#sands.nineteenth

[bleedingsandshq]

[ JESSICA ALBA, FEMALE, SHE/HER, 38 ] Whenever I hear TEAM by IGGY AZALEA it always makes me think of SIENNA FIERRO. They have been so  CHARISMATIC & STEADFAST, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit FORTHRIGHT & IMPETUOUS through the years. They currently work as an UNDERGROUND FIGHTER, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as a WEAPONS SPECIALIST. THE SCENT OF CHANEL PERFUME LINGERING IN THE AIR AS SHE FLOATS PAST, DEFT FINGERTIPS COILED AROUND THE PISTOL GRIP OF A GUN AND RED-BOTTOMED HEELS CLICKING AGAINST MARBLE FLOORS make them easy to spot on the strip.

CONNECTIONS.

Her Sister: Despite her attitude toward her parents, Sienna always remained close with her sister who always advised her to simply attempt to appease their parents. Though Sienna never took her sister’s advice, her sister was always there for her nonetheless. Throughout her years of struggling with addiction, her sister was right there by her side, the one constant in her life. You could say that her sister was Sienna’s rock; her salvation. Though her sister is the younger of the two, Sienna often feels as if her sister adopted the role of the big sister. Underneath, Sienna harbours a pang of guilt over not being the role model elder sister. She feels as if she let her little sister down. Even at their parent’s funerals, her sister kept it together better than Sienna did. Truthfully, in more ways than one, Sienna looks up to her younger sister and puts her on a pedestal.

Law Enforcement: Given her parent’s esteemed status and the fact that they travelled from various states to others, perhaps Sienna has bumped into various people from her parent’s lives. Perhaps there is one particular person who knew her parents better than the rest. This person could have been someone who worked alongside her mother or father and knew them personally. Due to their close relationship with her parents maybe this person secretly checks up on Sienna and keeps an eye on her from afar. Really, this connection has endless possibilities but I feel that Sienna having someone in her life who knew her family would help her feel closer to her parents.

Friend Turned Enemy: Maybe this person and Sienna were friends from New York in the form of one of the other teenagers Sienna hung around with and got involved in reckless behaviour with. Or maybe this person was someone Sienna befriended during her stint in rehab. Or they could be someone Sienna met when she moved to Las Vegas. Under whichever circumstance they met, one fact remains: the two are no longer on friendly terms. They were once close and trusted each other with anything but now, there is obvious hostility. Perhaps there was a betrayal, blackmail, a breach of trust, lack of communication, a simple misunderstanding. Whatever it was that cracked this relationship is set in stone and is unlikely to ever go back to how it once was. Some things are just too broken to be mended.

Toxic Relationship: Sienna has always had bad habits, has always gravitated to toxicity like a moth to a flame. It would be safe to assume that 90% of her relationships have also been bad for her. When she kicked her addiction to the side, the broken element inside her found itself magnetised to the darkness in people. More especially, attracted to men she knew were no good for her. Though, in the end, Sienna would always manage to break free and leave these men behind. However, there was always this one man she couldn’t seem to stay away from. She met him when she moved to Las Vegas and instantly she knew he would break her heart yet it didn’t deter her from continuing to crawl back to him. These two have what can only be described as a toxic relationship. Neither is good for the other yet neither can seem to walk away.

BACKGROUND.

Sienna Fierro was born in Mexico City where she resided for the first decade of her life with her adoring parents and her younger sister. Soon after her 10th birthday, the Fierro’s packed up their lives and headed for New York City.

Raised in Manhattan by two successful and entitled lawyers, the Fierro girls were seemingly also destined for greatness. Their parents cherished them and they led a life of luxury, wanting for nothing.

However, due to the line of work that their parents were involved in, the Fierro daughters spent the majority of their time living with their grandparents who held a great deal of responsibility for their upbringing. Although their grandparents were rather strict in manner, their environment remained enriched with love.

It was on her 13th birthday that Sienna received her grandmother’s most prized possession: a pair of ballet pumps. Despite her young age at the time, her grandmother firmly believed that Sienna was mature and wise enough to understand the concept of ballet and to one day desire pursue a career in the profession, just as her grandmother had.

Back then, Sienna would say her biggest influence at the time was indeed her grandmother, even more so than her own mother. Thus the instant that she set her eyes upon the ballet slippers, she believed that her fate had been sealed. That same year, her grandmother enrolled her in her old ballet school where a young Sienna spent the following two years dancing and practically living with her grandparents. It wasn’t long until Sienna possessed dreams of becoming a prima ballerina.

Unfortunately, at 16, Sienna’s hopes of further pursuing ballet tumbled down around her after sustaining a serious injury. During a rehearsal for a show, she had sprung into a Spanish pas de chat, a leap she was more than well acquainted with. However, her landing was less than smooth. After the accident, an orthopaedic surgeon had told the girl that it was likely that her knee would never fully heal, thus she would never be able to dance the same again. Ballet had been a passion for Sienna for so long. It acted as an emotional outlet. It was her form of art. Somewhere to place her competitive focus. And now, it was gone. Forever.

By the time Sienna turned eighteen, the grey cloud hanging over her had grown larger which led her to wind up involved with a group of her peers who were a bad influence. As a result of the lack of her parent’s presence in her life and her crushed ballet dreams, the girl spent her summers engaging in endless nights consisting of alcohol consumption and occasionally dabbling in various forms of drugs. Naturally, her parents were far from pleased by their daughter’s behaviour as they had a reputation to uphold. Yet this failed to deter Sienna as she continuously rebelled against her parents. She hung around with the wrong crowd, paid little to no attention to her education, and spent more time out of her home than in it. It wasn’t until her grandmother passed away that same year, that Sienna felt a real, human emotion.

After her grandmother’s passing, Sienna moved back into her parent’s house, enabling her to grow a little closer to them. Try as she did, she couldn’t help but rely on her parents when she found herself struggling further with her continuing drug addiction. Although they were disappointed, she was their daughter and they did everything in their power to ensure that she was safe and that she got the help she needed. During the course of two years, Sienna showed little to no signs of improvement forcing her parents to decide that it might be best to admit their daughter to a private drug rehab facility.

At first, Sienna had disagreed and promised them that she could kick her addiction to the curb if given more of a chance. However, after struggling for two years, deep down she realised that she was too far gone and needed help. It was the first time in a long time that Sienna felt like a child again. A child who needed and relied on her parents. A child who deeply regretted all her wrongdoings, getting tangled up in the wrong web of horrible friends, and disrespecting her parents who she constantly pushed away.

After completing her time in the facility, a then 21-year-old Sienna decided to get her life back on track and so she moved into her own apartment and obtained various educational certificates to try and alter her future career prospects. She was doing better and more importantly, she felt better. Until the following year when her parents had met their fatal end in a road traffic accident. Though it was a struggle for Sienna not to backtrack and break her sobriety, she managed to push through and steer herself away from her former addictions.

Following another year in New York, Sienna decided to pack up her belongings and head for Las Vegas where she had a promising career prospect. At the age of 23, she found herself working in Lady Luck Casino. Though it wasn’t long until she wound up caught up in underground fights where, much to even her own surprise, she excelled. It became another emotional outlet for her. One that replaced ballet from all those years prior.

It was through her keen fighting ability and technique that Sienna was recruited by The 19th. Initially, starting as an employee who regularly fought in various underground areas until she was promoted to a solider and now, finally, due to her strength as a soldier, she has been recruited to a weapons specialist. Although she continues to engage in fighting, her main priority is her role within The 19th thus she doesn’t fight as much as she once did.

Sienna has been in Las Vegas for 15 years, 13 of which she has worked under The 19th syndicate. Since childhood, she has been through a lot and has lost a lot but somehow, she was always able to build herself back up again. Is this the life that she had envisioned for herself? Not exactly. But was it better than any other alternative, especially one where she could have lost her life to a world of drugs? Yes. Where Sienna is now is exactly where she wants to be. And maybe this is exactly what she needs to fully emerge from the ashes of her haunting past.

SIENNA IS CURRENTLY CLOSED & WRITTEN BY CHRISSIE.

[bleedingsandshq]

[ ALISHA BOE, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER, TWENTY TWO ] Whenever I hear I SEE FIRE by ED SHEERAN it always makes me think of BLAIR DONOVAN. They have been so NURTURING & HUMBLE but occasionally they have gotten a little bit SUSCEPTIBLE & CURIOUS through the years. They currently work as a DUMONT FRONT DESK, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as an SOLDIER. A LONGING FEELING OF BEING OUT OF PLACE, AN ALLURING TOWARD DARKER THINGS, COVERING IT ALL UP WITH A SUGARY SWEET SMILE, ALWAYS BEING A HELPING HAND FOR SOMEONE IN NEED, & HAIR ALWAYS BEEN WELL DONE make them easy to spot on the strip.

once upon a time there was a dondero man and his girlfriend, and they were as happy as could be. at least he thought so, and for the most part she did too. she would turn her cheek at the club matters and she knew to keep her mouth shut to any officials. she was well trained to be the girlfriend of someone so deeply tangled with crime. when she found out she was pregnant, she was terrified. despite how well she could deal with this life, she did not want to raise a child in it.

when her daughter was born, it took some intense convincing to her boyfriend to let her given the infant up for adoption. finally, they came to an agreement and a nameless baby girl was given to officials to find her a better home. they never looked back, never checked in again, with their daughter.

barely a month later, she was adopted by a woman who could, for unknown reasons, bare her own children. the baby girl was named blair, and given her family name of donovan. this woman, ironically, was part of a syndicate herself but not dondero. blair was raised from that point, within the company of members from the 19th. she was never sheltered by what happened around her, her mother never wanted her to be caught off guard when she was older.

blair grew up an angel. she was always ready to help anyone around her and her heart was golden. her mother gave her everything she could need, though she wasn’t spoiled. despite having the seemingly perfect night, there was a part of her that seemed to be missing something. without knowing why, she often found herself glancing toward the dondero club.

despite her engrossment with the other faction, she would never stray from the 19th. they are her family, but there is a longing she cannot explain or pin point. she doesn’t realize that dondero runs in her blood.

she works as the front desk at dumont, where she has worked as such for about three years now. sometimes she will swing into house keeping should they need her but more often, she is ground behind the desk, checking people in and out.

blair does not know her birth parents are from dondero. She doesn’t even know they’re from paradise, she chose not to know anything about them because her mother is her mother. this is why she cannot explain the pull she has toward the other club, but she sums it up to an intrigue of knowing something a little darker than her usual lifestyle.

working the front desk at a hotel, having access to the security cameras, she has seen some things — some things she wishes she could erase from her mind be it because they were crime related or carnal. she has probably seen people slipping into the elevator to meet with people they should.

she also uses her access to this giant building with a bunch of rooms to accommodate the 19th members should they need anything; a room for themselves and a hookup or a hidden corner.

wanted connection: her birth parents & her adoptive mother.

BLAIR IS CURRENTLY CLOSED & WRITTEN BY SKYE.

[bleedingsandshq]

[ GARRETT HEDLUND, MALE, HE/HIM, 35 ] Whenever I hear OLDER by SASHA SLOAN it always makes me think of ELIOT BRIGGS. They have been so CARING & LOYAL, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit SECRETIVE & MANIPULATIVE through the years. They currently work as a FIGHTER IN THE 19TH CLUBHOUSE, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as a HEAD ASSASSIN. BLOODY KNUCKLES, EMPTY BEER BOTTLES AND A PICTURE UNDER THE BED OF WHAT COULD’VE BEEN make them easy to spot on the strip. 

CONNECTIONS/HEAD CANONS

Gideon Banks: the ex-husband. Eliot and him used to be happily married, their marriage however went sour when it seems like their connection wasn’t what it seemed before when in reality it was because Eliot couldn’t risk his husband’ life due to their both conflicting affiliation and left him, making sure that his now ex-husband hated him.Eliot keeps his wedding ring in his wallet.

Devil on my Shoulder: While Eliot was looking for a shoulder to lean on, this person looks for a personal bodyguard and gives all the wrong advice to Eliot, they managed to manipulate the manipulator with the ability to even feed him wrong information. They could also be the person that fed Eliot that his now ex-husband is in danger of being killed.

Had a Rough Life: This person is a sibling, doesn’t matter gender or they’re the younger or older sibling. This sibling could be the black sheep, both them and Eliot has had a rough childhood and while Eliot takes it out on killing people and punching things, this siblings takes it out with drinking, drugs and testing their luck with the law.

Ex-Military: Eliot has been dishonorable discharged from the army due to his uncontrollable strength and at a time his inability to listen to orders, this could be a headcanon or a connection for someone who was in his squad.

BIOGRAPHY

Eliot was born and raised in Brooklyn, his family life was a mess. His parents never got along with one another, there was always shouting, glass breaking and smashing doors shut. There was never any physical abuse but the verbal was there since his parents were always blaming Eliot and his sibling for not being able to do what they truly wanted to do in life and instead got stuck with raising the two of them.

At the age of 18 Eliot joined the military, he managed to get black-ops but even then they saw the problem that held him, such as problems listening to an authority figure and his tendency to punch first and ask questions later but the military kept him due to his loyalty to the country. Unfortunately a few years into his military service, a classified black-op mission that ended with the mission objective dying, they had to dishonorable discharged him.

Angry and feeling betrayed by the country he wanted to protect, Eliot moved to LA, turned into a boxer where he met Gideon Banks, a cop and the two started dating and fell in love. Their first honeymoon years went perfectly, they were in love and happy. Everything changed once they moved to Vegas.

It all started when he got the job as a fighter in the 19th clubhouse, they noticed his abilities quickly and decided to give him a test run and with his black-ops background they knew he had the ability to kill and be sneaky about it if necessary.

Getting the position of head assassin however meant that there could be a target on his back and his loved ones and the only solution Eliot thought about that would push Gideon as far away from him was possible was to start cutting the connection and eventually divorce him.

The break up hit Eliot harder than he would’ve liked to admit, he got sloppy and left unnecessary evidence in crime scenes which is how is now ex-husband discovered he most likely be affiliated with the 19th.

ELIOT IS CURRENTLY CLOSED & WRITTEN BY NICOLE.

[bleedingsandshq]

[ GAVIN LEATHERWOOD, CHARLES MELTON & DICHEN LACHMAN, NON-BINARY, THEY/THEM, 26+ ] Whenever I hear PROMISE by EVE 6 it always makes me think of AUGUST BLAIR. They have been so DEBONAIR &  ENGAGING, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit COCKY & MISUNDERSTOOD through the years. They currently work as an PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as a SECRETARY. PULLING CRISP HUNDREDS FROM A ROSE GOLD BILL FOLD, A CROOKED GRIN THAT DRAWS YOU IN & CRUMPLED BED SHEETS LEFT BEHIND IN THE EARLY MORNING make them easy to spot on the strip. 

The first time they knew what abandonment tasted like as it tried to fill their mouth with blood, they were barely old enough to speak. After papa decided to become the rolling stone their mother always talked about, always complained about, they learned that trust was never something you just gave out to people. It went hand and hand with respect, and that, well, that was always earned. Left to be raised by their siblings and the looming presence of their mother, they barely even remembered her face by the time they turned twelve. It was then they learned about why their mother always had to make a mockery of their father, because it made it hurt a little bit less, the heartbreak. If you made yourself a joke, no one else would ever be able to laugh at you, only with you. It was that weapon, along with the warm embrace of the casino life, that really taught them everything they knew. A lot of baggage to be unpacked, but never having the time nor the room, they repeated the vicious cycle their father instilled in their very bones. One night stands, jumping out of second story windows to avoid being labeled the homewrecker for what had to be the thousandth time, all lovely little reminders of who, and what they had become. Sure, some people were close to them, but arms length and no sleepovers was a strict rule in anything that even looked romantic. To hear them tell it, commitment, whatever stupid standard of romance created by sappy movies and bad songs? It just wasn’t worth it, especially when you grew up watching just how easily it would tear someone apart when it stopped lifting them up. They might tell you it’s a fable, a tall tale that didn’t really add up, but that didn’t stop their dreams from filling with temporary insanity, the kind that painted a picture of a full heart that might fill the hole in their heart they never admitted to.

AUGUST IS CURRENTLY OPEN.

[bleedingsandshq]

[ DEVERY JACOBS, ZOE KRAVITZ, KHADIJHA RED THUNDER, GENDERFLUID, ANY PRONOUNS, 26+ ] Whenever I hear 1312  by THE CASUALTIES it always makes me think of MAZE KNOWLES. They have been so VISIONARY &  STEADFAST, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit CRITICAL & SARDONIC through the years. They currently work as an ARTIST, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as a SOLDIER . SPRAY PAINT CANS RATTLING FROM THEIR HIDING PLACE INSIDE CANVAS BACKPACK, SCREAMING FROM ATOP A BILLBOARD & THE ADRENALINE RUSH OF DITCHING THE COPS make them easy to spot on the strip. 

Broken children can still come from a loving home. Tragedy doesn’t always need to be written into their story, when they can feel it in their bones. There was something more comforting about sadness, something more familiar settling in as they grew up. It was that particular storm cloud that brought out the worst in their potential, but their mother could spot darkness coming from a mile away. Some said it was her talent, or maybe it was her curse, that she’d passed down to the child she bore. Whatever the reason, it was there, and she knew what happened when you left it to fester for too long. In order to combat it, they were provided first with a pencil and paper. Eventually, they’d outgrown that. They explored new mediums with all the passion and vigor of a new classic, someone meant to change the world through their own expression. They needed the creativity as much as they needed the movement, and that was always the case. So the question that is always asked, usually in the silence, behind their back? What made them seek out a home that wasn’t the four walls provided for them? Well, after the early death of their mother, therapy catered to the support they’d needed, only watering the seeds of talents that had already started sprouting. The emptiness wasn’t quite quelled by that alone, though, and that void was filled with the promises of a family, a new one, one that would never leave, and one that would always find a place for them. Perhaps now they lean too heavily on the lines of the organization, but there is no question of their loyalty, especially when it decorates the city's walls. Otherwise, the organization has taught them to stand comfortably on their own two feet, constantly coming to the aid of the beaten, the broken, and the damned. The first person to throw a punch in defense of the underdog, and the loudest voice in the room when it comes to denounces the boxes society has tried to put some of them in.

MAZE IS CURRENTLY OPEN.

[bleedingsandshq]

[  DIEGO TINOCO, CIS MALE, HE/HIM, 22 ] Whenever I hear IF YOU WANT LOVE by NF it always makes me think of MAURICIO NOE ALVAREZ. They have been so SWEET & WELL-INTENTIONED, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit DISTRACTED & NAIVE through the years. They currently work as an DELIVERY BOY, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as a SOLDIER. A GRIN THAT’S KEEPING TEARS AT BAY, WORDS INTENTIONALLY SPELLED INCORRECTLY, A LIGHTWASH JEAN JACKET OVER A FLANNEL SHIRT make them easy to spot on the strip. 

The muscle memory of loneliness is quite impressive. It creates the need, the want to be a part of something, anything that makes you feel like you aren’t so alone. That’s what happened to Mauricio, better known as Noah to those that have the privilege of calling The 19th home. There was never even a passing glance given to the other groups, he always knew this was where he belonged. Perhaps it was this belief that caused him to overcompensate, always going out of his way to try and prove he was worth it, convinced if he could just earn his keep, that maybe they would keep him around. The sadness in that stance isn’t missed by his fellow members, either. They are well aware of that same comfort he seeks from him, they feel it, and little does he know; It’s the one thing that’s been keeping him alive. He’s fumbled even the simple tasks he has been given, the ones that should have been mastered by now, spending over a year in his position of simply delivering things from point a to point b, and never, ever anything important. There are whispers though, whispers that say if he doesn’t find his feet, they were going to have to take the training wheels off, one way or another, even if that meant sacrificing one of their own for the great good.

HEAD CANONS

Growing up the middle child of seven children in a poverty stricken family made it extremely easy for Noah to slip through the cracks in his home. There were daily arguments over trivial things between his siblings, his parents, his cousins that lived in the garage of their rented house, even their small dogs always seemed to be yapping about something. It was a lot of noise, and very little opportunity for a young boy who was naturally soft spoken. Finding The 19th seemed like a chance to finally be seen, to make a change. Unfortunately, his own inability to balance responsibility has hindered his progress.

Not many people know of his home conditions, which now include taking care of his three younger siblings and elderly grandmother. His older siblings went off to college as soon as they could, moving out and hardly looking back, and his parents abandoned the family to join what is essentially a cult based in the northern CA mountains. Noah tries his best to provide, but sometimes all they can rely on are his grandmother’s welfare checks. It’s becoming extremely taxing on him, and he doesn’t know how much longer he can go before he winds up bailing too. He hopes it never happens.

He works as a delivery boy both for The 19th as well as a local Chinese food restaurant. Sometimes the jobs coincide and he winds up delivering two things to one recipient, other times, he winds up running all over town in a day just to cover all of the deliveries. There are many times he’s been late on a delivery, resulting in a free meal for the patron, and a hit to his wages as his boss at the restaurant takes it from his paycheck.

MAURICIO IS CURRENTLY CLOSED & WRITTEN BY MILO.

[bleedingsandshq]

[  DIEGO LUNA, CIS MALE, HE/HIM, 40 ] Whenever I hear EXIT MUSIC (FOR A FILM) by RADIOHEAD it always makes me think of SERGIO VELEZ. They have been so METHODICAL & DEDICATED, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit ENIGMATIC & STOIC through the years. They currently work as a MECHANIC, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as a WEAPONS SPECIALIST. DRIVING DOWN AN EMPTY HIGHWAY, THE SMELL OF BURNT RUBBER & TIPTOEING AROUND SHATTERED GLASS makes them easy to spot on the strip. 

HEADCANONS/CONNECTIONS:

In what might be a surprising twist considering what he specializes in, Sergio was raised in a Catholic household and he does still practice his faith when he has the time to do so. Although now it has become more of a way to feel close to his family back in Mexico then it is a personal desire to have a connection with God.

For the most part, Sergio keeps to himself and his work. He isn’t the kind to open up to strangers or listen to their woes if they deem him a shoulder to cry on. If you do manage to become someone he cares for, then you’re stuck for life. His love isn’t the easy kind to get rid of, its the sort of thing he travels across the world for.  

There was always a dog around in Sergio’s house when he was growing up, it only made sense for him to continue the tradition on once he moved to Paradise. He got a scrappy little stray around nine months after he arrived, the poor thing was always moping around looking for scraps outside the back of Sergio’s shop and eventually the only reasonable thing left to do was to bring him some real food and start to win over his trust. He did after a while and now the two are as close as thieves.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:

Sergio had a relatively happy and normal childhood, his father worked multiple jobs to keep food on the table and his mother taught English at a local public school. He was often left alone to look after his younger sister, they spent a lot of time gallivanting around the town, concocting make-believe worlds to explore. It was all very happy, never did the thought cross his mind that he would one day leave everything he once loved so dearly.

His mother affectionately called him “Zorro” as a pet name, likening him to a Fox because of his sneaky nature. Once in his teens, Sergio was always sneaking out of the house to meet with friends or girls, he got into his fair share of trouble despite having good intentions and while spent the majority of his time out in the city, he did what he could to help provide for his family.

However, he would end up moving to Paradise in an attempt to follow his heart. When he was in his late twenties he had fallen head over heels in love with an American woman visiting Mexico on vacation. He convinced her to stay and the pair became engulfed in a passionate love affair that lasted for months until one day, out of the blue, Sergio awoke to find out that she had returned home.

The years past by and he found himself involved with other romances and adventures, though none of which held quite the same passion hence his eventual immigration over to find out whatever happened with his lost love. Despite not finding her upon his arrival like he thought, he decided to stick around in the hopes that she would some day return and find him waiting.

Sergio is a believer in unity and fighting for a cause, especially if it one you are passionate about and while he holds no real place in his part for Paradise, having only been there a few years, when he came to learn about the 19th and found himself slowly falling deeper and deeper into group, they became his family.

SERGIO IS CURRENTLY CLOSED & WRITTEN BY JENNY.

[bleedingsandshq]

[  TRISTAN MAYS (AJA NAOMI KING, LOGAN BROWNING), CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER, 29+ ] Whenever I hear I CAN HOLD A GRUDGE LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS by ADAM JENSEN it always makes me think of MELROSE EVANS. They have been so OPINIONATED & PROTECTIVE, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit QUICK TEMPERED & CLOSED OFF through the years. They currently work as a BLACKJACK DEALER, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19th as THE SECOND IN COMMAND. THE SHUFFLING OF CARDS TOO QUICKLY, TIRED EYES THAT TELL STORIES & SCUFFED BOOTS make them easy to spot on the strip.

��Born just as the treaty was coming into play, like many, Melrose doesn’t know what life was before the peace they know now. That does not stop her from paying close attention to the war stories, a walking encyclopedia of the tragedies that would scar the memory of the streets she walked now. It’s the knowledge that keeps her grounded, constantly aware of the wolf at the proverbial door. After the death of her parents in her twenties, she became determined not to let the ugliness of her own stories ruin her. This was turned into a protectiveness that radiates through the very foundation of the group, and explains how she’s made her way to the top of the food chain. It’s her heart that speaks for her without really ever saying a word. The biggest mistake would be assuming that her soft heart makes her an easy target, because she is always watching, always observing, and never hesitates to make a move; even if that move is the well placed punch that breaks your jaw.

MELROSE IS CURRENTLY OPEN.

[bleedingsandshq]

[  TOMMY MARTINEZ (DIEGO TINOCO, DEIGO BONETA ), CIS MALE, HE/HIM, 21+ ] Whenever I hear IF YOU WANT LOVE by NF it always makes me think of SHILOH CASTRO. They have been so SWEET  & WELL INTENTIONED, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit CLUMSY & GULLIBLE through the years. They currently work as a DELIVERY BOY, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as a SOLDIER. CHECKING YOUR EMPTY POCKETS FOR THE KEYS YOU LOST, A LOPSIDED SMILE DISGUISED AS AN APOLOGY & TRIPPING OVER YOUR OWN FEET make them easy to spot on the strip.

The muscle memory of loneliness is quite impressive. It creates the need, the want to be a part of something, anything that makes you feel like you aren’t so alone. That’s what happened to Shiloh, better known as Shi to those that have the privilege of calling The 19th home. There was never even a passing glance given to the other groups, he always knew this was where he belonged. Perhaps it was this belief that caused him to overcompensate, always going out of his way to try and prove he was worth it, convinced if he could just earn his keep, that maybe they would keep him around. The sadness in that stance isn’t missed by his fellow members, either. They are well aware of that same comfort he seeks from him, they feel it, and little does he know; It’s the one thing that’s been keeping him alive. He’s fumbled even the simple tasks he has been given, the ones that should have been mastered by now, spending over a year in his position of simply delivering things from point a to point b, and never, ever anything important. There are whispers though, whispers that say if he doesn’t find his feet, they were going to have to take the training wheels off, one way or another, even if that meant sacrificing one of their own for the great good.

SHILOH IS CURRENTLY OPEN.

[bleedingsandshq]

[ NADIA HILKER, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER, 30 ] Whenever I hear GOLD JACKET, GREEN JACKET… by SENSES FAIL it always makes me think of LENA BECKER. They have been so PROGRESSIVE & TOUGH, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit DISRUPTIVE & UNYIELDING through the years. They currently work as an ETHICAL HACKER, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as an ADVISOR. A PUNCH NAZI’S PATCH COVERING THE ELBOW OF A LEATHER JACKET, WILD HAIR BLOWING IN THE DESERT WIND & SCREAMING FOR CHANGE make them easy to spot on the strip.

INFORMATION DEALER (THE 19TH, HACKER) After Lena passed this tier of the hierarchy, she was able to help hand pick her replacement. While they are someone that shares her passion for all things technological, there is still some discourse there. Occasionally, Lena can be found following behind them to make sure that the group is protected, which can and will be a point of contention for them. Additionally, there may be some reason that she discovered/discovers that her seeming lack of trust comes from something a little more than a fleeting feeling or added layer of protection.

LAW ENFORCEMENT (CYBER CRIMES) Since Lena was charged with her first crime, the cyber crimes unit of the FBI as well as other government agencies have tried to sway her loyalty in their direction. They have offered her any and everything that they can for even a glimpse at her talent, but she refuses. She isn’t sure if it’s just because a general mistrust or disbelief of the government itself, or something more. This connection has been particularly persistent in trying to get her to join forces with them, citing her “good intentions” would be able to make more noise if they were on the same team. Their relationship has grown throughout the years, and while the offers have started to slow down, neither of them really know what has happened between them. It’s hard to say why they stick around, even if both do agree on clinging tightly to the notion that it is solely for the gain of the corrupt organization that they represent.

UNAFFILIATED (POSSIBLE RECRUIT/OUTSIDE SOURCE) As mentioned in the below biography. Lena has enlisted or managed to charm several other colleagues into assistance when she may have needed it. Ideally, this would be the person who first helped her out when she was charged, or during that entire time period to absolve both her and her mother of the suspicion that they faced. Up until recently, they have been a faceless representation of a person, communicating through encrypted channels, texts exchanged through burner phones that seem to change every two weeks, or other secured means of communication. She’s not sure she even knows what they look like, or could find them if she tries. To her surprise, they eventually show up in Paradise, but the why behind that is up for debate. (This could be to protect Lena from something she doesn’t even know is coming, some sort of intimate bond with her that has been established through their communication but never really acted upon, or because her dedication to the 19th has convinced them to join her favorite cause, and that’s just me speed balling some suggestions).

While her hands are not often dirtied physically, she is not without the ability or understanding of violence. Lena is very big on responsibility and accountability, and because of this, she tracks her own destruction in small, seemingly silent ways. Her hands are inked with tiny markers of each life she has taken, or contributed to taken. The largest marker is the one that is a very hard to discern shape of her mothers initials, a very physical representation of the guilt she feels for her mothers death: even if it is still officially listed as an accident.

While information dealer seems like it would have been a better fit for Lena, she aspired to be more. One of the things that made the rest of the group understand this, is her position as not only advisor, but the function of a sort of “group therapist”. Many of the members come to her for advice, their problems always collecting on her shoulders because she has done the work to make sure that she can carry them. Additionally, Lena is extremely educated in many things, which helps her provide possible outcomes, a different view, and a devils advocate sort of mentality to both organizational and personal problems.

Raised by her immigrant parents in Law Vegas proper, Lena Becker experienced life in a way that seemed painfully normal for the first few years. It wasn’t until her mother started getting involved that she became a child of the revolution. It was the admiration for her mother that she was inspired by, and by the time she was handed her first computer, there was no question that she intended to use it to change the world. Her first recorded offensive was getting caught hacking into the Vegas PD database to alter her mothers arrest records, which were threatening to deport her at the time. Thanks for a few more well versed friends in the area, she was able to complete the task with a little bit of outside help, and lessen her own charges, unable to make most of the evidence stick around long enough to actually press forward with the case for both mother and child.

This put Lena on the radar for many agencies, considering her age at the time, and her so called honorable intentions behind the offense. The problem was, she never had any intention to apologize, or make amends for what she had done. Instead, Lena stood on her beliefs and doubled down, something that worried both agents and her father alike. Unable to stand the heat in the kitchen they had created, he left on her eighteenth birthday. She keeps track of him, sometimes chalking it up to a misplaced sort of nostalgia, and others to remind herself where cowardice will take you. To this day, she still sends an anonymous birthday present to him every year, usually something with a Judas reference, which is the only thing she calls him after what she sees as betrayal in his abandonment.

She became a professional ethical hacker for several well paying groups as she grew in both skill and name, and moved to Paradise with her mother in her twenties. She was recruited by the 19th shortly after what felt like her thousandth denial of offers from multiple law enforcement agencies. The organization is still her priority, and continues to define her loyalty. After losing her mother to an accident that she still believes was designed to silence her voice, it became a pet project to follow that mystery down every rabbit hole until she found an answer that felt even remotely believable. During this loss, her bond with the group solidified, leaning heavily on them in her time of mourning, even if she never did learn how to process emotion quite correctly. That being said though, that was also the time they’d given her the chance to defend herself, spending ample time with the trainer until she became a physical force to reckon with as well as a more low key one.

After her training was complete, she began to climb the ranks a little more confidently, knowing that she could protect herself from the dangers that status came with. Advisor is and was a role that suited her perfectly, giving her the chance to lend her voice to those who didn’t have one and offer her experience as lesson.

LENA IS CURRENTLY CLOSED & WRITTEN BY LACE.

[bleedingsandshq]

[  SERINDA SWAN, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER, 33 ] Whenever I hear CRAZY BITCH by BUCKCHERRY it always makes me think of HARLEY KINCAID. They have been so ENDEARING  & LOYAL, but occasionally they have gotten a little bit VENGEFUL & AGGRESSIVE through the years. They currently work as a FIGHT CLUB ORGANIZER, a strangely fitting job for someone with loyalty to THE 19TH as a BOSS. BATTERED KNUCKLES COVERED WITH BANDAGES, OVERFILLED ASTRAY ON HER DESK, COMBAT BOOTS ECHOING AGAINST CONCRETE make them easy to spot on the strip. 

UNLIKELY FRIEND: This person is either someone from another gang, unaffiliated or law enforcement. Technically, they shouldn’t be friends or even dare speak to each other. However, they manage to put aside their difference to catch up. Sometimes, they give each other the hard truth but in the end, they never speak on the war raging between groups. It’s sort of a safe place but with tensions brewing, it’s only a matter of time before that pops in their face and they’re forced to do things they’ve been wanting to avoid for years.

FIGHTER: A fellow fighter that she’s been training with for years now. He could have even been a mentor for her. She’s as good as she is in fights because of this person specifically. He’s sort of a right sideman to her when it comes to the underground fighting scene. There’s little other she would trust with ensuring it runs smoothly and that none of her money is being taken from under her nose. This can turn into a budding romance or a mere friendship, but it could be interesting to see! He’d definitely be one of the only ones able to calm her raging aggression.

TOXIC: These two are natural disasters on their own and when they clash together, they leave destruction in their paths. They started with hatred and while that was dangerous enough, the stakes got higher when they began to sleep together. While there’s love there, there is also a lot of hatred and jealousy. They know how to get under each others skin and will do whatever it takes in order to do so. Whenever they meet, it’s impossible for either of them to walk away unmarked. They’ll fight, scream and fuck each other harder than anyone else. It’s an addiction that will take them both down but it seems that neither has the strength to just walk away.

Harley’s father had been a long-standing member of the 19th when he met the love of his life in the form of a quiet, nurturing librarian. Their love life was both exhilarating and tame all at once. He had managed to keep the woman a secret for longer than most expected until she fell pregnant with Harley. The excitement grew as her belly swelled to the point where the man thought about stepping down from his position as head of the 19th. As the due day approached, complications arose that forced mother and child to be brought into the delivery room sooner than later. Rolling into an emergency c-section, they rolled out a strong baby girl. While her father was in over the moon over his child, his world soon came crumbling down when they announced that his wife, the love of his life, hasn’t made it out of surgery. Completely devastated, the male fell into a deep hole of anger and alcoholism. Still, at the head of the 19th, he ruled with an iron fist. Harley grew up rubbing shoulders with dangerous men and women, having been raised by the club more than she had her own father. While she knew the man loved her, she often felt that he was incapable of truly looking at her given that she bore the spitting image of his wife on her face. As she grew up, Harley knew how to put boys twice her size into headlocks before she even entered high school. While alcohol and drugs had always been a constant in her life, she also began to fight for activity and sport. Rather than want to pursue a normal life, she delved into her father’s world and began to fight at the underground fight club until she eventually began to lead. Money was made with the continuous fights she won and lost bets from the crowd. It was during her twenty-fifth birthday that the news came from a phone call signaling that her father had died from a massive heart attack during the night. Heartbroken and angry at the world despite their strained relationship, it took a while for Harley to decidedly make good on the vote taken by the gang. While there were other members who threw their name into the hat to be boss, it was her name that came out victorious. As the first few years progressed, she was shaky on her feet until she found her motion and hasn’t really stopped since.

HARLEY IS CURRENTLY CLOSED & WRITTEN BY J.