#especially considering the hurt and grieving child and the favoritism and the detachment and the affection and the complexities! angst!!

[hyperfixation-or-death]

Victor Deslandes & Alice Deslandes

[1."Poplar Street", Chen Chen / Tumblr user @metamorphesque // 2. Parallels screenshot // 3. "The Hours", Michael Cunningham // 4. Parallels screenshot // 5. Parallels screenshot // 6. Young Volcanoes, Fall Out Boy // 7. Parallels screenshot // 8. Parallels screenshot // 9. Tumblr user @brownvampire // 10. Ella Wilson // 11. Parallels screenshot // 12. "It lingers for your whole life", Katie Maria // 13. Parallels screenshot // 14. Interlude: I'm Not Angry Anymore, Paramore // 15. Parallels screenshot]

[buddiebeginz]

tw: child abuse/other references to abuse

Finally caught up to the current episodes of 911. I have a lot of thoughts on Buck and Maddie and their family situation from Buck Begins (and the episodes before it). From stuff I’ve seen around online I get the impression that most people loved Buck’s begin episode but it’s probably my least favorite of the show thus far along with Eddie’s ep. I love those characters but I don’t feel the show did their origin stories justice especially not when compared to the kinds of episodes the other characters had.

As for Buck’s story I was glad we were able to learn a lot of new information about his past, considering that was one of my big issues with Eddie’s ep that it felt like a lot of repetitive info we already knew. I’m glad we got to see what Buck’s life was like before he became a firefighter and learn more about his relationship with Maddie and that he had traveled a lot. Still as someone who grew up in an abusive home I feel like Buck’s origin story with his parents was handled pretty carelessly at points.

It’s kind of a common thing I’ve seen with shows though unfortunately. It just seems that most mainstream media doesn’t know how to handle abuse storylines (especially abusive parents) unless it’s storylines dealing with more commonly understood abuse like physical or sexual. If it’s abuse like Buck and Maddie endured where their life looked perfect on the surface but underneath there’s neglect and emotional abuse tv shows often give the parents an excuse (like they were grieving) and finds a way for the family to come back together at the end. Because they weren’t really “that bad”. But emotional abuse like Buck endured can sometimes be worse than physical.

It’s clear that Buck’s parents are toxic and that Maddie and Buck should both stay as far away from them as possible. I was really bothered by the scene with Buck and his parents at the firehouse. It felt like the show sort of absolved Buck’s parents of all their wrong doing and made it seem like they cared about him, like they always had when it was clear they never really did. They had him to save Daniel and when he couldn’t it’s obvious they resented him. I mean look at that whole thing with the baby box. That’s how little they cared about him. They didn’t even make a box to remember his important moments. Yes people can grow and change but they don’t do it over night and abusers rarely change.

I know there was a line Buck said (to Maddie) at the end about how he could forgive them because he’s never felt like he had a relationship with them in the first place so it didn’t really matter, which makes sense in theory but in real life that’s never how it is when you’ve grown up with abusive parents. You can try and detach yourself emotionally from them all you want but they’re still your parents, there’s still a part of you that will always hurt from never being loved the way you deserved by the people who were supposed to love you the most. Things like that don’t get wrapped up all nice and neat like like it felt like they tried to do with Buck and his parents. I am glad Buck got to express some of how he felt when they all had that dinner together but he definitely didn’t owe his parents forgiveness.

------------

The part I had the biggest issue with though was at the end when Buck went to see Maddie. Buck had every right to be angry and remain angry for awhile, at the very least Buck had a right to tell Maddie how he felt and express why he was angry and hurt by what she did and I felt like the show robbed him of that.

Buck walked in the door talking about how he had basically lashed out on Maddie because he knew that no matter what she would forgive him. It’s not Maddie who needed to do the forgiving it was Buck. Buck had trusted her his whole life. She had been like a defacto parent for all intents and purposes as his parents refused to be there for him the way he needed and now he finds out the one person in this world who has been a constant in his life (at least before he joined the 118) has lied to him about something huge. It makes sense he wouldn’t just shake that off. So for the show to just have him come in and act like everything is fine with him and Maddie I felt like was a huge problem and major disservice to Buck’s character and growth.

I’m not saying I didn’t want Maddie and Buck to make up, I definitely did. But Buck has never been good at putting his true feelings first and expressing himself. Buck has been selfish at times (plenty in season 1) but he has never been good about speaking up for what he needs and speaking truthfully to the people in his life about things he was dealing with. I mean he barely told Abby how he felt when he saw her again, he mostly stayed quiet and let her make it all about herself when he really should have been like “wtf why did you ghost me for no reason?”. Or when he didn’t tell everyone how hard he was pushing himself to go back to work and then developed a blood clot, or when he was scared to tell everyone he was seeing a therapist. He holds a lot back.

My point is if we’re supposed to be seeing Buck mature into a “better” version of himself he even said something about Buck 3.0 in a recent episode. How can that change happen if the show doesn’t let him evolve and let his relationships evolve. Even with the 118. I know they love him but I feel like they still see him as the hot headed screw up from season 1 sometimes. It’d be nice if they saw how much he’s grown too. (Not talking about Eddie. Eddie sees Buck more than anyone else does. He was the only one who told Buck he had every right to express how he felt and that he didn’t have to forgive his parents.)

Back to Maddie I think it was vital for Buck and for their relationship that we should have seen Buck tell her something like “it hurt that you kept that from me when you were the only family I ever really had (before the 118)”. I love Buck and Maddie’s relationship so I’m not saying I wanted some huge fight or for it to get drawn out on the show but I wanted Buck to express his pain and for him to call Maddie out on how wrongly she handled things. I know that she was also a victim of their parents abuse (not to mention everything with Doug) but that doesn’t absolve her from her lies to Buck once they both weren’t living with their parents anymore.

To be honest I don’t even understand why Maddie called her parents to come to LA. She said something about how because she has a baby on the way she wanted to reconnect with them but there is no connecting with people who are that toxic. And her need to connect with them shouldn’t have had to involve Buck if he didn’t want to see them. I definitely don’t understand why Maddie thought it was her place to tell their parents about Buck going to therapy especially without asking him. She told Buck that he should open up and tell them how he’s been feeling but like why? They clearly never cared about his feelings before and it was obvious when they all had dinner together they still don’t. At the dinner I didn’t like how Maddie seemed to be quiet most of the time or trying to just keep the peace with her parents vs standing up for Buck the way he did for her. At one point their mother got upset talking about the hospital and it sounded like she was going to talk about Daniel and Maddie stopped her. It’s like Maddie didn’t want the secret to get out to Buck either. Yet Maddie had no problem telling Chimney.

I’ve seen people saying stuff like no one better hate on Maddie. I don’t hate Maddie but I have a lot of issues with choices she made and the fact that it didn’t feel like she owned up to them to Buck at the end. It’s altered how I look at her and her relationship with Buck to a extent. Maddie lied to Buck even when she didn’t have to anymore. She told other people something that she should have only been telling Buck. She told her parents Buck’s business. She brought her parents to LA without asking Buck if he wanted to see them. She tried to excuse her parents by saying “they were grieving” . Grief is not an excuse to keep huge secrets from your children, to lie to them continually, and it’s definitely not an excuse to abuse your children.

I have empathy for what Buck’s whole family went through including his parents. I can’t imagine the kind of pain that parents would go through losing their child. But no child should have to bare the burden of their parents pain and that’s essentially what they made Maddie and Buck do.

I know this got pretty long but Buck is my favorite character I relate to him a lot, even more so after watching some of the current episodes. These eps about his family were just painful. I wanted to protect Buck because I felt like no one in his family was. I know what he was feeling in these episodes. Alone and unloved and like he couldn’t trust anyone and like no one in his family was on his side.

The whole montage at the end with Maddie and Buck which was supposed to tug on our hearts and remind us of this great bond they share as siblings ended up feeling kind of hollow to me. I think it could have been a beautiful scene if the show had used it after allowing them to talk about what had happened. It would have shown all they had been through and how they had grown and were moving forward. That they were all the (biological) family they needed and their parents didn’t matter. But since the show didn’t allow that kind of recognition the montage felt more like the show was saying we’re just going to sweep all that drama under the rug now it’s over and done with, here’s some pretty pictures. You don’t instantly move on from knowing someone you trusted lied to you your whole life. I just really wish the show would have done better for Buck in these episodes and better with telling a storyline about abuse. I know this is probably an unpopular opinion but I just felt like I needed to rant about it. If you made it down this far thanks for reading. 💗

[chicagocityfclanspromoblog]

Kudzai Rinker→ Gugu Mbatha-Raw → Warlock

→ Basic Information

Age: 1349

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Straight

Powers: Biokinesis

Birthday: Nov 12th

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Religion: Luciferianism

Mark: Rinker

Generation: 1st

→ Her Personality

Kudzai is fierce, mature, and resilient, with an endless capacity for hatred. Kudzai is a strong independent woman who has been hurt countless times. She has been beaten by those she thought loved her, has had her heart stomped on, and made sacrifices for many who were undersevering. This turned her into the closed off, emotionally guarded and secretive person she is today. Kudzai is not easily offended, however, when she is, she hides it well. She will always be straight no matter how long she has known the person she’s addressing. She communicates honestly and openly. It’s because she knows what she wants and she is done with wasting her time. In fact, she’s ready to handle any conflict if it arises. She just won’t let anyone push her around, undermine her or treat her like a doormat.

→ Her Personal Facts

Occupation: General Surgeon/Biokinesis Specialist

Scars: Multiple. Mostly unseen/underneath clothing. (Specifics Are Up To Player)

Tattoos: Kudzai used lasers to remove an old slave tattoo from her arm.

Two Likes: Wine/Beer Tasting and Law TV Shows

Two Dislikes: Children and Halloween

Two Fears: Commitments/Intimate Relationships and Self Injections

Two Hobbies: Continuous Learning and Making/Selling Salves

Three Positive Traits: Persuasive, Responsible, Diligent

Three Negative Traits: Workaholic, Verbose, Hypercritical

→ Her Connections

Parent Names:

Georgina Laclysis (Morther): Kudzia was taken from her mother and sold at a young age. She tried looking for her mother but found no trace of her.

Sibling Names:

Unknown/None

Children Names:

Lee Cyto Rinker Jr (Son): Kudzai’s oldest son who is 1018 years old. Kudzai has a strained relationship with her eldest due to how similar he is to his father. A wild telekinetic, Lee makes foolish decisions and Kudzai thinks it is pure dumb luck he is not 6 feet under like his father.

Cristae Zephyr Rinker (Daughter): Kudzai’s oldest daughter who is 980 years old and the reason why she refuses to train anyone under her mark. She has made many of the same mistakes Kudzai has and is a strong source of frustration for her. They are just too much alike.

Krebs Jay Rinker (Son): Kudzai’s middle son who is 364 years old. He is Kudzai and James Thomas’ son. Kerbs is Kudzai’s least favorite child but she could not bring herself to get rid of him in her womb. Kerbs grew to be like his grandfather.

Hondria Edison Rinker (Daughter): Kudzai’s youngest daughter who is 119 years old. She is a talented Projector and was trained by her father, Minsky. She and her mother often fight about Jamie and she left Chicago for New York to train in her advanced away from her parents.

Jamie Edison Rinker (Son): Kudzai’s youngest son who was 17 when he died. He was Kudzai’s pride and joy, and she thought he had the potential to be the best Rinker yet. Unfortunately he inherited his father’s powers and randomly died in his sleep. Minsky and Kudzai were devastated equally and separated soon after.

Romantic Connections:

Lee Rinker (Ex-Husband): They were married under the stars in her wild teen years. Lee, a warlock, died during a freak training accident with his mentor. Leaving Kudzai behind with their first born son and daughter, Lee Jr and Cristae.

James Thomas (Revenge Lay): James was the only son of the slave owner that beat and raped Kudzai daughter. She stole him away, made him fall in love with her, took his virginity and then killed him. The Thomas family was shamed, neighbors believing that James ran off with a slave girl. Months later Kudzai found out she was carrying his child.

Roman Cleirigh (Unwanted Attraction): Roman is asexual but Kudzai has tried more than once to get the insane Cleirigh into her bed.

Mu’ba (Ex-Boyfriend): He was a strong and handsome man that Kudzai met in passing. Mu’ba found a way to weaken her powers. Causing their fun loving relationship to take a turn for the worst. It took Kudzai over 34 years to break away from the abusive relationship. It took another 135 years for Kudzai to kill Mu’ba, all within his lineage and associates that knew what he was doing to her..

Minsky Edison (Husband/Separated): Kudzai was smitten when Minsky chose to pursue her romantically. She held out because of the notion that Neuromancers die randomly and the dark cloud of her past relationships. However, he eventually won her over and Kudzai finally found true love and settled down. When their son Jamie passed away, nearly 60 years ago, it put a strain on their relationship and they eventually separated. Since then Minsky and Kudzai have been off and on again; they are currently on again and planning to rekindle their marriage for good this time. Kudzai knows Minsky is it for her but needs to heal on her own.

Platonic Connections:

Sid Velanica (Great Something Grandson): Kudzai hated Sid when they first met. It took decades before she saw his talents and was able to detach him from his mark. Sid is clever and has a good heart, despite being descended from her children. Kudzai neither approves or disapproves of Sid’s relationship with Sada.

Cassia Trelawny (Mentee): Kudzai had originally thought Cassia was from her family line. Cassia fought to prove that while she does not know her parents she was not from the Rinker lineage. Kudzai does not know exactly why she accepted Cassia as her mentee. Kudzai saw something in Cassia that she could not put her hands on. They have a strong mentor and mentee relationship but nothing more.

Tristan Lawton (Mentee): In all her years Kudzai has never met someone with such passion for magic and the willing ability to use it but is an absolute disaster at it; Tristan has the drive but he does not have the telent. Her hands are full and tied with him. She is too afraid for mankind and the entire universe to let him train under anyone else. She believes they are slowly making progress.

Sada Warren (Ex-Mentee): Sada and Kudzai have a surprising relationship. Kudzai is certain it started around the same time she lost her son, Jamie. Sada will never replace her boy but she means more to Kudzai then most of her children. Kudzai neither approves or disapproves of Sada’s relationship with Sid.

Ronan Cleirigh (Council Member): Ronan believes Kudzai purposely goes against him on Council decisions. Kuzai is constantly competing with him.

Jace Cicero (Council Member): Jace and Kudzai are both very closed off and relaxed compared to others their age and who are on the local Council. This makes being friends easy. They are both able to leave Council business in the Council Room and continue about their day without taking it out on others.

Rhiannon Draga (Council Member): Rhiannon, Minsky, and Kudzai are all close friends outside of the Council. Rhiannon and her husband, Vladimir would often join Minsky and Kudzai for couples night. Rhiannon was a big comfort when Jamie died and helped Kudzai through her grieving process.  

Kaylor Genesis (Best Friend): Kaylor is one of the other older females in Chicago beside Rhiannon and Kudzai. They have formed an unlikely friendship due to their strikingly different personalities. Kaylor has the ability to bring out the best in Kudzai and Kudzai’s happiest memories are usually shared with Kaylor.

Clarisse ‘Clara’ Fields (Associate): Clara is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They rarely talk and Kudzai has nothing to say to her besides pleasantries.

Chris Bialar (Associate): Chris is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They recently started speaking about a possible supernatural schooling system.

Ellis Watts (Associate): Ellis is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They rarely talk and only share pleasantries. Kudzai knew Ellis’ father and felt the same.

Juliette Willott (Associate): Juliette is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They rarely talk and Kudzai has no respect or patience in regards to her.

Percy McCormick III (Associate): Percy is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They rarely talk and Kudzai has nothing to say to him besides pleasantries.

Isaac Baker (Associate): is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. Kudzai has been unsure about Isaac as of lately, especially after he took Deucalion into his pack.

Scorpius Getta (Associate): Getta is the vampire clan master. She finds him annoying and scheming but productive and a better clan master then the previous one. He is easier to work with than the animal shifters but She will never admit it.

Sirius Cobic (Associate): Sirius is the human shifter leader and chief of police. They are the closest out of the clan leaders and council members. She considers him a friend on her good days and they coordinate magical coverups together  

Emmett Wilhelm (Acquaintance): Emmett is the liaison for magical users and they have a basic understanding. She wants him to join the Council as a Wilhelm.

Hostile Connections:

Nick Hamelin (Associate): Nick is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. Kudzai knew Nick back when he was rumored to be the Pied Piper. She heard how much he has grown but she would never let her guard down around him, his brother, his mate or his pack.

Deucalion Thornton (Hate): Kudzai’s hatred for Duke also extends to his twin brother, Aries. They both were menace to the warlock society. Duke has recently tried to break a curse that could have exposed the entire supernatural community.

Pets:

None

→ History (paragraph(s) on background) → The Present (paragraph(s) on how the character connects to the plot)

→ Available Gif Hunts (we do not own these)

Gugu Mbatha-Raw [1][2][3]

[chicagocityofclans]

Kudzai Rinker→ Gugu Mbatha-Raw → Warlock

→ Basic Information 

Age: 1349

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Straight 

Powers: Biokinesis 

Birthday: Nov 12th

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio 

Religion: Luciferianism

Mark: Rinker

Generation: 1st

→ Her Personality

Kudzai is fierce, mature, and resilient, with an endless capacity for hatred. Kudzai is a strong independent woman who has been hurt countless times. She has been beaten by those she thought loved her, has had her heart stomped on, and made sacrifices for many who were undersevering. This turned her into the closed off, emotionally guarded and secretive person she is today. Kudzai is not easily offended, however, when she is, she hides it well. She will always be straight no matter how long she has known the person she’s addressing. She communicates honestly and openly. It’s because she knows what she wants and she is done with wasting her time. In fact, she’s ready to handle any conflict if it arises. She just won’t let anyone push her around, undermine her or treat her like a doormat.

→ Her Personal Facts

Occupation: General Surgeon/Biokinesis Specialist 

Scars: Multiple. Mostly unseen/underneath clothing. (Specifics Are Up To Player)

Tattoos: Kudzai used lasers to remove an old slave tattoo from her arm. 

Two Likes: Wine/Beer Tasting and Law TV Shows 

Two Dislikes: Children and Halloween

Two Fears: Commitments/Intimate Relationships and Self Injections

Two Hobbies: Continuous Learning and Making/Selling Salves

Three Positive Traits: Persuasive, Responsible, Diligent

Three Negative Traits: Workaholic, Verbose, Hypercritical

→ Her Connections

Parent Names:

Georgina Laclysis (Morther): Kudzia was taken from her mother and sold at a young age. She tried looking for her mother but found no trace of her.

Sibling Names:

Unknown/None

Children Names:

Lee Cyto Rinker Jr (Son): Kudzai's oldest son who is 1018 years old. Kudzai has a strained relationship with her eldest due to how similar he is to his father. A wild telekinetic, Lee makes foolish decisions and Kudzai thinks it is pure dumb luck he is not 6 feet under like his father.

Cristae Zephyr Rinker (Daughter): Kudzai's oldest daughter who is 980 years old and the reason why she refuses to train anyone under her mark. She has made many of the same mistakes Kudzai has and is a strong source of frustration for her. They are just too much alike.

Krebs Jay Rinker (Son): Kudzai's middle son who is 364 years old. He is Kudzai and James Thomas' son. Kerbs is Kudzai's least favorite child but she could not bring herself to get rid of him in her womb. Kerbs grew to be like his grandfather.

Hondria Edison Rinker (Daughter): Kudzai's youngest daughter who is 119 years old. She is a talented Projector and was trained by her father, Minsky. She and her mother often fight about Jamie and she left Chicago for New York to train in her advanced away from her parents.

Jamie Edison Rinker (Son): Kudzai's youngest son who was 17 when he died. He was Kudzai’s pride and joy, and she thought he had the potential to be the best Rinker yet. Unfortunately he inherited his father’s powers and randomly died in his sleep. Minsky and Kudzai were devastated equally and separated soon after.

Romantic Connections:

Lee Rinker (Ex-Husband): They were married under the stars in her wild teen years. Lee, a warlock, died during a freak training accident with his mentor. Leaving Kudzai behind with their first born son and daughter, Lee Jr and Cristae.

James Thomas (Revenge Lay): James was the only son of the slave owner that beat and raped Kudzai daughter. She stole him away, made him fall in love with her, took his virginity and then killed him. The Thomas family was shamed, neighbors believing that James ran off with a slave girl. Months later Kudzai found out she was carrying his child.

Roman Cleirigh (Unwanted Attraction): Roman is asexual but Kudzai has tried more than once to get the insane Cleirigh into her bed.

Mu’ba (Ex-Boyfriend): He was a strong and handsome man that Kudzai met in passing. Mu’ba found a way to weaken her powers. Causing their fun loving relationship to take a turn for the worst. It took Kudzai over 34 years to break away from the abusive relationship. It took another 135 years for Kudzai to kill Mu’ba, all within his lineage and associates that knew what he was doing to her.. 

Minsky Edison (Husband/Separated): Kudzai was smitten when Minsky chose to pursue her romantically. She held out because of the notion that Neuromancers die randomly and the dark cloud of her past relationships. However, he eventually won her over and Kudzai finally found true love and settled down. When their son Jamie passed away, nearly 60 years ago, it put a strain on their relationship and they eventually separated. Since then Minsky and Kudzai have been off and on again; they are currently on again and planning to rekindle their marriage for good this time. Kudzai knows Minsky is it for her but needs to heal on her own.

Platonic Connections:

Sid Velanica (Great Something Grandson): Kudzai hated Sid when they first met. It took decades before she saw his talents and was able to detach him from his mark. Sid is clever and has a good heart, despite being descended from her children. Kudzai neither approves or disapproves of Sid's relationship with Sada.

Cassia Trelawny (Mentee): Kudzai had originally thought Cassia was from her family line. Cassia fought to prove that while she does not know her parents she was not from the Rinker lineage. Kudzai does not know exactly why she accepted Cassia as her mentee. Kudzai saw something in Cassia that she could not put her hands on. They have a strong mentor and mentee relationship but nothing more.

Tristan Lawton (Mentee): In all her years Kudzai has never met someone with such passion for magic and the willing ability to use it but is an absolute disaster at it; Tristan has the drive but he does not have the telent. Her hands are full and tied with him. She is too afraid for mankind and the entire universe to let him train under anyone else. She believes they are slowly making progress. 

Sada Warren (Ex-Mentee): Sada and Kudzai have a surprising relationship. Kudzai is certain it started around the same time she lost her son, Jamie. Sada will never replace her boy but she means more to Kudzai then most of her children. Kudzai neither approves or disapproves of Sada’s relationship with Sid.

Ronan Cleirigh (Council Member): Ronan believes Kudzai purposely goes against him on Council decisions. Kuzai is constantly competing with him.

Jace Cicero (Council Member): Jace and Kudzai are both very closed off and relaxed compared to others their age and who are on the local Council. This makes being friends easy. They are both able to leave Council business in the Council Room and continue about their day without taking it out on others.

Rhiannon Draga (Council Member): Rhiannon, Minsky, and Kudzai are all close friends outside of the Council. Rhiannon and her husband, Vladimir would often join Minsky and Kudzai for couples night. Rhiannon was a big comfort when Jamie died and helped Kudzai through her grieving process.  

Kaylor Genesis (Best Friend): Kaylor is one of the other older females in Chicago beside Rhiannon and Kudzai. They have formed an unlikely friendship due to their strikingly different personalities. Kaylor has the ability to bring out the best in Kudzai and Kudzai’s happiest memories are usually shared with Kaylor. 

Clarisse ‘Clara’ Fields (Associate): Clara is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They rarely talk and Kudzai has nothing to say to her besides pleasantries.

Chris Bialar (Associate): Chris is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They recently started speaking about a possible supernatural schooling system.

Ellis Watts (Associate): Ellis is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They rarely talk and only share pleasantries. Kudzai knew Ellis' father and felt the same. 

Juliette Willott (Associate): Juliette is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They rarely talk and Kudzai has no respect or patience in regards to her.

Percy McCormick III (Associate): Percy is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. They rarely talk and Kudzai has nothing to say to him besides pleasantries.

Isaac Baker (Associate): is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. Kudzai has been unsure about Isaac as of lately, especially after he took Deucalion into his pack.

Scorpius Getta (Associate): Getta is the vampire clan master. She finds him annoying and scheming but productive and a better clan master then the previous one. He is easier to work with than the animal shifters but She will never admit it. 

Sirius Cobic (Associate): Sirius is the human shifter leader and chief of police. They are the closest out of the clan leaders and council members. She considers him a friend on her good days and they coordinate magical coverups together  

Emmett Wilhelm (Acquaintance): Emmett is the liaison for magical users and they have a basic understanding. She wants him to join the Council as a Wilhelm.

Hostile Connections:

Nick Hamelin (Associate): Nick is a part of the Animal Shifter Council. Kudzai knew Nick back when he was rumored to be the Pied Piper. She heard how much he has grown but she would never let her guard down around him, his brother, his mate or his pack.

Deucalion Thornton (Hate): Kudzai's hatred for Duke also extends to his twin brother, Aries. They both were menace to the warlock society. Duke has recently tried to break a curse that could have exposed the entire supernatural community.

Pets:

None

History

Unlike most warlocks in the 1000-2000 years old range, Kudzai has retained a great deal about her early life. Her mother, Georgina, had her while in exile. Georgina was exiled and deemed nefarious because she believed had slept with the devil and was carrying his spawn. Their mother-daughter relationship was rough at times because Georgina had never let Kudzai forget she was a demon spawn but they both loved each other and depended on one another. Besides her shaking hands, Kudzai and Georgina had not seen any other proof of Kudzai being a demon spawn until Kudzai was about four years old. Kudzai was playing with a street dog which eventually bit her. Crying and in pain, Kudzai had covered the bleeding dog bite and ran home. However, once she reached the house, Kudzai noticed the pain, and the bite was gone. She had nothing to show her mother beside the blood that was still covering her hand and arm. 

At the age of 10, Kudzai was taken from her mother and sold to the Head Chieftain of a nearby village. She was trained and forced to become the Chieftain son’s concubine. Kudzai endured abuse at the hands of the Chieftain son, his father, mother, siblings, and his wife. It took a few years but Kudzai was able to sneak away once she had proven to be broken and loyal. They become lax with her, therefore, Kudzai was able to free herself and the other concubines. Kudzai found herself hungry and alone when she stumbled across an older lady. She was hurt and Kudzai felt a strong sense to help her. Kudzai knew she was special, having helped the other concubines before, she reached out and healed her. It was the best decision of Kudzai’s life. The lady was named Mana and she was a witch. She sparked Kudzai's interest and taught her about the supernatural world. Mana educated Kudzai on what it meant to be a magic-user. Mana taught her both magical and human means of medicine. 

That is how she met her first husband, Lee Rinker. Lee came in injured from practicing a curse gone wrong. They fell in love while Kudzai healed him and were married within a few months. Lee called her a ‘fellow hell-raiser to travel with for eternity’ as a part of their vows. He was her love and protector. They traveled to Africa and the Middle East, living as most wild warlock teens. They made love, smoked, and drank themselves into bliss. They learned magic together under Mana’s watchful eyes or at least when she wasn’t sending them away because of their scandalous ways. Lee had never told Kudzai about his family and kept his mark hidden from her but he always talked about having a big family once they were ready. 

When starting on their Advanced magic, Lee and Kudzai left Mana to look for other mentors and sources of guidance for Lee’s curse craftsmanship. Given his personality and his status as a male, Lee always found mentors far easier than Kudzai. He never let her down, teaching her what he learned and finding ways to incorporate it into her own powers; especially when it came to controlling the emotional aspect of their powers. It was while they were living and training in Egypt that Kudzai gave birth to their first child, Lee jr. Lee was a proud father and was over the moon that Junior shared his powers and his love for curses. Things were no different when they had their second child, Cristae. She, like Junior, had Lee wrapped around her little fingers. It felt like the end of the world when Lee’s mentor brought his dead body home on the eve of Cristae's fourth birthday. No amount of healing and begging the Gods brought back her love. With a broken heart and enough tears to form an ocean, Kudzai focused on her children and powers.

Kudzai and her children's powers were no match for the slave trade. She was grateful that she was able to stay with Junior and Cristae since no one knew they were connected. Kudzai and Cristae worked as maids while Junior worked in the fields. It was in their masters' house that Cristae was violated and Kudzai plotted her revenge. It was the first time since Lee that Kudzai felt unprotected with a burning red hot rage within her. Killing James Thomas would have been a mercy and Kudzai wanted his family to suffer. She had heard about other slave owners being ridiculed or losing status because of mulatto’s babies. She knew that would be the best fitting reaction for her masters' only son. When Kudzai gave birth to Krebs, the Thomas family was shamed, neighbors believing that James ran off with and impregnated a slave girl but Kudzai had already killed James. 

After escaping the Thomas farm, Kudzai, and Krebs, Junior and Cristae went their separate ways. Mu’ba found Kudzai in hiding with Krebs. He was a charmer and seemed willing to care for a child that wasn’t his. Kudzai was dead wrong. On his good days, Mu’ba would only beat her and Krebs within an inch of their lives. She is sure this is where Krebs' hatred and similarities to the Thomas family stemmed from. Making an escape and torturing him is still one of the top five favorite moments of her life. She fed him to his own pigs and sold the pigs for money that brought her and Krebs land. On that land, she practiced and became a known biokinetic healer. 

When she heard about an open spot on the council in the newly founded Chicago, Kudzai leaped at the opportunity. It was a chance to start fresh and have a blank slate. There she found a community to thrive in. She was highly respected among her peers, and found fast friends in Rhiannon and eventually Jace. And then there was Minsky. The attraction was magnetic from the moment they met. He was arrogant, cocky of his abilities, but never cruel or violent. He could stand up to her opinions and respected her as an equal. They had a long, lively courtship that lasted 10 years before they married. Their marriage was a breath of fresh air and Kudzai finally had a place where she belonged. Minsky and Kudzai were both skittish around the topic of children. Minsky yearned for them but had always worried about abandoning his child, while Kudzai deemed her first three children's parenting fails. Eventually, they both took the leap together and had Hondria at the turn of the century. She was a projector and the light of her father’s life. While Hondria and Kudzai frequently butted heads, she saw her potential and was happy. A few decades later, she and Minsky tried again for a child. Jamie was born and in him, she finally found the one child with who she felt an instant connection. Maybe it was because he was so well behaved, or because he reminded her so much of Minsky. All Kudzai knew was that he was her special one. 

Kudzai and Minsky waited eagerly for his powers to show, but once they did, concern filled them. He was a Neuromancer like his father. They tried to keep a positive attitude, but the ticking time bomb felt like it was always hovering over them. Kudzai forged on, however, pouring all of her attention into her son, blatantly ignoring Hondria. Their relationship turned colder, however, Kudzai didn’t care much. It was in his 17th year that Kudzai’s greatest nightmare occurred. She went to wake her son in the morning and found him still. She rushed over and shook him and tried to jump-start his heart but he was past saving. Minsky and Hondria found her hours later, still hovering over his body. Minsky was finally able to pull her away. They tried everything, and even Ronan could not bring him back. It was at this moment that they realized what had happened. Jamie, despite his father being alive for over a millennia, passed away from his power. Kudzai was distraught and angry at everyone; Minsky for cursing him with his power, Hondria for acting callously about his death, all of her previous children for being the ones who survived, herself for not being able to save him. She could not contain her rage and in her grief ended things with Minsky. Minsky and Hondria moved out and she was all alone. It was during this painful time that Kudzai began pouring everything into her work. She focused on her mentees and began looking into various studies by fellow warlocks to help with the hand tremors that plagued Biokinetics. She maintained her steady work with the council, despite the awkwardness and hurt between her and Minsky. 

Present

 Kudzai is primarily focused on her work. She is a general surgeon and was just offered the position of Chief of Surgery at the hospital. It took ten years to get back to her old position when she moved into a new hospital and she feels like she’s earned it. Another major focus in her life has been with her mentees. Cassia is following in her footsteps and despite not being emotionally close with the younger woman, she is proud of her actions in and outside of the hospital. She is incredibly competent and is working on finding a cure for the trembling of their hands. Tristan is much more of a project, and she isn’t quite sure she believes that he is a biokinetic. Kudzai believes Tristan wants to help people, but he’s a danger to himself and others. Because of this, he has become a puzzle that she wants to figure out.

On a personal level, Kudzai is working on her mental health and subsequently her relationship with Minsky. They have been on and off for years, falling into one another’s beds and then running at the first sign of a real relationship. After decades of being miserable and heartbroken over Jamie, Kudzai wants to start again. She has taken to seeing Nathan Cleirigh as her therapist and is working on those issues that have caused her so much pain. She and Minsky have also started marriage counseling to try and resolve the hurt feelings between them. Kudzai genuinely wants her marriage to work and is trying, for the first time, to be truly open with herself and those around her.

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