DIVERONA

In fair Verona, our tale begins with HALCYON SANTOS, who is THIRTY years old. She is often called HIPPOLYTA by the CAPULETS and works as their CAPTAIN. She uses SHE/HER pronouns.

As a child, many swore that she had been kissed by Aphrodite herself. Painters wished to render her likeness on every canvas, photographers vied for her face to be printed upon every newspaper and magazine, people fell at her feet like stars falling from the sky. The Santos knew that their child was BLESSED and they adored her for it as much as everyone else did. Under their unconditional love, she flourished and grew, becoming something fierce, wild, and empowered. She was a young GODDESS that had blessed the Santos household, the Santos name, and everyone knew it. But this did not rot her as it would have many other children; it did not cause the purity of her soul to decay into something decrepit and spoiled. Halcyon was not to turn from a ripe, prized fruit into something rotten. For there was something good inside of her that realized that, yes, she had been blessed by God – but with such a blessing came a cross to bear along with it. Her parents had lectured her many times about the responsibility of catering to those who worshiped her, how the Santos name always meant serving those who were less fortunate. The Santos, they had told her, were to be considered nothing less than saints – and saints always SACRIFICED. But for all their lectures and sermons, they never told her how painstaking her sacrifice would have to be. Though she loved her parents, adored them like any good child should, she cannot deny that they betrayed her. They put her on a pedestal, then shackled her to it. They made her a TROPHY then put her in a case – never to be touched, only distantly glorified and, in later years, forgotten. Perhaps it was her fault for falling in love when she should have known that her duty to her family came before all. But could a person blame her? Her first love was as fair as she, but more reckless and impassioned – an INFERNO incarnate with hair as fiery as a flame. They were to be married, but when the time came she discovered that her parents had paid her fiancee off. There was nothing left of her lover, save for a hastily scrawled note, an abandoned white dress, and the faint scent of Chanel perfume. But she was not given the luxury of lingering over her broken heart. Her parents had paid a heavy price to break it, but it wasn’t without PURPOSE – within the next month she was married off to a man with a pocket deeper than the pained look that seemed perpetually etched onto her features. In one moment she was a goddess, an idol, and in the next she was a SHADOW, a broken altar with lackluster offerings. Her marriage was a more severe death sentence than any other judge could have handed out. Oh, how she had begged and pleaded with those who used love as a dirty gauze, to cloak her festering wound; but to no avail.  It was not that he was cruel, it was not that he was neglectful – it was merely the fact that their marriage carried no life. The shackles that had bound her to him were caused her to whither and waste away, they were causing her greatness to become nothing more than a MEMORY. No longer was she Halcyon Santos, whose future held no bounds – no, she was former Ms. Santos, became a trophy wife and a shut in. It was a tale that was destined to end as most exceedingly mundane ones do: with nothing to show, save for a picture of a woman whose talent was wasted and whose beauty became more of a BURDEN. It was not a satisfying LEGACY to Halcyon, perpetuating the story of a picturesque trophy wife. Thankfully, it did not turn out to be her legacy at all, for the gods clearly meant for her to be something greater. Her husband had angered the Capulets, foolishly believing that blackmail might be a means of making them bow to his will. She watched as they framed his car accident, patiently waiting for them to come to her – and when they did, Halcyon made them take her to Cosimo, who welcomed her with open arms. His instinctive trust in her proved to be reliable, for she has risen through their ranks like an ANGEL with newfound wings. Though she may be untested when it comes to matters of war, she knows that if she has fallen and risen once, she can do it again.

HUGO KIM: Comfort. She does not know why she does this, but the act of speaking one’s sins out loud is soothing, though the comfort that is offered is more fleeting than the notion of God himself. And yet, she clings to it. Her visits with her “spiritual director” are not often, maybe once or twice every other month. But the exchange that occurs between the two is savored, nonetheless. It is likely the Catholic tutelage that her parents forced her into, or perhaps it is the priest himself. Either way, she knows that the person she fears more than God is Cosimo and the Capulets. And they don’t take kindly to loose lips, no matter how beautiful they are.

EVERETT CRAVEN: Brother-in-arms. “Got your six.” It is their greeting and their goodbye, a phrase that holds a multiplicity of meanings in numerous situations. It was first used when they had underestimated a dealer that Cosimo had sent them to shut down – it turned out that the man did not take kindly to being deprived of his one source of income. He had hired some muscle to back him up, and the two of them had fought the dealer’s men off back to back. It had been Halcyon’s first assignment and Everett’s first assignment as a captain. From then on, the two of them have had a fond friendship, consisting of lightheartedness and friendly sparring. However, as much as she trusts his judgement, she wonders if it becomes clouded when concerning his brother. As an only child, she isn’t sure how sibling dynamics work, but she can’t help but fret that perhaps their dynamic is more Cain and Abel than anything else. But whenever she brings it up, all she gets is closed curtains.   VIVIANNE SLOANE: Confidante. Everyone knows that the underboss is a direct pipeline of communication to the boss, which is perhaps what made it so easy for Halcyon to join the Capulets after she had persuaded Vivianne to give her a chance. Since the moment she had joined, she had been hard pressed to make sure that she did not disappoint. Halcyon tried to be more innovative, more tenacious, and more cunning than any of her peers – and it truly showed that she was more than just a pretty face. Eventually, Vivianne took mercy upon her and began to show her the ropes of the trade. The business and the blood were all taught to her, and she proved to be a quick study. Vivianne was the one who initially inspired Halcyon’s idea of infiltrating Verona’s law enforcement, and for that she is eternally gratefully, while Vivanne remains perpetually impressed. Since then, the two of them have have confided in one another, sharing the interesting and the mundane and everything in between – and, perhaps they also share a certain fondness for one another as well. THEODORA MOREAU & ORPHEUS AHULANI: Informants. They’re her eyes and ears, respectively. Halcyon noticed their usefulness after their first conversation. Orpheus, with his sly hands and perpetually inquisitive ears. Theodora, with their watchful eyes, as perceptive as an owl, and their coaxing smile. They both keep her up to date on the happenings of Verona, whether it be with the law enforcement, with potential clients, or the like. With their help, she has become a more efficient captain and has been able to stay ahead of the game. But as of late, she feels like they’ve been rather insufficient in their information exchange. She isn’t sure what’s making them hold onto their secrets a little tighter than usual, but she trusts that if they have a reason to be careful, then the stakes of the game have been raised.