[hider=Grant Dwyer]
[center][img]http://img.cinemablend.com/cb/3/4/2/0/e/9/3420e9cabec5ba51217ca69ed1ddcbfca527d2f30366da4661a2d68c682d8ea3.jpg[/img][/center]

[center][b]Name[/b][/center]
[center]Grant Dwyer[/center]

[center][b]Physical description[/b][/center]
[center]Grant appears to be perfectly normal to the average person. He stands at around 5'7", has an average if not somewhat trim build, and has decent posture. His outfits are all similar to one another and mostly just consist of different color variations of the same type of clothing. He does rather well at physically expressing himself, as anyone could take a single look at his body language and facial expressions and be able to tell how he's feeling and the message he's trying to get across.[/center]

[center][b]Age[/b][/center]
[center]17[/center]

[center][b]Occupation[/b][/center]
[center]Student[/center]

[center][b]Background[/b][/center]
[center]Grant and his family aren't native to the Baptiste Valley, having only lived in the region for little more than a couple years. He lived a city life in northern California for most of his years, and had a rather average life there. He had both of his parents, but only one sibling, Jasmine, who had been adopted four years before he'd been born. She teased and picked on him like any older sibling would, being that she was six years older than him, but for the most part the two got along well enough. She even beat up some older teens that were picking on him once, though she got in trouble for it. She left for college soon after graduating high school, so for a couple years it was just him at home. He had a few friends, but no close relationships, so while he would never admit it he did feel lonely without his sister.

But then something shattered his average life. When he was 14 years old, he suddenly vanished without a trace. Nobody knew what happened to him or where he'd gone, only that he only could've disappeared on his way home from school since his friends had last seen him during class. Jasmine returned home during this time, leaving college behind so that she could help search for him and be there with her family during this horrific time. And then after a month, as if out of the blue, Grant returned. A person walking their dog found him wandering the streets one night, seemingly in a daze and unable or unwilling to speak. After being taken to the hospital and being medically evaluated by doctors and nurses, they thankfully didn't find anything physically wrong with him, but it was clear that he'd gone through some form of extreme psychological trauma. He'd become mute, unable to bring himself to talk despite his vocal chords being undamaged and brain scans showing that he wasn't suffering from any physical trauma.

Whatever it was that had happened to him, he refused to talk about it or explain it. He would communicate with others through writing, and over time he began to learn sign language, but anytime anyone tried to ask about what happened he would just shut down. His family learned not to push the topic despite being so worried about what could've happened to him, and tried to find some way to help him recover. Staying in the city just seemed wrong, so after a few months it was decided they would move to a more rural area with a smaller population, and his parents sold the old house and bought a new one in Atherstone in the Baptiste Valley. Jasmine never returned to college, and instead stayed at home to help care for him and support him. Their bond grew stronger as a result, and while Grant thinks that she can be over-protective at times, he's still glad that he has a close relationship with her.

The Ashing Pandemic brought tragedy back to the Dwyer family, however. While both he and his sister managed to avoid contracting it, their parents weren't so lucky, and like all of the other victims they succumbed to the infection. The two siblings could do nothing but try to care for their parents until they died, and soon the two of them were alone and had to fend for themselves. Always the protective one, Jasmine would eventually go out and try to scavenge for supplies, while Grant would keep watch at home and keep the house inhabitable for them. They've been holding out hope that the government will come to help them, but even Grant knew that if they didn't come soon, they were going to run out of places to scavenge in their area pretty quickly. They wouldn't be able to stay there forever.[/center]

[center][b]Skills and Talents[/b][/center]
[color=PaleGreen][b]Housekeep:[/b][/color] Most wouldn't consider it a skill, but Grant is good at keeping a household going. He's quick and efficient at cleaning, and he actually knows how to cook. He's no five-star chef, but he can make food edible [b]and[/b] taste good. He's reliable at keeping track of supplies as well.

[color=PaleGreen][b]Alert:[/b][/color] Despite sometimes coming off as aloof, Grant is actually constantly aware of his surroundings. It's hard to get the jump on him, and he's observant enough to notice if something is strange, usually before most people would notice.

[color=PaleGreen][b]Stealthy:[/b][/color] His somewhat small size and silent demeanor allows him to sneak around with ease. He's also quite nimble, so he wouldn't normally be stumbling around and making noise if he did indeed have to sneak. His knowledge of sign language also allows him to send silent messages to anyone who can understand.

[center][b]Weaknesses and Faults[/b][/center]
[color=Crimson][b]Mute:[/b][/color] Grant cannot speak, which is a massive disadvantage to have in the apocalypse. His communication with others is severely limited, and while Jasmine does know sign language and can interpret what he says to other people, if he's away from her he's basically screwed unless someone else he's with knows it, but the chances of that are slim.

[color=Crimson][b]Non-Combatant:[/b][/color] Grant never learned how to fight, isn't particularly strong, and has little experience with weaponry. At most, he can wield a kitchen knife without hurting himself, but it's hardly a practical weapon.

[color=Crimson][b]Dependent:[/b][/color] While his close bond with his sister is something he cherishes, he realizes he's grown to be dependent on her. He doesn't like to act without her, and constantly looks to her for advice. With the onset of the apocalypse he's slowly learned to be more independent and take care of himself, but old habits are hard to break and he finds it hard to commit to anything without her approval or advice.

[center][b]Personality[/b][/center]
[center]Despite being mute, Grant is actually quite social, and though he tends to be more of a listener in conversations he'll still try to reply via signing or writing. He's an incredibly empathetic person, and would rather put other people's needs before his own. He hates being seen as weak or handicapped, and absolutely loathes being pitied, and so he does anything he can to prove he's just as capable as anyone else. He's not one to give up, but he also isn't blind to his own limitations and knows when dogged determination just isn't enough to achieve a goal. He prefers to tackle issues from different angles rather than just the most straightforward one, and if he's got an idea he'll be sure to let people know.

One thing that's certain though, is that he'd do anything for his sister. She's the only family he's got left, and he would protect her at all costs, and he knows she would do the same for him. He worries about her, knowing how much she does to care for him at the cost of her own wants, and he wants to be able to return the favor somehow.[/center] [/hider]
[hr]

[hider=Jasmine Dwyer]
[center][img]http://stylesweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Everyday-Hairstyles-for-Short-Curly-Hair-Short-Hairstyles-for-Black-Women.jpg[/img][/center]

[center][b]Name[/b][/center]
[center]Jasmine Dwyer[/center]

[center][b]Physical description[/b][/center]
[center]Standing at 5'8", Jasmine is ever so slightly taller than her brother Grant. At first glance, she could be seen as simply slim, but she's actually quite athletic and toned. Her wardrobe is pretty varied, but as of recently she's begun dressing more practically, donning jackets and jeans, though honestly she would wear that anyway during colder weather. On particularly cold days she'll even put on a beanie and a scarf.[/center]

[center][b]Age[/b][/center]
[center]23[/center]

[center][b]Occupation[/b][/center]
[center]Former College Student/Waitress[/center]

[center][b]Background[/b][/center]
[center]Jasmine was adopted into the Dwyer family when she was two years old. Her birth mother had been good friends with her adoptive mother, and so when her birth mother died of illness, her adoptive mother took action and promised to raise Jasmine within her own family in order to keep her out of orphanages. With no biological father in the picture and no immediate family members who lived in the area, the adoptive process was resolved rather quickly, and soon Jasmine became a part of the Dwyer family. The Dwyers had no children of their own at the time, so for awhile she was an only child.

A dark-skinned child with two light-skinned parents of course was enough to grab attention from other people whenever they were in public, and definitely from other students during her school years. Her parents were never sure how to address it, as they wanted to make Jasmine feel that there wasn't an issue at all and that her adoption should be considered normal, but at the same time they knew she could feel out of place. In the end, all her parents could do was let her know that their race differences didn't matter to them, and that no matter what they would love her as their daughter regardless of whatever society dictated.

This continued on when Grant entered the picture, who was born when Jasmine was six years old. As they grew up, they bickered and fought and teased like siblings do, and were basically like any other brother and sister. The race difference never seemed like an actual difference to him, and whenever people would ask him about it he thought [i]those[/i] people were weird, as it seemed perfectly normal to him. It was something Jasmine was always secretly grateful for, as even though the issue was something she'd move on from as she got older, deep down it was still something she was insecure about, and her brother helped ease that insecurity.

So she was rightfully devastated when she heard that Grant had disappeared while she'd been off at college. She returned home in a hurry, guilt wracking her for leaving despite knowing there likely wouldn't have been anything she could've done if she'd stayed home. She was beyond relieved when he was eventually found a month later, yet it still felt like hollow relief after learning of his traumatization and muteness. There was no way she was returning to college after that, she knew she had to stay, and so she made a personal vow that she would never let harm come to him ever again if she could help it.

She dropped everything to become fully involved with his life and become someone he could rely on. They learned sign language together in order to communicate better, and though Grant managed to pick it up faster Jasmine still kept up well enough to be able to talk with him. When the family moved to Atherstone, she picked up a job as a waitress at a local restaurant so that she could make at least a minor amount of income to help out at home. And, unbeknownst to Grant, she picked up nightly kickboxing lessons with a focus in Muay Thai, as she believed without a shadow of a doubt that he'd been kidnapped and had somehow escaped, and she wanted to be able to defend him if his kidnappers ever somehow found him again. She had been an amateur boxer during high school, having done the sport as a hobby more than anything else, so she already had some experience as a fighter as she went into kickboxing.

When the Ashing Pandemic wrecked havoc throughout the world, it took everything she had not to break down in despair when she lost her parents to the infection. Twice now, her parents had died, leaving her all alone. Except, she wasn't completely alone, as Grant was still alive and well. She could still protect him and keep him alive, and so that was what she was going to do, no matter the cost. Acting as the scavenger between them, she's been searching and looting their neighborhood for all she can find while warding off anyone hostile, but recently the loot runs have started to run dry. She's been waiting for the government to show up since the pandemic started, since it only seemed natural to believe they could fix the problems of the Ashing and restore civilization, but it's a hope that's begun to quickly dim as food has begun to run low.[/center]

[center][b]Skills and Talents[/b][/center]
[color=PaleGreen][b]Brawler:[/b][/color] Jasmine had always been naturally scrappy as a child, but training in boxing and kickboxing has turned her into quite the physical combatant. While she isn't an expert, unless she's going up against an actual martial arts professional she'll probably win in a fight. If weapons come into play, she knows disarming techniques to even the playing field, though that isn't to say she won't use weapons herself if she needs to.

[color=PaleGreen][b]Scavenger:[/b][/color] She's slowly begun to learn efficient looting and scavenging skills, and has gotten a sense of where to look to find specific supplies she may need. A strong set of eyes also allow her to pick out minute details when looking around.

[color=PaleGreen][b]Emotional Support:[/b][/color] Jasmine is just as empathetic as her brother, but she is much better at being able to relate to others and give them the support they need during trying times. She has a way with words that allows her to pierce another person's vulnerabilities and get them to believe she's truly on their side, and most often she means it too.

[color=PaleGreen][b]Dedicated:[/b][/color] Grant's well-being is what drives Jasmine. She is able to do things she would never have thought possible because of her desire to protect him, and she would do anything to keep him alive and well.

[center][b]Weaknesses and Faults[/b][/center]
[color=Crimson][b]Overdedicated:[/b][/color] Jasmine is protective to a fault. Having a sort of tunnel-vision, she doesn't always see the big picture, and only acts to protect Grant no matter the consequences. If something bad ever happened to him, it would likely break her.

[color=Crimson][b]Brash:[/b][/color] It would be fair to accuse her of easily jumping to conclusions and sometimes acting before thinking a situation through. In this way she's also quite stubborn, and it can be hard to change her mind about things.

[color=Crimson][b]Gun Unfriendly:[/b][/color] Despite carrying a revolver with her that once belonged to her parents, she actually has zero training with firearms and doesn't like them. Unless her target is at close range, she'll probably miss most of her shots, making any gun she has more for a show of threat than something actually dangerous.

[color=Crimson][b]Agrizoophobia:[/b][/color] Jasmine has a fear of wild animals, and would be hard-pressed to try to deal with a violent one.

[center][b]Personality[/b][/center]
[center]Jasmine is a somewhat serious but still pretty easy-going individual, being hard to upset unless you mess with her family and especially her brother. Behind her serious nature hides a sense of humor and wit, which she doesn't really bust out unless she's gotten to know the person she's talking to. She can be brutally honest at times, but unless the person seriously deserves it, she'll make it clear that she's not being mean or rude, as most often her honesty implies that she likes them. As said before, she's empathetic towards others, and has a soft spot for people with siblings of their own. She constantly pushes herself to do more and improve, often at the cost of any regular wants she may have. She can be impulsive, but her instincts are usually right if she has to make a quick decision.

Grant is the one person she cares about the most, and she will do anything to protect him.[/center] [/hider]