#eaa.

[devilselbowhq]

THE WILD & WONDERFUL APPALACHIA WELCOMES… character name as written by kit ( any ).

✱ affiliated with EAST ATLANTIC ARMY ( COMBAT MEDIC ) ✱ working as COMBAT MEDIC & TRADESMAN ✱ has taken up residence in AFTERGLOW COMPOUND ✱ born on FEBRUARY 3 ( 32 ) ✱ identifying as CIS MAN ( HE/HIM ) ✱ known to be WITTY, LOYAL, RELIABLE, ALTRUISTIC, REFLECTIVE ✱ also know to be CYNICAL, SARDONIC, VAGUE, IMPATIENT, SNEAKY ✱ portrayed by DAVID JONSSON

DIGGING DEEPER.

TW: death, violence, physical injury

from the moment banks can remember anything, he knew that family was the most important thing in his life. he was born in lewisham, london, england in what is now the european commonwealth. he was the only son of his parents but he never once felt alone or lonely in that over-crowded home. two brothers, their wives, his cousins, and then his gran, who raised them all until her mind started to slip. he was a smart kid but he had his fair share of trouble to be had, mostly by the side of his older cousin and neighborhood kids they were working with. in order to survive this dystopian world, he knew three things to be true: you need to work harder than everyone else aka hustle, family is everything, and your brain will always be your greatest weapon as long as your eyes are open.

while family was the most important thing to banks from the moment he was born, there was one person he idolized more than anyone else. it was the one his gran told loving stories of and would never believe that he was killed in action. for the longest time, dante winters was banks' personal hero. he wanted to be just like him, in his head he was alive somewhere, traveling the world with his squadron and he would finally come home before gran passed. it was a child clinging onto what hope he was offered in a world that rarely had any to give. by the time he was in his teens and ready to serve his country like his cousins and those who came before him, that childlike hope was long gone.

no matter what his family did to try and get ahead, things never changed. no one moved up, no one got out, and their community was one of the first to feel the losses any time another major incident occurred. the continued wars meant stealing from the masses to fund the power grab for resources. things banks learned the incredibly hard way after joining the military. he'd trained from the jump to be a medic, always wanting to go into healthcare of sorts after seeing the way his gran deteriorated over the years. he figured if he started young, he'd easily get pushed through to a medical program later. ha! fat chance in hell. as banks became painfully aware of how bad it was everywhere, and how much the people were ready to take it out in any person looking close to authority.

it was that civil unrest that ended his time in the military, along with his continued collaboration with his cousin to work trade routes and supply chains throughout the world. in fact, on the day rafe was labeled a traitor was the same time he was approached to help someone that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time amidst combat. banks was not one to deny an innocent civilian help, but when he arrived with his medical kit at the ready it became clear the whole thing was a set-up. he was cornered by fellow soldiers and civilians, beat and held down to be marked for being a 'traitor' even though he never quite understood who he was betraying. the commonwealth treated them all the same, him and rafe just figured out a loophole. in the end, he fought his way out and paid off who he needed to but not without getting a nasty scar across his face, from his lip to the corner of his eye. a reminder of who he could trust and to always have a good amount of skepticism in every situation.

both discharged, banks and rafe said their goodbyes to their family before the commonwealth could retaliate and headed to the americas to find a new path together. banks knows there isn't anyone he'd rather walk the earth with and together they will always find a way to not only survive, but thrive. he's not sure what his endgame is but he knows when he gets there it will end with his cousin by his side and his family's name will have a place in history where it belongs. ultimately they ended up in the east atlantic, where banks took to doing what he normally did when they got to any place with a military or emergency services team in place, he signed up to be a medic. with it being close to impossible to do a background check, he was able to pass any entrance testing and get the job or rank in the case of the east atlantic army. in his mind it allows him to help rafe finding routes and populations, along with entrances and exits, by having access to the most recent updated maps ( a medic can't help who he can't find, after all ). whatever they don't give him he gets through… other means. that's where his brain comes in. together rafe and him always have a way of getting all the information they want, need, and in the end find a way to meet their goals.

EXTRAS.

connections :

rafe cawela : cousin, like brother

odette winters : cousin

dante winters : cousin

max merrin : dormmate

personality :

mbti : enfj

zodiac : aquarius sun, scorpio moon, virgo rising

character inspo : smoke (sinners), stack (sinners), ekko (arcane), michael lee (the wire), will turner (pirates of the caribbean), inigo montoya (the princess bride), taystee jefferson (orange is the new black), aragorn (lord of the rings), gale hawthorne (the hunger games), bellamy blake (the 100), ellis boyd 'red' redding (the shawshank redemption), ambrose spellman (chilling adventures of sabrina), filip 'chibs' telford (sons of anarchy), pete mcvries (the long walk)

[devilselbowhq]

THE WILD & WONDERFUL APPALACHIA WELCOMES... diogini scevola as written by ghost ( it / he ).

✱ affiliated with EAST ATLANTIC ARMY ✱ working as MAJOR-GENERAL ✱ has taken up residence in AFTERGLOW COMPOUND ✱ born on JANUARY 2ND ( 65 ) ✱ identifying as CIS MAN ( HE / HIM ) ✱ known to be HARD-WORKING, PRACTICAL, RESPONSIBLE, DRIVEN, RATIONAL ✱ also know to be CRITICAL, RUTHLESS, CALLOUS, AMBITIOUS, CYNICAL ✱ portrayed by GIANCARLO ESPOSITO

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

➥ eldest child ( 43 - 45 / gender utp / fc utp ) : personality and relationship utp ➥ middle child ( 40 - 42 / gender utp / fc utp ) : personality and relationship utp ➥ youngest child ( 37 - 39 / gender utp / fc utp ) : personality and relationship utp ➥ grandchildren ( 18 - 25 / gender utp / fc utp ) : personality and relationship utp

DIGGING DEEPER.

chapter 1 ( baptised in blood ) : one could call diogini scevola underworld royalty. his paternal line can be traced all the way down to prominent families of the cosa nostra for generations, as far as the original organisation back in the mid-19th century. he was the eldest child of the eldest child, his grandfather’s favourite, and even at a very young age, he wasn’t kept from the family business’ more violent and ruthless sides—the exposures in dio’s formative years have, in large part, lead to the man he would ultimately become. he was taught the ten commandments and expected to hold himself to them, as a man of honour, and even to this day, everything he does is with this subconscious imprint of these rules guiding his words and actions.

chapter 2 ( tempered in fire ) : even in his grandfather’s age, the united states had been a powder keg, something waiting for just the right spark to blow everything to smithereens, and while it took decades still, they weren’t pretty decades to say the least. dio had been but fifteen when everything went to hell. even until the last moment, dio witnessed a world deny the inevitable, cold wars and world wars were something from history books, surely it wouldn’t ever happen. the war didn’t start or end in a day—it was a long drawnout thing that eclipsed a large part of his life, but dio had been born into blood and carved by ruthlessness; while one by one, his family perished and the organisation threatened to collapse before he’d even ascended the throne, he placed his bets and struck a deal with afterglow.

chapter 3 ( trial of ashes ) : initially, he’d gained the title of head of security of afterglow research solutions, and every one of his connections that had survived hell were told to adopt and adapt to the new way of things or they were free to leave. those who did leave were made a violent example of, until every head under his command turned the way he wanted and needed them to. the ten commandments would not permit him to kill a man of honour unless there was no other choice, but, dio reasoned, if they’d willingly left the organisation, regardless of what form it might have taken, then they were no longer men of honour. like the cosa nostra had survived mussolini’s tyrannical reign, so would the american mafia survive this trial, even if they had to rebrand once more.

chapter 4 ( fist of stone ) : the utter collapse of any semblance of ‘the united states of america’ wasn’t sudden—it had been a slow, agonising death of a floundering entity gasping for air until it took its final breath. afterglow rose from deoxygenised lungs to stabilise the region, and dio found himself ascended from head of security to something more. while his directives and purposes never changed—the security of afterglow and its assets, by any and all means necessary—a government needed an army, and diogini scevola was just the man to make this happen. under his guidance as major-general of the east atlantic army, he’d rule a new organisation in this world where much order was lost—and the people rejoiced.

chapter 5 ( grip like steel ) : it has been years, and while his physical vessel has aged, dio’s mind has remained as sharp as ever. while he prefers to do most of his business through his underlings, specifically his first and second lieutenant, that’s not to say he stopped his involvement with the army. every directive comes down from him, ultimately, and the east atlantic army is simply a vehicle for his wits and will.

EXTRAS.

( CONNECTIONS. )

finn o'brien ( business partner )

( MEDIA. )

pinterest

soundtrack

( QUICK STATS. )

mbti : istj

enneagram : 8w9

moral alignment : lawful evil

temperament : melancholy-choleric

greek god : pallas

zodiac : capricorn sun ; virgo moon ; capricorn rising

( CHARACTER INSPIRATION. )

woedica ( pillars of eternity )

julius caesar ( history )

ballas ( warframe )

the crooked man ( the wolf among us )

[devilselbowhq]

THE WILD & WONDERFUL APPALACHIA WELCOMES... ryō sasaki as written by mel ( they / she / he ).

✱ affiliated with EAST ATLANTIC ARMY ✱ working as COMMAND SERGEANT ✱ has taken up residence in AFTERGLOW COMPOUND ✱ born on APRIL 6 ( 40 ) ✱ identifying as CIS MAN ( HE / HIM ) ✱ known to be ORGANIZED, WELL-MANNERED, INTELLIGENT, DEVOUT ✱ also know to be OBSTINATE, OVERCRITICAL, SECRETIVE ✱ portrayed by ANDREW KOJI

DIGGING DEEPER.

TRIGGER WARNING: pregnancy, child loss, kidnapping

from the moment ryō were born, it was written in the stars — he were bound to be a soldier. the east atlantic army is all he has ever known, not just raised to possess the normal traits of a well-rounded young man, but to find the traits within him to be a gifted fighter, loyal completely to the east atlantic army. his mother and father certainly weren’t introducing him to the outside world. while some of the children were offered leniency, he was not. 

the time finally comes when the student becomes the teacher, a fully grown private. while several of the members of his class signed up simply for the promise of a roof over their head, the position he was given was not just a privilege, but a way of life. thus, he grows quickly critical of the people around him.. and his devout loyalty doesn’t go unnoticed. he ascends quickly, believing that he have everything he will ever need. that is, until he meets her. not that he ever found it within himself to tell her — not before it was too late.

ryō is naturally drawn to falina roux, almost in a way that feels cosmic. he believed at first it was because they shared a similar process of thought, having both grown up in the army (as he quickly came to understand) — but there was something else. and he thought he could swallow it down until the day he died. but, even the best of east atlantic possess a certain level of humanity, no matter how hard they try to swallow it down. while being a follower of east atlantic’s command, falina teaches him one thing: he has exceptions to his training of restraint.

he tells himself their relationship is purely physical…. but, this is a man who was taught not to think with his heart, not even for a second. and thus, while it screams, it’s never truly heard. it wasn’t that he never showed he cared, he did what he knew how. 

when falina fell pregnant with their first child, it was then his heart began to breach through the blackness he believed where his heart should be. and yet, he still believed it was better for the both of them to stay quiet. not complicate things, even when they already had been. their child is initially told to both of them to be stillborn, having not taken a breath. and that, that’s what breaks him. he makes sure to hide his grief through a stone gaze, while he cries in private — for the very first time. when their second child meets the same fate, all he knows is numbness.

 he too learned that their children were not just alive, but in the very same system that had raised them. perhaps it was a self-destructive decision ( of course it was, plain and simple. And yet, his stubbornness raged on ), but he wanted her to believe that he knew. it was a fucked up way of pushing her away, believing that pulling himself from his position was a fate worse than death. he is already in too deep, he cannot defect with her. or was his fear just holding him back? however, it was all part of a broader plan. if he were there, he could at least be their protector. plan their escape. no one could know. not even their children’s own mother. one slip… and the pieces of their broken family would no longer exist. they’d all be dead.

[devilselbowhq]

THE WILD & WONDERFUL APPALACHIA WELCOMES… isaac attano as written by ghost ( it / he ).

✱ affiliated with EAST ATLANTIC ARMY ✱ working as SPECIALIST ✱ has taken up residence in AFTERGLOW COMPOUND ✱ born on AUGUST 31ST ( 21 ) ✱ identifying as CIS MAN ( HE / HIM ) ✱ known to be ANALYTICAL, INDEPENDENT, STRATEGIC, ADAPTABLE, DISCIPLINED ✱ also know to be PRIVATE, CRITICAL, SCEPTICAL, MISTRUSTING, CYNICAL ✱ portrayed by RYAN POTTER

DIGGING DEEPER.

TW: needles tw; torture tw; indoctrination tw

chapter 1 ( just another product ) : he's not the only parentless child raised by the military. if he didn't know better, isaac would assume that the east atlantic army doubles as an orphanage for the multitude of children it manages to nurture and train. he can't say he remembers his childhood all that well, whether it's because there's nothing to properly remember, or because there's too much to remember, he can't say. his life wasn't unlike those of his classmates, most of whom were his age, but some older, some younger. he vaguely remembers a hall of bunkbeds, a large cafeteria, scrubbing bathrooms, physical training and classrooms with projectors. the only aspect of his childhood before his teens that's any sort of hold over is, of course, vera ward.

chapter 2 ( the best i know ) : what it is about vera that initially attracted him, isaac doesn't know. all he knows is that, anywhere she was, he found himself gravitating towards. they'd eat together in the cafeteria, they'd train together in their free time, did homework and studied for tests together; perhaps it's the part where she's always just accepted him for who he is. not loud, not outgoing, hardly a playful bone in his body—though whether that's because of his environment or his personality, isaac has no idea, and frankly, doesn't care to do any sort of deep dive into. vera is softer than he is, far more compassionate, and it helps him ease the tension permanently etched into the muscles of his shoulders.

chapter 3 ( a beating heart of stone ) : the way their paths—and his path from the other kids in their year—diverge is when he's sixteen, handpicked for a different program after graduation, instead of the few years of prep for fieldwork. the adults would continuously explain to him that this is a good thing, an honour, a result of all the hard work he's put in; isaac believed them, initially. it's how he met felix estrada, a man he'd only heard of before that moment. when this new part of his training starts, isaac realises with blinding pain that he's made a mistake, but with the inability to give in—give up—he doesn't let anyone know. they use the neuramble system for rti training as a stepping stone to his specialist training—as a forward unit, he'd be more susceptible for capture than the main squad, something that isn't explained as a likelihood, rather than an inevitability.

chapter 4 ( the price you pay ) : he'd never been born with any mutations, adverse or otherwise, at least, not to his knowledge. perhaps that's what actually makes him the right, blank slate for the work dr. estrada does on him, as part of his further education. isaac has never seen the details about the procedures, just knows the very visceral effects thereafter—a break-through, they'd call him, in the next stage of human evolution. he doesn't know what it means, and doesn't quite cares to know, mostly focused on getting through it all. at this point in his life, it's not so much the injections that hurt anymore, rather than the delayed effect, the feeling like frost in his veins spreading up his arm, seizing muscles, the headaches and the burning eyes, the searing skin and the throbbing eardrums. the ultimate result of it is muscle efficiency, making him faster and stronger than the average soldier, with eyesight and hearing to match—the downside is being shackled to afterglow for system maintenance.

chapter 5 ( heads will roll ) : it's only recently that he's graduated from his specialist training as well, receiving his first assignment under one ryo sasaki. it's a name he's more than familiar with—not only did he find out in his early teens that vera ward, his best friend, is much more than that, and that the story of his life thus far has been… fiction at best, by sixteen, he was more than aware of who his parents truly were. ryo sasaki, his father, has never so much as spoken a word to either of his children, let them feel alone in the world, raised by a machine, and while isaac will follow the orders of a superior officer as he's been trained and conditioned to, this knowledge makes it difficult for him respect the man. as for his other parent, well… he knows he's the second chance, to show those who raised him that treason is not genetic, that failure isn't bred in, and isaac is determined to be all that she was, and better.

EXTRAS.

( CONNECTIONS. )

falina “claymore” roux ( biological parent )

ryo sasaki ( biological father )

felix estrada ( physician )

vera ward ( fraternal twin sister )

( MEDIA. )

pinterest

soundtrack

( QUICK STATS. )

mbti : intj

enneagram : 5w6

moral alignment : lawful neutral

temperament : melancholic-choleric

greek god : ker

zodiac : virgo sun ; capricorn moon ; taurus rising

( CHARACTER INSPIRATION. )

the winter soldier ( marvel )

john wick ( john wick )

agent 47 ( hitman )

eve macarro ( ballerina )

widowmaker ( overwatch )

[devilselbowhq]

THE WILD & WONDERFUL APPALACHIA WELCOMES… vera ward as written by maddie ( she / her ).

✱ affiliated with EAST ATLANTIC ARMY ✱ working as PRIVATE ✱ has taken up residence in AFTERGLOW COMPOUND ✱ born on AUGUST 31 ( 21 ) ✱ identifying as CIS WOMAN ( SHE / HER ) ✱ known to be OBSERVANT, LOYAL, DISCIPLINED, COMPASSIONATE, CURIOUS ✱ also know to be NAIVE, STUBBORN, SELF-SACRIFICING, OVERCRITICAL, RESTLESS ✱ portrayed by MIKA SCHNEIDER

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

➥ First real friend outside the army <3 Vera’s whole life has been in the army, I would love for her to develop a friendship with someone who likes her for herself, rather than her rank/unit. ➥ Squadmate. Someone in the same unit, and when they’re in the field they trust each other completely; but off-duty they fucking hate each other. I’m envisioning a loudmouth attention grabbing type character who thinks Vera is uptight, and she thinks they’re annoying. I just think it would be a fun dynamic!

DIGGING DEEPER.

TW: stillbirth tw

Raised from infancy at the East Atlantic Military Academy as an orphan, Vera Ward has spent her entire life within the army system. A disciplined, capable young soldier, she genuinely believes in the ideals of service, order, and the protection of others. She is not the strongest or the fastest, but her loyalty is endless.

An excellent student with a particular love of learning, Vera developed a reputation for being observant, methodical, and reliable. Though only recently assigned to duty as a private, she is already noted for her strong fieldcraft, attention to detail, and aptitude for reconnaissance work.

Vera never knew her biological family and has always accepted the army as her home. She implicitly trusts the institution that raised her and had little reason to question the official story of her parents’ deaths. Until, that is, she learned that she had a twin brother, and a father, there in the background of her life the whole time.

Vera, as it turns out, is the daughter of former army specialist Falina Roux and Command Sergeant Ryō, two soldiers who were falsely told their children had been stillborn. Her mother later defected after uncovering the truth, while her father remained within the system. She grew up admiring Ryō, modelling herself after him; learning that he was her father, absent yet present, and she wants to know why. Why he stayed, why he never said anything; she’s not angry, like Isaac is. But she desperately needs to understand.

Having learned that the story of her life was nothing but a construction, Vera is now torn between loyalty to the institution that formed her and love for the family she never knew. Isaac is the only one she can trust fully, and the only one that can see the fragility that lies beneath her surface.

EXTRAS.

* full biography

Vera ward never lacked family: she had warrant officers that taught her to read, instructors that taught her to shoot, fellow cadets who shared her dormitory. The East Atlantic Army had clothed her, educated her, and given her purpose. It had never once occurred to her to question where she belonged.

Her earliest memories are of lying in the warm grass between drills, laughing with the other cadets for how out of breath they had become. They are of heavy army rations, strengthening her after long runs. They are of bronzed skin in the sun, glowing with strength and exertion, and of knowing exactly how everything fit together. The world made sense. She learned discipline from the academy; a skill that she will always carry with her. She learned companionship from a fellow cadet: Isaac. They grew up together and had a natural affinity for one another. They understood each other’s limits, could push each other to the brink and figure out how to excel, as a team and as individuals.

Isaac might have been born for the role of soldier, but Vera had to approach it with the same diligence she did everything else. She loved the training and worked hard at it, but her natural curiosity also led her to love learning more broadly. She has always kept notebooks, and observes things keenly. Of particular interest, are maps: she loves old maps, seeing how humanity’s understanding of the world changed, and she makes her own maps too. Usually of the world as it is, but sometimes of the worlds she wishes she could inhabit instead. Shortly before graduation, a crack appeared in the story she had been told her entire life. Or perhaps more accurately, a crack was deliberately revealed. Vera was sent into the archives to do some research, and it was the strangest thing: in among the files she was meant to be looking at, were some unrelated personnel files. And it was then that she learned the truth: that her connection to Isaac ran deeper than friendship, and that her parents were alive. This was not the truth of the world as Vera had learned it, and this new truth was a cataclysm she could never have prepared for.

Claymore, the traitor, the defector. That is the story that Vera was told. And Ryō, the loyal soldier. She knew that one well. Both, as it happened, are not entirely true, not as it pertains to Vera. She does not know now whether to think of her mother as a hero or a traitor, and whether her father is a coward or a protector. She does not know whether the army raised her out of kindness or convenience. There is a lot that she doesn’t know any more, and Vera has never been particularly good at leaving questions unanswered.

For now, the only one she trusts fully is Isaac. Her best friend, and apparently her twin. He has been deceived just as she has, though they're processing in very different ways. Vera has never been an explosive person. While her worldview is shattered, and she is realising how naive she has been, it does not erupt from her. Below the surface she is shifting, tectonic plates beneath her skin, trying to understand her new identity in this world that is new to nobody but her.

* headcanons    

Vera is a big map nerd. She collects obsolete old ones, thinks it’s neat to see what changed, what disappeared, what people thought was important. She also enjoys making her own, both of the real world around her and of imaginary worlds.    

Loves watchtowers and high places. Vera is always climbing things. Observation decks, old water towers, ridges etc. She likes seeing how places fit together.    

Repairs paper. If she finds torn maps, damaged books, crumpled reports, whatever, she repairs them. The army taught her to maintain equipment and she extends that philosophy to information.    

Keeps detailed field journals. Absurdly detailed. She’s always jotting things down, margins jam packed with notes and observations

* pinterest boards / playlists    

* No official playlist yet but a couple of songs that have been in my head for this character:    

Family Tree (Intro) - Ethel Cain. [The fates already fucked me sideways, swingin’ by my neck from the family tree. He’ll laugh and say, “You know I raised you better than this”, then leave me hanging so they all can laugh at me.]    

The Culling - Chelsea Wolfe. [I’ll never tell the secrets of my family. Bled out, a cult of anonymity; the kettle is wheeling, my love, riding on the back of a hell they caused]    

Abraham’s Daughter - The Arcade Fire [Then the angel asked her what her name was; she said I have none then he asked how can this be? My father never gave me one. And when he saw her raised for the slaughter, Abraham’s daughter raised her bow. How darest you child defy your father? You better let young Isaac go.]

* character inspo.

Dana Scully, The X-Files (the truth is out there and she will sniff it out! but she is also going to be sensible and rational about it!). David Strorm, The Chrysalids (learning that the truth she was indoctrinated into might not be the whole truth; maybe she can't fully trust the institutions around her). Maybe a bit of Lyra Belacqua from His Dark Materials, even? In that the adults have been hiding something monumental from her her whole life.

[devilselbowhq]

THE WILD & WONDERFUL APPALACHIA WELCOMES… tessa ambrose as written by erin ( she / her ).

✱ affiliated with EAST ATLANTIC ARMY ✱ working as EXPLOSIVES SPECIALIST-IN-TRAINING ( EAA ) ✱ has taken up residence in AFTERGLOW COMPOUND ✱ born on SEPTEMBER 30 ( 25 ) ✱ identifying as CIS WOMAN ( SHE/HER ) ✱ known to be INDEPENDENT, OBSERVANT, RESOURCEFUL, STOIC ✱ also know to be RASH, ARGUMENTATIVE, MOODY, RESENTFUL ✱ portrayed by SOPHIE THATCHER

DIGGING DEEPER.

True love - that's what her mother had believed. Or, maybe that was just what her delusions told her. Who wouldn't want to believe it when an infamous and wealthy criminal chose you as their prized possession to take to bed - and then leave behind when he deems you're no longer worth his time? That true love fizzled out just as quickly as it blew in and Tessa was born to a woman who, upon seeing her startlingly blue eyed gaze so reminiscent of daddy dearest, wanted nothing at all to do with her.

Pawned off on family more often than actually within the care of her mother, Tessa was hardly any better off with her uncle who seemed to be just as horrible as his sister. Maybe worse, when his temper flared. But her older cousins were like lifelines, protective and nurturing, stand ins for the family she never got to have. Not that it was ever really the same, not entirely. Nothing says I love you like being abandoned by the people who brought her into this world in the first place.

So with some support from her cousins but little else, Tessa learned to take care of herself. She learned quickly that whatever she needed or wanted she'd have to take for herself, one way or another. She learned how to leverage her connection to the O'Brien family - and how to hide it - in all ways to benefit herself.

When the East Atlantic Army picked her up in her early teenage years, she was practically living on the streets. There was nothing for her at home with her mother - whom Tessa had been taking care of more than the other way around. With her elder cousins having already ducked their heads and fled from their home as soon as possible, staying with their dear ol' uncle didn't seem like a great idea, either.

She wanted to hate the EAA, she really did. She'd never imagined or desired being a part of the army. But they put a roof over her head, an actual bed, food, water, community. It was more than she'd ever had before, though she'd never admit that out loud. As much as she despised her mother for how she'd self-destructed and took Tessa down with her, she still loved her and wanted what was best for her, somehow. So she worked hard to and used what she was given to support herself and her mom back home - as much as she could.

Plus, she thrived in the training. She was smart, and finally had a place to really learn and apply herself. She worked hard and absorbed everything like a sponge, quickly showing herself as a standout amongst the others in specialized training in the explosives sector. She simply wanted to learn it all and do it even better than the last - even when it was putting her own life at risk time and time again.

[devilselbowhq]

THE WILD & WONDERFUL APPALACHIA WELCOMES… lenore ryder as written by mel ( she / they / he ).

✱ affiliated with AFTERGLOW ( MILITARY ) ✱ working as SECOND LIEUTENANT ( EAST ATLANTIC ARMY ) ✱ has taken up residence in AFTERGLOW COMPOUND ✱ born on FEBRUARY 12 ( 52 ) ✱ identifying as CIS WOMAN ( SHE/HER ) ✱ known to be DEDICATED, ANALYTICAL, HARDWORKING, GROUNDED ✱ also know to be BROKEN, AGGRESSIVE, STUBBORN, ALOOF ✱ portrayed by JESSICA CHASTAIN

DIGGING DEEPER.

TW: death

lenore was born and raised as far away from the compound as one might possibly be able to get. her family may have never had much, but having each other was always enough. her father was a bar manager, while her mother cleaned rooms at the crows nest. despite rarely ever being in the same room, they believed it was all worth it for their little girl. everyone around her was always taken with lenore the moment they met her – kind, well-mannered and selfless without a doubt. her childhood was about as normal as one might be able to get out of living on the outskirts of burnington. she went to school, came home, spent time with those she came to love ( and it was no secret – it was very difficult to make lenore dislike you, for she sees the good in everybody! ). amidst it all, she would come to grow into her rebel heart, something that was supported by both of her parents. when those in power fail you, you must fight for yourself. 

always passionate about helping others, she makes it her goal to bring some amount of good into the world when she’s old enough – thus, she pursues a career in teaching. she meets the man who would eventually become her husband when she’s fifteen years old, who would grow to be  a young private hoping to take down the system from the inside. the young couple would eventually marry in a small ceremony with their closest family and friends, joined as one. they’ll move subtly and gracefully together. lenore begins homeschooling under the table, an option for parents who want their children to learn away from afterglow. 

their world shifts when lenore finds herself staring as a positive pregnancy test at the age of eighteen, unexpectedly, but she’d have been lying if she said she wasn’t excited. the next nine months are a blur and somehow manage to feel not only endless, but like they went by with the snap of her fingers all at once. when ash is born, everything feels like it’s shifted into place – that she’s exactly where she was meant to be. she never expected herself to have it all so young – a husband, a young son – but her world was complete.

everything shifts again, shortly after ash turns thirteen. nowadays, she says she was taken from the darkness, and shown the light. but in the beginning, with the death of her husband and being ripped from her home – she was a difficult woman to tame. she needed to get back to her son, and she would rip heaven an earth apart to get to them. but then, she’s told he has died. while she initially didn’t believe them, they managed to offer something close to tangible evidence – which finally broke her. thus, she succumbs to what could only be described as re-education. in her eyes, dio becomes somewhat equivalent to her protector – and the only person she could trust.

dio soon sees that she’s ready for leadership, placing her carefully by his side as his second lieutenant. it’s the one remnant he allows her to have from her past life even if she doesn’t know it, the ability to oversee afterglow’s education system in what she thinks is their image, when in reality – it’s merely his own. lenore is completely devoted and loyal, holding no memory of the son she’s raised or the man that she once loved. she believes she’s doing something good with her life, something she can be proud of, when instead she is complicit in a system that she had once despised, and away from the only real family she had ever truly known.

EXTRAS.

  ashton ryder: son, estranged, believed to be dead

diogini scevola: supposed “protector,” loyal to

[devilselbowhq]

THE WILD & WONDERFUL APPALACHIA WELCOMES... tallula 'tully' park kennedy as written by kit ( any ).

✱ affiliated with EAST ATLANTIC ARMY ✱ working as PRIVATE ( EAA ) ✱ has taken up residence in AFTERGLOW COMPOUND ✱ born on SEPTEMBER 24TH ( 31 ) ✱ identifying as CIS WOMAN ( SHE / HER ) ✱ known to be DAUNTLESS, RESPONSIBLE, ADVOCATE, CAREFUL, CARING ✱ also know to be CONFRONTATIONAL, IMPATIENT, NAGGING, PERFECTIONIST, DEVIOUS ✱ portrayed by IM JINAH / NANA

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

➥ found family: she lost all of her family and joined the east atlantic army program, it would be nice for her to have other people she’s gained in her time there. they do not need to be part of the army ➥ counter argument: people who the eaa has hurt, or even tully personally on orders from the eaa which are proof and reason for her to further question why she is continuing to help the east atlantic army.

DIGGING DEEPER.

like many in the academy, tallula grew up without parents though she felt like everyone seemed to know *something* about their family or how they ended up at the academy. tully didn’t know either of those things, in fact, she didn’t know a single thing about where or who she came from, nor how she ended up with the academy. but that also gave her strength over some of the others who knew what it felt like to have and lost. still it would've been nice to know where she came from. 

if you were to ask tully, growing up in the academy wasn’t bad. they didn’t treat her badly and truly the only time you got punished is when you deserved it. there were an extensive rules for any academy member and even more so for the army, it wasn’t hard to piss someone off that you shouldn’t. however, sometimes you get bored and tully fell victim to it now and then, especially with her partner in crime and all things devan. they met when they were both very young and have been inseparable ever since. 

she’s always had a want to stick up for those who need it most, being taken for granted many times herself and loving the opportunity to prove those who doubted her wrong time and time again. that was how her and devan first met, matching a scrappiness and moral code within each other. that want never changed, despite knowing why the people were weary when she went to go offer assistance in uniform. she found ways through orders she couldn’t quite get behind, reminding herself that it was for the greater good or finding ways to obey them without doing something she knew was wrong. she kept going because she was helping people more than she wasn’t and because it worried her to think of what would happen to devan if she left them, but also what would happen to her without devan with her. no, there was no hell too hot to keep her away from them. 

academics and reading began filling her time not spent on missions or adventures with mccahill. she enjoys living the stories of the past, imagining a future that they fix the mistakes made and live in peace. maybe far fetched, but there needed to be something hopeful to hold onto. mythology and looking at art pieces she would probably never see again, lost in the wars, became her favorite thing then debating it with anyone willing to. that hasn’t changed to this day, though there’s an added dream of escapism under it all, one she hates to bring up and more and more she’s paranoid that their wild toying the line will get her or devan in trouble they can’t come back from.

EXTRAS.

family / connections:

devan mccahill: best friend, secretly in love with

owen westfall: unit leader, like big brother

headcanons:

she’s has a habit of getting physical when she gets angry, something the academy taught her. not many arguments got solved with words, that has unfortunately needed to be something she keeps in mind while out of uniform. 

has been looking to find more information of where she comes from and is trying to look more into her tightly sealed files in the afterglow compound. hacking isn’t her strong suit.

keeps a detailed journal of her thoughts and log of missions she’s been on so she can not only get it out of her head but also keep record of her past since she never had much of a past before.

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mbti: istp zodiac: libra sun, sagittarius moon, scorpio rising