Name

Victor Valdez

Gender

Male

Age

23

Sexuality

Homosexual

Victor’s family are highly traditional, and this isn’t something he would share with them. He’s been struggling to do whatever it takes to “fix” what he sees as something wrong with him for many years. He’d rather die than say it out loud.

Ethnicity

Hispanic and Native American

Appearance

Victor has fairly dark nut-brown skin, warm and rough. He has small scars, blisters, and calluses from many years working as a rancher. He has an oval-shaped face, with a long chin, soft jawline, and gently rounded cheeks. He has high cheekbones and a long nose. He has traces of facial hair, giving him a hint of a goatee. He has a cupid’s bow-shaped mouth. His eyebrows are straight and somewhat thick. His eyes are heavy-set under his somewhat prominent forehead. They’re fairly horizontal, not slanted much, with short but thick lashes. His eyes are dark brown, but seem to be black in most lighting. His hair is very dark brown, and goes down to his shoulders. He wears it slicked back and tucked behind his ears.

He’s about medium height, standing at 5’9”. He’s rather muscular and has heavily tanned and callused skin. He has some small scars, the kind anyone would get from doing his kind of work long enough. He’s in very good shape.

Victor was lucky enough to be able to afford coming here. There’s no way he could afford the array of fancy clothes the other students have. Because of this, he prefers to wear the school uniform most of the time. Not only does it spare him the embarrassment of wearing ranch clothes, but it never hurts to show the teachers how dedicated he is. In instances where he can’t wear the uniform, he has his clothing from the ranch, which he has painstakingly cleaned and stitched up.

Personality

Victor is level-headed and not easily rattled. He’s fairly refined, but he has no knowledge of upper-class manners and customs. He’s typically honest, though that doesn’t mean he won’t lie if he finds it beneficial. He doesn’t underestimate people’s emotions or intelligence. If they ask him a question, he gives them a straight answer. The focused, intense calm about him makes many people feel safer around him, though once people get to know him better, this is rarely the case. Though he’s not afraid of physical danger, he rarely steps in to diffuse situations. He simply doesn’t like to assume that he understands a situation well enough to be able to intervene. If he sees someone being physically harmed, though, he’ll readily jump in. He would be absolutely ashamed to be too afraid of being physically hurt to defend someone. This noble persona is the one he’s worked so hard to keep up. That’s always been the case, but since he came to the academy, he’s stepped it up into overgear. He knows many academy students think of the ranchers as rough and uncivilized, and as one of the only rancher-born students here, it’s his job to shake that stereotype and give all ranchers a good name. He typically watches what the more popular people do and copies them. This can include such minute details as the way they’re standing or what they eat for lunch.

Though he’s calm, that doesn’t mean Victor’s quiet or reserved. On the contrary, he’s a lively person with a penchant for jokes and adventure. He’s ever-smiling and willing to laugh at just about anything, including other people. That doesn’t always go over well. He always has energy, but isn’t overflowing with it. He never seems to tire, up late into the night and early in the morning. Though he’s known for the mature way he handles things, the truth is that he’s more easily perturbed than he seems. Interpersonal relationships are something he avoids, because he’s truly awful at figuring them out. His solution to most problems is to run away or ignore them. He over-complicates relationships and friendships, and if you know him well enough you’ll come to learn he can be overly-dramatic about personal problems. He has little emotional intelligence and often hurts people’s feelings inadvertently. He doesn’t mean to confuse them, but he himself can barely tell what he wants. He’s generally unsure how he should act around people unfamiliar to him. He’s constantly looking for validation, casually mentioning anything he’s proud of about himself in hopes that someone will be impressed. He readily compliments other people, but often he expects to get a compliment back. If he doesn’t, he compliments the person more and more until they finally reciprocate.

Victor is willing enough to make friends, but doesn’t share anything personal or meaningful with them. Though he’s perfectly fine with them being vulnerable with him, he isn’t often sympathetic, insisting on seeing all sides. He doesn’t give pity or listen quietly. He may also laugh at a person’s problems. He’s not what anyone would call tender or gentle. When people start to get too clingy, he becomes more aloof and distant with them. He doesn’t throw the word love around lightly. There’s no person Victor would profess to love, not even his family. Though he doesn’t seem to show his affection in any of the normal ways, he does try to be close with people in non-normal ways. He tends to be very physical, and is fond of roughhousing and pushing people around playfully. He’s extremely loyal to his friends, but much more so to his family, who he would do just about anything for. Family always comes first for him.

Likes

Riddles

Laying Down

Grey

Mardi Gras (the one time he went)

Horror Books

Clouds

Stand-Up Comedy

Dislikes

Cold Weather

Trash

Hand-Holding

Closed Spaces

Nature

Alcohol

Weapons

Strengths

Calmness

Horse Care

Horseback Riding

Dedication to Education

Honesty (sometimes)

Energy

Solving Riddles

Constitution

Weaknesses

Social Obliviousness

Unkindness

Troublemaking

Roughness

Honesty (sometimes)

Claustrophobia

Finer Points of Horses

Background

Victor’s mother died shortly after he was born. He was born on the ranch, like his father, Isaiah Valdez, and his grandfather, Gustavo Valdez. His family has owned land there for generations, and Grandpa Valdez was highly respected amongst the cowboys. He was highly traditional and expected Victor to keep the family vocation alive. His dad, meanwhile, was the opposite. He taught horse-riding classes to tourists to bring in money for the ranch. He and Grandpa Valdez often fought over this. Victor was often caught between the two, trying not to take sides. When his dad was hired to work at a horse-riding resort in Utah, he came back with a hefty sum of money. Grandpa Valdez wanted him to use it to help the ranch. But Victor’s dad said the ranch was dying anyway, and it was no use stalling. He wanted his boy to have a “real career” and attend the academy. Grandpa Valdez was furious, and ordered Victor not to go. Victor’s dad told him not to listen to his grandpa and to go. It took a while for Victor to make up his mind, but finally he decided he couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this. With so much at stake, he knew he couldn’t come back home until he’d proven that his father’s investment was worth it.

━═━═━═━═━═━═━═━═━

Name

Harley Sherif

Gender

Male

Age

20

Sexuality

Bisexual

Harley has been attracted to both men and women. He’s open about it, and if anyone has a problem, too bad for them. He’s pretty sure nobody’s life will be ruined by him being bisexual.

Ethnicity

American

Appearance

Harley’s face is pinched, giving him a mischievous look. His nose is small and slightly hooked at the end. He has a small mouth with thin lips, making it look almost like a little straight line. His eyes are slightly slanted and almond-shaped, a blue-grey color. His eyebrows are pretty long but not too thick. His skin is medium tan. He has curly black hair that’s fairly short, and the beginnings of a beard coming in, nothing but light stubble.

Harley is fairly tall, around 5’11”. He’s not particularly strong, but isn’t chubby or skinny either. He has a fairly average body shape, and there’s nothing particularly notable about it. He has fairly long legs, and his skin is pretty soft and unblemished, except a few light burn marks from his days of interest in pyrotechnics.

Harley wears the academy uniform like everyone else, though he doesn’t find it particularly flattering. When he’s not in uniform, he wears the kind of clothes he prefers. His fashion is a throwback, and on some occasions over-the-top ridiculous. Nobody can claim to own a wider array of Victorian-era suits than Harley. On a casual day he might be found in something more simple, like a poet’s shirt and pants that look like they’re from the 1700s. But Harley certainly likes to do things with flash, and he’s never ashamed to dress to the nines. To top it off, he always has his favorite accessory with him: a parasol from his collection. He will defend his parasols with his life, and absolutely loves each and every one of them. Even when he’s in his school uniform or learning to ride a horse, he has a parasol clutched in one hand. He’s gotten in trouble for that a few times.

Personality

Harley always gets what he wants. If he can’t get his way with money or social influence, he can do it with determination and a bit of charm. Harley has always had his way, especially from his family, who spoil him rotten. That doesn’t mean he expects to be handed the world on a silver platter, though. Certainly not. There have been people who have tried to stand in his way, and he’s learned how to overcome these kinds of obstacles. Which is why it frustrates him immensely to be here. He would have gone just about anywhere to get away from his godawful aunt, but knowing it’s his own decision that landed him in this place makes him feel worse. He’s not the type to put any effort towards something he doesn’t care about. He couldn’t care less whether he does well at this academy or not. He has to be one of the least talented riders in the academy, and he’s not inclined to try and get better. He never had an interest in horses or ranches. In fact, Harley’s interests have always been more in the realms of history and art. He’s not exactly the studious type, and he’s never gotten good grades. But when he gets interested in a topic, he’s quick to immerse himself and learn everything he can about it. He’s a museum buff who’s been to every major museum in his home state, and several other states. He’s especially interested in historical artwork and anthropology. He doesn’t initially strike anyone as intelligent or introspective enough to take an interest in culture. As a matter of fact, though, Harley prefers historical times and scoffs at modern technology. He loves sharing the knowledge he has and learning new things about subjects he’s interested in. He couldn’t care less about any other subjects.

Harley is practical and sensible. He doesn’t believe in any wishy-washy nonsense like fairy tales or magic. He laughs at the idea of aliens, chuckles to think of people believing in higher powers or astrology. He doesn’t believe anything until he sees it for himself. Everything must be proven. He needs that degree of control over his world. He’s extremely controlling, especially with his friends. He’s quick to bulldoze their ideas and railroad them into doing what he wants them to. He always thinks he knows what’s best for them, and refuses to take no for an answer. He’s not adverse to a few lies or manipulations to get his way. He really does mean well when he does this, but often it puts a strain on his relationships and makes his friends resent him. He’s so certain he knows the best way to go about things that he never listens to different viewpoints. He gets immediately defensive when anyone disagrees with him. He has a strong personality, and it takes an equally strong personality to get him to back down. He’ll readily argue with anyone over anything, perfectly willing to get into physical fights, though he has yet to win one. He usually gets his ass handed to him.

Harley can be sensitive, and gets upset when he feels someone isn’t being loyal to him. Anything he cares about, he’s dedicated to 100%. He expects the same from others, because why wouldn’t they be totally invested if they’re even remotely interested? He’s very sociable, an extrovert who enjoys meeting new people. He’s a big fan of crowded events like concerts and parties. He’s typically funny and amicable, and tends to gravitate towards shy or uncomfortable people to try and get them out of their shells. He’s so confident and unabashed that other people sometimes get second-hand embarrassment from it. And he’s quick to drag unwilling friends into the limelight and humiliate them. He always thinks it’s just good fun, and can’t understand why anyone would get upset over it. He has no idea of privacy or alone time, and assumes that every introvert only needs someone like him to force them to embrace their true party animal. If there’s one thing he hates, it’s being alone. He especially hates being alone in nature, which he finds sticky and bothersome. Everything about nature irritates him, and he avoids it as much as possible.

Likes

Parasols

Being in Control

Crowds

Parties

Concerts

Ice Hockey

Museums

Art

Anthropology

Fire

Learning (What He Wants)

The Past

Dislikes

Nature

Lame Pranks

Science

Spring

Summer

Winter

Fall

Cold Water

Myths and Fables

Being Argued With

Horseback Riding

Modern Times

Strengths

Forceful Personality

Getting What He Wants

Art/Anthropology Knowledge

Sociability

Confidence

Research

Loyalty

Ice Skating

Balance

Rationality

Weaknesses

Overbearingness

Stubbornness

Academics

Horseback Riding

Skepticism

Nature Survival

Fighting

Hard of Hearing

Background

Harley is pretty new, so he hasn’t shared a whole lot yet. But his younger sister has gone here longer, so people know about his family through her. Though his family is wealthy, they’re not wealthy enough to be famous to the general public. They’re the kind of independent wealth that means none of them have to have a job, and so the family members have dabbled in different things. His mother is Keira, and is younger than his father. His father, Bob, has no real income of his own. Bob is supported by his older sister, Shelly. Harley’s made it very clear that he came here only to get away from his Aunt Shelly, who is visiting for a better part of the year and who he absolutely hates. He chose to come here simply because it’s where his younger sister Kalie has been going, and he was in a hurry to get out of the house.

━═━═━═━═━═━═━═━═━

Name

Bell Clark

Gender

Female

Age

21

Sexuality

Heterosexual

Bell has only ever been attracted to boys, and is certain she wouldn’t be interested in another girl.

Ethnicity

African-American

Appearance

Bell has a fairly rounded face, and large dimples, typically accompanied by a large smile. Her nose is wide at the bottom and somewhat flat, and she has large lips. Her ears stick out from the sides of her face, and her eyebrows are thick and wide. She has especially large eyes, and a broad forehead. In other words, every facial feature is big and round. Her eyes are black-brown and sparkling, and she has dark lashes. Her hair is short, down to her neck, and very fluffy and coiled. She dyes it golden-blonde, but the roots grow out fast and are dark brown. Her skin is medium brown, like milk chocolate.

Bell is about 5’4”, and has a small body with short limbs. Her shoulders are curved and she has a small bust, and isn’t particularly curvy. She’s in very good shape, and is toned and somewhat muscular. She has stocky legs and strong arms.

Bell likes the school uniforms, but she likes being able to pick her own clothes as well. She likes to wear more sporty clothes in casual settings, things like shorts, tank tops, yoga pants, and loose T-shirts. She typically wears high-end running sneakers and a sweatband to keep her hair out of her eyes. She might wear a short-skirt dress for parties and social events. But for formal occasions, she dresses up. She tends to go for more loose dresses with long skirts, in subdued colors rather than the brighter colors she typically wears.

Personality

Bell has two personalities, or so it seems to those who know her well enough. When she’s in the company of wealthy investors, uptight instructors, or refined people, she’s quite different than she is with her siblings, mentors, and friends. Her first side is more serious. She smiles rarely, and is absolutely no-nonsense, with no tolerance for jokes or fooling around. She’s extremely polite and civilized, and will never start trouble or cause problems. She’s aloof and quite the little lady. She’s reserved and never complains, and follows the popular ways of thinking, very close-minded to new ideas and perspectives. She would never bring up any controversial topic or disagree outright with someone’s political or moral opinions. She’s self-controlled and speaks very quietly, and makes conversation fairly easily. She picks up quickly on social cues and is observant of all people in a room. This personality is typically reserved for important adults or the highest class, but when Bell is very upset, she sometimes reverts abruptly to this personality. She becomes cold and overly-polite, and acts as though nothing is wrong, though it’s quite clear she’s not happy.

When Bell is with people she feels can be trusted, she’s a different person altogether. She’s sarcastically rude, never shuts up, is constantly causing trouble, and lives for drama. She loves to be paid attention to, and thrives on being the center of drama. She also loves hearing about other people’s drama, and she’s a terrible gossip. She sometimes goes too far with this, and feels terrible when she does, quick to apologize. She assumes an apology will fix everything, and is always surprised when people don’t accept. She loves all kinds of stories, not just gossip. She’s a big fan of reality television, which is the only kind of TV she likes to watch. When she gets over excited her voice sounds like a screeching cat and she often hugs people so tightly their spinal cord compacts a little bit. She tries to stay positive, but is upset by people who aren’t cheerful, which is counterproductive. She’s not a troublemaker by nature, but is easily convinced to break rules. She respects authority and is always polite to them, but she can’t resist a bit of fun. She may seem oblivious at first glance, but she’s far from it. She’s intelligent enough to keep herself out of bad situations. She often exhausts herself by constantly striving to be sociable and happy, and needs a good deal of alone time.

Bell loves all kinds of physical activities, which is why she’s glad her parents sent her here. She hates staying still, and formal occasions stifle her energy and often make her anxious after too long. She enjoys doing things with friends, but is also perfectly content to do activities by herself. She has many hobbies and interests, and often burns herself out trying to cram all of them into her schedule. The only thing she doesn’t like are ones that require more sitting still, like watching movies or crafting. She’s not very good at working with her hands. She likes to be around people who are more energetic than her, because that leaves her room to chill out a bit. Her favorite is when she gets to spend time with kids. She finds them sweet and adorable, and nothing is more romantic to her than a guy who’s good with children. She’d like to have some of her own some day, though not quite yet. There’s plenty of time for that later on.

Likes

Surfing

Hang-Gliding

Kids

Stories

Kayaking

Jump Rope

Singing

Cleaning

Making People Laugh

Drama

Horseback Riding

Dislikes

Rom-Coms

DIY

Complex Hairstyles

Complainers

Boredom

Betrayal

Creepy Abandoned Buildings

Handcrafting Things

Strengths

Cheerfulness

Manners (sometimes)

Creativity

Kindness

Physical Strength

Stamina

Dealing with Kids

Weaknesses

Overly-Happiness

Bad Manners (sometimes)

Drama

Troublemaking

Overworking

Working with Hands

Background

Bell’s father is a technology tycoon who leaves home for months and months on end, and rarely spends any time with his kids. Her mother is something like the company’s public face, and when she’s not attending events she’s at some young man’s home. Bell and her twin sister Tiana grew up very close, with only each other to rely on. They were under constant scrutiny from the media, and their parents relied on them to keep up appearances. It was always harder for Tiana, and when she was eighteen, she “went off the rails” and got married to an accountant from her father’s company. The media blew up, and Bell’s mother quickly distanced the family from Tiana, who was kicked out of the house. Tiana pretty much went to war with the family, getting herself into scandals just to sully their reputations. Bell was the perfect daughter, the one they used as an example to undo Tiana’s bad PR. Her parents mapped out what she would do for her so that she could dazzle the press. Bell hated to be separated from Tiana, but wouldn’t walk out on her parents. Eventually Tiana contacted her, and Bell was eager to reconnect. Her parents were not eager for that at all. At Tiana’s request, Bell defended her sister in a public speech. Her parents were mortified, and decided she needed to go away for a while so they could clean up her mess.