M A R I S S A H A R W E L L / / T W E N T Y - T H R E E
"I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me." - Joshua Graham
Branch of Service: 101st Training Corps ⇨ Scouting Legion
Years of Service: Year 837—840 (101st Training Corps), Year 841—843 (1st Scouting Legion), Year 845— (2nd Scouting Legion)
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 60 kg
Hair Color: Light blonde
Eye Color: Hazel
Complexion: Fair
Body Composition: Slim
[ ❇ ] P E R S O N A L I T Y
Much unlike her younger sister, Marissa is a more friendly face around her comrades. Marissa rarely hides from socializing, and welcomes all those under her wing to come to her with their problems. As a result, Marissa has zero tolerance for hazing and would much rather prefer if everyone got along. This continues to result in a strong bond formed between Marissa and her fellow soldiers, and many jokingly call Marissa their mother for her tendency to look out for her comrades. Unfortunately, the world, as beautiful as it is, is also merciless, and the bonds often leave Marissa struggling to cope with sorrow despite all that she has seen.
[ ❇ ] B I O G R A P H Y
Marissa Harwell was born as the first and oldest child to the Harwells within the Shiganshina district. Despite being born into a middle-class family, Marissa was often at odds with her parents and their choices. Marissa felt that the Harwells' were trapped with their social status, and she sought to find a way to elevate her family's lower status to, if luck permitted, similar of those deeper inside the Walls. While her parents tried to groom Marissa into taking over the family business, she had set her sights on the Survey Corps one day as they passed through Shiganshina.
Marissa's parents, of course, objected to their daughter joining the military, but it was a struggle, especially with another child soon on the way. Eventually, her parents had relented and allowed Marissa to join the military. Joining at an early age, Marissa experienced first hand the painful and deadly struggles that the Training Corps were subject to. Marissa saw the people leave terrified to return to their original lives, the gruesome injuries, and perhaps, the occasional person who could give no more, keeling over and resting forever. While Marissa persevered through the training, it was during this time she had met another cadet by the name of Mateo.
Mateo struggled to fit in, being alienated by military life. Nonetheless, Marissa saw to Mateo, and in the progress of training, helping him fit in with the rest of the cadets. This would form a bond between the two cadets--a bond that would outlast even the end of their training. While Marissa did not achieve as high a ranking as Mateo, she managed to finish her training as number four of the top ten. Rather than join the corrupt Military Police, Marissa followed Mateo into the Scouting Legion, and quickly made a name for herself. Her experience soon found Marissa a place in a specialized squad alongside Mateo, where she would follow in his shadow in terms of promotions.
The missions that the squad was given were high-risk. So dangerous that Marissa's and Mateo's squad was the last one remaining alive, but their luck would soon run out. Ordered to investigate an old fort visited by deserters, Titans slipped through their ranks, catching the squad off guard and obliterating the three other squad members. Struggling to survive, the duo were left with no gas after a long battle, only to be saved right before they became food for a fifteen meter Titan. Unfortunately, the squad that was under Captain McLocken had lost one of their men saving their hides, and Mateo and Marissa were court-martialed--discharged from the Survey Corps.
Left to split from their partnership, Mateo and Marissa went their different ways after farewells. Mateo returned home to help his nephew, but Marissa felt guilty when she thought of returning home after being thrown out of the military. Having gone against what her parents wanted, Marissa was afraid to return home like the few times she had visited in the past. As a result, it was a lonely two years for Marissa, who spent her days travelling the walls and moping inside taverns and inns whenever she could. During this time, Marissa suffered a momentary lapse of judgement, turning to the bottle as she felt responsible for her comrades' deaths.
However, Marissa's world would soon turn upside down once more. The disaster of Shiganshina had happened, and left Marissa in a worrisome state wondering if her family had managed to survive. It filled Marissa with a new resolve as she desperately struggled to reach the rising tide of refugees to find out the truth, but she was soon scooped up by the same military that she was discharged from. According to what she was told, a certain captain used his own personal opinion to sway Marissa back into service, and as a result of Johan's opinion, she reunited with Mateo.
While Marissa was grateful to see Mateo once more, the constant watch over them for the first year made it nearly impossible to search for her family. Both Mateo and Marissa were sent out on various missions, although neither of these were deemed special or high-risk until they were trusted once more. During this time, Marissa heard rumors of a child prodigy within the 104th Training Corps that oddly looked like her, but before she could investigate, her superiors swamped Marissa with the paperwork of a Lance Corporal. Nevertheless, Marissa, like all soldiers, know that duty comes first, and she won't make the mistakes she made in the past again.
[ ❇ ] S T A T I S T I C S
Battle Skill: 18
Strength: 4
Agility: 15
Teamwork: 8
Leadership: 5
[ ❇ ] F A M I L Y
Father: Stephen Harwell — Deceased
Mother: Erika Harwell (née Chandler) — Deceased
Sister (Younger): Tanner Harwell — Alive
Adoptive Sister (Younger): Hannah Wagner — Alive
