Fantasy No Man's Land Characters

[FloatingAroundSpace]

The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald​

 

[FloatingAroundSpace]

Elizabeth Hassab

Basics

Age: 24
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Sexuality: Asexual, though she is unsure of her romantic orientation
Education: High school GED, degree in journalism from local community college
Martial Status: Single, uninterested
Occupation: Free-lance reporter, which is to say, unemployed
Nicknames: Writes under the pseudo-name "Maine Dhole", a reference to Virginia Woolf. Family and formerly close friends call her "Eliza".
Face Claim: Diya Prabhakar

Personality

Elizabeth always feels lonely, though she will rarely state it. She feels trapped in her own mind, locked in the constant battle her brain's fucked up chemistry has put her in since she was barely eleven. These days, she has a better grasp of the loneliness, a better understanding of why it is there and what it entails for her and for those she loves and holds dear. These days, the walls she puts up are mostly false, a tactic to get close to people she wants to talk to for some reason or another before bringing them down to overload them with questions for some story or other. She appreciates those who are strong enough to be kind and gentle in the first interaction and deeply dislikes those who take advantage of said kindness. She has a strong sense of justice and right and wrong when it comes to how to treat another person. When it comes to the actual law, however, she's more than willing to set aside moral dilemmas to get a scoop or two. After all, there is no honor among thieves, whether they steal the will to live from others or are just pickpockets.

Likes: Her mother, her younger brother, her father, her sister, her camera, words, fountain pens, her former friend Birch, dogs, cats, the taste of tea loaded with fruit, sweet wines, her mother's cooking, potatoes, the smell of the earth after the rain, the way the Earth looks from pictures far away, eating anything, the beach
Dislikes: Her mother's worry, her father's worry, her sister, her former friend Birch, hard liquor, the taste of artificial mint in gum, wasps, the smell of hospitals, hard plastic chairs in waiting rooms, eating in front of people she doesn't know, "artfully" blurry pictures

Biography

Elizabeth was born the middle child and second daughter to two college sweethearts. As a child, she was always somewhat quiet, carrying a low tone throughout interactions with her peers. Her sister was always louder than she was, commanding attention and pride. Her younger brother, when he was born, was even more silent than she and Elizabeth grew close to the quieter bundle, preferring her brother's quiet murmurs to her sister's loud speeches. As she grew older, she continued with her quietness but did manage to make friends through her unstoppable curiosity and her constant need to know, constantly sticking her nose in other's businesses. Sadly, it was this questioning and information mining that allowed her mother to piece together the fact that their father was not being faithful. While the parents tried to keep the whole affair quiet and away from both the ravenous public and their fragile children, it was only a matter of time before the divorce came. With the divorce came the loud arguments, the harsh disagreements, and the family that had once been was torn violently apart. Elizabeth left to live with her mother while her father gained custody of her beloved little brother and her loud older sister. All three children were greatly unhappy.

After her parents' divorce, she drew into herself, becoming more of a recluse and refusing to interact much with others. A diagnosis of depression later, her mental state sank even worse and she had her first mental breakdown at age twelve, resulting in a stay within a local depression treatment center. There, she found herself among people who did understand her blight and managed to recover for a period of time. Once released she was given a therapist and a psychiatrist in an effort to help her continue on her upward trend towards recovery. Sadly, her therapist was revealed to be a terrible doctor and was disbarred after several of his patients got tragically worse, Elizabeth among them.

From there, it seemed to never get better. Her mental state, while not descending, was not where it was when she had been released and her mother struggled to afford both her own medication and Elizabeth's. Her psychiatrist did the best she could to aid in Elizabeth's recovery but several tragedies in her life, including the death of several close friends alongside a falling out with some other ones further strained her. Her relationship with her father and by extension her brother and sister was also rocky. While Elizabeth did have her mother and her timeless friend, Birch, it wasn't quite enough. A few arguments later, Elizabeth had yet another breakdown and her mother, finally realizing that perhaps she was unable to handle her daughter herself, moved them back in with her father.

Elizabeth quietly received her GED from her high school and worked odd jobs at the mall near her father's home for a while. She reconciled with her family and slowly found herself in the clouded mess of her mind. For the first time in years, she thought she could see the clear sky.

Now twenty-four and eager to make something of herself, Elizabeth has packed her bags and prepped to leave her home. She is in search of some story to investigate, some clues to piece together, to prove her own worth to the world and perhaps herself.

Family

Insaf Hassab: Age 51, Elizabeth's beloved mother, she raised Elizabeth on her own from the time she was seven to when she was nearly eighteen. Insaf loves her daughter to bits and pieces and worries about her well-being almost constantly. Insaf was diagnosed with her own mental illness at the age of twenty-one and has churned through various drugs and therapies in an effort to become more "normal". While she is now formally diagnosed with bipolar disorder I, at this stage in her life, she has decided to just live. She currently lives with her ex-husband and once again boyfriend and works at a local hospital as a part-time nurse. She enjoys cooking for her children and is encouraging her eldest to finally settle down with the nice boy she has been seeing.
John Paulus: Age 51, Elizabeth's father who tries his damnedest, he promises. A successfully retired surgeon who now teaches at the nearby college, John has led a long and fulfilling life, save for the fact that he cheated on his wife for six months and that for a period of time, none of his children spoke to him. He is more than content to simply be beside his ex-wife and probably-girlfriend for the rest of his life. He's still working on figuring out if they're dating or not. He's leaning towards they are. They sleep in the same bed, after all.
Anwaar Paulus: Age 28, Elizabeth's eldest sister who doesn't really get her or her mother but loves them anyways. The wild child, Anwaar has been far more outgoing and successful than both her siblings have been, cultivating a network of sugar daddies at one point after college when she was bored at home. Nowadays she spearheads the marketing campaigns for a booming technology company. She lives close to her parents and insists to anyone that they're dating again. Currently seriously dating a mild-mannered IT man from her company. They say opposites attract...
Michael Paulus: Age 21, Elizabeth's favorite younger brother, he has also been diagnosed from a young age with an anxiety disorder. His is relatively minor compared to Elizabeth and Insaf, and he generally does not take medication for it. Michael is currently trying to figure out what the fuck he wants to do with his life. So far, he has been leaning towards video game programming. A very enthused Anwaar has been hooking him up with any male intern with an inclination to dating another man at her company who are also "geeky". He has yet to consider actually dating any of them. He loves his family, especially Elizabeth, and looks up to his father and his success as a baseline. Sans the cheating.

Skills

Sniper: Elizabeth commonly went out with her mother to hunt various game. She has, as a result, gotten very good at shooting small targets from afar. Somehow, she thinks this translates into being able to defend herself up close.
Photography: While still rudimentary in some senses, Elizabeth is quite the up-and-coming photographer. Perhaps it is the skills she has developed as a sniper, shooting from afar, that has let her take crisp and clear images.
Bilingual: She is capable of speaking English and Hindi and holding a casual conversation in Spanish.

 

[FloatingAroundSpace]

Jia Yi Wen

Basics

Age: 40
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Sexuality: Presumed heterosexual, currently questioning
Education: BS in Criminal Justice, MS in Criminal Justice
Martial Status: Newly divorced, mourning
Occupation: Special agent for the FBI, specializes in violent crimes
Nicknames: Goes by Dan
Face Claim: Daniel Henney
Note: Inspired by Dan Goodman from Next to Normal

Personality

The quintessential Stepford smiler, Dan has spent a lifetime cultivating the image of a well-put-together man. He smiles when the time calls for it and keeps his chin up, facing the life before him head on and refusing to let anything drag him down. His problem lies in this mentality. Refusing to take a moment to really reflect on a deeper level the issues that his life have left scarred across him has resulted in a man that doesn't tackle any of his emotional issues. He is a cesspool of depression and toxic thoughts, clouding his thoughts during periods where he is alone. Since his divorce, the mask has started to slip and the true image of a deeply troubled man has exposed himself. Withdrawn and greatly unhappy, Dan tries to keep moving forward but would like nothing more than to lie down and let the world swallow him whole.

Likes: His ex-wife, his daughter, his dead son, his brothers, his mother, the sound of someone else's breathing next to him at night, warm weekend breakfasts, the smell of cooking when he comes home, baseball games, his ex-wife's laughter, his daughter's piano playing, rap music, affectionate physical contact in any capacity, planting flowers in a garden bed
Dislikes: His ex-wife, his dead son, his father, the shrill ring of silence most nights, blood dripping down chairs, the sound of babies crying, children being hurt, his daughter's icy silence towards him, himself, burnt toast, the smell of the sea, murky waters, being out of the loop, confronting himself in his own turmoil, being alone

Biography

Born the middle child of three sons, Dan's home life was rocky from the beginning. His father was an angry man who had immigrated from China to the States and refused to let go of the idea that his wife was his property, that she was to bend to his command. He was physically abusive to her and his three sons, constantly punishing them for slights both imagined and real. Most nights, Dan could hear his mother crying. By the time he was ten, she had stopped crying, the futility of her situation having settled in.

From there, Dan learned to keep his head down and out of the way, to avoid his father. The old man spouted off his hate-filled beliefs towards gays, Blacks, and anyone else he deemed inferior. Dan kept his mouth shut and just avoided the living room when he could.

When he turned seventeen, he enrolled in the draft in an effort to get out of the house. He was permitted to attend a local state college while being enrolled in order to further his education. There, he met Diana, who he immediately fell in love with. The two had a whirlwind romance that resulted in her pregnancy when they were both only nineteen. He quit the army to stay by her side and they soon had a little baby boy they named Liang for the future that they both hoped his birth would bring. They married when he was only three months old and for the first time, Dan did not fear the next day. For the first time, he was content to be a father and a husband, feeding his young son on his lap until they could afford a highchair and playing with him in their one-bedroom apartment, watching Diana swing him on her hip while Dan sang some song he remembered his mother humming to him. For the first time, he was unbelievably happy and needed nothing more from life.

It was not to be.

Eight months later, Liang began crying more and more. The parents were unable to understand why he sobbed so much and neither had any family to turn to and rely on at the time. In the end, he died far too young. The experience broke Dan's heart and Diana's mind and the two would never be the same again.

A little less than a year later, Diana gave birth to their daughter, a little girl Dan named Li Fen and hoped would bring him the future that he had hoped he would have earlier that year.

It was not to be.

Li Fen, who went by Juliet in school, had a troubled upbringing that rivaled Dan's. Diana was no longer the woman Dan had married all those years ago. She had frequent delusions that Liang was alive, searching for him throughout the home and ignoring Juliet most days. Dan didn't do well, either, often having panic attacks while listening to his second child cry in the night, remembering a little boy who had cried and cried until he had turned blue and stopped crying forever. He would hold her to his chest, trying to convince her to halt in her cries, to try and accept that her father was all she needed. Often, he sat up and listened for any noise coming from the small crib that they had bought for a young boy over a year ago.

The emotional neglect stretched on throughout the marriage. Diana began having manic episodes and Dan struggled to find an answer for what she suffered. He was told that she was bipolar or maybe schizophrenic or perhaps just simply delusional. He was told to give her medication, to take her to therapy, to talk to professionals and doctors. In the end, he retreated into himself to avoid the sudden loneliness that Diana's presence had become. Juliet, in the meantime, suffered emotional neglect from both of her parents and often lashed out at school and at them, crying often to herself, alone and frightened of the mother who couldn't see her.

There were good moments in between. There were some days where Diana would be Diana again, and the two of them could love one another without breaking each other's hearts and Juliet would have a normal upbringing. But between those moments Diana's delusions defined their lives, burning down the first house they bought, screaming in the midst of Juliet's baseball games, streaking down the street, calling Juliet by the incorrect name time and time again, and tarnishing family photos with her absence.

Finally, during Juliet's last year of high school, preparing for her own flight away from a house that had given her no joy, as Dan had done himself so many years ago, Diana attempted to take her own life. From there, things fell apart even more quickly.

The divorce was unexpected on Dan's part. He had tried. He really had. He had been patient and had listened and had held her while she cried, driven her to a thousand different specialists and spoke to her as best as he could through her pain. He had tried to sympathize, to empathize, to get her to move on from their son.

The icy silence from Juliet was even more unexpected. She retreated from both her parents almost violently, leaving one day to go elsewhere. It turned out she had become a janitor at a local concert hall, having flunked out of high school soon after her mother's attempt on her life, having gotten hooked on drugs and alcohol to cope with what seemed to never fix itself.

Alone in the world for perhaps the first time in his life, Dan has blundered through the past year of his life blindly. He has drowned himself in work and refuses to emerge. As such, he has been sent off to follow a case on the rise. He hopes it will drown the memories that still claw at the edges of his vision.

Family

Diana Wen, nee Xu: Age 40, a troubled woman, Diana is currently living with her mother and father following her divorce from Dan. She has yet to reach out and reconnect with either her estranged daughter or Dan, though she does intend to once she has a better grasp of her mental state. She holds no resentment towards either of them and loves them both still. She just cannot go back anymore.
Juliet Wen: Age 19, Dan and Diana's second child and deeply troubled and estranged daughter. She is currently working at a local concert hall as a janitor, having flunked her entrance exam to the colleges she had been expecting to attend. She then proceeded to drown her troubles in drinking and clubbing and unsurprisingly, was unable to finish her education. The lack of concern from either of her parents during her own period of turmoil has made her increasingly bitter towards both of them and she constantly wars with herself, uncertain as to whether to love them still as her parents or hate them for taking away any promise of the future she should have had. She currently rooms with several other employees at the concert hall.
Tyler Wen: Age 47, Dan's eldest brother, an informant with a little too much information at times. He and Dan barely stay in touch, more out of formalities than anything else. Unwed, though in good standing with the mother of his only child, Tyler is currently unaware of his younger brother's rapidly deteriorating mental state. He is vaguely aware of the divorce, but has not bothered to investigate himself. It is not his place, after all. Every man for himself.
Qian Wen: Age 38, Dan's youngest brother, born a few years after him. Qian had an even rougher time of it, being aware of his own homosexuality at a young age. He is by far the happiest of the three siblings, currently living in Virginia with his adopted daughter and preparing to reenter the dating pool after the untimely death of his husband. He is aware of his older brother's divorce and is concerned about him, but has decided to refrain from making any conclusions until more information is offered. He is a freelance artist who has managed to catch the eye of some popular figures and as such, has saved up enough money to start seriously hiring lawyers to extract his mother out of the toxic situation she has been trapped in for decades.
Guang Wen: Age 72, the abusive man who raised Dan alongside his other brothers. Old age has not tempered his rage and he continues to shout and rave at his wife. The faults of his ways are more than a little lost on him. He truly believes that what he is doing is right and resents his sons for not returning to take care of him as he ages.
Mei Hui Wen: Age 66, Mei Hui has known her duty her whole life. Be a good wife. Be a good mother. She takes every day as she can and is simply trying to survive after living most of her life under the unapologetic fist of her husband. The offer from her youngest to final escape is enticing, but years of brutality have made her fearful.
Liang Wen: Deceased at 8 months, the clouded vision, the mocking ghost, and the caricature of an older brother that never was. He was once called Gabe and loved dearly by his mother and father. He was once a sweet little boy that cried when his parents tried to put him down. He has haunted the remainder of his family for years. A shadowy figure who has been dead for nearly two decades, he is synonymous with pain to Dan. And somehow, at the same time, joy.

Skills

Observant: With the amount of time and effort he pours into his work, Dan has amassed great observational skill. He is able to collect a vast trove of information at a glance to later look over and piece together.
Firearm Handling: Dan is aware of how to fire a standard handgun, as well as how to safely arm and disarm a potentially hostile individual, as per his training as an FBI agent. His knowledge extends to run of the mill handguns as well as recognizing more modified versions.
Bilingual: Can communicate fluently in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.