Is that DIANE GUERRERO? No, that’s just PRINCESA ISABELLA SANTIAGO. They were born on 06/10/1993 and are a MERMAID living in Northknot Town. They work as a OWNER OF DAZZLING MOON. Some say they're GENEROUS and KIND, but I’ve heard others say they're SECRETIVE and DISTANT. When you think of HER, don’t you think of BRIGHT COLORED SEASHELLS, FLOWER PETALS CAUGHT IN THE WIND & RAIN ON A SUNNY DAY?
Name: Princesa Isabella Araceli Santiago Pronunciation: preen-SEH-sah ee-sah-BEH-lah ah-rah-SEH-lee sahn-TYAH-goh Nickname(s): Isa Birthday: October 6th Age: 32 Zodiac Sign: Libra Sun, Gemini Moon, Scorpio Rising Gender: Cis-Female Pronouns: She/Her Species: Mermaid Princess (Heir Apparent) Orientation: She likes pretty people Occupation: Owner of Dazzling Moon/Heir Apparent Faceclaim: Diane Guerrero
HEADCANONS
As a teenager, Isabella was the resident troublemaker. She can make something out of nothing and always made sure that she had a good time.
As she got older, her more adventurous side started to show. She'd explore nearby cities and cause havoc there instead.
Her personality did a 180 when her older brother died; she was no longer fun, outgoing, and adventurous. She was dull, serious and only did as she was told while secretly missing her life on the surface and all of the relationships she made while there.
Isa secretly keeps small trinkets from her life on the surface, like jewelry and photos, hidden away as a reminder of the life she had before everything changed in her bedroom in the kingdom.
Isa feels pressured to live up to her brother’s memory and often overworks herself or is overly critical of herself, convinced she will never quite measure up.
Since taking on her role as the future queen, Isa has developed a need for control. Everything in her life must be perfect because she feels like one misstep would bring disgrace to her family and her late brother’s memory.
Her favorite color is either purple or yellow; it's a tough decision.
She is an amazing seamstress but stopped creating pieces after she lost her brother until last year. She rarely visits her boutique though.
Isa uses her seamstress work as a form of therapy, slowly rediscovering the joy of creating beautiful things.
She currently resides in an apartment across the hall from her sister's to keep an eye on her on the order of their parents.
She is a total bitch to everyone; even the people she considers friends unless you've gotten close enough to her to see her soft side.
She hasn’t been a fan of her birthday since her brother died. He was always the first person to wish her happy birthday.
Now, she gets shitfaced alone on her birthday after spending the day getting celebrated in the kingdom with a big festival.
Isa also drinks heavily on death anniversaries and holidays because she misses her mom a lot as well as her brother during those times.
She finds solace in small, mundane routines like morning runs, relishing the grounded simplicity of life on land compared to the grandeur of the underwater kingdom.
She journals in secret, chronicling her frustrations, grief, and fleeting hopes. Writing helps her process her emotions when the mask of composure becomes too heavy.
Although Isa dutifully follows their commands, she harbors deep-seated resentment towards her parents for not allowing her to grieve properly and thrusting the responsibilities of the kingdom on her after Tomas's death.
Isa constantly feels torn between wanting to fulfill her duties as the future queen and the desire to live her life on her terms, especially with her resurfaced feelings for Clary.
She imagines a future where the kingdom’s traditions could be modernized, with a less rigid succession structure that allows its leaders to balance personal fulfillment with their duties.
While Isa respects her parents, she privately resents their rigid adherence to tradition and longs to show them the strength in embracing change.
Isa fears repeating her mother’s tragic story and struggles to reconcile her feelings for Clary with the looming weight of duty to her kingdom.
APPEARANCE
Isabella embodies a striking blend of grace and guarded intensity. Her shoulder-length hair, typically worn straight with a sleek finish, occasionally tumbles into soft waves, adding a touch of casual elegance to her regal demeanor. Isa’s wardrobe primarily features flowy, ethereal dresses adorned with delicate flower prints that hint at her mermaid heritage and royal status. These garments, often in shades of seafoam green or twilight purple, flutter gracefully as she moves, a visual echo of her connection to the ocean’s depths. Despite her natural beauty, Isa’s face often wears a mask of stoic reserve, highlighted by her strikingly sharp features and the intimidating resting bitch face that belies her underlying sensitivity. Her eyes, deep and contemplative, reflect the tumultuous ocean of her emotions, betraying the fierce inner conflict between her royal responsibilities and her personal desires. Isa’s minimal makeup and understated accessories contrast sharply with the grandeur of her royal duties, adding to her enigmatic allure. On occasion, she will let her appearance soften with the occasional flash of jewelry from her days on the surface or a fleeting smile that hints at the vibrant spirit she once was. This juxtaposition of elegance and restraint captures her ongoing struggle to reconcile her past with her present, embodying the duality of her life between the surface and the sea.
PERSONALITY
Isa is a woman defined by dichotomies: poised yet tempestuous, dutiful yet yearning for freedom. To the outside world, she radiates grace and diplomacy befitting her royal lineage. Her generosity and kindness are celebrated in the kingdom, as she tirelessly devotes herself to her people’s well-being. However, those who truly know her encounter a deeply conflicted soul. Isa struggles with the weight of expectations, often projecting a sharp, guarded demeanor to protect herself from the vulnerability she feels. Her secret moments of softness, a wistful gaze at a keepsake, a fleeting laugh with a close friend, reveal the loving, passionate person beneath the walls she’s built. Isa’s inner turmoil stems from her desire to honor her brother’s legacy while reclaiming the life and joy she sacrificed.
AESTHETIC
sandy seashells - iridescent fabrics reminiscent of fish scales - flower petals caught in the wind - sun showers - the rhythmic hum of rain on the surface - oyster pearls - a piano playing melancholic melodies - hurricanes - seafoam greens and blues, waves crashing - moonlit reflections on water - sunrises over the ocean - glistening raindrops on the sea - flowing royal gowns caught in the wind - soft pastels mixed with ocean hues - elegant tiaras - shimmering ocean waves - gloomy coastal skies - distant thunder - soft tears hitting the sand - a quiet throne room by the sea - dark ocean depths - glimmering fish scales - the lure of the sea - hidden dangers beneath a soft surface - preppy - a calm ocean masking the storm beneath - princesscore
CONNECTIONS
Ghost Brother (Tomas) Tomas was raised from birth to take over as the ruler of their kingdom. He was disciplined, kind and compassionate. He had all the makings of a great ruler. Isa would often go to him when she was overwhelmed and he gave her the best advice. Isa was 19 when he passed away from a human illness that he contracted while on the surface. She still feels responsible for his death; he usually only traveled to the surface because his siblings wanted to. She wasn’t ready to lose him nor was she ready to fill his shoes. She still struggles with his death after 13 years.
Younger Siblings (Emilia & Catalina) The Santiago children were extremely close growing up; though the oldest two and the youngest two had their special bonds. They all received their rings at 13 to travel to and from the surface. Knowing they would never be King nor Queen, the youngest three often got into a lot of trouble. Things changed drastically when the eldest brother, Tomas, fell ill from a human sickness that he could not recover from putting Isabella next in line for the throne. Their relationship with each other became awkward and strained with the youngest two spending more time on the surface and Isabella in the kingdom.
Surface Best Friend These two bonded quick; they were the first person Isa met coming up to the surface. They both had strong personalities and would butt heads often but it’s how they came up with the best activities. They were always up to something and breaking rules. Their friendship came to a halt when Isa’s brother died and she returned to the ocean full time. Over the past few years, they’ve seen each other a few times. Isa would sneak up to the surface in the middle of the night and they’d go out exploring together.
Mermaid Best Friend They may or may not have known each other growing up but were never really friends. Isa spent most of her time in the castle. When she turned 13, she spent most of her time on the surface. It wasn’t until she returned to the ocean full time at 19 that she really started to get to know the other mermaid. They were sweeter than Isa and helped her open up her softer side. Isa was more outspoken and would stand up for the other when they couldn’t. They balanced each other out.
BIOGRAPHY
tw: death mention, substance abuse
Growing up royal, rules didn’t really apply to Isa. The only rule they ever really had was to not embarrass the family name. She wasn’t the eldest sibling so the pressure of one day ruling the kingdom wasn’t put on her and her younger siblings like it was their older brother, Tomas. He grew up a stricter lifestyle while the youngest three siblings had more free will. Getting their rings at 13, they were allowed to travel to and from the surface as they pleased. They often would cause a lot of trouble but as they matured, they really started to appreciate life on the surface. Isa started to make genuine relationships with friends and even fell in love for the very first time.
“I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living.”
The relationship was rocky; there was a four year age gap and they often bumped heads. Though they never really stood a chance. Not long after Isa’s 19th birthday, her older brother contracted a human sickness and died soon after. His death made the king and queen more weary of their children traveling to the surface and Isa immediately stepped into Tomas’s role of the future ruler of the kingdom. She left the surface permanently and ended all of the relationships she made there. Tomas’s death brought up a lot of pain for her. This was the second major loss she’s experienced. Tomas’s and her mother died when they were little kids. The king remarried and had the younger two siblings so Tomas was the only connection she had left to their mother. Never really able to grieve the loss of her mother, she struggled grieving the death of her brother.
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”
Isa's personality changed completely. She was cold, shut off and became a strict rule follower. She tried to erase the memories of her life on the surface so she could focus on becoming the perfect ruler for their kingdom. There were times when she'd get overwhelmed with her duties and would escape to nearby kingdoms or to the surface to let loose on drug and alcohol binges. It had been eight years since Tomas’s death and she'd finally started to get a hang of her royal duties. Things were starting to feel sort of normal until the kingdom got word that her youngest sister, Emilia, was attacked while on the surface. Isa was sent to the surface to convince Emilia to return home and when she declined, Isa was instructed to stay on the surface until she returned home. Getting readjusted to the surface and her life on it was a struggle within itself. The familiar faces and familiar feelings had returned and life just got harder for the future queen.
"We are all broken, that's how the light gets in."
It was only three months into being on the surface that she started renting the apartment across the hall from Emilia’s; that same day, she literally ran into her ex girlfriend, Clarissa. They were both out on a run, in their heads and crashed into each other. Four months later, New Year’s 2022, Isa was already feeling those emotions she buried a long time ago and second guessing how she felt about the surface. She knew her duty was to her kingdom though and what her parents, the King and Queen, say goes. There was a lot of back and forth with Emilia throughout the rest of that year but Isa did start to bond with their, now, middle sister, Catalina. By the end of that year, Isa was growing tired of being in the middle of their parents and Emilia’s problems and wished one of them would cave so she could go back home to the sea. The attacks going on top of the feelings she was dealing with now being back on the surface were too much and she just wanted to bury them again.
"Sometimes you have to let go of the life you have planned, to embrace the life that is waiting for you."
However, by the end of February that next year, something changed within Isa and she decided to embrace this second chance she had on the surface however long it lasts. She started making friends, thought about adopting a dog and started sewing again. By the end of 2023, Isa and Clarissa started to actually hang out again and she had a better relationship with Emilia. The next year she spent really developing her relationships on the surface all the while still returning to the kingdom just to report to her parents that she’s made no progress with getting Emilia to come home. At the end of July 2024, Isa invited her ex to a wedding she was attending as her date. At the event, she and Clarissa decided to give their relationship a go ahead. Isa never wanted to be Queen and was willing to risk her royal status for the other woman because she’d have to stay on land to be with her because Clarissa wasn’t a mermaid.
"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship."
An attack happened at the wedding, neither Clarissa, Isa nor Emilia were hurt. Catalina was back in the mermaid kingdom for the past 6 months and didn’t come back to the surface until a month after the events at the wedding. Isa has yet to tell her parents about her new relationship status. It’s not that she’s afraid; she’s just trying to come up with a way to honor her older brother’s legacy while respecting herself and honoring her feelings. Once she comes up with a plan, she will tell them and she’s sure if they want her to be the next queen, they will honor her wishes and agree to her plan. There was a way for Clarissa and her to be together while also honoring her duty to her kingdom and Isa was determined to find it.
