work, but because a successful son in the weapons business would grant them further praise and privilege. They have always trusted you with information, but now they know of your ambitions, you are fed more; information that could be vital to those fighting the other side of this war.So you create a persona for yourself, a new name and identity that you could use to send what you have learnt to the rebellion. You have listened well in your time upon the base, hearing snippets of conversations that other's thought were safe. You knew how to contact the rebels, and eventually your plan comes together. Using a stolen access code of another who you knew to be a vicious man; someone you would not feel remorse for should they be found and accused of your crimes. For some time you leak information to the rebellion; troop movements, weapons that are to be created, ways of enhancing their own weaponry.You do not intend to fully defect from the First Order, knowing that you are an asset in your current position, despite how risky it might be. You do not intend on it until you hear of plans for a weapon even worse than all others. Your ambition has landed you a seat at the table of it's creation and you leave each discussion with a terrible sickness eating away within your stomach. You cannot stop it, you cannot warn the rebellion as it would be far too obvious. So you plan and you wait, the sickness growing the more you work on it. Until eventually your base is stormed by the rebellion, on the coordinates you provided. You use the chaos and destruction to stage your escape, ensuring people are there to witness your "death". Eventually you're able to sneak onto a transport out of the base, those upon it believing you to be dead in the attack.It is here that your choice is made. You cannot sit around on another base waiting for other's like you to feed information. You had heard of the name Fulcrum during your time spying upon the base, and you decide to take the name on yourself, alongside the others. A spy of the rebellion, but also a recruiter. You know what to look for in a person, you're skilled at spotting a liar, all of this makes you perfect to seek out new recruits to spy and fight on the side of the rebellion.

TEO.

You're only a child when your parents decide to move from Spain to America, following dreams of their own to open a restaurant. Your mother had always been an incredible chef, your father wanting nothing more than to give her anything she wanted, and she had her heart set on the American dream. You grow up surrounded by love and good food and dreams of your own, though they're not quite the same as the ones your parents have for you. Your grades in school are exceptional, despite sometimes needing to look after your little sister, earning you a scholarship to college where you study business, with the hope to start your own at some point in the future. You've learned much from watching and helping your mother and father manage your own.When you leave school, you get yourself a job as a security guard at a prestigious business, doing the grunt work there for a few years, working yourself up the ladder. It's not exactly what you had dreamed of, but it gets you noticed and you're good at it. Good enough that an old friend comes to you with an offer. He is building his own company, an agency, for modelling, and he asks you to lead the security side of things. It is a massive step up from your current position, so you take the role, but you still hold on to your dreams, your hopes for something more. A dream your sister shares, moving back to Spain to find her own dream.A few years into working your new contract, you realise that you can do more than just look after the security of the models signed to the agency, and the owner agrees, allowing you to become something closer to a manger or agent. Another step up, another step closer to your dream.When a popular nightclub closes down and the premises are put up for sale, you realise this is the moment you had been waiting for. So, you purchase the place. The work to scrub the place to the standards you were hoping for would be difficult, but you knew you could manage it. And so opens Club Aurora, with inspiration for the colour scheme and the signature cocktail taken from the Northern Lights. Quickly, it becomes one of the most popular partying spots for all types of clientele, which you manage alongside the models in your care.

YZUHMIKA.

IMPORTANT LORE / FACTS: Yzuhmika can be summoned, but the ritual is difficult to find and is arduous to perform, requiring sacrificial blood from the summoner(s), along with incantations in a long since forgotten language. However, Yzuhmika can also choose to travel from the deep beyond to her human counterpart within the universes known to man. Though they allow themselves to be summoned, they can also decline to appear. Details of the summoning ritual can be found here.Their gifts are otherworldly, usually given at the cost of the summoners sanity; the more someone uses a gift, the more it decays their mind. this is not a cost that is detailed in texts of the summoning ritual. Yzuhmika tends to trick and deceive those who summon them. history has rewritten their tale into one of sainthood and light divinity. They've made it their goal to make history remember them for what they are. a mad god, an incomprehensible lurking fear after which they were named.Looking at Yzuhmika too long can cause a mind to drift, seeing visions of their true form. There's an ethereal light around them that makes it difficult to stare at them for more than a few seconds.HISTORY.
Born at the dawn of time, you do not remember much of your formative years; even a mind as sharp as your own would go mad attempting to obtain such knowledge. What you do remember is the darkness, never-ending, stretching through aeons of time and space, keeping you contained. Time itself feared your havoc, kept you locked away from worlds you might wish to conquer or destroy. But even time forgets, underestimates your patience for the things you want. And so you waited until it forgot you completely. The key to your dimension dropped and left for you to reach for. Time forgot, but you did not.You take your havoc, your perverse need for power, and you make time remember. Planets lay in ruin beneath your wrath, it's denizens minds decayed and broken as you fill them with the horror of the unknowable. But it is not enough to simply destroy, you were made for more.Time remembers you, you've made certain of it.But it remembers you wrong. Stories of a saint summoned to help, to give and to sacrifice. Your tale so horrific that it is simply rewritten. Told through the ages as though you were some goddess brought to mankind to absolve them of their crimes, of their destruction. They write of the ways to summon you, but they leave out the toll for this ritual, and you see an opportunity.If time and history wished to preserve you into a mould of a saint, a goddess, perhaps you would let them. Let mankind believe the best in the worst. Let mankind believe that your intentions were good and pure, despite knowing you did not posses a heart, nor a need to help those beneath you. You would show them who they were truly worshipping.Though you choose to appear through the summoning ritual, you also find humanity intriguing. Their morality and yet a lack of morality at once should be baffling, but it simply feeds you. You care not for mankind, simply finding their lives entertaining.And so you begin to play with the humans and other such creatures that call out to you. You gift them their wants, tricking them into handing over their sanity. They are putty in the hands of a mad god.
And you will make history remember you, for what you are, a lurking fear on the edges of humanity; always watching, consuming. Taking with little given in return.

MAR MORUUS.

Born the only son after three older siblings, your mother and father cherished you. Though they loved your sisters just as much, they'd also longed for a son. Your name means "rare" in the Mando'a language, and your parents considered you as such. Your siblings teased you for the love they showered over you, telling you it would spoil your warrior heart; but it only did the opposite. You would do anything to make them happy, and so when it was time for you to train and learn the ways of the mandalorians, you threw yourself into it. You were all raised with a slightly altered creed than that which was followed by the children of the watch, more relaxed in the removal of your helmet, putting the emphasis on loyalty and honour above all else. You had thought it would be you and your clan against the world for many more years to come, but soon you realised just how wrong you were.Mandalore saw many wars, and your life was not sheltered from their impacts. It was whilst you were training away from home that the tragedy struck, your family taken from you in one swoop; though you knew they had fought until the very end. It took something from you, seeing your home in ruins, your heart hardening; the wound to it that day deep and painful. No one found you for a long time, trying to survive in the ruins of what was once a love drenched home reduced to rubble. It was the children of the watch that found you, taking you in as they would a foundling, though you had no family you could be returned to.And so you grew a mixed understanding and ideology when it came to the way of the mandalore, not quite agreeing with the strict ways of the children of the watch, but knowing that you owed them your loyalty after they saved your life. It was only when you were older, and your clan looked to turn against Bo-Katan that you finally hesitated in your beliefs. This hesitation once more cost you everything.Your clan left before you, allowing you the choice to decide, by the time you had decided to follow them, it was simply too late. You tried to follow, was in the air when the empire launched their attack on your home world. you escape hindered, but not close enough to fall in the battle; to even help those you'd left behind. You could only watch as your planet and your people were decimated in an event that would become known as "the night of a thousand tears".You made it out alive, perhaps one of the only of your people who could, crashing into the surface of an unknown planet that would then become your home. It is here that you forge your own path, a mercenary and bounty hunter both, but the loss you had witnessed and the pain and guilt of your inaction reopened the wound your childhood losses had left upon your heart; left it broken and bleeding inside your chest as you tried to go through life in a way that would make your family and your people proud.

EMBER GRAVES.

To anyone that knew you, the fact that you've gotten yourself into the world of crime would likely come as no surprise, you were sure. After all, it's what you were taught to do. You parents handed you over into the care of St Trinian's when your several tutors could no longer handle your criminal antics or your attention seeking behaviour whilst your parents dealt with whichever musician had become their current target. Though you're grateful to everything you learned whilst growing up on their tour bus, namely how to play the drums, it was in St Trinian's that you found your home - your people.Eventually you became the new head girl at your school, involving yourself in the schemes that involved Flash, learning how to build an empire of crime from the floor up. These lessons would prove to be invaluable when you eventually made your own way in the world. You dreamt of a time where you could have this all for yourself, something you could call your own, something you built yourself.After your life at St Trinian's, you tried attending university, studying music production and sound engineering, still working with Flash on the side to help you pay your way. Not long into your course, you decided to create a band of your own with friends from St Trinian's, calling yourselves LVCENTIA. You played smaller venues for a time, until you had the idea to use the band as a front for your more... extra-curricular activities.Eventually, you create your own plan, removing Flash from the process would ensure the funds only needed to be split between the three of you, and this enterprise would be solely your own. Not long after this plan was made, you dropped out of university, focusing on your band and side activities, intent on making a name for yourself.

MOHANDAI KUMARLUN.

Ever since you were a boy you have idolised your father in the same way your people have. Always wanting nothing more than to meet the high expectations he places upon your shoulders, wanting to be just as loved and adored as he was by your people. You did everything that he asked of you, even when it felt wrong to comply, allowing him to fool you into thinking his way way was the only true and right way. Over time, however, his persona began to slip and the image your father had created within your mind began to fracture, splintering enough for you to finally piece together the truth: your father was no benevolent god, merely a greedy man with enough power and influence to fool an entire planet into believing his lies by injecting enough fear that they followed his orders without question. The realisation took a long time to piece together, and during this time you were the Prince he wanted, the son you were supposed to be. The same fear surrounding your father beginning to shroud you too.It was more difficult than you ever could have anticipated to break out of your father's hold, to break through the conditioning you'd been subjected to since you were only a small child. The pull of the same power running through your veins was alluring, calling to you despite how hard to tried to resist the darkness it promised, the power trying to pull you under just as it had your father. Forced to play into the image he had created for you too, fooling him just as he had fooled you and your people. You had no alternative option - you were alone in your rebellion, completely isolated from anyone that might wish to oppose your father. It was exhausting, living two lives, rebellion in small ways in secret when it was safe to do so, for your father could never know of your treasonous thoughts.When you turned eighteen, celebrations were in order - your power now maturing, your coming of age a kingdom wide celebration. You were sent to collect offerings for their "god" as part of this, paraded through the lands; simply another pawn in your father's game. But the further from the palace you traversed, the more apparent it was that your people were suffering under his iron fist. They had nothing more to give, their offerings becoming smaller, enough so that the guards around you began to grow restless - irritated, seeing the minimal offerings as a slight to their king, their god. Until you reached a village on the outskirts of the kingdom, a village that had nothing to give. You anticipated the tension and friction this would cause, attempted to calm the situation, but only ending up making it worse. The guards finally able to pick the fight they'd been itching for for miles now, and somehow you'd been caught in the middle of it. Handy with a sword, you tried your best to fight, but there was simply too many and eventually you found yourself surrounded.You're saved by a local boy, left to watch him take a hit that was meant for you. Turned on by your own people for an archaic ritual you did not even agree with. His blood, however, is enough to satisfy your guards, enough to end the fighting. It takes a lot from you, healing him, and you don't mean it to be a display of the 'godlike' powers you had inherited from your father - but this is how your people perceive it, falling back into line immediately, their fear palpable - you could almost taste it. You know you need someone you can trust, and you know you need to resolve this conflict with a gesture of peace, thus you offer the local boy a position as your own personal knight. It is not an order, but perhaps he knew it was the only option to keep this situation from escalating further.It's the two of you against everyone from that moment on, training together, growing up together, planning for the future in secret whispers behind closed doors. Living two lives becomes even more difficult, but you know you could never allow your father to find out, knowing he would simply put Iaxic to death as punishment for your insolence. So you allow your people to continue to believe you are your father's son, a god amongst men, trusting only your Knight with the truth, the both of you rebelling and helping your people in small secret ways.For years this continues, until your father's health begins to decline. An illness of which no healer in the realm could find a cure. And despite everything, despite all he had done to you and your people, it was still the most difficult thing you've ever had to do; saying goodbye to him. You can barely endure staying with him until his end, but you know that you must, you must continue to let everyone believe you are nothing more than the loyal son of the king. His funeral, your coronation, are nothing more than a blur that you hardly remember even now, but you did not weep. Not even when his body was returned to the earth. You do not remember the last time you allowed yourself the luxury, certainly unable to afford it now. There was too much to be done, loyalties to be tested, treading lightly in your new role as King, as their god. His wrongs would take a long time to right, but you vowed to yourself that you would do everything in your power to do so.

CANDACE GREENE.

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RYDER CLANCY.

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DRUSILLA EICHOR.

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SORAYA KALDONIS.

Born to a Duke and Duchess with a close bond to the King and Queen of Cashmere, your life was always going to be built around rules and duty: the proper way to act at court, remembering always that you are a representative of your family. No matter what you do, everyone will be watching, assessing, waiting for a misstep they could exploit to their advantage. Despite your parent's warnings, you still saw the good in everyone you met, did not believe they might wish you harm unless proven otherwise. Your people love you for your kindness and grace, but your parents suspect it might become a weakness.Still, you follow all of the rules of Cashmere, all the rules your family force upon you. You are the dutiful daughter and heir, but still you could not temper your thoughts of something more awaiting you past the high walls of Cashmere. You read stories, in secret, of the kingdoms and world's beyond so often that you practically have them memorised: stories of magic, prophecies and evil that threatened the lands. You've even sought out the few traders and travellers that are allowed into Cashmere, begging for them to tell you their stories too. You know it's silly, to dream of places beyond your homeland, Cashmere is beautiful and loving and just, but still your every sleeping thought is filled with what your imagination conjures.Perhaps it is these stories that drew you to the stables when you were a young girl, or perhaps it was your natural affinity towards nature as a whole. Even the most difficult horses respond well to your voice and your soft touch, allowing you to ride them when they might not allow another. The stables become a place of peace and solace for you, away from the pressures and duties of your titles and your birth. Away from the disappointed looks of your parents when you return covered in grass and dirt.When your parents are called to the palace, you attend with them, knowing in your heart that something was wrong. You're so quiet and docile, people often forget your presence within a room; allowing you to overhear a rumour of a witch princess on the run. You couldn't possibly understand what she might have to run from, the King and Queen were fair and kind rulers. Your parents tell you that evening that they are being sent away, to search for the girl. They thought to leave you behind, but you begged them to allow you along to Tir Asleen, promising you would stay safe and well within the castle whilst they searched for the runaway witch. Eventually, they allowed you to join them, you supposed they thought a trip to the Tir Asleen might cure you of your desires to explore, perhaps it would. You had your doubts.

PYRIA VENRORA.

You were born into a world that hates you and your kind simply for existing. You grew up with your family telling stories of the cruelty of both daikini and elf alike: hunted by both, exiled to the woods that lay between both cities. Regardless, you grew up knowing that, despite this cruelty your kind faced, love still existed and you were surrounded by it. Your camp, your family, taught you everything that you needed to know to be able to survive in a world that wished you dead. They taught you to cook, to hunt, to fish and forage. They taught you the basics of medicinal properties in the plants that grew around you. How to blend in to the forest you called your home, to hide from those that might wish you harm. They taught you to fight and to make the weapons you would need to protect yourself and your family. They were everything to you. All that you had in this world. As you grew older you were trusted more, given the responsibility to fish or hunt for the camp's dinners. Eventually, you were allowed to traverse beyond the camp alone to forage or fish.You were on one such excursion when your camp was raided by a party of elves from their city beyond the forest edge. They had come for the medicinal plants that grew on the boundary of your camp and when they learnt of the half-elf encampment nearby, they accused them of stealing their resources, despite the elves having no claim upon the forest.You heard the fight the ensued from your place at the lake's edge, abandoning your fishing pole to run back to the camp. To your home. But it was too late. The returned to a slaughter, the elves already gone - returned to their golden city no doubt. It broke something in you, seeing the cruelty of others first hand. Part of you, ever since you were a child, had always thought that maybe the stories you had been told were just that: stories. In the face of such brutality, you knew you had been wrong. The hope flickering out of your eyes.Part of you wanted to hope that some of your family had managed to flee from their attackers, that they would come back to find you to take you to somewhere that was safe. But everyday you spent near the edge of your camp was another day that the light faded from your eyes, that your hope died an irreversible death. You buried your family in the way you had been taught, releasing them to the next life and it was then that you made a vow. You would make them pay for what they had done to you, to your people, your family. It didn't matter how long it might take, you would find a way. One day.So you left. Took as much as you could carry, your father's sword heavy at your hip, a new fire burning within you. Vengeance. Justice.

PLUTO ROMA.

You're born into a family drowning beneath the weight of your parents debts, your sister ultimately becoming your primary carer whilst your mother and father were out doing whatever it is that they did. She takes care of you, learning to cook to ensure the two of you always had something to eat; it wasn't always extravagant but you knew it was full of love. Whilst you were young, you bestowed her with the nickname cherry as her full name, Persephone, was too difficult for you to pronounce. Your own nickname, pluto, comes from the stories your sister would tell you of older solar systems, latching onto the small planet and the name stuck.As you grew older, you discovered your fathers long since forgotten guitar shoved in the back of a closet you had been cleaning out; looking for items that you might be able to sell for some spare credits. However, you didn't have it in your to sell the instrument, taking it upon yourself to instead learn how to play it and thus discovering the natural talent you had for creating music. The older you got, the more you wished to put this skill to good use. Whilst your sister worked hard at her several jobs, you took up busking in the busy and dangerous streets of your home; hoping to earn a bit of spare cash alongside the several other jobs you were working. You pool your money together with cherry, and eventually the day comes where you both are able to pay the final instalment towards your parent's debts. With nothing left to pay, you both decide to leave together; never looking back.Now it is just the two of you, able to live your lives for yourselves for once without the burden of your parents finances.Cherry takes on a cooking job at a cantina, and you are allowed to play sets there, as well as working the bar and the floor. The owner, roma, takes you both under his wing; without a family of his own, you and your sister becoming pseudo children to him. When roma begins to grow older, unable to do as much around the cantina, both you and your sister take on more of the responsibilities for the place, refusing to allow it to go under even when he becomes bedridden. You have never been sadder than you were when he eventually took his last breath, both of you at his side for every moment you were able; both shocked when you learn he had left the business in the incredibly capable hands of your sister so that it would continue to thrive even without him there to see it.And so you both work hard to ensure his vision is fulfilled, wanting nothing more than to make him proud. He had been more of a parent to the both of you than your own ever had, so much so that you and cherry even end up taking his family name as your own.

ELORA VANE.

The planet of Ventria has been aligned with the First Order and their predecessors for many many years, providing them essential trade and materials for their ships and weapons. In return, they receive protection and profit from the allies of the First Order. The thriving capital city of their planet quickly became a hub for those of less reputable stations, especially those also an ally of the First Order.As the Princess of Ventria, you have grown up both around the violence that followed the First Order like a dark cloud, and the pressure of being the only heir to the throne. You become accustomed from a young age to the horrors that came with being aligned with the First Order, and you force your skin to grow thicker, and your heart to harden. You knew you would not survive if you did not, and despite not yet knowing or understanding the methods and ideals of the Order, you still become sympathetic to their cause.It is when you grow older, when you are able to better understand what was happening around you, that a seed of doubt begins to grow within you. Hearing stories of the atrocities committed by the very people you have pledged your loyalty to in the name of war. In the name of power. The suffering of people not far from your own planet. It is enough to strike a match of uncertainty within the heart you were certain had turned to stone. You no longer knew what to believe, nor which side of this war you wished for you and your people to be on.Your parents try to keep you away from it all, despite your position as rightful heir to their throne one day. And so you find ways around their leash. Sneaking through the palace halls, finds ways to listen in on their meetings that they wished to keep you away from. And you did it all with a practiced smile upon your lips and an innocence in your gaze that would forgive you of any perceived wrongdoings should you be caught somewhere you should not be.You learn that the best source of information is people, and thus you grow to become incredibly good at bending them to your will without them even suspecting of you motives. Strangers and friends alike, manipulating and lying to find out the information you need that might help you in making the right choice for both you, your people and your kingdom. You knew that if the stories were true, the First Order could easily turn their weapons to your shores and wipe your planet from the skies, and it is this fear and knowledge that keeps you going.

JESSAMINE KORDALL.

Born on the backwater planet of Vont, you grow up upon your family's farm with your twin brother: Janix. You're only a toddler when you recognise a strange sense inside you - a feeling you don't yet understand, but one you wish to explore despite your young age. You show your brother what you have learned of the sense within you and he copies you perfectly - both of you connected to this force. Your parents know little of what is happening to their precious children, thus they call upon an old friend by the name of Avin. He explains to your parents that you and your brother are displaying a connection to what is known as the force - the very thing that connects all life within the galaxy, and you and your brother can touch it, mould it, change it. He explains to them the risk of allowing such a thing to grow within their children unchecked, how dangerous it will become - not just for them, but for the entirety of the planet. He says, he too has this connection with the force, only he has learnt to harness it. And so he gives your parents a choice; allow him to teach you and your brother the ways of the Jedi away at the Jedi temple, or let them keep you both and risk the lives of everyone around them. At the time, you do not understand what it means when your parents allow him to take you to the temple - but now you understand.For years he trains you and your brother in the ways of the Jedi. You are allowed little to no communication with your family, but you do not rebel: you understand why it must be this way. You concentrate on your teachings, but you never lose the curiosity imbued within you since you were merely a toddler. You ask questions that you know you shouldn't, you question your learnings when they do not feel wholly right to you. Your brother finds it much easier to comply, though you both show an equal amount of strength in both mind and body. The perfect equals, the perfect balance to one another. Avin was concerned that this may spark a rivalry between you, but you knew better; knew you would rather die than lose your brother to such a ridiculous struggle of power. Thus you both were allowed to keep this one attachment, Avin hoping that it would not become your downfall.How wrong he was.You are both eighteen when it happens. When your life shatters before your very gaze. You had insisted that you and your brother be allowed to return home for the first time in years - both of you newly trained with the lightsaber that weighed heavy against your hip ( yours silver, his a vibrant blue. ) You will regret insisting upon such things until your dying day. When you arrive, chaos has struck your farming village, smoke of the fires filling your lungs and the screams of those inside reverberating through your mind. The three of you jump into action, using your training to help others whilst you desperately searched for your parents. A raid, it seemed. Your resources were well sought after amongst your neighbours, and it seemed they had decided to simply take it rather than pay. Both of you thought they'd be gone by now, but you were wrong. It is your brother who finds them, too many of them. Overwhelmed despite the force that ran through his veins - he could not fight them off, and you were too late to help him. Too late to help any of them. You cannot help the rage and the hatred that burns your blood - Avin feels it too. He tries to calm you, despite the pain of your brother's loss still clinging to your bones. Despite the blood and the ash coating your hands.Despite your anger and your grief, still you try. You renounce all attachments, knowing now why the Jedi forbid them; knowing you could not survive the death of any others you love. But the galaxy does not allow you this reprieve, war breaking out and your talents are required upon the front lines; utilising your grief to become one of the most feared Jedi upon the battlefield. Your talents are recognised by the council, assigning you a padawan to teach your ways. Fighting alongside clone troopers to attempt to free the galaxy from the plague that was the separatist droids. But then there comes a day when those you trusted with your life turned against you and your padawan; separating the two of you with the intention of slaying you both. You feel it. The lives lost, the people you loved once more slain; only this time by those you had fought beside. You barely escaped with your life, unable to find your padawan without risking your life completely.You escape to Vont, exile yourself from everyone you knew. Your family had long since passed, you were alone completely; consumed by your grief and your anger until the day your brother's ghost visited you within your dreams, pulling you from the suffocating grip of your failure. He told you there were others out there, and that if you were to only search carefully for them, you might find others like you that require your help. Of course you had to be careful, but his forgiveness cleared your senses. You learnt new skills, stopped relying on the weapon that grew ever heavier at your hip. You operate from the shadows, only helping in the right conditions when you were needed most. When the whispers of a rebellion reach you, there is no decision to be made. You seek them out, pledge yourself to rebuilding the order to the galaxy.

ALLURIA SINDEL.

Your mother, Hela Dyarron, was a well known smuggler and thief, taught by some of the best the galaxy had to offer. Wanted across the galaxy for several crimes, but escaping and evading capture every time anyone got close to getting their hands on her. That was until she was sent to Kessel to steal and then smuggle out Coaxium. She targeted a minor in her scheme, hoping he would help in her task - what she did not plan on was falling in love with him. But the unexpected always had a way of creeping up upon Hela Dyarron, and thus she fell pregnant not long after meeting the handsome minor known as Kuna Sindel.As a well known criminal, they knew they could not stay on Kessel. And so they took her ship to the criminal hideout known as Numidian Prime, hiding there for the duration of Hela's pregnancy. However, Numidian was no place to raise a child, and thus they found themselves settling on Rishi. And you found yourself a loving home.You are ten years old when there is a raid on the refinery your father worked for. You are ten years old when your mother is left little choice but to return to the life she swore to leave behind forever the moment you were brought into this world. But she teaches you everything she knows of the smuggling life, teaches you how to survive and eventually how to pilot a ship. You are a natural born flier, and soon you become the designated pilot onboard The Tempest.Ten more years pass and you pick up many skills, both from your mother and the crews that pass through the halls of The Tempest. Ten years pass before the unexpected creeps up on Hela Dyarron once more - only this time in the form of a illness that only grew worse and worse. Filled with worry and panic, you take your mother back to Rishi and you try everything you can to help cure her ailment. It is here that you learn of the rebellion building, with rebel camps close by. Your mother taught you the art of listening in without being caught, and listen you do.You do not act on the whispers of rebellion, not yet, your every thought consumed by the paralysing fear that soon you may be alone in this galaxy with no one to call family. You stay with your mother until she passes to the next life, and it is only then that you make your decision. You will find this rebellion, and you will make your mother proud.
Seeking out a few rebels that remained on Rishi, you offered your assistance. It takes some convincing, but eventually they allow you to join, your skills as a pilot, but also as a smuggler invaluable to the resistance effort.

REN.

LUMIYA.

You don't remember your parents any longer, a glimmer of a smile perhaps, a distant scent of lavender that you assume must have been your mother. But the harshness of your life now has fragmented anything you might remember of the before. Before you knew the pain of hunger, before you became acquainted with the sensation of your breath freezing as it leaves your lips.You've lived upon the streets of Avidich since you were eleven years old, hardened now to the ways you've had to change to survive. Pickpocketing from any travellers unaware of the desperation found within the streets of your city, selling the wares for enough credits to eat. And when that failed you stole food too. It's in learning to steal that you learnt of your abilities; they call it the force, or the shadow, to you it's hope.You're fourteen when you're found, though he likes to think that he saved you. They'd caught you stealing, but you'd figured out how to use the force to trick others into helping you, but you're stopped before you're able to. A hand at your arm, a man offering to pay your debt. -- Talyk, he said his name was. Your so called "saviour" did not have a home either, but they were far more equipped to live this way. Talyk taught you to fight without relying on your abilities, starting with hand to hand before working you up to using actual weapons. It's here you touch a throwing axe for the first time, your fingers curling around the handle as though they'd been made for one another. Sometimes your weapon chooses you. he tells you, but perhaps you chose each other. It is here you earn yourself your scar, and it is here that your faith in Talyk begins to degrade.In return for all Talyk was teaching you, he forced you to supress your connection to the force. He recognised the path you were on, had heard stories of Jedi's - Talyk told you that using the force how you were was a journey that would only lead you to darkness. You couldn't help but wonder: would darkness really be so different? So bad? The force was all you had left that was truly your own, but he told you that it was for your own safety. That if the Grysk knew of your existence, they would take you and use you for their own gain for the rest of your life.You tried to push the connection away, to untether yourself from the pull, but it only bubbled inside you. Whispering to you, telling you that your mentor was jealous of your power; that they wanted to use you themselves. Perhaps he didn't care about you like you thought he did. If he did, why would he cut you off from your hope? Could a life with the Grysk truly be worse than the one you had now?By the time the Knights of Ren passed through your planet, you'd grown angry and spiteful. Not just towards your mentor but the planet and the people upon it. None of them wanted to help, none of them cared. They didn't deserve your love, nor your loyalty. No one did.You'd heard stories of the Knights of Ren, knew of the steep cost to join their ranks. But they also were perhaps the only people in the galaxy that might understand you. They too knew what it felt like to be pulled towards the darkest of shadows, they could be your new family - one who would not hinder you.And so, when the Knights blazed through your city, you stood before them at the age of seventeen telling them you wished to pledge yourself to them, no matter the cost. It was with the blood of your mentor on your hands that you became a part of their ranks. You did not hesitate, nor did you apologise. They deserved their death for everything they'd deprived you of.
You have been with the Knights ever since, growing and bettering yourself with them. Participating in their chaos and destruction without complaint or question.And when Kylo Ren defeated your leader, you did not hesitate in pledging yourself to his service. This was your family, and the fight had been fair and equal. You do not consider Kylo Ren your leader, however, just as you did not consider Ren your leader.You and the rest of the Knight's continue in your reign of terror and chaos as Kylo Ren trains to hone his force abilities -- a choice you do not agree with. The Shadow lives in you all and you allow it to do as it pleases, it is not something to be tamed; just as you are not something to be tamed. You remain upon the Night Buzzard, though when Kylo Ren summons the Knights after the murder of Snoke, you heed his call and you assist in his plans. However you resent his self-given title as "Master of the Knights" -- no one was your master. You belonged to no one but yourself, thus was the point of the Knights.And when Kylo Ren falls upon the surface of Exegol, you do not join your brethren in fighting him for you have never been loyal to Palpatine nor to Kylo Ren. You care little of his breaking of his oath, instead pleased to be free of the leash ever tightening around your neck. After the fall of Kylo Ren, you return to retrieve The Ren ( the lightsaber used by the original Ren ), and you vow to rebuild the Knights -- to return to your true destructive nature.

KEIR.

You are born to the planet of Caldai, a dessert mining planet full of cracked planes and dune fields. You grow up alongside the other children of the planet, taught the basics of life before the more important lessons begin - how to mine. How to be useful. But you are born with a secret. A secret that you learn through your teachers is an evil thing - a darkness, a void. You learn of the inanis and it's destructive nature at the age of five, you hear the story of your people - how they were almost wiped out from those who carried this same gift that you hide in your veins. Bad. Evil. Disgusting. And yet still it whispers to you, when the night falls and the chill sets in, it whispers to you. But you try as hard as you can to ignore the siren call of the void buried deep in you.You work in the mines when you become of age. Work, eat, rest, repeat. It's all you know, but how can you complain? Your parents love you, they tuck you into bed each night with the whispers of planets that you one day hope to visit. You survive, and you bury the inanis deep within. But it builds, and it grows, and it's voice grows louder and louder within your head. So loud, it's claws so deep in the flesh of your soul that you wish you could rip it out completely. You fear what you might become.You are fifteen when the day finally comes. When you can ignore it's call no longer. It's an accident, letting your guard down long enough for it to whisper in your ear. Long enough for you to listen and unleash it's destruction upon those who wished to bully you. You know the second you do it that it can never be undone. You know what will happen now.The planet of Caldai has a ritual, older than you, older even than your parents. One that is told to each child as soon as they can read and write. You know what is to happen as well as you know your own name, but you can do nothing to stop it. The whispers within you have stopped, and you feel cold without them. They take you at nightfall, after locking you away for the protection of the settlement. They tie you down, and they burn the tears into your skin. Penance for the tears and for the blood. Penance for the lives lost. Penance for the souls trapped.Your parents do not weep. No one weeps for you. You are an evil thing - an omen - something to be burned and thrown away. And throw you away they do, exiled from the only place you've called home. You almost beg for death, but when the brand touches your face, your screams come with a realisation. Perhaps it was not YOU that was evil, perhaps this thing within you had been trying to help you. This planet was too small for you, there was nothing for you here - certainly not any longer. And thus, with the pain of your punishment came the peace of realisation, of belonging, of a future outside of this choking planet.You do not say a word when they toss you onto a ship bound for the nearest planet, instead you plan. If they wanted you to be an evil thing, an omen, then that is exactly what you would become. You would make them regret the day they ever thought that a branding of tears could stop your destruction.As the years pass, you learn more about your abilities - the force, as it is called elsewhere. You shape it in your hands like a living thing, you bend it to your will. Eventually you find you can use it to bend the realities of other people. You can sense their fears, and you can use it against them. As a distraction, but most times as a way to gain their trust. See, the marks on your face earn you a reputation that the smile on your lips cannot live up to. You learn that it makes people uneasy, makes them more willing to please you, for fear of you snapping and turning on them within seconds.
You travel across the galaxy thieving and forging relationships as you go. You never tell anyone your real name, though you eventually take on the name of Keir. You go on like this until you come across a group, they tell you they can feel your strength, they believe you could be an asset - that you could find somewhere to belong with them. You cannot deny the temptation of a family - but no one that fears you, but respects you. Understands you. You accept, you pay their bloody price, and you join them. Your particular skills making you a fearful adversary in battle, making the enemy see the things they fear the most, distracting them from the true battle.Your reputation and your connections also become an asset to the Knights of Ren, becoming a source of information for your comrades.

LEAH OSMAN.

Tba.

JESSE CARAWAY.

You are born to one of the most well known family of wolves in the Southern states, practically royalty among your kind. You never knew your mother, she was gone from your life since you can remember and your father never spoke of her, but you found plenty of maternal care in your sisters and aunts that you never thought to question the dark looks that passed at any mention of your true mother and eventually you simply stopped bringing her up - but you never forgot about her. Your father was not a man of love, rather a man of duty and power. He ensured that you were taught everything you needed to know about the world in which you were now a part of. You grew up admiring him. You grew up a fool.When you were old enough you started to see the darkness that ran beneath your family, hated the corruption and abuse of power your newly opened eyes saw, and so you began to plot. Your father had always favoured you, with your natural strength and intelligence, and for years you allowed him to believe you were but another loyal follower within his regime, allowed him to believe in your trust and loyalty with the hopes that one day he would let his guard down around you. And when that day came, you did not hesitate. He laughed in the face of your leadership challenge, not believing you had the strength to do what was necessary. But he had trained you well and he knew he could not back down from the challenge. You took from him what he had always loved most: power. his own life. And that night, you swore to your pack, your family, that would make things right. You would make things better. You would undo the damage of your power hungry father and you'd lead them into a brighter future. They were sceptical, of course, but you knew you could do this. Or at least you thought that you could.You weren't aware of the hunters that plotted to take down your father's reign of terror too, and they weren't aware that your pack had new leadership. It was only a week after your father's death when they came to your home whilst you were out investigating a lead on your mother's disappearance. Only a week before you returned home to a massacre. Not a single soul survived their attack, not even the youngest, and it broke something in you. You couldn't save them. After everything you had done to make their lives better, you still could not save them. You had failed.For years after you wandered alone, not allowing yourself a pack despite knowing a lone wolf was as good as dead and a lone alpha even more so. It didn't matter. You didn't deserve a pack when you couldn't protect them. Eventually you bought a diner, settled into your grief, thinking this would be your life now forever. And it was, until the day you came across a banshee. Out of control and struggling, you couldn't just leave her, so you offered her the explanation she needed; then finding yourself offering her a place within a pack. Your pack. It's just the two of your for a time, but you know that there are others that needed your help just as Leah did. This is how you will make amends for your past. This is how you will make up for failing your family. You would find others that needed guidance, needed a family like them, and you would protect them from the horrors your world possessed, the dangers you had to face.

JOLENE HANSEN.

You're born to a mother that cared more about her boyfriends and her money than the child she never wanted, left to your own devices from the moment you were able to care for yourself, your mother taking the first opportunity to escape you. But you didn't mind, your house was only a five minute walk from the ocean, the waves and the sand beneath your feet becoming your safe haven. You dreamt of being granted the ability to sleep beneath the waves, to escape the vicious tirades of your mother; but you knew they were just stories. Your life was your life, or so you thought.As you got older, you discovered a natural talent for singing, quickly discovering you were also quite the natural with the piano when you were taught a few songs by a friend at your school. Music soothed you, just as the waves and the sand did whilst you were a child. But it was not a valid path towards the money you needed to escape the place that you should have been able to call your home, so you became a babysitter. Another talent of yours, entertaining the younger generation: you were quite the natural and soon you had a regular job at a richer couples home. Little did you know that your acceptance of this job would change the course of your life forever. See, the father took to you quickly, overhearing your natural talent with both your voice and their piano when you played a few notes thinking no one would be listening. He wished to teach you properly, seeing the talent that lay before him, and you were eager to allow him to, thinking nothing of it.His wife grew increasing jealous of the time you spent with her husband, despite it being completely innocent: she did not care. She cursed you, threw you out, told you never to return. What you did not understand was the weight the witch's curse truly held. Not until that night when the ocean called to you like it had never done before, music filling your head, finding yourself at the edge of the waves in a daze. It's instinct that has you diving in, swimming out as far as your lungs would allow you, and it was there in the middle of the ocean beneath the moonlight that you changed into something not entirely human.Eventually you understand that you are what would be called a siren. See, the wife of your employer was a witch; she thought you had lured her husband with your pretty voice and thus cursed you to a half life: the days spent on land, and night to be spent within the ocean. You supposed she thought you would be devastated by this, but in truth it was all you had ever dreamt of your entire life. Now you work during the days as a singer at a local bar, your shifts ending with just enough time to make it to the water's edge.

PALOMA CRUZ.

You're born into one of the oldest bloodlines of the world between, the weight of maintaining the delicate balance between each world connected to your domain falling upon your shoulders as the eldest daughter of seven siblings. It has been this way for over a century; the oldest of the women in your family taking on the running of the place when the previous owner must retire and so on and so forth. But you long for more. You long for adventure; to see the lands that your family have so tirelessly protected for so long. The Starland Inn sits on the barrier between worlds and all those that wish to pass through must stop there for at least a night for only those with the truest intentions are allowed passage and only those of your blood can conduct the test. Those that fail are returned whence they came with no memory of the Starland Inn's existence.Growing up, you spent countless hours reading about the different worlds you protected and their inhabitants, dreaming of the adventures you could have if only you could break free from your duties at the inn. But your family's traditions and expectations weighed heavily on you, struggling to find a way to fulfil your dreams without alienating those you loved. So you did what was expected of you, as best you could. You became a skilled innkeeper, putting the needs of the weary travellers that passed through your home above your own, learning to maintain the inn alone in preparation for eventually taking on ownership and continuing the family traditions and duties. But you also rebelled as much as you could, insisting you also learn how to hunt alongside your brothers and father, how to gather the wood and make the fires. You did it all in some attempt to keep your mind from drifting to those same worlds you visited within your dreams.One day, a group of travellers arrived at the inn, seeking passage to a distant world. You saw an opportunity to fulfil your dreams and you snuck away to join them on their journey, leaving the inn in the hands of your mother and sisters. For the first time in your life, you were free to explore the multiverse, and you revelled in the experiences and sights encountered. But you never could forget all you'd left behind, knowing your mother and father would be worrying for you. You knew you had to return back one day soon to resume your duties... if you could make it back.

SAGE SUTHERLAND.

Adopted as just a baby to a loving and warm family, you grew up knowing your parents loved you without expectations; their love was free. So why did you feel as though you must earn it? It was clear to you from a young age that they were not your birth parents, but that only made their love that much more special to you. They chose you, the least you could do was make yourself worth that choice. Show them that they had made the right decision all those years ago, even though you knew they never doubted it.You grew up in a small town and it was at one of their annual Christmas festivals that you discovered your love and natural talent for ice skating, developing an obsession with the sport when you were only very young. From there, you learnt of the existence of figure skating and decided that that's what you wanted to do. Your adoptive parents were incredibly supportive of your dreams, enrolling you for lessons at a local ice rink. You quickly proved to be quite the natural on the ice, and as you grew older you began to compete in local and then reginal competitions. You dedicated yourself to perfecting yourself and your craft, becoming the picture perfect figure skater, eventually meeting Luiz who would go on to become your professional skating partner.You put on dazzling performances after dazzling performances, catching the attention of both the press and scouts from top skating academies. You're both offered places within one such academy to further hone your skills and perfect yourself to be able to compete on a world stage. It's here you truly began to shine under the tutelage of highly trained and exceptional coaches. Over the next few years, you both make names for yourselves as two of the best up and coming figure skaters within the academy, hoping to represent your country within the next Olympics.Your parents are extremely proud of you, despite being unable to see you quite as often, and the press and media love your clean and pristine reputation and disposition. You are determined to prove your worth and prove all those that doubted you wrong.

AUGUSTINE BEAUMONT.

Your life has never been perfect, your family miles apart: your father living in the city whilst your mother chose to stay in your hometown with you. Still, you try to make the most out of it, spending as much time in the city as possible, wanting nothing more than to stay there each time - to never have to return to the small town you reluctantly called home. And perhaps the state of your mother and father's relationship had affected you more than you had ever allowed them to see, perhaps it was a catalyst leading into the summer that changed everything.It was like a movie, and not in the good way, never the main character; always second best, second choice. Every time, he chose her. At every corner and every turn it was always them, always her. You couldn't find it in yourself to hate her for it, it wasn't as though she knew, but you were certain that he did. That he allowed you to keep that hope that maybe one day he might choose you. Until one day, he does. One day you drive past him walking to his beach house and you tell him to get in, that'd you drive him, and he does. He doesn't leave. You assume that this is your moment, that he has finally seen you, seen all you can offer him and he has made this choice to spend the summer with you and intends to keep this thing going. Soon you realise how foolish you were to believe him. How naïve and hopeful it had been to share parts of yourself with him that you could never get back. The summer goes by and by the time you return to school you realise: he was never yours to keep.Somehow, Inez finds out and you're ostracised for a naïve mistake born from hope and love. And you promised yourself you'd never make the same mistake again. You told yourself that you would not care what anyone thought of you, you knew yourself, knew you were meant for more than this stupid town and that was ALL that mattered.You'd make it out, just like your father did, sinking into your studies, ignoring the whispers that follow you through the halls.

INEZ DE LA ROSA.

You were born to high achievers, the same mindset drilled into you even as a child: you had to be the best if you wanted to make it in this life. They'd moved to Woodvale for a break from the city, but not from their jobs, both just as busy as they were before your arrival into their lives. Most of your formative years were spent with the company of nannies and babysitters, learning that to gain the attention of your parents, you must be worth their time. Worth their attention. They wanted the best, and so you became it.Throughout school you ensured you were the one to set the trends, in fashion and hair but also in the gossip that ran like a river through the halls. You discovered the knack at getting people to spill their secrets to you, enjoyed the power it gave you over your peers; others were scared of you, no quite understanding that they had nothing to fear so long as they kept you on their good side. Unafraid to speak your mind, to spill the secrets of others: people like to whisper about not believing a word that you say, but you know the truth. That they are afraid of what you know. Of how quickly you could tear them down without barely lifting a finger.This continued even through college, becoming well known for your fashion taste as well as your knowledge of those around you and the people they knew too. All of this contributed to your decision to study fashion with the intention of become an editor of a highly rated fashion magazine. Perhaps your aspirations were big, but you had always been taught to reach for the moon and you'd be damned if you did not get what you wanted.

JAMES MILLER.

tba.

DOROTHEA HAWTHORNE.

tba.

THEODORE ELWOOD.

You grew up in a small town hearing the tales of your great grandfather; watching his greatest achievements on screen and hearing the tales of all it took him to get there. His shows were always there in the background of your childhood, on your small family television whenever your parents weren't home to scold you for ignoring your homework. You knew, even as a child, that you wanted what he had. You wanted to follow that same path. Your parents tried to steer you away, but you could never hate them for that; you understood their concerns, why they wouldn't want their son to be swallowed by the shining lights of Hollywood. After all, they'd moved to this place to escape the spotlight.But you were not to be dissuaded. Your heart was set, this was your dream, the only thing you wanted. And you would get it, just as you did everything else, but not because of your name but because of your individual talent. You worked hard to earn your place within Hollywood, studied hard and worked from the bottom up. You knew that your name would always hold a certain weight, you couldn't avoid it, but you did not allow it to give you the advantage. You wanted to do this the right way. So you rose up from small televised adverts to small roles in little known shows and plays, alongside completing school and college and eventually you got the break you were owed.Your first lead role on a horror based limited series: a new take on the final girl trope, the final guy. You met the actress that would soon become your best friend on this set, recognised her talent but also her anxiety over playing such a dark role. Though you never wished to be seen as the asshole with the famous name, you used the weight it carried to help her and she became the closest person to you aside from your sister, Kitty. The series took off harder than anyone had anticipated, your performance, as well as your new friend Blake's being praised in every review that came out.From there on you were never truly short of work, and you always had the satisfaction of knowing that you made it to this place on your own merit, not because of the name you never chose.

KITTY ELWOOD.

You grew up in a small town, spending most of your formative years exploring the surrounding areas and forests, looking for some adventure like you might read about in the books you always seemed to have your nose in. You were always a curious child, a trait that infuriated your parents at times, always living in your own world, creating tales and stories you would share with your brother. As you grew older, writing became your passion, your parents wishing for you to put your talent to more practical uses. You were always drawn to the power of words, it did not matter what you were writing, only that you were writing something.So you allowed your parents to have their way, going into the world of biographies, writing them on behalf of others, loving the opportunity to explore and research their lives and write what you found and what you saw as you studied them. Your brother went in a similar direction, only he loved the spotlight far more than you ever did, loved the fact that you had a relative that was incredibly successful within the acting business.He became a successful actor, and you a successful biography writer. But something always felt as though it was missing from your life. You missed the opportunity to create your own worlds and characters. So you decide to write novels, romance novels mostly, but you do so under a pen name: Lavender Thorn. You do not like the spotlight, so when your books become popular across the web you are grateful of your decision not to reveal your identity, knowing the media would simply love the discovery. Perhaps one day you might reveal that it is you, but until you are ready you simply keep writing alongside your day job.You still love your small town home, sharing your time equally between there and the city, continuing to write with passion and dedication, creating heartfelt and engaging stories that captivated your readers. You try to remain true to yourself and your love of words, remaining grateful for the small town that had nurtured your love of storytelling

NIAMH O'DOMHNAILL.

You are born to the Druid's keep within Prevelia, destined to succeed your current High Druid due to the strength of the magic flowing through your blood. Strong even from such a young age, stronger than most of your peers, you were taken from the care of your parents. It was thought that you would benefit from direct tutelage from the High Druid themselves; to learn from them after you quickly surpassed the knowledge of the regular tutors. As your magic matured, you only seemed to grow in strength; both with your magic and your mind.It is on your eighteenth birthday, however, that the truth of your magic reveals itself. Tied to the fates and the Earth itself, your life was no longer your own. It belonged to the God's and the path of destiny they laid before you. This revelation came at your graduation, told to draw upon as much magic as you could, to demonstrate your power and wisdom to the people you would grow to lead; but the ritual had unforeseen consequences. You had awoken the connection between yourself and the red string of fate, disappearing entirely in front of your people, pulled away by the very magic you were trying to control.When you awoke, you found yourself in a land entirely unfamiliar to you. The Earth around you scorched with flame, ash falling around you, a battle waging on the horizon. The fates had sent you back in time to a land where you were most needed, where your power would turn the tides and allow good to prevail. It's then that you finally figure it out; you are tied to fate and destiny. Your magic sends you to places your skills are most needed, places under the rule of darkness and you are to be their guiding light. So you listen and you help those you are sent to, but secretly you try desperately to find some way of returning home, some way to see your family again.

HONEYMAREN NATTURA.

You and your brother are born within the Enchanted Forest some time after the war between your people and the Arendellian people. Though you have never seen the lands that lay beyond the forest due to a curse that prevents people from entering or leaving the forest, you are happy with your life. Raised by a loving family to be a reindeer shepherdess, taking care of your family, you do not need anything else. But your life is interrupted when strangers appear within your lands, something you had never thought would be possible. You are tasked to lead the ambush against them, but when one of them uses magic against you to protect her sister, you are all shocked. It is your brother that recognises the shawl they carry, an item that once belonged to one of your people's oldest families, leading you all to the realisation that Queen Iduna, the stranger's mother, was Northuldran just like you are.You welcome the two to your tribe, Elsa and Anna you learn are their names, and Else promises your people that she will find a way to lift the curse that contains your people to the forest. Though Elsa is ready to set out to complete this quest, you warn her of the danger that lay within the depths of the forest, your people inviting her and her sister to stay with you until first night.It's then that you allow yourself the opportunity to speak with Elsa, to explain to her the meaning of the symbols on the shawl she carried. You explain that they represent the elemental spirits, but that there is also a fifth spirit said to be a bridge between humans and the nature of magic, believing it was this spirit that had been calling to Elsa, but you tell her that only Ahtohallan knows for sure. It is around the fire that you both sing a lullaby, unable to stop yourself from wondering why all lullabies contain some terrible warning within it's melody. It is then that your village is visited by the earth giants, and you urge Elsa to hide with you.After Elsa completes her quest, the curse upon your forest is lifted and you are able to see the clear skies for the first time in your life and you realise that Elsa belongs here. With your people; with her people. You ask her to stay with you and she agrees, abdicating the throne to her sister in order to remain amongst her new found family.

MARIGOLD JOETTA.

Your life growing up was normal, your parents loved you and they loved each other, and they wanted the best for their family. Your earliest memories are your happiest, your mother and father happy; or perhaps they're simply your happiest because you had not yet figured out that your family was falling apart right in front of your eyes and you were too blind to see it.It's only when you happen to overhear them fighting one night after awaking from a nightmare that your begin to see it; begin to see the way your life is starting to unravel quicker than you can stop it. You try, of course, but it only gets harder to pretend that you don't know. That you don't know that they are lying to you. And it only gets harder when your magic matures, feeling everything they feel; betrayal, pain, hatred and anger. All of it, but still you force yourself to live the lie. Until the day your world completely crumbles; the day you wake up and your father is gone. Disappeared without so much as a goodbye; only a letter apologising for everything he had put your family through.Your mother tries to pretend that everything is normal, that she is absolutely fine. But you know, more than maybe even she does, just how big of a lie that was. Sleep begins to evade you, and you take to painting as a way to expel the emotions of others; needing a physical outlet for the pain you could feel radiating from your mother everyday, despite how much she would try to hide.You had thought that attending Alfea might be a welcome break from the overwhelming emotions of others, that being taught how to focus and control your so called gift would help you. But perhaps you were wrong... perhaps coming to this school was a mistake, especially when it's dark past is revealed and you begin to feel the pain of those around you; their emotions stronger than ever within your mind. All you want to do is help, but how can you with your mind so crowded ?

TAMARA COOPER.

Life before you met Maddy came in flashes: your mothers downturned lips, your father's disappointed tone as he says your name, the self satisfied smirk of your golden child of a brother. Maddy has been the sun in your darkness since you yelled at Freddie for trying to steal her crayons, a decision that solidified a bond with her that lasted for many years to come after that moment. Just the two of you against the world, you had one another's backs, you knew everything about each other; completely inseparable. Both of you swore that you would be friends forever, no matter what might happen, it would be Tam and Maddy against the world always.This bond was only strengthened further when Maddy's father left when she was only eight, her mother leaving her in the care of your parents most nights whilst she worked extra shifts. You spent almost all of your time together, relying on one another for everything and anything, swearing to one another that you'd never leave the other behind. Your brother, always intent on making your life difficult, seemed to want nothing more than to sway Maddy over to the crowd he hung around with and you hated him for it. Blamed him for putting those ideas in her head in the first place. It was supposed to be the two of you forever.Something changed when Maddy was accepted onto the cheerleading team, something irreparable, damaging the very foundations of your friendship. She'd changed. Perhaps decided that you were no longer enough, that you were too boisterous, or too loud or perhaps too cynical. The people Maddy began to call her friends were the very same people you used to make fun of together; the people you swore you would never become, because you were both destined for more. She left you behind, betrayed you for them, broke every promise she'd ever made. You swore you'd never forgive her for it, but the truth was that nothing could feel the empty hole she left behind. You tried so hard to forget about her, to move on with your life just as she'd seemed to. But no amount of cars, chaos or music could cure the ache in your heart.But how could you possibly mend things now? She'd broken your trust in a way you never thought she would. You wouldn't forgive her for it. So you simply tried to avoid her. Taking on a part time job as an apprentice at the local mechanics - the wage was pitiful, but it gave you some sense of fulfilment in a town far too small for you. You tried to find new friends; loners and outcasts just like you. People society had decided was unable to be helped. But still, your thoughts returned to Maddy, wondering more times that you were willing to admit what it was that you'd done so wrong.You'd met someone new the summer before school began again, Holland, new to the town. You'd hoped she might be the cure to the hole left in your heart, but of course all good things in your life had to end in misery; after seeing her with Mads, the very girl you could never forgive for the hurt she'd caused you, and once again you felt your heart tear, the hole becoming even wider; deeper. Was this how it was to be? Forever the person others gave up on, left in the dirt for the shinier options? Maybe you'd find out, or maybe Hawkins had other plans for your future when strange things began to occur.

KAI DIXON.

You move to Hawkins whilst you are still too young to properly understand the reasons for which your parents decided a small town was a better place to raise you rather than the big city you're used to. You simply see the move as your next new adventure -- something new and fun to keep you occupied for a time. Somewhere new to explore and love like you did your old home.But soon you realise that the people of Hawkin's were not all that different to those you left behind in the city, finding yourself getting picked on even on your first day of school there. Laughed at for the differences between your family and theirs, though you are yet to truly understand the reason why this was seen to be entertaining to those children. Soon you would understand, but at the time you worried that they just didn't like you, despite trying your hardest to please them.Eventually, a girl steps in when it becomes noticeable, threatens them and scares them away for you. You don't know why she decided to ally herself with you, but from that moment on you decide that she is going to be your best friend forever, no matter what. No matter what other people might say.You are inseparable from then on, doing everything together; hanging out, exploring Hawkins, skateboarding and even comic book shopping. She doesn't judge you for any of it, and you become her #1 fan: attending every single one of her archery practices and competitions, cheering her on from the sidelines. She helps you with looking after your twin sisters whilst your parents work late and they adore her too. Even when you get your own job, you still hang out there when it's not busy. It is you and Poppy together against the whole world.And with the recent strange happenings going on within Hawkins, followed by a string of strange deaths, you begin to think that maybe you might need one another more than you ever have done before. Your once peaceful and quaint little town starting to become something out of a nightmare. Or perhaps something out of one of the comic books you love so dearly.

MIRA CASSIAN.

You're only nine years old when you are told that you will never see your mother or father again. A boating accident, you're told, and now you find yourself sickened at the sight of the sea. Though the only true family you have left is your brother, you are fortunate in that your father was a dear friend to the King of Auranos. He takes you and your brother in, allows you both a palace education, growing up alongside the two princesses. When you're older, you are given the position of lady in waiting to Princess Emilia, a dear friend to you now along with her sister; Cleo.You spend your days attending your lessons alongside the other girls, and your nights are spent however Cleo wishes; parties, adventures and the like. Perhaps you could be called shallow for your seeming lack of interest in anything more than a fleeting sense of fun, but you found you did not care.But when Princess Emilia falls ill, you find your interest in such things rapidly fading. Your days spent mostly at her side, attending to her every need; reading to her to keep her entertained when she no longer could leave her bed. You tried everything, but nothing seemed to work for her, her condition only seeming to worsen as time went on. Your best friend also tries everything in her power to save her sister, including traipsing across Paelsia in the hopes of finding a cure for her ailment.War looms ever closer, and your shallowness drips away the closer it comes to breeching the security of the palace. Worried for your family, your friends along with the safety of your kingdom; but there is nothing you can do. You're within the palace when the King of Blood finally gets through, and you fear for the life of your best friend; the surviving Princess.When Cleo is returned to the palace, she ensures you a position as Princess Lucia's dedicated attendant. You're grateful for her need to keep you in a high station, though your fear for your brother's life overshadows everything else. You have not seen him since that awful day, and you cannot help but wonder whether he still lives. It feels like months, but finally you find him and you feel hope for the first time since the palace was overrun.You find yourself in an uncomfortable position as Lucia's attendant, with both the Prince and the King of Blood visiting her bedside, whispering together though you tried your hardest not to listen. You kept to the shadows, learning to keep your movements as quiet as a ghost in the hopes that they may not notice your presence and accuse you of spying upon them.Though your efforts do little good after Princess Cleo is kidnapped by the rebels. The King seemingly more paranoid than ever; he debates your life with his son whilst you could only stand by helplessly and hope that this would not be the end. His fingers are cold against your cheek as he apologises for his accusation; but then you remember nothing more. The world fading to darkness, waking up in the arms of a stranger, being carried away from the palace. They thought you dead, but you somehow had survived.You bided your time, waiting until he set you down, using your new skills to sneak away whilst his back was turned. You had nothing with you but the clothes you wore and your life; but that was more than enough for you to find your way to the rebels. It took them time to trust you, but still you tried, thinking only of your friend and your brother and your need to help them.

THEON RANUS.

For a long time you believed that nothing would be able to touch the bond between your family - your mother the light of your life, your father the man you looked up most to in the world, and your twin brother your partner in all. You had fourteen years of convincing yourself that this would be how your life would always be : full of life and the sounds of your family's laughter echoing around you. It is at fourteen that you realise this was just a fantasy - that you'd simply chosen not to notice the storm that was brewing beneath the surface.You're fourteen when you return home to the scent of copper in the air, the door to your home flung open. For a moment you believe you may have been robbed, but oh how wrong you were. Walking inside to find your brother stood above the lifeless body of your mother, bloodied knife in hand. Perhaps you imagined the crazed look in his eyes, or perhaps it was simply a reflection of your own expression as you grabbed your twin by the throat. A rage in you that you'd never felt before, never needed to feel before. Thinking back to that moment, you know you easily could have killed him, you do not know how you managed to hold yourself back. But instead of taking his life, you yell at him to leave and to never come back. You tell your twin that if you ever see him again, you will not hesitate again in killing him. And he runs before your father returns.In the years that passed, you try to forget about that day, you try to forget about Taran. When people ask, you do not tell them you have a brother. You erase him completely from your life, but he lives on in your memories. You and your father grow ever closer and he teaches you everything he knows; how to fight both with and without a sword, when to speak your mind and when to hold your tongue. Everything he would need to survive this new world they found themselves in. You have ten more years like this, training and pushing yourself harder and harder still, intent on making your father proud, of following his footsteps all the way to the castle as a knight.You're twenty four when he is taken from you. A tragic accident, falling from his horse whilst out with the King. You do not question it, for you look up to the King almost as much as you do your father. His death marks a turning point in your life; a need to do better. To make him proud.Your goal is to take over your father's post as the King's personal guard; though this goal becomes almost impossible after a trip with the Princess that ends in tragedy. A tragedy you could have stopped, if only she had let you. Instead you are given the task of becoming the Princess's personal bodyguard. You do everything in your power to protect her, despite her protests. Everything including sacrificing your life for her own at the cowardly blade of the Prince of Limeros in an attempt to kidnap Cleo - the love of your life.Your death, however, is short lived. An exiled watcher found you with life just about existing within you, and they heal you. You do not know why, you're kept in the dark of the events happening across Mytica, the Watcher not wishing to interrupt the fates with the revelation of your survival. It took you months to recover your strength, but once you are able to you make your way to the rebellion you'd heard about, with the hopes you might be able to help your Princess - even if you are no longer what she needs.

NERISSA FLORENS.

You do not remember much of your time before you were brought to the shores of Mytica. It comes in snippets; you remember crying, you remember the pain of your father's hands against you. Remember the way your mother would comfort you in hushed whispers. But it feels as though something you read in a story, rather than something that happened to you.You're only six years old when your village erupts in flames, soldiers flooding your homes. Your father is killed in his attempts to run, but it gives your mother the opportunity to flee with what little she could grab on her way with you in tow.The way in which you spend your childhood seem strange to any you speak to of it, learning when you are still only young that such things should never be discussed. Later, you understand that your mother was a courtesan, but such things had become so ordinary to you that other's shock of the subject no longer affected you. Growing up knowing and seeing things that would make even some of the older women blush.Your mother teaches you everything she knows. Everything you would need to become successful, to become untouchable. Protected. You can never rely on men, ri, but you must give them what they want in order to get what you want, she tells you and you know that you understand exactly what she is trying to teach you. To become successful, you had to work hard and you had to work smart. You had to use the things men wanted against them.Only nineteen when your mother passes of an incurable illness, left with nothing in the world except all that she taught you. You want to make her proud in whatever way you're able to. Already a trusted employee of the most revered dress maker in Auranos, you continue working for him. You continue doing all the things your mother had taught you, taking the coin of the men that so willingly gave their trust and their love to you; even though you knew you would never return it.However, soon you find yourself once more living through an occupation born in the blood and rage of the privileged men. It does not take you long to align yourself with the blossoming rebellion. A task that proved easier than you had expected, able to charm your way within their ranks, their leader recognising the asset that you present to the rebellion's efforts.You aid in the kidnapping of the Golden Princess after she comes to the very shop you've been working at for years, but you know you will no longer be able to stay in your role there. But this is not a negative, no this is an opportunity. An opportunity to be able to properly help the rebellion. You cut your hair to your shoulders, reinventing yourself just as your mother had taught you. The position within the palace is not a difficult one to obtain, working your way up to the position of attendant to the Princess. A position that affords you the ability to spy on those within the palace walls that are a threat both to the Princess, and to the survival of Auranos.Quickly you become one of the most important assets to the rebellion, carrying messages between your leader and the Princess whilst also gathering information from parties more than willing to share their secrets with the woman they believed to have loved them. It is this skill that enables you to survive the occupation of the Empress, becoming her attendant and gaining her trust too.

ELIDE MOON.

You grew up knowing nothing of magic and the wizarding world. Surrounded by familial love and friendships, the scent of the sea forever becoming a source of deep calm for you, even as a small child.You're seven when you start to realise that perhaps all was not as it seemed within the world you had grown up within. Strange things began to happen around you, become so frequent that you and your parents could no longer deny the connection to you. Flowers blooming beneath your touch, leaves floating as you lay back against the grass of your garden, sand castles becoming a little more than just ordinary.It is on your eleventh birthday that it is confirmed to you all. A witch, according to the letter addressed to you, and delivered to your home by owl post. Initially sceptical of the whole thing, eventually your parents agreed to send you to the school that had written to you: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They believe this to be the best option for you, knowing that whatever was happening would only increase as you grew older.And so you claimed your place at Hogwarts, experiencing the thrill of shopping for things you had only believed to be mythical until now: cauldrons and robes, a wand, robes. Everything you needed to be able to succeed at your new school. Getting the train to Hogwarts alone was a nerve-wracking experience, but you managed it, proud of that fact even if it might seem a normal experience to anyone else. You're placed into Hufflepuff by the sorting hat, and you found it to be the perfect place for your whimsical personality to thrive amongst other likeminded students.Placed into Hufflepuff by the sorting hat, Elide found it the perfect place for her whimsical personality to thrive amongst other like minded students. However, you realise that the people outside of your housemates believe you to be strange and annoying with your thirst for knowledge and your curiosity. They knew you did not come from magical heritage, and they used this fact against you at any point they were able to. You suppose they must think it will drag you down enough that you will stop asking your questions, but they could not be more wrong.Despite the bullying from your peers, you find a passion for many things in your time within the castle walls. Herbology became incredibly important to you, finding the growth of the plants around you and the light they swallowed a great comfort. Perhaps it reminds you of your garden back home, you're not sure. But you know that if you were not able to spend as much time within the greenhouses, you might not have coped quite as well with the negative attitudes of your peers.You also find yourself a natural at the game of Quidditch. You were never someone who excelled in sports, but perhaps the thrill of flying through the skies is what drew you to the quidditch try outs. Soon you earn the position of Chaser for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, splitting your free time between practicing on the pitch and helping out within the greenhouses.You know that something is brewing within the Wizarding World. You know that soon the world will become incredibly unsafe for people like you, but you spend your days trying incredibly hard to keep a positive outlook on how things will end. Despite it all. Despite the way you are treated by those who you know would support the hateful things others wished to enact within your world. You cannot give up your hope, that is when they truly win.

ESTELLE ROMERO.

Heartgrove is your home, but it has never been easy for you growing up there. Impoverished, with little to call your own, but your mother got you through the tougher days, her smile the only thing that had the ability to lighten your mood at times. Your life was mostly the same for the first few years, until you're six years old and trying to help your mother with a sickness that left her practically bedridden.She tries to continue on with her work, with looking after you; her little star, she quickly becomes too ill to do either. Thus you learn that you are not able to enjoy your childhood like the other kids within the village, no you muse take care of your mother in anyway that you can. Trying to gather as much food for the both of you, taking on jobs around the village to pay for it for many years.You're eight when you spot a small, white haired girl being corned by two boys much older than her. Unable to simply turn your back and allow the defenceless girl get hurt, you step in. Fighting dirty against the boys to ensure the strange girl was safe from harm. You learn her name is Bessie, and that she has no one in the village looking after her, completely alone in the world. Something within you felt responsible for this girl, despite knowing you couldn't look after her by yourself. It's then that you meet a boy, Felix, he too had felt responsible for the safety of Bessie and had found her an old barn to sleep in. He'd shared his food with her too, which you knew was no light declaration of loyalty in their village. You agree to look after the young girl together, becoming good friends because of this.You're nine years old when your mother succumbs to the illness, and you found yourself filled with both grief, but also relief that she was no longer suffering with such pain. Completely alone, with only Bessie and Felix now to call your family, you stay with the younger girl in the barn Felix had found. You both teach her how to survive, how to fight, and Felix hones your own skills. Many years pass like this, happy enough in your little bubble. Until the day the witches came.There was a rumour that the Royal's ruby was to be found within your little village, and the witch's and their men wanted to claim it before the Royals could. They burned your homes to the ground, forcing your village onto the streets, separating you from Felix. Both of you forced to do nothing but watch as the barn Bessie was sleeping within was set alight until all that was left was a pile of ash and rubble. You try to force yourself our of the grasp of the men holding you back, breaking free, but too slow in making it to the barn. Too slow to see if Bessie had made it out.Forced to watch as the men knocked Felix to the ground, helpless as they dragged him to what you assume was his death. You play the role of the weak, traumatised girl until you were left alone with just one man. Fighting to free yourself, running from Heartgrove. From everything you'd ever known. Alone and on the run, you lasted only a year before captured once more by a witch. This time, forced into captivity to carry out her bidding, a magical chain keeping you on a short leash. A chain that could only be broken once the witch was dead.You're there for seven years, barely fed and weakened to the point of compliance, doing whatever the witch asked of you. Until you see him again. Felix. He tells you that he had been sent to kill the witch holding you captive. Despite barely having enough energy, you still did everything you could to help him carry out his mission, the chain breaking upon her death, the taste of freedom had never felt so sweet.

ZIG : VIRGO.

You do not remember the time before this facility, before the cold white walls and the pain. All that remains is a flash of a memory, so close you feel as though you might be able to touch it. The soft scent of lavender and coffee, coarse hands that touch your cheek. It is all that gets you through the nights alone, a memory that you're not even sure is a memory but you cling to it anyway. The serum that burned it's way through your body destroyed any remnants of what your life might have been like, instead you're left in the hands of cruel doctors who's only interest is for you to be BETTER. They say you are here because you're special, but you don't feel special. You just feel tired, alone.When they brought in another, you could not help but feel pity ( though you weren't supposed to feel anything ). You made a plan to help them, a way to help them resist the indoctrination just like you did. But they sent you away before you could help and when you came back, Experiment 04 was already under their control. You hate yourself for the pain you feel you could have saved them from, but there's nothing you can do now. Nothing but watch as they curse about the serum not being as effective. You hate knowing that you are the blueprint for the other's suffering.And then they bring in another. Experiment 05 they call her. And so they cycle begins again. Only this time you make sure you're able to help her. You show her kindness that is somehow still within you, despite it all."Zig, that's my name. You should get yourself one too." a name helps, you've learnt. It helps to humanise you, to make you feel as though you deserve better than this. You help her to remember herself, to resist just like you did, and it works! They perfected the effectiveness of the serum, just like with you, but this time she too can choose not to comply at times. The time between missions was tortuous, waiting and thinking... hoping... wishing. And she returns, safe and you can breathe again.But now there's talk of separation, of failure and you cannot bare to be apart from the only person holding you together. So you come up with a plan, whispered when no one was watching. And then it was time. Freedom was within reach but -- something was wrong.They knew, and they were coming. "Go!" you shout to your sister, and it kills you to know that you might never see her again. But at least you know that she is safe, that she is free. They made you suffer for your crime, a lost experiment was a disaster for O.R.I.O.N. and it was your fault. For the first time you fear you might not survive their wrath. But somehow you always survive. Time passes, but then she is there and you are both free. For now.

EMILIO RAMOS GUTIERREZ.

As the time passes, you remember less and less of your life before. You remember the feeling of the cold seeping into your bones, the hunger that never quite left your stomach. You remember being so tired, but never quite managing to sleep for fear of where you might end up. And you remember her. Camila. She’d been there at the studio the community opened to try and stop kids like you from falling from the slippery slope that was poverty.No matter how fuzzy the rest of your memories become, her face remains clear in your mind. The memory of the day the organisation offered you an out remains within your mind too; offering safety and security. A place to sleep and a place to learn. You didn’t know what they intended from you, all you knew was that anything was better than your life as it was.
Quickly it became clearer that O.R.I.O.N. was not a normal organisation, saving kids from the streets. They put you through a rigorous training routine, but you don’t complain. At least you are safe. At least Camila is here with you. The trainers were odd, cold and impersonal with eyes that glowed, but it did not take you long to understand not to question any of it. Internal guards is what they told you of their purpose here, training you to be the same; assuming you passed their tests and initiations.It went on like this until your nineteenth birthday. Your initiation, they told you, you’ve done well in your training, now it was time for your biggest test. They took you away from the rest, locked you inside a small room with white walls and small vents in the ceiling. They told you to sit and you complied ( you always complied ). Slowly, smoke began to fill the room and still they told you to sit. Despite the pain in your lungs, the room slowly fading away, you sat.147 minutes later and your eyes open, chest heaving as you cough the smoke from your lungs. You’re allowed mere moments to adjust before a project manager is at your side, marking your forearm with a barcode and inscription that would allow you access to the rest of the facility: PO-147. There is a moment for you to process everything, searching within yourself for some sense of horror ? sadness ? But you feel -- nothing. It is on the same day that you learn more about your new self. You learn through experience that your bones now take only 5-10 minutes to heal from breaking, you learn that despite being able to heal quickly that did not mean that it did not HURT. You are tested to the point of collapse, and yet you feel no anger for it. You obey, you comply. They seem happy with the way you have turned out.You’re kept away from Camila during training for a year and you know you should feel fear for what you knew was to come for her. But when she is not with you, there is nothing in your heart but the loyalty O.R.I.O.N built within you. Eventually her birthday comes around and you know it is time for her and other’s to complete their initiation. What you do not realise is that this is also your test. A room with a tub of water and you stand there, waiting for whoever was to be submerged. Camila walking through the door takes you by surprise, and slowly you realise just what they wanted from you. They instructed her into the water and then it is your turn. They expect you to the last thing she sees, but you refuse. For the first time since your reboot, anger pools within your veins. They’re unhappy, but you don’t care. You’d promised her you would never hurt her, even know you could not break that promise.Two others walk in though you take little notice of their numbers. One forces you to your knees, restrains you in such a way that you were unable to avert your eyes to the inevitable. During the time Camila is resting, they remind you of your place, of how they saved you both. Over and over again until you comply.From there you excel in your training, the detachment to your emotions an asset to O.R.I.O.N. There are times where you cannot help but question yourself, cannot help but wonder why your heart no longer fills with joy when you dance with Camila during your recreation hour. You remember how it felt before, you remember laughing during your training and having it sound real. Honest. Rather than the empty sound it is now.Eventually you begin to notice several of your peers disappearing, they try to tell you that it was simply down to assignments gone wrong and you believe them. You always do. You believe them until the night Camila turns on you. It comes seemingly out of nowhere, something coming over her that causes you to become the enemy. You try not to hurt her, but she is trying to kill you and you could never allow her that pain. You make no noise as you stop her with force, but you feel it within your heart. Fear. You’ve not felt that for such a long time now. And she does not remember when she wakes, and you decide not to tell her, hoping that it was a one off. Hoping you’d never have to break your promise again.

ANNIE CLEMENS.

Growing up, writing has always been your passion. You tried other things of course; cheerleading, photography, a few sports here and there. But nothing ever came close to the love you held for journalism, telling the stories of other people, getting to meet some of the most interesting people even from a young age.It was only after an alien attack in your Junior year, however, that you really realised how many other stories are out there for you to tell. Your parents had been saved from a building on the verge of collapse by a group of heroes, they called themselves the Avengers, and you decided you'd found your next subject matter. You were going to tell the story of the Avengers, and the people they helped. People just like your parents. They saved them - saved you too, really. Who would you have been without the support of your parents?Since that day you spent your time, along with your best friend April, documenting the heroics of the group that fought for the survival of Earth and those who inhabited it. You spend your free time following the Avenger's stories, writing articles praising their efforts, despite April's more critical standpoint. To you they were true heroes.Years go past like this, your optimism never faltering, despite the tragedies that occurred along the way, such as Sokovia. It is only when your best friend's brother, August, becomes a casualty of Thanos' hunt for the infinity stones that you begin to see things from April's perspective. The three of you had always been as close as can be - the triple A's, you were nicknamed. His loss rocked you to your core, dying in the line of duty as a firefighter, helping civilians get to safety.Surely the Avengers could do more to ensure their heroics did not come at the cost of so many lives.Your admiration for them remains, though the light they held in your eyes has been dimmed. They needed to do better, and you hoped to help find a way for them to do so. Instead of writing solely about the achievements of the Avengers, you decide to investigate more into ways they could prevents these things from occurring all together. You start with the Winter Soldier, and those that created him. From there you find the whispers of new organisations hoping to use the work of Hydra as their blueprint. It's here you find your calling; investigating the more human threats that could end up causing just as much destruction. This does not take up all your time, bills still need to be paid, thus you continue to work with April to find the smaller stories too. The ones that deserve to be told.

CHRIS ARGENT.

Ever since you can remember, you've known that the monsters under the bed aren't real, the demons in the closest aren't really there, that there is nothing waiting for you within the darkness of your home. You know this because you are taught about the real monsters, the ones with teeth and claws that will kill you if you were to give them a chance. Though you know about the monsters that linger in the dark, it is not until you are fourteen that you are allowed to learn the full truth.You're walking home from school when you feel their hands around you, catching you unawares; though you still try to fight. But they're quicker than you, and you're only fourteen, so before you know it the world is dark and you are waking up some time later in a room. You know you're alone, but you can hear the howling in the distance, and fear begins to seep into your bones. Your father never did like to do things by the book, so you did not know that this was simply a training exercise; he wasn't there to demonstrate the goal, expecting you to figure it out yourself. Your hands and feet are bound to the legs of the chair, rope tight around your chest keeping you tight against it's back. But you knew you had to escape, that you had to find a way. It takes you almost an hour to struggle against the rope enough to allow you the movement to throw yourself back against the ground, breaking the wood of the chair and allowing you your escape; though you remain cautious on the way out. Your father's car waiting outside shocks you, but you try not to let it show. The others tell you that you did a good job, that you set a new record, but you know from your father's face that it still wasn't good enough.From that moment on your life changes. Test after test and training session after training session, your father expecting nothing but the absolute best from you. He tests you always, and you live in a constant state of worry that the next thing he throws at you will disappoint him; but you do well. One of the best hunters of your age, or so everyone but your father tells you. But sacrifices are made to meet your father's ever-changing expectations. You no longer know life outside of school and hunting, you distance yourself from your friends; focused solely on making him proud. You're eighteen when you pass your gruelling training; becoming a fully fledged member of one of the most powerful and well-respected hunting families. Your status solidified with the forging of six silver bullets, each stamped with the Argent fleur-de-lis as a testament to the code you have pledged your life to.Only weeks after your graduation, you're sent on your first arms deal, travelling to Japan to meet your buyer. But the tests never end. Your father saw a perfect opportunity to ensure his son would be ready for anything. He did not tell you that the buyers were members of the Yakuza, he did not tell you to expect the worst. You find yourself panicking when they draw their weapons on you, just as five Oni appear in pursuit of their leader - who had been possessed by the Nogitsune. The deal becomes a bloodbath and you hide among the dead, until one of the survivors stands. You think they're going to face the Oni alone, and you know you can't allow that to happen. So you load your gun with your new bullets and you shoot the closest Oni. The silver weakens it, smashing it's mask and buying enough time for the survivors to escape. You didn't know the man you followed into battle was just about to flee; leaving you behind. You collected the smashed mask as you ran.You know now that you'll never be free of your fathers tests and traps, you grow colder. you push your emotions to the side and focus on the work in the hopes of meeting your father's expectations one day, impossible as you felt it might be. Your work becomes your life, and you try your hardest to keep the focus on you and away from your sister; hoping she may not be fated to the same life as you were. To others, Gerard seemed like the perfect father, and you the perfect son; but you know the truth of the darkness that lays beneath his calm exterior, you've felt the force of his anger and disappointment too many times to delude yourself into thinking he could be pleased.Years pass as you continue in this way, becoming one of the most feared hunters in Argent history. You continue to further your knowledge of the enemy, consuming as much information as possible between hunts and training. Though it did not matter how much of yourself you gave, it was still not enough for your father; your dedication to the code and your unwillingness to stray from it a failure in his eyes. Leading him straight to your sister, despite how hard you tried to keep him away. You watched as he warped her mind, turned her into a killer of innocents.Not long after this you are introduced to Victoria. A strong and independent woman, someone you got along with, even though you could see she was shrouded in the same darkness that surrounded your father's heart. It was expected of the two of you to fall in love; two children of powerful hunting families. It would make a great alliance; or so your father told you. And so you marry her, and two years later your child is born; your daughter. Allison.Despite your happiness at having a child, you and Victoria still struggled through your sham of a marriage; trying to hold your family together for the sake of your father and your child. It's this that leads you into the habit of drinking alone, and it's a year after Allison is born that you meet her; Evelyn. It's a whirlwind of an affair, though you ensured she was aware of the ring upon your finger. You and Victoria had long since stopped with the romantic side to your relationship; allowing the other to find this in others, as long as you returned to your family at the end of the night. What you didn't know was that Evelyn was married too. You only find out when you arrive at a meeting with other hunters in the area and she introduces you to her husband and their children. But despite it all, you can't help but feel something for her.You become good friends with her and her husband, despite the thoughts that you might want something more with her that plague your mind; your dreams. You try your best to stay away, but it's not long after that night that Evelyn announces her pregnancy; and you can't help but wonder if perhaps the child was not Christopher's - though you'd never voice such scandal, you know that her family meant everything to her.You both try to stay apart once the child is born, but there's something between you that continues to draw you together until one night where she's at your door and the next thing you know she's kissing you and you can't find the willpower to stop her. Your affair resumes and it kills you but you can't stop the way your heart yearns for even just a moment with her; a glimpse of something you could have had but were denied. A glimpse at a happy life with someone you truly love. There is no doubt in your mind that the child is yours, and it becomes more and more painful to be around Felix and Evelyn. But to be apart would be more painful. You continue your affair until she falls pregnant once more a few years later, a girl this time. And again you are sure with every inch of you that Chloe is yours.But you continue this charade for years. Her husband becomes suspicious she might be seeing another, but still you continue to keep it all from him. Only now you have a plan, you've both discussed it and you've decided that you'll both make a proper go of things, that you'll tell your significant other's the truth and you'll try to sort things out from there. However, it is not long after the date for this is set that you received the call that changed your entire life. Felix's voice through the receiver they're all dead... and you fear you may stop breathing completely. You tell your son to hide, you tell him that you're coming and you drive as quickly as you can to the house you knew all too well. But you were too late. Evelyn died in your arms, her last words asking you to promise to look after Felix. But of course Victoria would hear none of it. She'd guessed already of your affair, and she thought it would be too confusing for all the children involved for Felix to become a part of your family. And you know it would be safer for Felix to be apart from you. So you let them take him. You try to move on, move past it all and focus on the family you still have. It'll never be the same with Victoria, but you still respect one another. You move away and you don't return for years; not until Allison was older.

JOHNNY GREENBERG.

Your life has never been easy. From the moment you could walk and talk, you've been told that you need to do better. Be better. It didn't take you long to realise that your father had not wanted the responsibility of looking after a child, your mere existence driving him to the bottom of the bottle more times than you can count. By the time you're seven, you know the names of the kind nurses in the emergency room: the ones that give you a comforting smile as you're forced to lie about how exactly you ended up there this time.You thought that maybe highschool would be a breath of fresh air for you, no longer under the feet of parents that clearly did not want you around. But you couldn't have predicted just how wrong you would be. It was as though they could smell the weakness your father so often reminded you of, and it made you an easy target for all those that wished to feel powerful. That wished to exhibit control over someone. You think that perhaps those people had a home life similar to your own, but you would never voice those thoughts. You'd learnt a long time ago that they would eventually become bored of your silence and your compliance. For a time, anyway.You managed to find yourself a few friends, the people that no one else wanted to be around, the outcasts. You gravitated towards one another, becoming good friends, despite the circumstances. Just your group against the horrible, terrible world you'd been born into. Or so you thought. Until one day each of them turned up to school completely changed, as though a whole new person. They stuck with one another from that day, even though you tried to find out exactly what was going on : what they were involved with.You're sixteen when they start disappearing. The only people you'd ever been able to call a friend simply stopped turning up to school, stopped replying to your messages, stopped picking up the phone. There were rumours that they'd all gone on a camping trip, you heard mentions of animal attacks - not for the first time in Beacon Hills. But something felt wrong. Different. But no one but you seemed to care, and no one listened to you. Not even your teachers. Eventually you stop allowing yourself to even attempt to befriend your peers for the fear that one day you may walk into school with them for the last time.It was many lonely years like this, wondering if this cycle would ever be broken. If you would ever be free of the torment that came at the hands of your peers and your father. If maybe one day you might be able to live without this petrifying fear of losing everyone you know, of disappointing them all.Your relief comes in the form of a video of your original song, The Ballad of Sixteen, going viral. It earned you a scholarship to a college that would be able to offer you everything you needed to reach your goal of one day making music for a living. It would be a fresh start, being around people who knew nothing of your life before in Beacon Hills. People who you hoped would not disappear in such mysterious circumstances.You grow into yourself whilst your at college, becoming more confident in your own abilities - not just with music, but socially along with your lacrosse abilities. You find a job at a local coffee shop that allows you to play during their open mic nights, giving you more and more experience of performing live in front of other people. You try to push Beacon Hills, and everything you went through there, out of your mind. It's not easy, especially weighed down with the knowledge that your father may attempt to take his anger out upon your mother now you were no longer there for the same purpose, but you try your best.

MILO BLAKE.

You've always been the good kid, the smart but shy boy that seemed to do well in just about everything you attempt. At school, you were surrounded by friends, but you also made sure others were safe too, no matter whether you were friends with them or not. It's in doing this that you would meet the girl that you knew you would fall in love with one day. Perhaps it wasn't love at first sight like the cheesy romance movies your mother loved to watch -- your eyes didn't meet from across the room in an instant romantic connection -- but it still felt just as real to you. She'd been standing up to a bully twice her size, with a wild look of determination in her eyes and fingers curled into fists at her sides. You didn't know her name, but you stood with her -- helped her keep the younger kid safe. You talked down the bully, mentioned you might be inclined to help them with their homework if they left your peers alone. You didn't know her name, but you knew she was impressed ( or perhaps you hoped. ) And so you gathered your courage and you smiled at the girl with storms for eyes and you asked her name: Adelaide Miller, she told you, and you thought it was the prettiest thing ever to have graced your ears.You became good friends after that, stuck with one another against anyone you saw picking on your peers. The more time you spent with one another, the more you realised just how much you had in common. Months passed like this and you begin to wonder if maybe there was something more to this for you both than just friendship. Though you had confidence in yourself, you were still only a boy; it took you some time to gather your nerves and finally ask her out. To your surprise, she agrees, and it's within a field of flowers, sat upon a blanket with a picnic that you confess to her how you feel, and she confesses right back.Thus marks the beginnings of some of the best years of your life. Everyday you feel deeper and deeper in love with one another, and on her eighteenth birthday you present to her a ring. You'd been saving all your wages from the cafe you'd taken a job at to be able to afford it, but it was worth it: she was worth it. You told her that the ring came with a promise: that one day you would replace the gemstone with a diamond and you would ask for her to marry you. You did not know when, but you promised her that you would.Your love survived the separation to college, the longer distance an adjustment, but you made it work; seeing one another as often as you were able to. You both achieved your goals, and then it was just the two of you against the world. Until Adelaide came to you with an announcement. In nine months time, it would no longer be just the two of you, but you'd be a family !You were shocked, of course, but happy - perhaps a little worried of what your parents might think, but they knew how much you loved one another. You told them together, and they reassured you that they would help the best they could, that admitted that they were a little disappointed considering you are both only twenty two, but you knew when the baby arrives that they'd love them almost as much as you will.She arrives nine months later, in August, and she couldn't be more in love with her; Zoey is the name you choose. It's two years later that you fulfil your promise to Adelaide and you ask her to marry you in a field surrounded by flowers, with Zoey watching from the picnic blanket. Adelaide of course accepts, that blinding smile of hers rendering you speechless. You're more in love than ever for a long time, that is until Adelaide accepts a job that requires her to travel across the country, and you begin to realise that you do not know how to live without the other. You'd never had to be alone before, and she'd never had to be without you.It was this realisation that later caused you to make the decision at twenty seven to separate, after spending several years attempting to fall back in love with Adelaide, and she with you. For the sake of Zoey. You both knew this was the best decision, not only for yourselves but for Zoey too. The split is amicable, remaining friends and co-parents, though it is you that is Zoey's main carer with how often Adelaide had to travel. However, she grew up knowing just how much her mother loved her, even if she wasn't there with them all the time.You decide that this is the perfect time to open your own business, a bakery and coffee shop that you've been dreaming of for a long time, selling your handbaked goods along with the very best coffee. Zoey becomes adored by all that frequented your business, showered in love at every corner.After a few years of establishing your shop, you also take on some tutoring, using your degree in English to help those kids that were struggling at the local school. You do everything you can for them, and anyone else that might need a safe place for a time. The people of your town know they can turn to you in times of crisis and receive as much help as you're able to give.

SILVER MAYBERRY.

1980 - 2000
Believing it to be time to move on from her place in the middle of nowhere, Silver journeys to Scotland. Finding that her poetry and stories are well received here, though she still continues to publish them under a male alias to continue to protect her secret.2000 - 2015. The recession hits and so many people are hurting. Moving around the country, she tries to lend a hand to those that need it most. Volunteering at every charity, anonymously giving a percentage of the proceeds of her book and poetry sale to organisations that would help those that need it most.2015 - 2019. Leaving England is a hard decision to make but it is one that was needed to protect her identity. Rather than deciding to move to one place, Silver decides it is time to see the rest of the world. Travelling across the world, experiencing as much culture as possible and using her travels as inspiration for her work.2019 - Present. Inspired by a very old friend, Silver enrols in an astronaut training programme with the ESA. Perhaps she can finally allow her friend to see the stars with her.

IRENE DAVENPORT.

1619 - 1645. Born to French / English parents who were Buccaneers. Found herself aboard a Privateer boat along with her parents. Taught how to fight and how to sail, along with all the responsibilities that came along with that. The Captain of the “étoile filante” took a liking to Irene and often liked to have her up at the bridge with him. During a raid, the “étoile filante” was wrecked - underestimating the cannons aboard the ship they were trying to raid. Irene took her last breath holding onto the hands of her mother and father as they were dragged beneath the dark waters. Washed up on unknown shores, Irene was saved by a creature with the head and body of a man but instead of legs there was a tail. He bestowed life to her, but due to little knowledge of the human lifespan, he gave her too much.1645 - 1692. Irene found her way onboard a new ship who took pity upon her. They expected her to do the duties and chores none of the other crew liked doing in exchange for their kindness. She worked her way through the ranks with this ship for years until reaching First Mate. However it soon became apparent that her lack of aging would become a problem, more and more of the crew commenting on her youthful complexion. During another raid, Irene faked her death and ran from the ship she had called home for ten years. This became her routine - finding a new crew, staying for as long as possible and then disappearing. For forty years Irene kept up this routine.The ship she was sailing with made land at Port Royal seven days before the earthquake hit. Destruction and death all around, tearing through the Port as though it were made of cardboard. Irene died that day - for the second time.1692 - 1722. Waking up alone in the ruins of the once great Port Royal had shaken Irene to her very core. Finding her own ship she named it The Red Siren and sailed alone for twenty years, unable to lose any more crew whilst she managed to survive. Though she did take on a travelling crew, those she knew would only stay with her for a few months before leaving her ship. Piracy was on it’s way out and Irene was on the run. Five years she lasted at sea before The Red Siren was found and wrecked - the spoils of the war on piracy. Though not dead, Irene did suffer serious injuries, barely making it to the nearest shore. Found alive but unconscious on the beach by a French family, they took Irene in and allowed her to stay until she was back on her feet. France was in turmoil, and training for a medics position seemed like her only option.1722 - 1820. Irene remained in France after parting from the family that took her in. Only staying in one place for five years to avoid suspicion. Whilst travelling, she found a passion for art and sculptures, selling her creations for money to enable her to keep moving. Moving from France, travelling to Italy by boat. Learning Italian as she travelled to enable her to sell any art or sculptures she still had from her time in France. She moves around Italy, using the same rules as her time in France - never staying in the same place for more than five years. Using the money she had been able to save from her art, Irene buys a small cottage in the Italian countryside. She learns how to make different types of wine, selling these for a small profit.1820 - 1890. Conflict was rising in Italy and Irene tries to stay away from it. But she finds she is unable to sit by whilst people are killed. Offering her services as a medic and nurse to the uprising. Fleeing from her home in Italy, returning to the sea to escape the conflict tearing through the country. Finding herself onboard a travelling merchants boat - learning the trade from her and eventually moving from merchant to merchant to avoid suspicion. Finding herself in Britain, she stays for a while. Training as a teacher for reading and writing for small children, allowing them to practice art in their free time with her supervision. Travels across Britain as a teacher, though continuing her art in any free time - selling her art for spare money.1890 - 1940. Moves from Britain to America, witnessing the first controlled, sustained flight by the Wright Brothers. Begins to learn how to pilot. Though her studies end, once again finding herself at war.
Irene works as a nurse and medic during the war, and throughout the influenza epidemic. Craving peace after the sights of war, Irene moves back to Italy to find her cottage still standing. Learning to fix her home as she also returns to her first love - art. Desperate to steer clear of the war that was blossoming within her country, remaining at her secluded home for as long as she was able to, hoping that it would not come to war once more.1940 - 1945. Once it became apparent that the war on the horizon was not to be avoided, they began to draft women into the fight. Once more, Irene offers her services as a nurse and medic during this period. Joins the anti - facist resistance, becoming the leader of one of many all female task forces. Spreading their ideologies as far as they could, to as many people as possible. Irene taught the women around her how to fight - how to survive. However, she was killed for it. Caught by the German troops who made her an unwilling martyr.1945 - 1960. Fleas to Finland after waking up from the war in Italy. No one saw her leave, no one knew she was alive, but everyone would remember her for years to come - the redheaded spitfire who led women to the path of victory. She could not risk being seen within the country and as such decided Finland was the best place for her, especially considering their neutrality within the cold war.1960 - 1970. Moving on from Finland to Sweden, following the uplift of their economy. Joins the Swedish air force after learning to pilot in the US. Continuing this for a few years, finding that life in the air force lent itself well to hiding her secret.1970 - 1990. Returns to the Carribean for a more peaceful life after years of war. Travels around the islands for years, going back to her rule of five (never staying in the same place for longer than five years). Returns to the sea life for some of these years, though always returns to port in one of the islands.1990 - 2005. Sails from the Carribean to Scotland and buys a new cottage in the Scottish highlands. Learns how to grow and produce her own food, tends to her flower gardens and keeps away from civilisation as much as possible.2005 - Present. The recession hurts a lot of the people around her, but thanks to her long life it does not touch Irene. She comes to love England, but knows that it is time for her to move on. Now an owner of several galleries displaying not only her own work, but others too in the heart of Italy but no one knows the owner of these galleries. A way to allow her to continue her love for art without fear of her secret being discovered.

CHELSEA DAGGER.

You grew up able to afford the newest fashions and technologies, you never went hungry and you were comfortable at home. Your family weren't rich by any means, but you were comfortable enough to know that you never had to worry about money like some of your peers did. However, as the only child of two career orientated over achievers, you did have to concern yourself with the pressure they piled onto your shoulders each and every day. You had to be perfect for them to be proud of you; the highest grades in your class, several after school and weekend classes and activities. You had to be perfect; no matter the cost to you. Burnt out time and again, but you forced yourself through because you couldn't let your parents down. But there was always something more, something you weren't doing enough.For years you tried to meet their expectations, but eventually you snapped, you couldn't take it anymore. Life shouldn't be lived like this, missing out on experiences with your friends just to try and succeed academically. Just after your 17th birthday you make the decision to run away. You had funds saved up from pocket money and jobs you'd worked in between your studies, you had enough things to be able to make it somewhere. So you packed up your things when your parents were out, you write a note to explain your decision and to tell them not to worry about you; that you'll be okay and one day you'll find them again. Once you've found yourself a place out in the real world.You travel into the city with what little you've packed, keeping your money close to you to ensure you don't fall prey to any sort of pick pocketing. Quickly it becomes clear to you that this would perhaps not be as easy as you'd assumed; but you couldn't go back now. You had to keep going, keep moving. You spend a while living rough, but you manage to pick up a few odd jobs to make yourself enough money to eventually be able to afford to rent out a tiny flat. But those jobs go as quickly as they'd come, and soon you find yourself struggling to meet the costs of living alone.One day you're out on the streets, looking for job advertisements when you watch someone with deft fingers pluck a wallet from the suit trousers of a passer-by. It doesn't seem too difficult, and you've always been observant enough to spot where people keep their valuable items. It's on a whim that you try it for yourself, your heart threatening to burst free of your chest. But you do it, and you do it well, they don't even notice you as she walk just a little too close.You continue on like this for some time, now able to afford your rent you find yourself a more stable job at a less than reputable hotel bar and for a while that does you well. Until one day they host a burlesque performance there, and you find yourself more intrigued by it than you've been by anything for a long time. You ask afterwards how you might go about trying something like that for yourself, and the performers are more than happy to help you on your journey.Eventually you become rather good at it, using your alias as your stage name you start performing at bars and clubs and earning a decent amount of money from it; though you keep it as more of a side job, continuing with your criminal activities along with your work at the hotel.

MAEVE HARPER.

Growing up practically alone in the world, your father a drunk and a gambler and your mother working too many jobs to ever pay enough attention to you as you wanted. From a young age you realised that you'd never be able to change those facts - this was your life. Either you adapted, grew to live with the cards fate dealt to you, or you take it upon yourself to do something about it. Something to change the course of your life.It took you years to figure it out, but you were eleven when you finally realised - people would not look twice at a cute blonde haired, innocent child. They wouldn't suspect you for any crimes that might be committed upon their premises. So you decided to test your theory, ducking behind the counter at a store a few blocks from your home, deft fingers snagging the notes from the register before it closed, using your big doe eyes to tell the man that you think you're lost. He did not even notice the missing money, too focused on the distraught young girl who'd lost sight of her parents, helping her get back to her home, even paying for a taxi to ensure you made it safely. It's in that moment that you realise: innocence can be used for gain. Your gain.From here it spirals into a career, but also a game. As you grow up and grow into your looks, it is not your innocence that allows you to get away with petty crimes, but your looks. Another thing that you know you can weaponize, another knife in your metaphorical arsenal. You grow more and more daring with the cons and the theft, using the money at first to pay off the debts your father owed, and then spending it upon yourself. New clothes and jewellery lent into the image you had created for yourself - no one suspects the airheaded, blonde rich girl. You change your name to Maeve Harper, moving away from the parents that had never cared about you.It's on the train that you catch the eye of a young businessman, a flirty smile and a flip of your hair later and you'd gained his name, along with his number. Billy, he called himself, and you thought: what a perfect target for your games. You agree to meet, and the dates only continue, the more you learn of him, the less you wish to subject him to your cons. The most unexpected twist to your life: you were in love.Your relationship with Billy flourished quickly, both of you falling for one another hard and fast. Only months later and Billy was down upon one knee in the sand during your second holiday together, asking for your hand in marriage, and for some reason you accept. Your lives do not change much, aside from you no longer having much need to continue with your cons. Billy was the heir to the Standard Oil name, and he shared his wealth with his new wife without a second thought. Instead, you turn to partying the days and nights away with your husband and your new friends. You think that life could not get much better than right now.
A thought you wish you had never had the day you found out that Billy had a heart condition, one that was rapidly declining his health at a rate at which his doctors were unable to stop the inevitable. Billy died knowing nothing of the true past of his new bride, believing her a saint and an angel.The grief of losing him consumes you. For a long time you were unable to do much with your life, wondering why you were allowed to live; only to watch him die. Eventually, the grief freezes your heart: promising yourself that you would never allow yourself to care as much for another. No, you would go back to what you did best and you would create something great in the embers of what Billy left behind.Rumours spread, of course, of your intentions with your late husband when you first met him. Some whispering that you killed him in order to take control of his property and his finances. It was a terrible terrible lie, but as always you saw an opportunity - something that could be used. Fear was a big motivator, you had learned in your years.Thus, to the outside world you appear as a widow consumed with enough grief that it made you mad. But behind the doors of your estate, you create something truly marvellous. A business that dealt in many different things used within the crime world. A formidable crime syndicate growing from the ashes of an oil tycoon.

GENEVIEVE ASHWIN.

You grow up knowing nothing of the power that slept within your veins, your parents wanting nothing more than for you and your sister to grow up having a semi-normal childhood - something they'd wished their own parents had allowed for them. Of course there were still some abnormality to how you were raised: your parents would often disappear for a few days at a time, leaving you in the care of their trusted friends, there was a lot of moving around to different cities ad countries. But it was a big adventure each time for you and Gabrielle. Both of you were extroverted children, and thus making new friends in each new school was never a problem for you both.You excel in school, finding a passion in crafting, beginning to make clothes for both yourself and Gabrielle when you're only thirteen years old. Your parents support each hobby the both of you obtain, even buying you a sewing machine for your fourteenth birthday. Life is good, if a little strange at times, but you don't question any of it; don't think to question it as it all was so normal for you.It's only when you're sixteen years old that you realise the reason why things were so strange growing up. Returning home from school to find the place ransacked, your parents nowhere to be found. You keep your sister away, but you can scent the cooper of blood somewhere in your home. You know that something terrible happened here. You try to search for your parents in all the ways they had taught you growing up, even tried to contact their friend, but to no avail. Left alone in the world, you took on the care of your younger sister.Your hobbies and your school education no longer as important as they once were. You still attend, attempting to pretend to everyone that things were still as they once were, but you become more withdrawn - cautious. It takes two jobs to be able to continue to put food on the table for you both, leaving you exhausted and slipping behind in school. But no one guesses what has happened. Pretending to be normal works, until the day the hunters came to your town.You were at work when they came, Gabrielle at a school club after insisting she would be okay without your watchful eye looking out for her. When you return to collect her, you find she is no longer there. They tell you a family friend came to collect her - a clear lie. The rage that flooded your system felt different, but it was not until you returned home to once more find the place ransacked, that it become more than that. Something dark and terrible, and certainly not quite human.This time in your life, you know now, was your awakening. The moment your dormant fae powers surfaced from the rage and pain of losing your sister when you know you could have stopped it had you been there - or at least tried to. It awoke an urge in you, something that lead to a rampage whilst on the hunt for whoever had taken your sister. But you still held onto your hope that maybe, just maybe, your family were still alive somewhere and just were being held. But when you finally found the hunters that had taken her, you soon realised otherwise.Taking their lives was the easiest thing you've ever done, igniting a deep and fiery hunger inside you - a hunger and thirst for chaos and blood. You didn't understand it then, but later you discovered what this would mean. That there was a name for creatures like you: Redcaps. Fairies often found a the sites of the most brutal and bloody murders in folklore, often after causing them.You satisfied this new found hunger by taking the lives of those that deserved it; evil, cruel and heartless people and creatures that did not deserve to continue on living.You realised, later, that people would pay you to put down people like this. They would reward you for ridding the world of such terrible people, people like the ones that took your mother and father, that took and killed your sister. And so this became your career: hunting and killing. In-between these jobs, you find more normal work at small, diners and bars. Anywhere that you would not be recognised for what you truly were, knowing that there were still people hunting your kind.

GRAYSON DALTON.

The Dalton family is one of the oldest vampire families in England, but the entirety of the family is not aware of this fact. Not until they’re deemed worthy enough to be included into the secret. Before such a time, they are still a family of high social status, and do everything that is expected of them because of this. Looking after their estate and those that worked for them, seeking optimal matches within other households to ensure their line continued etc.It is not until 1403 that your father finds out about the true nature of your family after a distant relative approached him with an offer, a promise really, of everlasting life; never growing old, never getting sick, and as long as he was careful - never dying. A gift he could pass onto his children if he felt them worthy of it. Of course your father accepted, thinking only of the power it would grant him and nothing more, allowing the man to change him into something different. The offer had been given without the full knowledge of what he would become, but he did not care. The lives of insignificant humans in exchange for immortality? He found he had no qualms with this.For years your father had been testing you, putting you and your siblings into unfavourable situations in order to strengthen you; to weed out the weak amongst the strong. What better way to fully test his children than with the promise of eternal life? He told you all that only four of you would be able to receive such an offer, that he wished he could give it to you all but that it was out of his control. He too did not disclose the cost of such a gift - spun only as a miracle that would grant you all an eternity together. To win? Well that was simple: survive. What better way to weed out the weak than to set his children upon one another? The last four surviving Dalton children would become a true part of the family for all of eternity.Your father had anticipated that the eldest of his children would survive the trials, what he did not anticipate was the bond that had already been forged between his youngest children. You felt responsible for your sister after your mother’s death, your other siblings all but ignoring the both of you in order to beg for a scrap of attention from your father. You vowed to Mary that you would protect her, that no matter the cost you'd both come out of this alive. Your siblings too underestimated the tenacity that lay within the two youngest siblings. They had assumed you would be the easiest target, but oh how wrong they were.You'd been training with a sword in secret, away from the eyes of your brothers and father, and it was this that saved both you and Mary - though it came at the cost of the lives of two of your brothers. You manage to keep yourself and Mary hidden for most of the duration of the trial, eventually venturing out to find that there were only four remaining. Your father complied in his part of the deal, though both disappointed at the surviving siblings, and intrigued at your ferocity.The gift of eternal life was a painful transition that none of you had prepared for, changing and transforming into something other. You'd been lied to. You knew this now, but it was too late. Once the transformation was complete, your father admitted that he had lied - that this new life of theirs came at a cost. An admission given as four more people were brought into the room Strangers really, confused almost as much as you and your three siblings that stood before them. You must consume them until there is nothing left to drink.Another lie. Another test. Your elder brothers followed your father’s instructions without question, the screams filling the air, panicking Mary. Ignoring the enticing scent of the stranger’s blood, you concentrated on your sister, by now realising that if you did not complete this test; you would not be allowed to live. You pleaded with Mary to just close her eyes and pretend she was somewhere else, to take the wrist of the stranger and to drink. She trusted you more than anyone else, and so she listened to you; something you knew you would come to regret at some point in your life.You also succumbed to your new urges, consuming their blood until there was nothing more for them to give. It was only as you completed the test that your father finally told them what they were. Vampires. Creatures that survived off the blood of humans. He explained your abilities, along with everything else you needed to know of your extended family.Your father kept all of you close by for the first few hundred years of your new lives, not yet trusting you to travel too far for fear of them bringing attention to your family. You stuck close to Mary, aware of how much she was struggling with her changing life. Eventually they were allowed to stray away from their home and you choose to travel with your sister. After some time, you began to distance yourselves from one another ( though not by your own choice ). Mary felt as though you held some responsibility for the monster she thought she had become and simply could no longer be around you. You allowed her to leave your side, secretly harbouring a deep sense of guilt for the very same reason.It was 150 years after you were turned that your discovered an ability your siblings did not share; you did not need to sustain yourself only on the blood of mortals. Your hunger could be satisfied by feeding off the energy of others, even other supernatural creatures, the stronger their emotions the longer your hunger was satisfied. It is not a skill you use often, finding it has more of a fatiguing affect on your victims. But occasionally, or in times of desperation, you use it to survive.

NORA MONTGOMERY.

You were born into one of the oldest werewolf families in England, as the youngest of five, you never really felt as though you fit in amongst your family. Your appearance often the butt of your siblings jokes, your darker hair and eyes an anomaly within the family genetics. Your parents all but ignored your existence, concentrating their time and their love on your elder siblings in order to prepare them for leading the family in the future. Attending an all girls private school did little for your confidence either, desperately trying to fit in among your peers - though perhaps you've always known you were different to them all.It's a well known fact that it is not until you eleventh birthday that you will transition completely into your wolf form, though the process begins slightly before, your teeth sharpening, claws extending from your fingers. When your eleventh birthday comes around, your parents witness your wolf form for the first time, and forbid you from transforming again. You don't understand why, and they do not tell you, but you can sense their concern. Their fear. And thus you obey their orders, denying yourself another transformation.You manage this up until your sixteenth birthday, your wolf form growing tired of it's confinement, wanting to be free for the first time in years. It takes control of your body, of your mind, whilst you're sleeping, forcing you into a transformation. You go on a rampage in revenge for the time spent confined, luring lone travellers from the path in the woods near your home.Waking up, you barely remember the night before, barely remember why your fingers and lips are stained with blood. Your parents are more livid than you have ever seen them, locking you within your room and making certain you would not be able to leave again. You know you've done something monstrous, and so you once again comply without complaint, remaining within the confines of your room, despite the whines of the wolf inside you.You remain like this until your eighteenth birthday when a family friend shows up at your door, your parents allowing you the reward of their company for your dinner. You did not know, however, of their true intentions. Of the intentions of your parents. You dine with them, but before long you become dizzy and dazed, eventually collapsing against the floor of your room.When you awake, you find yourself in a cold dark tomb like room made of stone. Your parents are beside you, along with the friend they'd allowed to poison you. The wolf inside sleeping due to whatever was given to you, completely weakened against whatever it was they planned on doing with you. It's here that you are told of the prophecy:"Upon the day impurity is born, a being of fire and ash shall usher forth an era of inhumanity upon the hunters of the mountains."They tell you that this prophecy is about you. You are the being that is prophesied to destroy your own family. And it is with no sorrow or grief, only relief, in their eyes that they tell you this is necessary for the good of your family. They force you to drink a foul potion, the friend that betrayed you whispering an incantation in an ancient language you did not recognise. Those words are the last you hear before falling into an oblivion of darkness and whispers.And it is those same words that you wake up to hundreds of years later, disorientated and filled with a desire for revenge against the Montgomery name. You swore that day that any that still remained of your family line would meet their deaths at your hands, whether they were a part of the plot against you or not.

SERAPHINA CASTILLO.

There had been whispers of witchcraft deep in your family's blood for a long time, but none of you believed the stories your mothers and your grandmothers told you of the Castillo coven. And why would you? It was not as though there was any proof of these abilities they spoke of - all of it was fantasy, made up stories meant to keep children entertained. Or so you believed, up until your fourteenth birthday when strange things began to happen around you. Flowers blooming and dying within seconds of you touching them, the leaves on tree changing from a vibrant green to a ashy grey when you brushed against them. It went on like this for years, whatever power was inside you only growing stronger and stronger. Becoming more and more difficult to contain and hide from others, from people who wished to end your life before you're able to fully grow into your abilities.It's not until you're sixteen, returning home from school, that they attempt a plot upon your life, using your family. You returned home to a family you could no longer truly recognise, each one with a feral and murderous look within their eyes, and you knew that they would not stop until either they were dead or you were. Nothing you had been taught of your powers seemed to work against them, almost draining yourself in an attempt to spare their lives along with your own. It is in a last ditch effort that you claw at a spark of magic remaining deep within you, unknowingly awakening something much darker in the process. Your eyes turn cold and blacker than the night, lashing out with this new found strength. You'd only meant to stop them, but this power was hungry for more, it was not until you woke up from a magical exhaustion that you realised you had killed them all.You stayed only long enough to gather as many of your possessions as you could carry, torching your home as you left, burning the memories of your childhood and the horrors that had just happened, running from them and never looking back. Your life became more difficult than it had ever been - on the run with no money, no home, no one to rely on or trust. But you made it through the horrible days with the knowledge that you would find whoever did this to you and your family, and you'd make them suffer.The magic that awoke that night remains within you, calling to you with whispers of strength and power, if only she let it in. Gave herself to it. A few years passed, but eventually the draw was too much; giving in to it was the best thing that you'd ever done. It consumes your mind, filling it with dark secrets and knowledge you have never even dreamed of obtaining. It was ancient, dormant within your bloodline for hundreds of years until you called it forth in your desperation. It changed you, hardened you to the world, promising yourself that you would never again be as weak as you were that night. It taught you much, old and ancient curses filled your mind, and the way in which your magic could break them if you so wished.You're twenty five when you come across an old bar being auctioned off. It calls to you, though you don't quite understand why. Using your magic upon the owner, they hand it over to you instead of selling it - your new home. Something you have not had now for many years since it was taken from you. The Devil's Advocate, is what you named it, and you spent some time making sure it was fit for what you had in mind for it. A home, but also a business. With your growing power, you set a spell upon the property, strong in it's nature, making the place untraceable to those who wished to harm anyone within.You become a force to be reckoned with in the supernatural world. A famed cursebreaker, but also a cursegiver if you so decided the recipient deserved it. You dealt not strictly in cash, mostly in favours. A binding agreement that one day if you should come to their door with a request, they are bound to fulfil for you. Your bar thrives with both the business of humans and supernatural beings alike.

ADELIA REDMOND.

You grew up as an only child, born into the pressure of being the heir to the Prevelian throne. Your mother died in order to bring you into this world, and everyday you try to prove yourself worthy of her sacrifice. Though you know your father does not blame nor resent you for her death, you know the memories of her haunt him when he looks at you, you know that he only sees her face when looking upon your own. Still, he dotes on you, loves you more than anything in the world, but you're plagued with the knowledge that you remind him so much of the mother you never got the opportunity to meet.The life you lead was a lonely one, with the kingdom on the verge of war your father grew more and more paranoid the older you got, convinced that as the singular heir to the Prevelian throne, you would become their target. It is in this paranoia that the decision was made to keep you confined within the castle walls from the moment you could walk on your own. Your father forbade you from leaving, assured those working for him that any who broke this rule would be unable to continue working for him. He feared that if you were to leave the castle grounds, you would never return to him, and he will have lost everything. Though you tried to accommodate his wishes, you still yearned to leave : to see the kingdom you would one day rule over, to meet your people. But no matter how much you begged, no one would relent, and you did not blame them, even if you spent most afternoons peaking through gaps in the walls in an attempt to see what life might be like beyond them.Your father, when you were old enough to be able to read and write, declared that you would begin your lessons on how to rule Prevelia, how to protect it from the neighbouring King that wished it to be his own. You learn all about war tactics and how to best defend Preveliam all the key locations that may be under siege if a war truly broke out, and how to protect your people. Though you might wish to hope that this knowledge would never be required, you were not naive enough to truly believe such sentiments. You knew the hunger for power the King of Talviro harboured, though no one could have predicted just how far he'd go to get it.You're twenty three when your father passes of an illness even your best healers were unable to cure, and immediately preparations were made for you to ascend to the throne, your late father's advisors not wishing to give Talviro a chance to strike whilst your Kingdom was without a crowned monarch, though their efforts proved futile. On the night before your coronation, an assassin managed to gain entry to your rooms. Their intention was to murder you in your sleep. Though they succeed in their mission, it is not until after your body is dumped within the nearby forests that you awaken.Your death shook the earth, disturbed the fates, you were not supposed to die that night, and the magic within the earth knew as much. The Druids wielded that magic from their temple, breathing life back into your body from the earth itself. But something went wrong. See, this magic is unusual, difficult to wield without extensive practice, and the Druids had not had to use this magic in thousands of years. They gave you too much. The magic's grip on your soul ever tightening, until it melded with you, tangling you with the earth and the magic it held, resulting in an immortal life.When you awaken, it has been days since you believed you had been killed. Alone, confused and scared, you adopt your middle name as your first, hoping it might mean your enemies would not find you so easily. You go on like this for weeks, hearing scraps of information about the King of Talviro seizing your throne for himself, just as your father always feared. Eventually, you stumble upon a group - a rebellion - named in your honour : Adelia's Justice. Though you did not know how to fight, it was your mind that proved to them of your worth, joining them. You learn to fight, and you grow angry. Angry at the fates, at the King, even partially angry towards your father for damming you to this life. But you fight and you plan, recruiting others to your cause, eventually becoming something of a leader to the rebellion, hoping to lead them into a brighter future for all of Prevelia.

GRACE WINTERS.

Growing up the eldest of three brothers meant there was always a responsibility for their care placed upon your shoulders, but you didn't mind. Even when you were still young, and Archie was born, you took to caring for them like a fish to water. It was in your nature, just as it was in your mother's nature. She was a nurse, and worked a lot of long hours, leaving you with various different friends or neighbours to look after you and your brothers. And eventually, when you were old enough, just you. But you told yourself you didn't mind, because you love your brothers, and you wanted to help make things easier for your mum. You knew how hard it was for her to handle four kids, along with her job. So you learnt to cook and to clean and to tend to the various injuries your brothers always seemed to pick up - a cut to the brow, splinters in their fingers, broken fingers. You picked it up so well that your mother thought you might like to learn more.See, whilst your family were not very well off, your mother still had a stable job that provided her with insurance for her healthcare. Other's that lived in your neighbourhood were not as lucky, they couldn't afford proper healthcare. Thus, they went to your mother for help, and she offered it freely, even though she was tired and hungry herself. You helped her with this, going along with her to house visits, acting as assistant to your mum. And you did it well, alongside your studies you were excelling.However, with all things such as these were questions were scarce and information was minimal, there would always be those that might be a danger to people like you and your mother. People who would take advantage of your kindness. You were seventeen when you returned home to your mother bleeding out on the floor of your kitchen.You were seventeen when you couldn't save the one person who meant the most to you. She told you, with her last breaths, to be careful; that there were people out there who might wish to harm their family. You tried to help, did everything you were supposed to, but it was too late. You were only seventeen when you lost your mother to a senseless act of violence that came as the result of helping someone.Your family were taken in by the neighbouring family across from your home, and you tried to carry on doing what you always did: helping. You vowed that you would never allow someone to die again if you could help it, decided on that day that you would train properly in the medical field. And you did. You poured everything into training to be a paramedic, and you were damn good at it. Stubborn as hell and intent on saving everyone you could.You still see your brothers at every opportunity you can, sticking close to the neighbourhood you grew up in, refusing to allow one horrible, terrible person to stop you from being around your family. And you still help them, when you can, just as your mother did.

ISABELLA SILVA.

You are only fourteen when your parents are no longer there to protect you. The whispered promise you forced free from your lips at the sight of your dying father playing on a loop within your mind; “ i will protect her. i will fight for her. i will not let you down. '' Words that had felt right beneath the heavy weight of their impending death against your chest, but words you did not know you would come to regret. It had been an attack, they said it was outlaws from Prevelia, but you know it was no random destruction. You had overheard the elders speak of the struggling crops through the harsh winters that only seemed to be growing colder within Talviro. You are burdened with the knowledge that this was a punishment. Unpaid taxes, quotas not met, the king's hand heavy against those who disappointed him. Never again; you vowed. More words which held meaning you did not quite yet understand.You were not allowed to train with the men, but you did so anyway, hidden in the shadows beyond the treeline of the training area. You copied their movements with a bow and arrow you had forged yourself, though it was not of high quality, it was good enough for you to learn. Each day, and most nights when you found your dreams plagued with the faces of your parents, you trained; now with a sword you had found discarded within the forest. Your sister of course did not approve of your need to protect, thought you silly for believing the rumours that were spread to your village about the king’s violent tendencies. You did not listen, eventually beginning to hide your teachings from the only person you had left.Living on like this for years, providing for your sister just as you had promised; working the fields to gain money for food and fabrics, teaching yourself to sew to ensure your sister never had to explain the frayed fabrics of her old clothing. Often it is hard to remember that she is your sister and that you are not her mother, but even so you chose to go without so that she might have some comforts. Nine years you coped. Just barely pulling through the rough winters as you watched your sister grow into a gracious young woman, and you cannot help but wonder where she got that trait from.It is nine years after your parents death when your sister is accused of a crime you know she could never commit. Nine years you kept your promises. until the day you couldn’t.Forced to watch your sweet sister be dragged away from your village, left to wonder why the kingsmen had been called, left to wonder if there was more to this that you simply did not understand. Your arms are pinned behind your back as you struggle to free yourself, tears wetting your cheeks for the first time in nine years as you listen to her plead your name. And you know the sound of her voice will haunt your dreams just as the faces of your parents do.You failed. despite everything you had done, still you failed.You no longer know if your sister is alive somewhere being forced to work off her crime, or if she is dead. Your village received no news; though it never did. Until the day the king showed his true colours to everyone who was watching. Until the day he stole Prevelia from the people. The princess dead, no heir for the throne to fall to, you watched as the power hungry monarch lay claim to land that could never be his. That was the day that you decided you could no longer sit and watch. You had to do something. The skills you had continued to learn could help the Prevelian people, all you needed to do was get to them. Rebellion was on the horizon, you just knew it, all you needed to do was find it. And find it you did. A leader by the name of lucille had welcomed you after you had proven your worth; proven that you would do whatever it takes to see the king dead. To hopefully be reunited with your sister.

FLOYD WEATHERFORD.

You grew up with the stories of spies and espionage filling your mind, despite your father's refusal to believe that such things could be allowed to exist within the government. He believed that winning was about proving you were better, fighting through the mud on the front lines, not sneaking around in the shadows of night stealing information and taking the lives of others in secret. You never believe in your father's negative views of the career path, quite the opposite in fact. You dreamed of becoming a spy, of working for those that kept to the shadows, helping to take the bad people in the world down from the inside. You went through school, just as was expected of you, but you knew you weren't going to end up in a safe and comfortable career like your peers would : you loved danger just a little too much.Once your schooling was complete, you tried to find a way through the door and into the career you'd dreamed of, but every job like it practically laughed in your face : a lack of experience, a perchance for recklessness, an inability to listen to orders. Your father all but forced you into the route he'd wanted for you all your life : to train for the army. It was difficult for you, someone who'd never been much good at obeying orders and following leaders who you knew could do better. You'd lost count of how many times you'd been punished for reckless behaviour and talking back to your superiors, though you supposed that was why your father wanted you to join - so you'd finally learn your place.But you never gave up on your dream, despite their best efforts, you knew you were destined for more. Thus you decide that if no one would train you, then you'd train yourself. You'd get your own experience whilst in the army. You learnt how to fight, pretended to become the man they wanted you to be in order to learn everything they were willing to teach you. And anything they weren't willing to teach, you taught yourself or you found someone willing enough to show you. Granted, it was dangerous, the types you were associating with weren't necessarily the best people. But you knew it'd be worth any pain in the short run.It's during your training that you learnt of your father's death, suspicious circumstances, though no one knew who exactly had done it. Something inside you broke at the news, knowing your father would now never get to see the man you would become - a man you had hoped would have finally made him proud. You throw yourself into your training even harder than before, and slowly you grew better and better.With your confidence building, you allowed yourself to finally believe that you might make it in this path. You became something of a rising star, but also someone to watch out for. With no formal ties to any organisation, you posed a threat to their work. Something they could not control is something to fear, but you did not allow this to hold you back. You found those unwilling to be found, convinced them to help you become a force to be reckoned with within the world of espionage. It's then that you learn of your mother's passing from a newspaper article - a car crash, supposedly. But you knew that wasn't the truth. Something told you it was something more.Completely alone in the dangerous game of espionage, it did not take long for other's to notice you. A newcomer, sure, but so highly trained that they'd barely need to spare any resources in furthering your training. You became an asset to many organisations, but watched by plenty more as a threat.

BESSIE ADAMS.

You grew up with no knowledge of who your real family were, dumped on the doorstep of a church as a baby with no name, no letter, no personal belongings except a thin blanket just about managing to keep you warm. They gave you your name - Florence Adams, but that was all they could give before being forced to hand you over to the proper authorities. The system was not kind to a girl like you, with your silver hair and your wild ideals, your vivid imagination getting you into more and more trouble as you grew older. You had to sit back and watch as your peers were adopted into loving and seemingly caring families, but no one seemed to want the small, white haired girl who was adamant that her parents had simply been abducted by aliens.The other children were unkind to you, made fun of you, bullied you. But still you did not relent in your theories and stories. When you were still only young, a boy befriended you within the care home and he soon became your lifeline, your protector, your brother. He understood you and the way your mind worked, did not make fun of you for what you chose to believe. He was all you had. But you were separated when you were only twelve years old, the pair of you causing too much trouble together.You were in and out of foster homes, each one worse than the last, as though those who were supposed to protect you no longer cared about what happened to you. It only made you cling harder to your ideals and beliefs. You knew there had to be something more out there. You knew that your parents would not have willingly condemned you to this awful fate.A teenager now, and you have come to terms with the fact that you would never truly experience what it would be like to have a family that loved you. Still kept from Felix, despite your attempts to find him and contact him. You're treated as an outsider within each foster home you're handed off to, a maid over a member of their family. School too was difficult for you, your mind working quicker than most, your attention span short enough that concentrating on the lessons became increasingly more difficult. You're in your second year of high school when you discovered your love of photography, borrowing the schools camera for a project and discovering you had a knack for finding the best shot, the best lighting.From that moment, you had a goal to work towards, a purpose to continuing with your monotonous life - buying your own camera. It's the reason you find yourself your first job, a job you loved from the moment you laid eyes on the advertisement : a helper to the local ghost tours. You find you have quite the ability to tell people captivating stories in a way that made them feel as though they were truly a part of it. Slowly you earnt enough money to buy yourself your first film camera - it wasn't great, but it was yours and that was enough.After a few more years like this, and selling some of your better photographs to those who showed interest, you earned enough to move into your very own apartment when you turned eighteen. It was nothing special - small, in a bad area, the floorboard creaked in the night. But it was home. Your own home, for the first time in your life.You discovered a love of journalism and videography shortly after moving into your new apartment, quickly setting up your own youtube channel and online blog dedicated to discussing conspiracy theories and exploring abandoned and haunted places. Eventually the channel grows into discussing true crime cases and attempting to solve them yourself. Quickly, your channel gains quite the following of like minded people interested in your stories and investigations, though you also gained the attention of those that perhaps did not want their unsavoury dealings to be discovered by a girl on the internet - especially after teaching yourself the skill of hacking, finding you had quite the knack for getting into places you shouldn't for information that was being purposefully hidden by the rich and the evil.

IVELISSA PEREZ.

You moved from Puerto Rico to America at only seven years old, your parents needing a change and your father earning a promotion within his company in their American office. The change was a hard one for you to adapt to, but you were a smart child. You'd already been taught the language, and you were certain that you'd find friends to have fun with even in a brand new place. You did well in school, your intelligence already surpassing what was deemed ordinary for someone of your age, though your parents put little pressure on you. They knew you were doing your best, they didn't need to berate you into doing better. You made it through high school with little trouble, even finding a circle of friends that became your life line. You did everything with them - studying, movie nights, sleepovers.You managed to secure yourself a scholarship to college, though once more you found yourself anxious about moving away from everything you'd known for so many years. None of your friends were attending the same school, but you all promised you would keep in touch. College was a great time for you, challenging you and teaching you all sorts of new life skills. Eventually you graduated with a masters in education, focused on under privileged teenagers. Your goal was to become a teacher, to show other people like you that there was more to be found in their lives - so much more to be learnt.You'd only been teaching for three years when the virus broke properly. You'd heard about it through the news, but it was bigger than anyone could have known. You and your family were forced to barricade yourselves into your basement to attempt to stay away from the infection and the infected. You managed like this for five months. Five months with no contact with the outside world, until your mother grew sick and you began to run out of supplies.As a family, you all decided that the best option would be to venture outside to try and find more suitable shelter, and hopefully someone that might be able to help your mother. This turned out to be your biggest mistake.Unknowingly followed by a pack of newly turned zombies, their intelligence still somewhat intact before the virus fully took hold. They kept silent, waiting to strike until the strongest of the family had left the group. You'd gone to get some firewood, leaving your parents in the shelter you'd found. The shelter you'd thought was safe. And when you returned, they were no longer there. You tried to find them for hours, searching the areas around for any sign of them, but you found nothing.Now alone in the dangerous wasteland that had once been your home, you were forced to adapt, to change. Gone was the soft hearted teacher who's only wish was to help those in need, and in her place was a ruthless and distrustful woman. You'd become feral in your desperation to survive, assuming all you met do not have good intentions. You taught yourself to fight, to hunt, to survive the awful place you'd once called home.READ MORE ABOUT MY ORIGINAL POST APOC SETTING HERE.

TYLAN BAINBRIDGE.

You are born with the weight of the world already growing heavy upon your shoulders - the first born son, the heir of Ravvian. Even from a young age you are thrown into the life that comes with such a title, pressured to succeed in every avenue; from your schooling, to your image and eventually in taking over your family's business along with their crown.Though your mother attempts to allow you some semblance of a normal childhood, you always felt the pressure behind everything you did. All eyes were upon you, as the first son to the king, as the heir. Soon you learnt to please others first and foremost before even allowing yourself to think of your own needs. The want to be perfect festers inside you, grows into a need. The perfect son, the perfect brother, the perfect Prince.Your one solace from the pressures of your so called privileged life as the crown prince was found within your art, often allowing yourself an hour or so from your duties and your work to sit within the shade of the fruit orchards to sketch the workers; talking to them about their lives within Ravvian. You begin to learn what is to be a citizen of your kingdom. They have nothing but praise for your father and the work he does to expand and develop the kingdom and you can't help but think you will never live up to his legacy. You end up gifting a lot of the portraits to the workers themselves, though some of the rougher sketches you keep; mementos of your time spent with them.But all good things must come to an end at some point, they always do in your life. Everything must have a purpose, a use. And the same was deemed applicable to your art, the portraits in your sketchbooks slowly being replaced by designs and concepts for new buildings and shelters within your Kingdom. For your father.He was pleased with your work, wished to hand you more responsibility when it came to handling these projects. But with further responsibilities came further pressure and a lot more work that your brother refused to share.The time for sketching dwindled, along with any time for things aside from work and duties. But you told yourself you did not mind. Your father seemed pleased for the most part, and somehow that has become the most important factor of your life. You had to think of your Kingdom, not of yourself; they needed their Prince.Though it was a struggling, juggling everything given to you with little help, this is what was expected of you. And you would not fail. You would not let your father down, your Kingdom down. This was your birth right, after all. You would be good enough.

VIOLA BAINBRIDGE.

Being the second in line to the throne of Ravvian, along with being the only girl, affords you several privileges in comparison to your eldest brother. The weight upon your shoulders is vastly decreased, though your father still dotes on you, your mother still showers you with love and affection. You still have your own duties, of course, but they do not carry nearly as much pressure and stress as Tylan's does; they simply do not matter as much as the work he is doing to prove himself as a worthy heir. As long as your image remains good and pure, you are allowed to use your time for the things you like, the things that bring you true enjoyment.Most of your time is spent within the nooks and crannies found within the palace, reading everything and anything you could get your hands on - both fictional and factual. Your mother had always taught you that knowledge was power, only a different sort to the kind men seek for themselves, and you wanted that sort of power for yourself.It is whilst you are exploring the palace library, seeking out your newest read, that you discover it for the first time; a secret door built in the wall behind a bookcase that you discover entirely by accident when attempting to pull an old book from the shelves. It sparks a need to explore your home to the fullest in a way you have never thought to do before now.You find more entrances and exits such as the one in the library, each one connected by a series of old tunnels clearly dug out when the palace was first built, mapping each you find both within your mind and eventually on a physical map. This knowledge you know is incredibly powerful; there was a reason none of you were told of these passageways, as they enabled you to overhear conversations from the rooms they connected to that were not meant for your ears.You keep this newfound knowledge to yourself, however, though you suspect that your younger brother might have also discovered at least parts of the maze of tunnels, judging by his ability to disappear so quickly. You know that someday the information you find, the conversations you overhear, will come in handy; perhaps when your only real duty as a Princess is made a reality, you might use such information to your own advantage.

DOREAN BAINBRIDGE.

Being the youngest prince, the last in line to the throne of Ravvian, was never going to be an easy life. Your brother had been given all the responsibility as heir to the throne, your sister was given all the love and care from your parents as their only daughter, and you -- no matter how hard you tried, you were forgotten about. Left to your own devices as only a child, wandering through the halls of the big empty palace that was your home; left to make your own way through life without the help of your parents and sometimes without the help of your siblings too.The palace staff came to love you in ways your parents were never able to, your boisterous nature and lack of judgement endearing to them when it was simply an annoyances to the rest of your family. They came to practically raise you, teaching you the things that, as a Prince, you were unlikely to ever need; but as a child, loved to learn.It is here that your love of cooking began, whilst you were still very young, spending most of your time down in the kitchens with the chefs and the other staff, becoming a sort of family with those that allowed you their time; spent their energy showing you how everything worked when they simply did not have to. They could have told your parents that you were being a nuisance, but perhaps they understood better than even you could at the time how much you needed some stability.Things only worsened as you grew older, your father beginning to attempt to rope you in on projects despite having never spared you a thought before. You knew it were only an attempt to tame you. To force you into the mould your brother had created; the perfect son, the perfect princes. Everything you hated. Everything you wished never to become.And so, you rebelled.Soon you learned that the only time you would receive the attention you craved from those supposed to love you unconditionally was when it was negative. Caused by you doing something they disagreed with, something they hated.So, you curated a persona for yourself. A mask. The party, playboy prince. You had fun, of course, maintaining this mask - staying out to all hours of the night, drinking and dancing until you could no longer remember the reasons why you were doing this in the first place. You shovelled all your duties onto the shoulders of your ever perfect brother, unaware of how close he was to buckling beneath it's weight. You grew used to this life: the family disappointment. The mask you had crafted becoming less and less of an act and more of who you were. Unable to recognise the meek boy in your memories, happy to continue as you were for as long as you were allowed.

DANICA VANDWELL.

As the heir to the throne of Talviro, you are expected to follow in the footsteps of your father, to be a great and fair ruler, but one that was feared by many. The pressures that came with such a legacy were heavy upon your shoulders, but you knew that you were strong enough to withstand it. You hardened yourself to all the world could throw at you, encasing your heart within a barrier of ice.You played the part of the perfect princess to utter perfection, but as you grew older you craved more. Craved more of the power that came with the throne, with becoming the ruler of your kingdom. And you knew that you would do anything to ensure that you inherited it. A fact that your brother grew to mistrust. Your father doted upon you, saw you for the leader you would one day become. Saw the potential of all you could achieve upon the throne. But your mother? Oh how she hated you. Despised you even. She saw too much of your father in you, saw that deep craving for power fester within you as you grew older, witnessing your acts of cruelty and manipulation; just as she witnessed the same from your father.She sought to ensure that you would never be seated upon the throne, sought to keep you managed and away from it all, no matter the cost. Your brother disagreed with your father's claim to the Prevelian throne, but you saw it for what it truly was: an opportunity. Heir to not only Talviro, but to Prevelia too, so long as your father could quell the rising rebellion. Your power would only grow from there. It is this promise of power that blinds you to the true threat the rebellion has become, your sight only clearing after the death of your own father.The man you looked up to, idolised, defeated by those he was supposed to crush beneath his boot.His demise puts much into perspective for you, your grief almost consuming you; suffocating you with it's depth. But you force yourself through it, giving yourself only a week of grieving before channelling your rage and hatred into your plans. Scheming for your future, intent on making your father proud. With the death of the king, you were but one step away from being seated upon the Talviran throne, only one person standing in your path to power. You knew your mother did not wish to relinquish the throne to you, knew she wished to see your pathetic brother seated upon it.You would not allow such a stain upon your father's memory. No, you had a plan. You would overthrow them both.

OPAL ROSE.

You were born to two loving, if a little carefree, parents. Artists in their own right - one a musician and the other a painter. They dote on you from the moment you were brought into their lives, and continued to do so even when a new arrival increased your family from three to four. Your brother inherited your parents artistic abilities, and you inherited their connection to the earth and everything that it created. Your powers manifested when you were young, though they were weaker then - only able to help a flower into bloom, but they were there and your parents were more than happy to explain it all to you. You’re thirteen when you visit the oracle ( as is the fae rite ), though the visit goes well enough, it leaves you with too many thoughts swirling within your mind - thoughts you do not share, not even with your younger brother.It’s around this time that you realise that, whilst your parents loved both you and oliver so much, their carefree way of parenting was only going to end up hindering the both of you. Whilst their jobs were enough for them, it was not enough to guarantee your futures. You took on the household responsibilities, alongside your studies, and as soon as you were able you got a job within the local museum. It is this that triggers a passion for history, and for finding and safeguarding lost fae artefacts. You continue your studies even whilst working at a higher level within the museum, the owner recognising your passion and intellect, however you knew you needed to achieve more if you were to ensure a future for both yourself and your brother. Thus you decided to apply to colleges outside of your hometown, despite knowing they were unlikely to accept. It’s to your great surprise when several offered you a place.Eventually you accept a place at crescent city university to study history, and after a tearful departure from your family, you find yourself in a completely new place, surrounded by people you didn't know. You did well in college, focusing entirely on your studies, intent on scoring the highest grades possible to ensure the best job prospects. You make friends easily, thanks to your softer, charming nature, though still you struggle to adapt to the shift in atmosphere.After a few years, you graduate from college with great grades and recommendations, and you decide that, despite wishing to return home, crescent city provides you the best security for yourself and your family. And so you stay. You manage to get yourself a job within the fae archives as a researcher, and you love it more than you thought you ever could, sending funds home to help. Until the spring. Until hel opened and demons reigned their fire on the streets you'd grown to love.Despite your fae blood, you did not hide in the fortresses they locked to the public, the very thought disgusted you to your core. You joined the fight on the streets, protecting those too late to find solace in the quickly closing shelters with your magic, healing those you could.The spring attacks changed everything for you. Made you see your kind for what they truly were, at least in the city you thought you could end up calling home. They had been willing to shut out those they deemed ‘beneath’ them, to leave them to their fates with the demons. The realisation rocked you, the light you had in your heart for your kind and for this city dimming. But still, you stayed. Intent on making a difference somehow. In learning the truth of what happened and doing something, anything to help. This was not the future you wanted oliver to live within, this was not how the world should be. You swore that you would do anything and everything to help, even if it killed you.After the attack, you helped clean up the city. Helped rebuild and recover and heal the ravaged city and the citizens that had lost everything in only a night. Asphodel meadows had been hit harder than you’d even realised, and thus you joined the efforts in helping them to rebuild, learning all you could, and using your magic to help in anyway possible. Healing those unable to reach medics, assisting the rebuilding of homes as much as possible. You did not care if it meant your own people shunned you or hated you, you would never allow suffering if it was able to be helped.

MARIYA ORLOV.

You were taken into the ORION facility at the age of six, after being found to have the correct genetic predisposition to be a contender for their newest experimentation with mind control alongside the super soldier serum previously perfected within their Gemini project. Your family were gone, it was just you; alone and defenceless from those that wished to use you for their own gain.You were trained against 28 other girls, though the number quickly quickly dwindled as the others were taken after some display of weakness. You quickly learnt that to survive, you had to bury everything you were before, everything you know about yourself, deep inside. Locked away where no one would be able to find it, even if they were looking for it.Despite knowing that weakness was punished, you were unable to stop yourself from growing a close attachment to a girl within those you had been trained alongside. Tatiana was her name; smaller than average but stubborn, she had a true fighters spirit and you couldn't help but gravitate towards her. One night, you decided to share a piece of your food with the girl, and since then you'd developed something of a secret friendship with her and in the process forming an attachment with another of the group: Alyona.You were all still young, but you thought you hide these attachments from your superiors, thought you'd be able to continue with your lives together; but you were wrong. You were always wrong. It was only a short while after you befriended Alyona that you were forced to fight Tatiana during your training; but nothing could prepare you for for what they would ask of you. You managed to obtain the upper hand over her, before being instructed to kill her. Though you did not hesitate, the action haunts you from that moment on. You'd known it was a test, known they'd only do worse things to the both of you had you not ended her time at the facility quickly. But still it caused you to distance yourself from Alyona immediately after, in order to ensure the same fate did not befall her too.From that moment on, you became every part the spy and assassin ORION has craved, their instructions and their ideals forged within your mind; never forgotten again. A girl crafted into the most perfect weapon; a great success for your superiors. It was not long until you passed your final tests and graduated your training, placed deep undercover within the CIA; undetectable to all. A spider crafting your web of steel.You had your instructions and you played your role to perfection. Secrets were gathered and distributed, threats were taken care of. You played your part in the destruction ORION craved, until you were met with a ghost from your past: Alyona. But friends you were no longer. No, she was a TRAITOR, and you treated her as such, your programming forcing you to believe all ORION said of her. You fought until Alyona managed to gain enough of an upper hand to knock you out, injecting you with a serum designed by those that worked against ORION - Lustro. They'd taken you to their headquarters, explained to you what had become of your life; freed you from the strings holding your mind hostage. You vowed, after being told of the horrors you'd caused, that you would help others like you.

MARLENE MCKINNON.

Born into the pureblood line of McKinnon's, you learnt from an early age that being loud and rebellious was often needed. With four older brothers, the attention you required as a young child had to be fought for, but you never hated them for it. Nor your parents for often leaving you all in the care of nannies and babysitters. Their jobs at St Mungo's and the Ministry of Magic were both important and time consuming, but whenever they were around they truly adored spending time with you and your brothers.Taking you on hikes and adventures around the Scottish Highlands, teaching you about your home and your heritage. You'd always loved those trips, meeting other people that were different to your family. You knew, of course, that you were not to mention magic outside of the safety of your home, but muggles had always intrigued you. You'd never really seen them as different.When you are eleven, your letter from Hogwarts is received; despite the teasings of your brothers that they'd forget about you. And when you arrived, you were sorted into Gryffindor - unsurprising to almost all of your family. Herbology and care of magical creatures were your favourite subjects, charms and muggle studies close seconds. But oh how you dreaded potions and a history of magic, often finding yourself falling asleep in the latter. However, despite it all, you find your strength lay in defence against the dark arts, your magical aptitude for the subject surpassing a lot of your peers, even from a young age.As you grew older, you found friends you could rely on when things began to turn, when the darkness began to seep into the walls of the castle. Whispers of a dark evil rising, hoping to wipe out muggles along with witches and wizards of muggle born heritage. You knew such a thing could never truly be allowed to happen, right ?It was not until your fifth year that the realisation settled in that this was real. Students picking on muggleborns more and more, calling them that dreaded name. It angered you, and you've always been good with anger. Despite how much you loved art, and creating things for people, you soon realised that a career in such things would not be on the cards for you. No, there were more important things your talents were needed for. A world on the brink of a war that would need everyone willing to fight and win.When you graduated at age eighteen, you were contacted by the Dark Lord, attempting to recruit you alongside your closest friends. But you all refused, perhaps putting you and them square on his radar. But you didn't care, you and your brothers all knew the truth : his side was the wrong side. The side of evil and darkness. Instead, you joined the Order of the Phoenix, created by Albus Dumbledore in response to the threat Voldemort posed on the world: both magical and muggle. Working in secret to take him and his followers down however you were able to.

MAYA APPLEBY.

The Fox and Appleby families have known one another for a long time, your parents having studied together; then going on to work alongside one another on various projects over the years. You've known Valentina since you can remember, from shared parties as children to being home-schooled together until you reached high school age. You did everything together, couldn't imagine your lives without one another.The first time you heard the tale of the curse upon the Fox family was the summer before you were due to attend high school, sat around the campfire making smores. Your parents tell the tale as though it were merely some ghost story; something made up and untrue. Val of course did not believe in it either, but it stuck with you from that moment on.You found high school easier than you thought it would be, considering you'd only ever had your parents and Val's and her family for company. You're outgoing and cheerful, your optimism and sunshine persona making it easy for you to make friends; people gravitated towards your charm and your fun personality. Val had a harder time, but you always tried to include her in everything you did; she would always be your best friend. The person you'd go to for advice, the friend you wanted in your life forever.Over the course of the years, you developed a habit of concealing you intelligence, noticing that people liked you more if they believed themselves smarter than you, and you let them; not wishing to overshadow or show off. When you and Val are both fifteen, however, things shift. You're both helping to sort through her grandmother's belongings when you come across a box of old journals. They depicted all sorts of things, from sketches of treasure to accounts of strange and supernatural occurrences happening within the Fox family; the same sort of occurrences that you had all once joked about around the campfire. But seeing it all written like this, detailed accounts, it was different. More real.From then on you were obsessed with trawling through these journals, despite Val's insistence that there was nothing to be found nor proven. But something inside you screamed at you that something was going to happen, and you needed to somehow find a way to stop it. So you studied them, found a calling for myths and legends along with following in the footsteps of your parents, wanting to study archaeology in some attempt to figure out the mystery.It's at college that your relationship with Val begins to shift and change, as much as you tried to stop it. Joining a sorority, living your life following their rules, attending their events and building relationships in the hopes that you might find someone that could help. Someone that perhaps has experienced the same or similar things detailed in those journals you were once obsessed with. But it was too much for Val, and you drifted some. Still remaining friends, but no longer the best friends you'd been for most of your lives.You're content with this, for the most part, hoping that once you both graduate you might pick up where you left off before college got in the way. But it seemed this new dynamic was here to stay, despite your best efforts. Though you work on projects together, help one another get the grades and the connections needed past college, the air had well and truly shifted between the two of you. And so when you graduate, you part ways. Still friends, but not best friends.Until the night she calls you out of the blue, in a complete panic, talking of stone and a ring. You promised her you'd get to her as soon as you could, driving through the night to reach her. And nothing could prepare you for what greeted you when you did. A man turned completely to stone, seemingly with no explanation. It was an occurrence that was so similar to those written in the journals you'd once obsessed over, and you knew something had caused the same curse to trigger within your friend.From that moment on, you dedicated your life to finding an answer. A cure. A way to break this curse and free your friend's family from this torment. Vowing you would help her in any way you possibly could.

WREN LE BLANC.

Ever since you were a little girl you've always loved sports of all kinds, but it is gymnastics that truly captures your heart in a way no other sport has managed to before. You trained every week when you were old enough, joining teams with your school and shining spectacularly. It became your dream to be a gymnastics star, the very best of the very best, and you were so very close to achieving your dream; to becoming the woman you'd wanted to be since you were small.You succeeded in getting a prestigious full gymnastics scholarship through college, studying hard and training even harder than you ever had done in the past, going to as many meets and competitions as you were able to. You were good. One of the best, even, and you were not afraid to admit this to both yourself and others; you did not see it as bosting, only showing others the success that could come from years and years of hard work.Eventually, once you graduated, you began to train in coaching others in your field, learning that you were good at this too. Your life was laid out in front of you, a perfect line to everything you'd ever dreamed of; a neat little package that would validate all the hard work, all the sweat and tears you'd put into this field. Your life was laid out in front of you, until the night it all unravelled. Until the night you lost everything important.You had returned to your family home for your fortnightly dinner with your parents, a celebration of their retirement along with their excitement for the next chapter of your life. You'd heard stories of monsters; of creatures with claws and fangs sharper than any knife, but you'd always dismissed them as works of fiction, simply stories to scare children into coming home before the sun went in. You'd dismissed them until the night you faced one yourself; not a dream, though it felt like a nightmare.It tore through your home with an unnatural ease, and you only just escaped with your life, though it left you with a wound that would ensure you would never forget it; a claw slicing through your right shoulder as you tried to flee it. Your parents... they had not been so lucky. When the authorities arrive, your accounts of the night are dismissed as merely the ramblings of a woman so deep in shock and grief, ignored by them all. All except one man. Mathias, he told you was his name, and you told him that you needed to find the monster that did this to stop it from ever hurting anyone again.From that moment you are a team, he trains you in everything he has learned of these supernatural creatures, teaches you to fight them; and you learn that you're good at this too. He tells you that people like him are called hunters, and together you'll work to protect the blissfully unaware from the monsters you now know are not just stories.

DAHLIA SOLIS.