canaryrose

Men vs. Women Race to 1000: Version 2.0

-175

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

@WanderingSpirit

It's good now! Go ahead and put him in the character tab whenever you can C:

Men vs. Women Race to 1000: Version 2.0

-172

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

Just jumping here to say hi to everyone and I'm also interested if you're willing to have me! Please let me know if anything needs to be changed as there are some sections I just wandered off on.

Either way, thanks in advance!

Character Sheet

══════════════

Theme Song

══════════════

BASICS

Name:
Alexander Holcroft

" Alex "

Gender / Preferred Pronouns:
He / Him / They

Age:
18

Birthday:
June 22 ♋︎

Sexuality:
Bisexual, Male preference

APPEARANCE

On most mornings you can find Alex already in his morning routine before even the crack of dawn, it doesn't matter if he only went to sleep a few hours ago, he'll keep on continuing. That doesn't mean that every day is sunshine and lollipops for him, some days are definitely better than others like anyone else but this is why this is called a routine with his establish set of good habits. Whether it be keeping up with material fashion or physical health, he always seems to have his fingers on the pulse in addressing them if he wants to change anything.

His secret to taming his messy bed head? It's located in the shower with some water and a bit of soft handling, it can do wonders for anyone, isn't that amazing? Of course, that's the easy part before he has to the mop up his wet locks of dark brown hair with the blow dryer while simultaneously combing to shape it into shape. It not hard after a few years of ingraining it as his muscle memory since all the best things come after working for them, plus the countless amount of dollars spent but he doesn't talk about that. In the end though, he makes it look effortless when his wavy hair has been styled to the side yet still with volume that has strong sense of care for the way it has been handled.

Imagine all of that was just for his hair, now think about the rest of him. Just kidding. Or am I?

Continuing on for Alex, his closet of clothes has a little bit of everything that he can fit into any occasion which may come up so he could be called someone with a pretty solid foundation clothing-wise. He generally doesn't fall into any category or style for the clothes he wears but overall would be considered as someone who was well dressed for the situation. It is a skill that is much harder than it sounds as having a solid understanding on what kind of event he is going to and fitting himself to match while still being tasteful is not something one just picks up without much experience and deliberation. Thankfully, his height of 5' 8 is quite average that most things he looks for are quite accessible for him if he searches with enough effort.

PSYCHE

Personally, Alex has always seen himself as an introvert but repeatedly the idea has been rejected by people as he's seen as 'the popular one' or as 'someone who knew everyone'. This might of been a shallow observation from others, but Alex never had really close friends that he's let into his own life. Mostly having presented himself as a cheerful person who went along with anything lead many people to find him simply easy to talk to and befriend. Over time, he has come to interpret his experience and perspective of him simply having many casual friends he has but not having any close individuals who know him in and out.

However, there is truly a difference between being truly a kind and compassionate individual or being kindhearted so that other people would like you. As for himself, he's always gauged himself to fall in the latter category as a phony, keeping himself under wraps as the outside world never managed to pierce through the veil he always placed up. That never meant he didn't truly interact with people genuinely but he's like a baby chick who never broke out of their shell, having never found a solid anchor for himself to establish on. As such, he always enjoyed the presence of others who he finds as better people than him, supporting them and wishing them the best over his own self.

If he was to perform his own evaluation on his personality, he'd fall under the archetype of the Mediator, being quite the accurate description for him yet not without a few discrepancies. Same with the star sign of his birth being Cancer, it is also another aspect of him that he resonates with parts of the description yet does not fully describe him. Together with the two of them, he'd agree that he would be a prime example as he places his own emotional baggage onto the back burner while prioritizing others, being a behavior that he aptly does which align with the two classifications. In a sense, the protective and cautious aspect of his personality takes to the forefront, while his emotional side is truly evident in the care he provides for his friends that may surprise people.

However, the mask that he placed on simply didn't end when graduating, like any habit you'd continue with them until yourself or something pushes a change to say otherwise. In fact after High School, the pressure to fit into the mold and mask that he designed for himself is becoming more of a natural instinct for him. Anything that is going on in the back of his mind will build up there until he eventually implodes in one way or another, whether it be today or next week, that is simply how his personality is and always been. As time passes on, a palpable feeling of distance has become stronger, intertwined with the presence of melancholic aloofness. Sometimes if you catch him at the end of his fuse, his emotional side may violently crack its way through the mask that he placed in front of him, but that's when a person should notice that it's really a red flag.

BACKSTORY

Born to a family that always seemed to change faces, there were never the same people in one household for too long. If this family were to live together, they would be six people total who would be together with the hierarchy of the father, mother, brother, and sister who also loved each other. Once upon a time, they did exactly that but now, they were shattered and splintered into pieces that everyone knew better than to even touch or get near. Everyone had their own feelings that they had to sort out and responsibilities handed to them that needed to be worried about.

As the second youngest of the household and with a ten year gap between his older siblings, the only thing he members are the tiny flecks of the conflict that echoed throughout the household between his mother and father that largely remains scattered. Despite a few memories being firmly ingrained in his recollection, the time of his childhood were rough placed to the side as he barely remembers anything meaningful outside of a few select pieces. To him, he prefers to not think about this time when he used to bounce between two household before it became just one, being a very troubling time for not only just him but his father who served as the pillar to what remained of their family. It was a time were they were dealing with the aftermath of what had happened to their family, healing over the cracks and wounds in any way they could so nothing else have to be lost. Even in that time, things still fell through everyone’s hands as it was impossible to catch everything but they tried.

It was a hard time for everyone, as he still remembers the time when his older brothers were still troubled by their parent’s separation as they acted out in their own unique ways which Alex learned from. He was the quietest child of the family who always stuck with himself, he kept things tucked away so nobody would have to worry about him which allowed his mother to take care of his mentally challenged sister who had several complications since birth. As such he never grew much into himself but from an outside perspective, things began to get better as the years went on when they managed to plant their feet as they found a new house in Maryland to start anew from the west coast. His father even found someone special who went through something similar as they came together to raise their families together, resulting in Alex gaining an older stepbrother.

Only through his wife was Alex's dad was able to acquaint himself with the coven of The Sisters of the Dying Branch years ago, allowing his two older children to be initiated with the voucher of goodwill that was on his behalf. As such, Alex got accustomed to the mountainous roads that lead to the coven, finding it to have its own charm that he appreciated as naps were taken and music played in the car. From his family's rocky circumstances, he rarely got to formally learn magic outside of the few things he was taught and the discoveries he found out on his own. With their new start, Alex finally got the taste of magic in his system that never truly left him as he began to dig into.

As the years passed, Alex grew wiser and smarter as anyone should and soon reached the age that he was expected to join the coven.

Notable Rumors:

• Claimed to be currently seeing one of his girlfriend's guy friend behind her back
  
  _{While he does hang out with a handful of female friends he's friendly with, he's only dated one of them and even then they have broken up.}

• Had to move schools because of a bullying incident that happened with the kids there.
  
  _{It's true that he had to move from that incident but the events of what happened have been hushed up by the school for good publicity.}

• Said to have gotten involved with the cute chemistry / physics teacher at his high school.
  
  _{Calling a teacher good looking doesn't mean anything. Besides, other students have been around, even when they had a celebration at their place.}

• Heard to be involved in some sketchy things outside of school that the adults don't know about.
  
  _{His younger sister has a learning disability and activities are provided for enrichment, sometimes it's playing some soccer and other times volunteering.}

Greatest Fear:
Rejection and Failure are two palpable feelings for Alex that's caused him trouble before, accompanying each other wherever they go that hangs onto him when they get a chance.

NOTABLES

Magic:

Alex's Area of Studies

Most Notable Study: Fate/Entropy Spinning
A curious area of study that witches have done over the centuries that have been grouped up or attributed to other forms of magic. It is truthfully an area that one could be considered to be separate from other forms of magic and worthy of focusing which is what Alex has done. The roots of its influence dig into the crafting of 'good luck charms' to 'readings of the future' and even 'curses felled upon people' which only scratches the surface.

The closest practice of magic could be considered 'Divination' that deals with readings of the future by diving through time but Fate Spinning focuses instead on the 'present' that it influences to affect the 'potential future'. It is an unpredictable, ultimately uncontrollable, yet potent form of magic as probability and even the concept of 'destiny' can be bent. As such the more complex and higher forms of this practice are incredibly costly and present a danger that restrictions have been placed on it.

It hasn't stopped him from experimenting on his own, hiding his proficiency in this area under the guise of creating 'good luck charms' and performing 'fortune readings' for others which are within his capabilities. Beyond the oversight of the adults, he uses this magic more freely as a strange hobby that he indulges in, watching the patterns flow to places and strings of fate being pulled that he watches and follows. That has earned him the reputation of being someone who had his fingers in everything seemingly, knowing a surprising amount of people from different places as performs random odd jobs and favors for them. People know better to avoid playing games of chance with him if they don't want to lose and that he seems to be occasionally involved when shifts of events seem to work out a few steps in his favor.

Interested Studies: Wards
The magic used to create protected objects or spaces that have a wide area of application depending on the situation that a witch can find themselves in. As someone who has a few things he likes to hide at times, he is skilled for someone of his age group, having established the good habit of making sure no one can listen or watch when having an important conversation. It's a common joke that he likes to make about making sure that they have a 'safe space' that people would be comfortable talking within which isn't a total lie.

It is his father's trade which gives him someone to study under whenever he has time and his stepmother isn't also too bad with it either that results in him having a healthy education with this area of magic. While simple, his fondest memory was during a camping trip when he was younger where he finally set up a ward to prevent bugs once he polished it up. The sweet relief of no mosquitos or creepy critters in the night was a small blessing for everyone after getting bitten.

Interested Studies: Spatial Interference
A branch of magic that could be considered to be an extension of Elemental Magic to a degree. It is a base component to witches who are able to teleport as they bend space to physically disappear and reappear somewhere else. Taking that principle, one is able to reinforce the space around them to prevent it from being used in such ways with enough practice and extend it through the use of Wards as well. It is something that Alex hopes to accomplish one day but he doesn't have many other peers who can help him make such a task.

However, that doesn't warrant a witch to take such an interest in such nuances unless they wish to also achieve teleportation which Alex does want one day but isn't his current focus. His current expertise is involved in making compartmentalized space or 'pocket spaces' where he can put inorganic items in, currently at the size of a business briefcase out nothing. If he is given some material around the size of a school backpack or smaller, he can give about 50% more space they have within them that increases with smaller items, which is the most he can work with.

Casual Studies: Healing
His stepmother's trade as a seasoned practitioner of healing magic, she was always the one to patch up his bruises and scratches after his dad's lessons. He tried to pick the art up from a young age but always lacked the aptitude for it that he never more focus on it.

While not inexperienced or untrained, at most he's simply good at magical first aid should the occasion ever bring itself to him. He would leave any of the further delicate processes to those more skilled in his age group if they're any or the adults who eclipse him with experience.

Lackluster Studies: Combat Magic
Defensive and Combat Magic are his father's trade as he is properly trained should trouble every arise, he is more than capable of handling himself compared to the average witch.

It is an area of magic that should run in the family, with his older siblings easily picking it up from their father but Alex was always the one getting wiped even when others came to practice. Sure he was given the proper instruction and knowledge that his father isn't at fault but rather a surprising lack of affinity on Alex's part that he just doesn't 'click' with it. It does leave him being more comfortable moving his body in such situations and acting than those without but those with more combat sense and experience especially will find him easily read in upfront confrontation.

Lackluster Studies: Elemental Magic
Similar to his experience in combat magic, he just seems to be trumped in elemental magic that he obviously knows he's behind them. That doesn't mean he hasn't learned anything but natural progression just seems to be difficult for him, stacked along with the fact that he's interested in other areas. He's still able to throw pebbles at annoying people, wring out water from his hair, or try to air out some last-minute laundry. It's just that nothing is impressive or substantial compared to others in his age group.

Abysmal Affinity: Illusion/Mental Magic
If it is possible to have an adverse affinity to a type of magic, it is of this nature for Alex as they seemingly gobble him up. While it may seem that he is the type of person to excel in this kind of magic, after an incident in his childhood of trying something overambitious left him worse for wear. It was an issue that only got noticed when something designed to be 'fake' began to affect something that was 'real' which his parents scolded him for after resolving it and taking care of him.

Ever since then, he's mostly stayed away from such magic and the skill he had in that area has atrophied into a shadow of itself. Attempts to use it since that event has resulted in him easily losing control of the spells that he tried that he called it a lost cause to pursue.

Other:

• His family has two German Shepherds that got when he was around 12 years old. They're called Maximus and Hermes.
• He has three older siblings (Luke, Caius, and Melphina) and one younger (Leia).
• Recorational drugs were introduced to him by his older siblings, even then they only do it once or twice a year (that he knows of).
• He's pretty decent at roller and ice skating but he has had a few nasty falls that he prefers to do it with someone.
• Has a nicotine habit that he takes care of whether it be with normal cigarettes or electronic ones, it reaches his hands either way.
• Color is Goldenrod but doesn't have a hex code that I know of. If someone knows what it is, then thanks!

@WanderingSpirit

Whoops, fuck, I didn't see that!

I like your character sheet, but I think you might have a few misconceptions about witches. Witchery runs through a bloodline. You're either a witch or you're not- you have to learn how to properly use magic as a witch, but humans can't use magic at all. It's not anything that a human can do, and the coven would be loathe to allow an outsider to know anything about it. A lot of these questions are answered in the Discord, so I would encourage you to join.

Other than that, it's good! I liked how much detail you put into it.

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

Here's my two friends, sorry I got carried away like I always do!! <3

Rhys Lockhart

_{Faceclaim: Matthew Clavane || Color Code: #ffd9a8}

Name:
Soren Rhysande Lockhart
_{Usually they go by Rhys (pronounced “reese”) though they have a plethora of nicknames based off their first name.}

Gender / Preferred Pronouns:
Genderfluid (they/them)
_{Sometimes it changes between binary pronouns, too – they wear a leather cord necklace with a color-coded pendant for anyone who cares.}

Age:
Eighteen.
_{Being a smartass, four and a half.}

Birthday:
29th February.
_{Leap-day babe!}

Sexuality:
Pansexual
_{They like everyone and anyone, what else can be said?}

Appearance:
Tall and gangly at six feet, two inches, with knobbly limbs and a slender frame that lacks muscle definition entirely, Rhys perpetually conducts themself as though they have no idea where their limbs are. Their hair, brown and curly and almost always tamed into a bun, falls to their shoulder blades when it is freed from its prison. Well-defined brows and a delicately pointed, clean-shaven jaw frame soft lips, a strong nose, and expressive dark-brown eyes. Their face and the rest of their body are covered in a healthy sprinkling of freckles, and though their skin is of a shade that could tan easily it remains rather fair from a general lack of sunlight.

Regarding attire, the short answer is "it varies". They're usually clad in some hybrid of comfort and style, usually to about a business-casual standard, but what comprises the wardrobe varies tremendously in shape and cut. Much of it is comprised of solid color sweaters over white or cream button shirts, or sometimes a vest in place of the sweater, and a variety of trousers or knee-length pleated skirts. Overall, their silhouettes could best be described as somewhat old-fashioned. They're fond of neutrals and soft, desaturated warm colors, preferring brown and beige and warm grey over black or cool blue. Brown leather loafer shoes and a classy, gold-faced watch (a graduation present from their almost-twin) are staples of their wardrobe.

As mentioned above, they wear a thin leather cord necklace with a simple acrylic circle pendant threaded through it, for at-a-glance reference about preferred pronouns - a peach-pink one for feminine pronouns, pale green for neutral ones, and dark red for masculine ones. Most often they wear the green one, or none at all; if they have to go in public they rather like confusing strangers about their gender.

Personality:
Soft-spoken and gentle would be the first words most would use to describe Rhys. They're gently outgoing and very supportive of their clanmates, especially the younger ones. Growing up their whole life in a small town, they're quick to consider everyone as a friend or like family, and this has spilled over into the coven, though they've hardly been a part of it for very long. They're incredibly slow to anger and quick to forgive. Stubborn and deep-set in their non-confrontational patterns, others have said on occasion that it is impossible to get a rise out of them, save for when they're actively panicking.

Generally, Rhys is fairly assured of themself, moving through the world with the grace and confidence of someone unaware of the dark. There is little that has happened in their fairly insular world that has shaken their sense of self, and they've always been met with love and acceptance in their appearance and presentation. Because of this, they can seem a little bit naive or oblivious to how cruel the world can really be. Magic, similarly, has only ever been viewed through a positive and altruistic lens by them; they're entirely unaware of how badly it can be corrupted.

Moving so far across the world has turned their life upside down, but they confront the new situation optimistically and courageously all the same. After all, they've never had an experience like this that's turned out badly, right? And having a friendly face amid all the chaos certainly helps, too...

Biography:
Raised by a young single mother and an unknown father, one would have expected Rhys to have a hard early life. This could not have been further from the truth, however. They were born into the loving and tiny community of Tide Mills, a believed ghost town in England, to their parent Saige Lockhart. Saige was a first-generation witch, she believed, though had the lineage been traced back through several mundane generations there would have been clear ties to the still-powerful Lockhart family of the midwestern parts of Britain.

The town of Tide Mills had once been deemed unfit for human living, and evacuated, but by the time of Rhys's birth there was in fact a thriving miniature coven. After years and years of thankless tending, cleaning up the remains of human waste and expending an incredible amount of energy, it seemed the earth chose to give back. A sapling that had been planted in the foundations of the old mill had bloomed into a glistening wellspring, leaves of iridescent silver set on a trunk of bronze, the plant shaded from curious humans by the crumbling brick walls and general apparent squalor of the region, and from magical beings by the remoteness and small size of it. While some wellsprings could support several hundred members, theirs was clearly not one of such note, and left all but the most desperate eager to pass it by in pursuit of other targets.

By the time of Rhys's birth, the Miltide Sisterhood had drawn up about a dozen members, all of whom lived a very, very close-knit circle. Life was good, amid a glowing and brand-new village glamoured into apparent squalor. Rhys had a lovely, nurturing, doting upbringing, though they were dreadfully lonely as the only child for most of their early years. The witches of the sisterhood did their best to provide what they could by way of play and stimulation, and Rhys had no shortage of lovely charmed toys and things to experience and explore, but they still craved the contact of another person their age.

Their prayers for a playmate were answered when they were seven, with the arrival of a new witchling. Kai, they were called, and like Rhys in that they didn't have much of a fondness for roles and standards assigned at birth. The children formed a fast friendship, catalyzed by their matching given names, and further solidified when they realized that their birth dates matched to the hour.

For seven years, all went well, and then they didn't. The not-twins (as Saige had taken Kai in like they were her own child) got in trouble for going too far, exploring a forbidden part of the coastline. Kai had nearly drowned after a bridge had collapsed under them, which angered the coven elders as a needless and foolish injury. When they finally made it home and were faced down by the elders, Rhys accepted the punishment they were given quite placidly but Kai did not. The resulting argument and escalation to powers had the foster witchling expelled from the sisterhood and sent on to another.

After that, things were never quite the same; Saige grieved for her lost second child - as that had been what Kai had seemed to her - but was not allowed to publicly show it. It manifested, though, not in cruelty but in an almost smothering kindness both to Rhys and to the other children (of which there were by now three, ranging in age from two to six). Still, it wasn't enough to sate Saige's wandering maternal instinct.

Privately, Rhys believes that their parent went mad with the desire to search for Kai. About five months after their not!sibling was expelled, they quietly left the coven in the dead of night, too, turning their back on the only family they'd ever had. The following three years were spent on the road, dwelling a few days or weeks with a variety of covens throughout the United Kingdom - usually small sisterhoods; they knew better than to get involved with the biggest, it seemed. As they went, Rhys had the opportunity to dabble in many, many different kinds of magic, beyond the ones they'd been able to practice in the limited time and resources their tiny coven had had. They quickly fell in love with the art of threadwork, which they learned from a kindly old lady they'd briefly stayed with during their time in London.

Just two months ago, Rhys and Saige's paperwork for America came in, and they made the journey - Saige's intuition had said that they would find Kai across the ocean. And they did, in the arms of the Sisters of the Dying Branch. With no money, no power left from their wellspring, and their family reunited, they threw themselves upon the mercy of the coven, though its a far larger community than either of them have ever been involved in before.

Notable Rumors:
I: Rhys's mother killed a member of their old coven in a fit of jealousy, and that's why no one else has taken them in.
_{(This one is untrue, and Rhys is quick to defend their mother, always, though Saige seems to have just accepted it.)}

II: Rhys and Kai are actually dating.
_{(They're not. That's like dating your twin sibling. Ewwwww.)}

III: Rhys can talk to animals, and that's why they adore the bird flocks and so on so much.
_{(They're working on it, okay? It's a new skill and a new use of magic, as far as they know.)}

Greatest Fear:
Drowning.
_{Rhys is terrified of drowning (ironic, considering that the wellspring is a lake, and all of that.) Having watched their notsibling fall off the edge of a waterfall and nearly drown was the most traumatic experience of their life. Their anxiety around any body of water larger than a bathtub or deeper than a puddle is debilitating, or around any sort of ruunning water, to the point where they often need to ask one of the other coven members to retrieve the water they need for their recipes and charms.}

Magic:
Rhys is overall very fond of domestic applications of their skills. They care little for curses or flashy displays of glamour, and do not even practice the former. The latter they do with some minor charms, however.

Best Skill: Kitchencraft
The skill that comes easiest to Rhys is absolutely kitchencraft. It's their term for an intersection of enchanting, charms, and potionsmaking, in a sense, or more accurately the amalgamation of all of the above into the production of consumable goods. They make breads and crackers that are enchanted to provide a day's energy, herbal teas with all manner of calming or energizing effects, and beverages and dessert cakes that, at will, morph into whatever the consumer would like them to be. Other skills related include making a broth of scraps to be as tasty and filling as a hearty stew, and notably they have also worked with transmuting plant-based foods like tofu into animal-like ones, because they do not really have the heart to kill a living creature for food.

Favorite Skill: (Needlework) Charms
While others might find it tedious and attention- and energy-sapping, Rhys revels in the time they are able to spend in the library or in a well-shaded part of the garden, spinning threads drenched in wellspring water and stitching them carefully into intricate and layered designs with a variety of threadwork techniques. They've chosen to specialize in needlework charms, which few others do on account of the time commitment and attention to detail required.

Because of the possibilities of layering and wide nuances of effects (colors of threads, material of threads, spun clockwise or counterclockwise, types of stitches, and so on) in addition to the incredible time commitment each charm takes, Rhys's work is remarkably powerful and intricate. Due to the absorbent nature of the materials, as well, it is simple enough to recharge a spent charm with a generous sprinkling of wellspring water.

Neutral Skill: Elemental Casting
Rhys is remarkably average at elemental casting. They don't have great destructive power, but they're accurate enough when they choose to use it and have decent mastery over the four elements. Fire is their strongest, followed by earth, water, and lastly air, though the difference in their control between the four is rather minimal.

Least-Favorite Skill: Astral Projection
If Rhys could be said to HATE any magic skill, it would be anything to do with projection or teleportation. They get incredibly nauseous from the process and often end up laid-up with migraines as a result. The fear of the process and its effects have rendered them loathe to even try it unless it's life-or-death.

Worst Skill: Anything Divination
They can make awesome loose-leaf teas for anyone who asks, but - actually reading the remnants left in the cup? Ha. Hahahahaha. No. They managed to give themselves a papercut on every finger the last time they tried to use a tarot deck, and dropped a pendulum (and shattered it into thirteen pieces) the last time they tried THAT. The long and short of it is that they SUCK at divination, and will likely hurt themself and anyone else who's watching if they continue to try to master it.

Other:
Rhys does not have a familiar; however, they are quite fond of feeding the birds and other small wildlife in the vicinity of the coven house. Most mornings will find them out in the front garden with a satchet of birdseed and several sparrows perched on or around them - it's one of the only times they enjoy being outside.

Kai Gallagher

_{Faceclaim: Lachlan Watson || Color Code: #a570e0}

Name:
Seren Nikaia Gallagher
_{They go by Kai or rarely Nik, never ever EVER their first name.}

Gender / Preferred Pronouns:
Nonbinary (they/them)
_{They have been known to not correct people, for fear of retribution or misunderstandings, but if you use the right ones it'll make them VERY happy.}

Age:
Eighteen.
_{They've told people that they're four before, to make them fuck off, though.}

Birthday:
29th February.
_{Leap-day births are cool and magical!}

Sexuality:
Sapphic Asexual??
_{They think girls are the most beautiful and graceful thing to exist on the planet, but have no interest in ...canoodling.}

Appearance:
Whether or not it's true, one would be forgiven for thinking Kai is of fae descent. They're positively diminutive, standing a mere four feet and eight inches, with the slightest of gentle points to their ears and canine teeth that could as easily be a normal human mutation as a result of some other influence. Despite their tiny stature, however, they carry themself with a boisterous and optimistic energy; they're easily one of the most notable people in a room.

They have an impish grin and prominent dimples in both cheeks, a button nose, and wide set blue eyes, set under rather thin, high-arched brows. Their hair is curly and kept in a pixie cut or buzzed off entirely, usually swept away from their face and rarely pinned in place, more often gelled. It's a dark brown naturally, but depending on their mood they often glamour it to a tint of violet or blue. Their eyes naturally are a light blue, but they similarly will glamour them, for fun.

Their attire is all over the place, mostly favoring oversized and generally loose-fit sweaters and hoodies, vibrantly colored and often with some witticism or political statement emblazoned on the front. When they must dress up they have been known to wear dresses or suits with equal ease.

Personality:
Kai is a spunky and determined young person who is never afraid to speak their mind and make their voice heard. Fun-loving and stubborn, they're incredibly outgoing and are easily excitable by nearly any matter. While elders have named them argumentative and confrontational, they just consider themself self-assured and aware of what they want. They would say they are wise and well-adjusted to the world for their age, having lived in so many different places and traveled so much.

They have an insatiable thirst for adventure, and can make the most mundane things seem magical. It would be said that Kai has an infatuation with human cultures and politics, having had glancing contact with a HUGE variety of normal humans in the foster system and finding them altogether too fascinating to leave alone.

They crave independence, having bounced between foster homes and never been given the freedom to choose their future or family for themself. Even now being eighteen, they’ve had no opportunity to spread their wings and they’re chomping at the bit to get out of the coven house; hopefully, once one of the elders decides they’re ready for fully fledged witchhood, they’ll be allowed to go and explore more freely.

Biography:
Kai's story began with them a swaddled infant on the doorstep of a human orphanage, with only a birth certificate that had at first been deemed forged for the fantasy-like names of both mother and infant, signed from a hospital not in the city. Kai never knew their biological parents, and that was fine - they were in a busy home, for their first few years of consciousness, before the foster system swept them up. For the most part, it suited them well enough, and their early childhood was fairly uneventful, if scattered among several different families and lifestyles.

When they were seven, that changed dramatically. Their most recent placement was not a particularly great home, with a tense relationship between the biological children and the fostered ones. When one of the older children punched the youngest sibling for not surrendering a toy, Kai rushed to his aid. They held their grade-school recorder in their hand, having been practicing - music homework was the only thing they were motivated to do without prompting, even at this early age - and brought it to their lips, initially intending just to make the loudest squeak they could to hurt their older sister's sensitive hearing without touching her. But before they knew it, she was on the floor screaming in pain, blood trickling down the sides of her face from her ears.

After this, the foster family sent Kai away, and within a week, a young woman who said she was from the town of Tide Mills came seeking them by name. Eager to get rid of the troublemaker, paperwork was quickly signed and their custody was turned over to the Miltide Sisterhood.

It was the single-best thing that could have happened in Kai's life; they were suddenly surrounded by people who - though wary at first - supported and loved them and were completely understanding of what had happened. They were, in fact, a witch, and it had been the first manifestation of their magic when they had felt threatened by the older child. Under the watchful eye of the Sisterhood, they began to learn traditional forms of magic in addition to honing their skills (mostly self-taught) with voice and instrument.

More importantly, they formed a fast bond with their foster mother and (effectively) twin, settling easily into family life, though they chafed at the matriarchal and oligarchical leadership of their little coven. There was a friendly rivalry between the two young witchlings - with matching names, matching birthdates, and a similar role as the only two children, it was an easy leap for them to be competing in regard to all things magical.

The tensions with coven leadership came to a head when the twins were fourteen. Ignoring strict rules to not go beyond the coven's claimed and carefully-patrolled territory, Rhys and Kai went on an adventure. As misadventuring teens are prone to, an accident happened. A bridge over a slow-moving river collapsed, and Kai - who had never learned to swim - fell in, nearly drowning before Rhys got to them. Upon arriving back at home, strict punishment duties, and a removal of their magic privileges for a week, were placed on them. Kai, feeling all this was unfair, tried to argue and ended up escalating to an (exceptionally short-lived) duel with the coven elder. As per the charter, when magic was turned upon an elder, the wrongdoer was to be cast out.

Kai's mother had no say in the matter, and they were swiftly returned to the system, who now had NO idea what to do with them. They were belligerent and devastated at the loss of their found family, and were deemed difficult. They bounced around too many times to count, notably to a very, very wealthy do-gooder mundane family in London - upon seeing Kai's talent with the recorder (yes, the same school one they'd been issued nine years previously), they placed them in lessons with a very prestigious historical music school and commissioned custom instruments for their performing. The family seemed enamored by their foster child, and fully supportive of Kai's music, unknowing of the magic they practiced in secret. Their secret couldn't last, of course, and when the family eventually discovered Kai's peculiarity they were whisked off again to be replaced by a child who would be less of a liability. However, they were allowed to keep the instruments, and they're their most treasured possessions.

When their next foster family moved to America, dragging a hapless Kai along until the familial relationship inevitably fell through, they were left kicked out and stranded, figuratively, up a creek without a paddle in a tiny town in the midwest. Like any plucky and resourceful teen, they began to try to hitchhike to a larger city, thinking they could somehow enroll themself in a music school and make a life that way with their magical heritage more on the side. They didn't get very far, of course, before they had to use their powers to defend themself, and in doing so were swiftly tracked down by a member of the Sisters of the Dying Branch.

Since then, they've lived in the coven house for the last eight months, both incredibly grateful for the rescue and seething that they fucked up their opportunity for freedom. With Rhys and Saige's arrival in the area, however, they're hoping to turn over a new leaf, having been reunited at long last with the closest thing they've ever had to family.

Notable Rumors:
I: They are a pureblooded fae of some sort, and to disguise this, their entire appearance is an elaborate network of glamours.
_{This one is false, but has a grain of truth. They might well be part-fae, they're not sure, but not more than half if they are (considering the human surname and being left with humans and all.) While their height and ear points and so on are natural, they glamour their frame into a more slender and androgynous shape than even the best affirming garments can. Also, they have been known to use glamours to alter their hair and eye color for fun.}

II: They fled England after committing an unspeakable crime.
_{Not true, at all. Any crimes committed there were petty teenage misdemeanors.}

III: Kai leaves the coven house for hours at a time to practice nefarious things in secret.
_{True, ish. They do their best performance when surrounded by the sounds of nature, and there's less chance of something going wrong. Regarding nefarious things... no? usually, at least.}

Greatest Fear:
Abandonment.
_{Their greatest fear is probably abandonment, closely followed by losing control of their magic again. Having seen their family torn apart too many times before, they're terrified that something will happen that will make the coven get rid of them (for all they wish they could leave of their own accord, this rebelliousness =/= not ever being able to come back.)}

Magic:
Kai's favorite application of magic is sonomancy, most often played through their recorders, though rarely they'll sing or speak, depending on what the application is.

Best Skill: Glamours and Illusion
The skill that most naturally comes to them is anything to do with visual illusion, ironically. These spells are the ones which they'll speak or sing - articulation, tone, and even the words they choose to use have subtle effects on the shape of the spell, so they'll have a more nuanced cast if they plan out their words ahead of time. Every day they practice on themself, shaping their form and styling their hair, but they can cast on inanimate objects or other people, too, altering shapes, colors, or even making someone or something appear nonexistent.

Steadily developing is their ability to create sounds and distort sounds with the same skill - for creation they prefer to use their recorders to generate the base pure tones, as its easier to modify a pure tone into more diverse other sounds. They're going to try using these skills if and when they get a chance to hop into a recording studio, also, but that's ages down the line.

Favorite Skill: Sonomantic Evocation
Kai's favorite application of magic is using evocation spells within the context of their music. With their already great nonmagical control over their instrument, it is easy for them to create sounds that can be shaped into a variety of force or elemental-adjacent attacks. Force spells are infinitely easier, of course, ranging from high notes that literally stab or slash to low ones that can rattle the ground or slam an opponent to the floor. With considerably more energy, they can additionally channel a mild elemental effect in alongside, though they're still experimenting with that.

Neutral Skill: Charms and Potions
Neither great nor awful at charms nor potions, their biggest limiting factor with the creation of them is their lack of patience. Generally, non-spontaneous crafting or creating in the context of magic has no interest for them.

Least-Favorite Skill: Mental Manipulation
While they could be good at mind control or manipulation of emotions, what with music already being a vulnerability for most people, Kai refuses to even try to unless it is literally life-or-death. Even then, they find it morally reprehensible to influence another's way of thinking directly.

Worst Skill: Herbalism / Ecomancy
They CANNOT keep a plant alive to save their life. One foster parent gave them a succulent garden as a stress relief / zen thing. They killed it (a succulent array that was supposed to be near impossible to kill, remember) in about four weeks. Trying to revive it with magic (using their best guess on how ecomancy was supposed to work) resulted in a half-animated tiny cactus that continued crawling along by the root ball even after it had been split in half with a trowel. Legend says the animated, decaying cactus still crawls beneath their old foster-mom's house... and they are NEVER trying that again.

Other:
Kai owns a partial consort of custom-made recorders - They own a sopranino, soprano, and alto of the same style, and for all intents and purposes these seem to be fairly standard baroque instruments, if carved from a peculiar reddish-purple toned wood (Purpleheart wood, for the curious) that produces a distinctive sound to the trained ear.

Their goal is to get into a human conservatory and receive a performance degree; they wish to be known not as a witch but as a performer. Their hands are too small to play tenor or bass recorder, so they'll be hard-pressed to make up for that come audition time.

They DO have a record of misdemanors from their teen years in London - mostly graffiti and one trespassing charge - but they haven't had any such records in America.

They enjoy creating art, especially abstract art (the kind made with spray cans and other less classy media) but they're fairly mediocre at it.

They have no familiar, having moved far too many times to take an animal with them.

NPC: Saige Lockhart

A witch in her early 40s, who became a parent very young due to recklessness but was able to create a good life for her child all the same thanks to the support of her coven. She's soft-spoken and well-mannered, kindly and warm-hearted, and very skilled at divination and futuresight. Currently resides in the coven house while she figures out housing in her new place of residence.

@Amethyst

I love them so fucking much, accepted!

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

@Red X

I'd love to have you!

James Kelce

Name:
James Kelce

Nickname:
Jamie, Kells

Gender:
Male; he/him

Age:
18

Birthday:
January 27

Sexuality:
Heterosexual

Appearance:
Despite a naturally angry face, Jamie has warm brown eyes and an easy smile that always appears whenever he is greeting someone. Though just as easy as it comes, if the situation demands it, his smile can quickly turn into a brooding frown, complete with furrowed eyebrows. He has a head of messy dark brown hair that always falls out of place despite many attempts to tame it. Standing at 5’11 and a whopping 175lbs, James has the well-muscled body of an athlete and not by accident. He takes great pride in a regiment of diet and exercise. Though thoroughly enjoying the exercise portion, the diet part is rather lacking, and you can always find him scarfing down multiple cheeseburgers on his many cheat days.

Because of his natural dislike of the cold, James often wears multiple layers of clothing in all seasons aside for summer. Usually his outfit consists of a t-shirt, a white long sleeve, and a black leather jacket. He wears black jeans with a pair of black low cut running shoes. He layers the long sleeves depending on the temperature and is big fan of long socks and thermal underwear. James also carries a silver cross around his neck in a darkly ironic attempt to make humor at being a witch.

Personality:
James is a thrill seeker. He loves the pinch in his stomach felt while riding at high speeds on his red Ducati 1098S motorcycle. And his passion for exercise is fueled by the euphoria felt after an exhaustive workout. Of the many sports James played growing up, his favorite was football for the adrenaline rush after he went crashing into the rival team’s quarterback. He processes physical exertion and fear with a foolish grin stapled to his face. Whether or not he’s actually insane is a different matter. Though the thought of flying, or rather the thought of crashing into the ground, is a fear that he has yet to get over.

James is an extrovert. He enjoys being part of large groups of people and likes attention. Though feeling excluded or unheard often makes him grumpy. He is the type of person to try to wiggle his way into a conversation, ideally becoming a focal point of attention.

James has little ability to filter out his own thoughts. He often states exactly what is on his mind. And what he does not say is usually in full view written on his face. This can unintentionally spark an argument and get him into social trouble. He also has a somewhat fragile ego and does not take comments or criticism about himself lightly. Despite James’ flaws, his personality is counterweighted with a strong loyalty to the coven in which he feels indebted to. Though he disagrees with some of their core principles, he begrudgingly adheres to their many rules.

Biography:
James grew up in the nearby town of Bluebrook with his mother. His father was imprisoned before James was born, serving a sentence of twenty-five to life in a different state for attempted murder. What James knows of his father consists of hurried conversations spoken behind a glass window, visits becoming increasingly infrequent as James grew older. His mother, Mary, never married the man and was a single parent who shared a reciprocal love for her son. She was the witch in the family, a talented pyromage and strong woman, who worked closely with the coven. James would often stay with The Elders at the coven house when she was away on missions.

James had a normal, happy, childhood with sports and friends. He knew of his witch heritage but held it with a thoughtless disregard known only to carefree children. He believed that all kids vacationed to the coven house while their parents were away. It was not until his mother did not return one fateful night that James realized he was different from the other children. At the age of thirteen he was taken in by the Elders and raised in the coven house where he learned how to use his magical abilities.

James longs to prove himself in the coven. Showing the world that he is more than a convicted father and an absentee mother.

Notable Rumors:

1) James’ father was imprisoned for killing his mother. (The timelines don’t add up but that’s what people say.)

2) James enjoys hurting other people. (It was a football game where he broke the opposing quarterback’s arm in a violent sack. He swears he was only smiling because they were winning the game.)

Greatest Fear:
Has a fear of flying and heights. James figures if he's going to die it'll be while on the ground rather than smashing into it.
He hates the cold.

Magic:

Strong Suit: Fire Magic
Like his mother, James is an adept fire user. He can quickly summon small fireballs to throw or exert a large amount of time and energy to summon blazing infernos. The Elders have become quite restrictive when it comes this magic because James tends to get carried away. When James first learned how to use this magic, a small campfire was started that turned into a horrible forest fire. He is restricted to controlled blasts of flame unless absolutely necessary.

Neutral Suit: Totem – Combat Magic
Because of the Elder’s rule of secrecy, James can’t run around setting everything on fire. So, James enchants the silver cross around his neck to grant him superior strength in combat. After activating it with blood/energy, he can go toe to toe with most creatures of the night. This only increases his strength aspect, but a lifetime of sports and exercise has honed his ability to dodge and take hits. His body is still very much human and too much damage can take him out of combat.

Weak Suit: Basically most other magic
Other spells take too long to learn and memorize, so James doesn’t really bother. He refuses to learn flight magic and other elemental spells he considers boring.

Other:
James’ father left him his red Ducati 1098S motorcycle. Because of its cost and his father’s known criminal past, James suspects it was purchased through illegal means. The papers are clean though, and it remains one of his most prized possessions.

Color Code:
I just used Orange

@MooseIsLoose

Love it! Accepted, feel free to go put him into the character tab.

《 H. E. R. O. 》

Snap. Snap. Snap, went Jamie's fingers. One after the other, her pinky, ring, and middle fingers on her left hand broke. An unwilling, pained gasp escaped from her mouth. She gritted her teeth against the sharp pain and scrunched her eyes shut. Overusing her powers always had an effect like this. By now, her fingers had broken at least ten times in the line of duty. But broken fingers weren't too bad, at the end of the day. With super-powered healers lining the staff of H.E.R.O, they could always be fixed. That didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch, though. Working past the pain, Jamie kept blasting Paradox. She assumed, by the gonging noises, that she was doing quite a bit of damage. Good. This guy seemed like someone they'd want down as soon as possible. And then they could take him to jail and continue... whatever they'd been doing.

Jamie opened her eyes and stopped blasting him 15 seconds later. She would've stopped after only two, but he had told her to hit him with her best shot! That hadn't quite been her best (internal bleeding was definitely not her favorite thing ever), but it should've been good enough to knock him out. Yet when she opened her eyes, shock rocked her to her core. He was still standing! Jamie's mouth dropped. That much of her power would crush a normal person. But he had moved back... what, a couple steps? She stamped her foot, sending a small shockwave through the Earth. She had broken her fingers for that! And it was inadequate, apparently. She didn't really know any of the other words he had said, but she knew inadequate- and it pissed her off.

Jamie chose to ignore his next words and the guns coming up from his shoulders, instead raising her hands to blast him again. Broken fingers didn't matter in the face of a villain that could withstand that much power. But before she could, he started to fire these green pellets at her. They looked weird and dangerous, and he had said the word lethal, so she had dropped the ground (stop drop and roll, people!) when Rumi dove in front of her to block the pellets with his cool technology stuff. She frowned and stood, brushing dirt off of her costume. Hitting the ground definitely would've worked!

"Thanks," she told Rumi, staying behind him as he had said and observing what was going on with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. If Jamie hadn't been able to take him out, then this would be a hard fight.

@Hitman@Scarifar

---

Patricia once again held Katharine as she cried- but this time, she didn't have much of an ulterior motive. This girl had done a complete 180 in a matter of minutes. She had gone from saying that heroes deserved to be killed to sobbing into Patricia's shoulder, tearfully declaring that she wanted to be one. She almost thought that the other girl had to be manipulating her, but... this wasn't manipulation. Patricia considered herself to be rather good at reading people, and she could instinctively tell that this girl wasn't the type to trick people. Oh my God. What the hell? She would've hugged Katharine closer, but she was still a little afraid of her, so she simply returned the hug. That would have to be enough. She had been about to offer some hopefully profound and life-changing words when she was interrupted (again?) by... it waking up. That was all that Patricia could describe it as. It. She would normally never describe something as evil- it was a generalizing word, not accounting for how people really acted- but she would describe this one-eyed thing as pure evil. Chills went down her spine. It wasn't looking at her, thank God, but she felt a change in the room come on as soon as it woke up. A change in the girl next to her, too- she stopped sobbing and raised her head, pulling away.

Patricia blinked rapidly when Katharine spoke again. It had done something to her, she was sure. There was something more going on."No, if you don't want to, you shouldn't, it's wrong-" Patricia started. But pain stole her breath. A horrible, ear-splitting headache came on. For a few brief seconds, it felt like there was a hammer inside of her skull. And... she wanted to kill. Grisly thoughts and images filled her brain. Kill them all kill them all you know you want to you could do it bodies on the floor just think- But as quickly as it started, it was over. She breathed a sigh of relief, holding her head in her hands and drawing in a sharp breath. She simply stared at Katharine in terror as she left with the thing.

Wait. Had she just mouthed what Patricia thought she had mouthed? Escape? It took a moment of processing for her to realize this. Katharine wanted her to escape. Or did she? Could be a trap, she mused. But... the door was unlocked. This was her only shot at getting out of here, at getting away from that thing. She could only guess, but she thought that it turned you evil in some way- an idea that Patricia hated. She never wanted that experience again.

Patricia listened for footsteps for a few moments after Katharine left, but there were only her receding ones. So, she stood and made a beeline to the drawer where Katharine had taken the pliers from. She rifled around in there for a few short moments, finding and pulling out a long, bloody machete. The blood was dried, but, still... her stomach turned a little, thinking of the poor person who had had this used on them. She tucked its hilt into the waistband of her skirt, letting the rest of it be concealed in her leather fur ruff jacket. She went through the rest of the drawers haphazardly, even dumping out and going through the contents of the suitcase and turning over the mattress, but there was nothing else to find. Besides some more Fiji water, of course.

Patricia had half a mind to wait until her powers came back until she tried an escape. But her powers probably weren't going to come back anytime soon- that had been a shitton of isolene. So... she'd have to escape without them. Or just hide in a closet until someone came for them. Patricia turned the doorknob and peeked into the hallway, only coming out once she knew that were no goons standing around.

She ended up stalking through the hall, heart pumping and eyes flicking from side to side. She stuck close to the wall, hoping to hide behind one of the various plants and decorations in case she saw someone. Her current plan was to find an unused closet far away from Katharine's room and curl up in there until her powers either came back or H.E.R.O raided the place.

But apparently, the world had other plans for Patricia, because she immediately tripped over herself, sprawling across the ground. "Motherfucker!" she exclaimed, quite loudly, before realizing where she was and that what she just did could easily doom her. Stupid fucking heels! She would definitely be caught now.

@KaijuBaragon@Hitman

The Sisters of the Dying Branch - A Witch Coven RP

bump

|- тнe ғood ĸιngdoмѕ: Episode One: The Masquerade -| (reboot)

「 _{EAT THE RICH} 」

「 NAME 」 Tatiana Barinova
「 AGE 」 Twenty-two
「 GENDER 」 Female; _{she/her pronouns}
「 BLOOD TYPE 」 Amaranth
「 NATIONALITY 」 Starch; _{The Grain Kingdom}
「 OCCUPATION 」 Noble; _{insurgent group operative}
「 SEXUALITY 」 Bisexual
「 SPEECH COLOR 」 #e52b50

「 PERSONALITY 」
+ Ambitious + Integrous + Independent + Clever + Selfless
- Idealistic - Untrusting - Dishonest - Obstinate - Dogmatic

「 STRENGTHS 」
Tatiana twists the truth with ease, and is able to craft convincing lies at the drop of a hat. Over the years, she has learned to manipulate others, too. She is quite clever, and mops up information like a sponge. She knows how to present herself well, and to disguise herself when necessary. She is sneaky and often manages to get into places and things she shouldn't be able to. Tatiana has spent many hours riding horses for fun, and a result is quite skilled at it.

「 WEAKNESSES 」
Tatiana has almost zero physical strengths. She is passable with a dagger and can throw an alright punch, but that's where it ends. She has no weapons training, and she would be lying if she said she could last in a fight. She often overlooks things in the pursuit of her overarching goals, and can often lose sight of the here and now in preference of her ideals. She's also impulsive, and tends not to think through important actions.

「 APPEARANCE 」
Tatiana Barinova is a graceful young woman with blonde hair and startlingly blue eyes. She is straight-backed and oftentimes has a pleasant look on her face- yet it is one devoid of any real emotion. Her outfits and hairstyles often match the current fashions of nobility.

5'4" │ 162 cm
HAIR COLOR │ BLONDE

125 lbs │ 57 kg
EYE COLOR │ BLUE

「 PREFERENCES 」
+ Freedom to do what she would like
+ Radical change
+ Talking to other people
+ Riding horses
+ Motivated people
+ Sweets

- Being idle
- Unjust laws/policies
- Other nobility
- Bees
- Betrothals
- Selfish and lazy people

「 BIOGRAPHY 」
Tatiana is the daughter and second child of a major noble in Starch- one with large tracts of land and massive amounts of money and influence. The Barinova household is an influential household in Starch, and Tatiana has been expected to act the part for most of her life. She was mostly raised as a noble child is. Anything she could possibly want was given to her. When she found her love for horses, she was taught to ride properly and bought several beautiful horses and tack. She was raised in luxury, and only had to play the part of noble for most of her life. And she did, and it was done well. Nowadays, Tatiana is expected to make a good wife to a Starch nobleman- maybe even a foreign or domestic royal. She's well-bred enough for it.

However, much of her childhood is shrouded in secrecy. Tatiana is an illegitimate daughter. Her mother is the duchess, that much is true. However, her father is an indentured servant on a farm somewhere in Starch. She doesn't know who or where her father is, only that he is not a noble and that, in turn, makes Tatiana not a true noble either. This was revealed to Tatiana when she was twelve. Her father had gotten angry at her one day and told her that she was not his true child. Tearfully, she went to her mother and demanded an explanation. Apparently, in a rash decision, her mother had had relations with a servant father. It was a foolish decision, she explained, but one that had produced her. Tatiana's 'father' realized that the baby his wife was pregnant with was not hers shortly after, but they resolved to disguise it as a legitimate noble instead of sullying their family reputation. Of course, things were never the same between the two again, but they managed it. There are only extremely unfounded rumors floating around about Tatiana being illegitimate- due to silly reasons, such as how her father treats her with coldness, and how her eyes don't quite match either of her parents.

Being told that she was not in fact a noble upset Tatiana extremely. Yet, for some reason, instead of even further encompassing herself in noble life, she began to rebel. She learned how to sneak around, how to lie and manipulate. She started by pulling mischief around the estate, but realized her heart wasn't in pranking. So, she began to sneak out. She socialized with servants, went into the local village on her lonesome. She quickly learned how to masquerade as someone she wasn't, to flirt. And she found that she liked peasants. Since she, a girl who was supposed to be perfect all the time, wasn't a true noble, what did it matter? She made fast friends with many of the other teenagers around town, and got up to varying amounts of mischief with them. It was fun. She hadn't quite realized how restrictive noble life was, how much she had been expected to do and say and maneuver around. Of course, she still loved some aspects of her life- privilege made her a happy girl. She loved to ride horses, something that wasn't commonplace among peasants. But more than that freedom, it taught her something.

Life wasn't fair. Peasants were treated radically different than nobles were in Starch. Peasants were forced to slave away on farms and do the work of the nobility for them, while they simply sat in their estates and profited from it. Tatiana, although raised a noble, was disgusted by this realization. Of course, she had known that this was happening her whole life, but it was suddenly real to her. She wasn't quite a noble but not quite a peasant, either, and the polarization between the two lives came clearly to her. So she resolved to someday do something about it. Someday. When she could.

As she got older, her nighttime sneaking out got less and less. Her mother and father were starting to expect more of her. They began preparing for a marriage, to be a wife and a mother. She didn't really enjoy this. After secretly enjoying her freedom for a few years, she was loathe to give it up to become what someone else expected of her. She still had her dreams of freedom for everyone- and that included herself. As her nighttime sneaking out decreased, it also became more important when she did it. Led by her friends in town, she joined a group of sorts. A militarized group of Starch peasants. They were angry, and sought justice and equality for the people of Starch. They wanted to overthrow the government. At first, Tatiana thought this idea ridiculous. But as she continued to attend the secret meetings, she started to sympathize.

Then, about two years ago, an actual revolution did happen in Starch. The militia was excited by this- they thought everything could change! There would be equality, freedom for all. But that did not happen. Rather, the new king killed many nobles who sympathized with the old king. The Barinovas themselves narrowly avoided execution by pledging fealty to the new king and offering up much of their wealth to them as a gesture of good faith. The new king didn't make things better for the peasants of Starch, and the revolutionary group that Tatiana had fallen into was angry. And Tatiana found herself angry, as well.

Shortly after, she revealed her true identity to the leaders of this group. She narrowly avoided being murdered by pledging her fealty to their cause. As they had been seeking out spies and noble influence, they reluctantly accepted her help. She's mostly done small things for them since- telling them information they would otherwise not know, helping to plant spies in noble households across Starch, and more. Recently, her family received an invitation to a masquerade ball in the Drink Empire. Her parents were planning on turning down the invitation, as they are too busy to go and her older brother is too busy as well, but Tatiana volunteered to go as a representative for her family. She has ulterior motives, of course- the militia wants her to spy for them at this masquerade. And she will.

「 TRIVIA 」

⤞ Tatiana has a mild allergy to tree nuts.
⤞ She has three siblings, all legitimate. There is Viktor (25), her eldest brother and the heir to the Barinova lands; Nikolay (17), her younger brother; and Ekaterina (15), her littlest sister.
⤞ She has many prospective husbands lined up, but tries to avoid the topic of marriage as much as she can. Her priorities lie elsewhere, such as in revolution.

The Sisters of the Dying Branch - A Witch Coven RP

bump