I Too Have A Destiny

Sparrow’s parents were barely in his life. His father cares more about his “charity business” than his son’s emotional wellbeing. Maid Marian suffered from untreated postpartum depression that left her unable to bond with or raise Sparrow. The kid pretty much grew up free-ranged.

His Merry Men used to play with him only because their dads were friends. But when Sparrow got into rock and counterculture, they all thought he was super cool and wanted to hang out with him.

The only good influence in his life was his Aunt Heather. She introduced him to punk rock and heavy metal, and she’s the only person who gave him any sense of security growing up. She would have taken him in, but Robin Hood insisted Sparrow stay in Nottingham Forest. This led to Sparrow running away from home on several occasions.

He and Duchess met after he tried to use animal summoning song on her in swan form. He apologized for a year after that.

His favorite bands are True Love’s KISS, Thorns N’ Roses, Black Rabbith, Arrowsmith, and his own.

He has and will eat food out of the garbage if you pay him.

His fashion style is generally punk, but he incorporates a lot of feminine elements such as high heels, fishnets, and makeup. He’d wear a skirt or a dress if it was leather and studded. 

His relationship with Duchess is platonic, though he does like to flirt with her just to rile her up. In terms of romance, he likes her style but she's not his type.

His status within fairytale society is... complicated. Robin Hood is supposed to aid the poor people of Nottingham, but he steals from people in power to do so. Anti-heroes are gray areas, and gray areas are dangerous. Thus, he's often labelled as a villain to make things simpler for everyone else.

Sparrow flirts with most of the girls in his class just to mess with them, but he gets really flustered with girls he actually likes. This is part of the reason he feels the need to keep his crush on Holly secret.

He doesn’t do the whole bow-and-arrow archery like his dad. He prefers a crossbow, and his guitar can turn into one. He doesn’t use it very often though.

He has a preference for "good girls". On the surface, he portrays himself as the bad boy who seeks to corrupt the innocence of the goodie-two-slippers girl. Deep down though, he wants someone in his life who can connect with him, ground him, and love him unconditionally.

While it's true Duchess pays him to keep up their friendship, he genuinely enjoys her company. He's just not gonna pass up free money.

He only joined the bookball team because his dad made him. He's more of a bench warmer.

He technically has a room in the dorms, but he prefers to live off-campus in his treehouse.

His band filled with royals (Tucker Friar, Little Jake, Aaron A'Dale) and rebels (Murdoch Millerson, Ward Scarlett). But against all odds, Sparrow has kept the band from breaking up because of this. He does nothing to resolve the actual conflict though. Every famous band has its drama.

She is a master of languages. Because sound travels differently underwater, her people adapted to using sign language in day-to-day life to communicate. She is also fluent in languages that use sound, like Dolphin and Porpoise, and is currently studying Whale.

Despite their opposing roles, she and Coral Witch are very good friends. Meeshell sees Coral as the little sister she never had, even if she's terrified of Coral's mother.

Family and community are incredibly important in Mer culture. Merfolk often have three or more generations living together. While the father is the head of the family, everyone defers to the oldest matriarch for the final say (typically the paternal grandmother or great-grandmother). Children are expected to obey their elders without question, even their older siblings. Because her father left his human family to live in the sea, the family defers to her maternal grandmother, Nacressa.

She has three older sisters (Gillianne, Waverly, and Ramora) and one older brother (Finnegan). Her brother is married and has a daughter.

When merfolk turn 15, they undergo a rite of passage called "Surfacing". For one week, they swim to the surface and set out on their own to learn about humans. Then they return to their homes to tell stories of what they learned. Meeshell never underwent this and was enrolled in Ever After High at 13. She often laments that she will stay away from her home and everyone she loves for much longer.

Coming to Ever After High was such a daunting experience that she didn't leave her room or her bed tank for the first week. With everyone so different from her and so much older than her, she didn't think she would ever fit in.

Her favorite class is, of course, Muse-ic. It's where she was able to pursue her passion and make her first friends.

Melody samples her singing to use in their remixes, and Meeshell gives them swimming lessons in exchange. Swimming progress is slow, but they can wade into the shallow end just fine.

She's been trying to recreate her sister Waverly's sea recipes for land-dwellers, but she feels like she can never get it right.

She has hydrokinesis, but she doesn't use it that often. She never had to use it when she was underwater, so she doesn't know how to control it fully.

Her crush on Humphrey is met with confusion by most of her peers, but she admires his smarts and gentle nature, and she sympathizes with him not fitting in with everyone else. She may have saved him a couple of times, but she's too shy to admit to him that it was her.

When she and her siblings harmonize their voices, they create a siren-like effect that lures in whatever hears it.

Meeshell doesn't understand all the girls' attraction to Daring Charming. Sure, he's handsome. But he's definitely not her type and way too old for her.

Her pet narwhal Finbert is one of her only connections to the sea, and she treats him more like her best friend.

She has gills on her neck.

Mermaids are born with syrinxes instead of larynxes, meaning they can produce two sounds at once and effectively harmonize with themselves.

Her eleven aunts are very involved in her life. They act as her and her sisters’ mentors, and they are very emphatic on following tradition and respecting elders.

She has a pet hummingbird named Charleston.

Justine’s older twin sisters Jeorgine and Jovine also attend Ever After High. They are in their Elder (Senior) Year.

Her eldest aunt is Duchess Swan’s personal ballet instructor, which caused a lot of rivalry between Justine and Duchess when they were little. 

She and her sisters are in constant competition with each other. They’re resentful of the fact that Justine gets the most attention from their parents, so they put on elaborate performances, pull pranks, and even try to get Justine in trouble just for a shred of attention. 

Having so much attention on her doesn’t mean her life is perfect though. She knows her parents and aunties love her, but she is desperate to live up to their expectations. She wants to dance something other than just ballet, and she doesn’t know if she’s cut out to be a queen. But she believes her destiny is more important than what she wants, and everything must go perfectly. 

Because of her family life, competition is how she communicates. She's always looking to one-up Duchess, and she believes that makes them friends.

She loves silent films. 

She and Melody get together on weekends so Justine can practice step and hip-hop dance. She tried to pay extra to keep them quiet, but Melody doesn't charge for secrets between friends.

When asked what’s her favorite ballet, she’ll give a different answer every time. This is to hide her real favorite: La Bayadère, a story of a temple dancer whose true love is betrothed to another woman. She relates to the lead couple, but she doesn’t know if she can commit to those feelings of love over duty.

She has been sleepwalking since she was a kid. It used to be funny, but it’s gotten her in trouble before. She needs to lock her door and have someone else hide the key for her own safety.

She doesn’t believe in love at first sight, which is a controversial opinion among most of her peers. 

It’s rumored that hundreds of years ago, instead of princes, the princesses used to dance with demons.

She was initially nervous to room with Ramona, but she’s since warmed up to her roommate. She’s one of the only people allowed to see her soft side, and no one believes her when she tries to tell people Ramona has one. 

She has a complicated relationship with food. Being in dance, specifically ballet, entails a lot of pressure to maintain a slim figure. Her mother especially puts a lot of pressure on Justine to be slim and delicate. That said, Justine’s family often comes together for dinner, and her aunties remind her of how skinny she is. 

Crushes are complicated for her. She’s had a few crushes on boys, but she doesn’t recognize those same feelings when she’s attracted to girls. She thinks it’s a platonic feeling, because she doesn’t know it’s possible to be attracted to both genders. It’s something her friends have to explain to her.

Justine is usually happy to hand over the spotlight to someone else, but she has her moments where she slips back into prima donna mode and upstages someone by accident.

Tina Hook: (Daughter of Captain Hook) Tina is a passionate rogue and a lover of treasure. As a permanent child, Peter Pan has tormented her family for generations. Every member of her family has tried and failed to take down the flying menace, only to get their hands chopped off. She is very vocal about her disdain for spoiled, unruly children. But she's not without a soft side. She is extremely protective of her crew and even befriended a few Lost Boys. She hopes when she finally defeats Pan, she can free them from his "tyranny."

Jane and Jim Hill: (Children of Jack and Jill) Nobody knows if these two are cousins or siblings, but the family resemblance is obvious. They both inherited their parents' clumsiness and acquire new injuries almost every day. But their frequent trips to the infirmary have given them quite a bit of medical knowledge. They're pretty much fine with their destiny as long as they get to do what they want afterwards.

Nassim and Salima Baba: (Daughters of Ali Baba) Meant to be greedy, older sibling Cassim and the generous, younger Ali, Nassim and Salima couldn't be more different than their assigned roles. Nassim is the dutiful older sister, the responsible one who is very conscious of money and its value. Salima is the rebellious younger sister, the golden child the family dotes on to find the thieves' treasure and restore their wealth. Both sisters are brilliant mathematicians. But Nassim is careful and frugal with her money, while Salima lives like she is still wealthy.

Boyd Blue: (Son of Little Boy Blue) He's supposed to sleep through work, and that's what he does. He doesn't really do much else. But he's great at playing the trumpet.

Priscilla Boots: (Daughter of Puss in Boots) Priss doesn't warm up to just anyone. But if she likes you, you'll have a loyal friend for life. She will do everything in her power to give you the life she thinks you deserve, even if her methods are unorthodox. She does not affiliate herself with Kitty Cheshire. She prefers crafty control, not outright chaos.

Will Irons: (Son of Iron Henry from the Frog Prince) Serves as part of the Frog Prince's Royal Guard and Hopper's personal bodyguard. He is in love with Hopper, but Hopper is still in denial of his feelings. Will had to acquire iron bands around his heart early, and another heartbreak might cause irreparable damage.

Belladonna Gothel: (Granddaughter of Dame Gothel) Donna's destiny won't occur for another few decades, but she already resents it. Her grandmother Nona spent all her time taking care of Rapunzel's daughters instead of her. She doesn't want a relationship with the O'Hair family or her grandmother. Her friends are dangerous plants, and her passion is creating poisons and antidotes.

Spinessa Melnyk: (Daughter of the Miller from Rumpelstiltskin) Spinessa is a lover of gemology and jewelry making, but she has a bad habit of bragging about her accomplishments. She doesn't mean it out of malice. She just doesn't feel as important as most of the other fairytales that have more whimsy and high stakes. Her family originally came from nothing, and she is constantly reminded of that. She was also cursed to never remember anybody's name, since her tale is so famous and knowing her adversary as her teacher would defeat the purpose. What was his name again? Rupert...? Or, Robin?

[ID: A full hand-drawing of Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen from Snow White, and the Greek goddess Hecate.

Raven is a tall, white-Korean mixed race, teenage girl with black hair with pink and red-violet streaks, a widow’s peak, glittery dark violet eye shadow and lipstick, and deep purple eyes. Her hair is half-styled into a high bun circled by a braid with spikes nestled into it, resembling a crown. She is wearing a Greco-Roman inspired dress with a violet, short-sleeved top; a black belt with silver drop lines hanging from it; a long, dark purple skirt, and a sheer, off-the-shoulder, lavender purple cape fastened by a gem broach on a black choker around her neck.

Hecate is a towering goddess with terracotta skin, straight black bangs; an aquiline nose; full lips with black lipgloss; and glowing, pupil-less, yellow eyes with dark eye shadow. On either side, she has two more faces in profile and two sets of arms. She is wearing a Grecian chiton (circa 340-330 BCE) with a dark gray upper dress and a black flowing skirt. A dark grey-purple shroud covers her hair and shoulders, and a silver crown with four prongs and a purple gem sits on each of her heads. On the middle Hecate’s right arm is a golden armlet in the shape of a snake.

[ID: A full hand-drawing of Apple White, daughter of Snow White, and the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

Apple is a white teenage girl with pale skin; light, curly blonde hair; red lips; and sky blue eyes. She is wearing a loose, puffy, candy-apple pink dress. Her sleeves are off the shoulder. The top is tucked in at her waist, as is the middle skirt. The lower skirt is a lighter shade of pink, sheer, and see-through just above her knees. Her hair is most pulled back into a large braid that curls in front of her; the rest is pulled into a smaller braid on the left side of her face and a smaller ponytail just below her ear on the right side. She holds her hands over her chest, clutching a large golden apple.

Aphrodite is a tall, buxom, curvy goddess with tan skin and knee-length, curly, ringleted auburn hair. She is wearing a single-strapped, fuchsia top, a long, fuchsia loincloth fastened at her hips, and a hot pink scarf around her arms. She holds an ornate, bronze mirror decorated with pearls, roses, and a dove with outstretched wings in her right hand. In her left hand is a bronze dagger with a gem invoking the female symbol on the pommel.

Aphrodite towers over Apple as she stands behind her. She holds the mirror over her face, and she holds the dagger partially behind her leg. Apple stares down in awe at the apple in her hands. END ID]

Ramona: Ares

The only one to be chosen by the god of war and accept him. Ramona resents Cerise, and by extension Athena, for taking the "civilized" route. Her mindset is simple: do what feels good, consequences be darned. Her family secret is too much of a burden on her, so she lashes out instead of hiding herself. But for as much as she embraces the raw aggression, Ramona takes offense to Ares calling her "savage". She also delights in angering him by not playing into the Hood-Wolf rivalry when he goads her.

Ginger: Hestia

Hestia loves everyone, and everyone loves her. The goddess of the home, hearth, and cooking may be a homebody, but she is one of the most important in the pantheon. She is always there for love and support and she does not discriminate. Ginger aspires to give to everyone, embodying everything Hestia is. Hestia may not be as ambitious as her young protege, but Ginger's goal is so simple that it's enough for her.

Faybelle: Nemesis

Another Ares selection rejected. Faybelle may be wrathful, but she usually has a good reason...well, she has a reason. Hecate also reached out, but Faybelle's convinced she doesn't need any more magic lessons. Nemesis is the goddess of divine retribution, mostly revenge. Faybelle's entire story revolves around a fairy taking revenge on a nation for excluding her. Nemesis chose her not only show her the karmic forces at play, but they both know that the punishment should fit the crime (even if others don't exactly see how).

Holly: Hebe

This one was a mystery to everyone at first. Hebe is the goddess of youth, vitality, and forgiveness and the former cupbearer to the gods. While Holly begged to be a disciple of Apollo, he doesn't hold dominion over writing as a whole so much as poetry in particular. Most people think Hebe chose Holly because she's so nice and forgiving to everyone, but Holly and Poppy know the truth. Holly is the younger twin, and she holds a lot of guilt for essentially stealing her sister's destiny. Hebe doesn't care about ambition or talents or glory. She simply wants Holly to maintain her childhood so she can give herself some grace and eventually forgive herself.

Poppy: Athena

Poppy may not be wise or a great warrior, but she's incredibly innovative in what she does. As the goddess of handicrafts, Athena oversees Poppy's progress in hairstyling and fashion. But she knows Holly and Poppy's secret. As the goddess of law and justice, she knows Poppy is knowingly going against the system put in place. But she also understands that she and her sister were victims of circumstance with the fault lying on the adults in their lives.

Sparrow: Hermes

Lizzie: Demeter

Demeter doesn't often take on heroes, preferring to care for the masses rather than the individual. But Lizzie's unique green thumb proved good enough for Demeter to take an interest. Demeter admires Lizzie's ambition to take care of her people and her mother, reminding her of her relationship with her daughter Persephone. They are both wrathful when they need to be, because even the nice ones are not to be trifled with.

Kitty: Eris

Kitty is chaos incarnate. She sows discord at every turn, always keeping everyone guessing. Eris has taken champions from the Cheshire family for centuries. They both do what they do for their own amusement, even if it might cause wars. But Kitty has to remind herself to reel herself back in, because Eris is just like Kitty's mother.

Alistair: Hermes/Athena

Alistair's entire thing is adventure. The god of travelers and heralds is able to move freely between the mortal and divine realms. Hermes admires craftiness and cleverness, something Athena also appreciates. Alistair's mind mixed with his wanderlust makes him a great hero in the making. But if Odysseus is to be remembered for anything, it's to remind Alistair not to get too cocky.

Bunny: Tyche

Tyche is the goddess of luck and good fortune. After so many White Rabbits inheriting the bad habit of being late, Bunny considers herself lucky to be on time no matter how lost or unprepared she is. With so many extracurriculars, Bunny needs good luck on her side to be on time and also succeed.

Chase: Athena

Ashlynn: Aphrodite/Artemis

Ashlynn is devoted to nature and everything in it, but she is equally devoted to Hunter. Aphrodite and Artemis are the opposite when it comes to their natures: Aphrodite is the goddess of love while Artemis is the goddess of chastity. Ashlynn is caught between two opposing forces already. But the choice she makes ultimately ends with her embracing both goddesses, and they embrace her in turn.

Cerise: Athena

Cerise is a child who is caught between two sides: control and instinct. Ares had originally chosen Cerise because of her "savage nature", but Cerise took offense to that statement and believed Ares to be a brute. Athena then took Cerise under her wing. Cerise had been raised as a Hood, therefore falling under Athena's rule as the goddess of civilization. But it's Cerise's athleticism and reliance on speed and strategy instead of sheer brute force on the field that convinces Athena that Cerise will be a great leader someday.

Hunter: Artemis

Many huntsmen have sought the favor of Artemis as the goddess of the hunt and the wilderness, but Hunter is the one she ultimately chose. Hunter’s skill with a bow is unmatched, but his immense respect for nature is what made Artemis finally choose a champion from his family. Her only grievance with him is that he’s in a romantic relationship, but they’re fine as long as he doesn’t bring up Ashlynn in conversation.

Blondie: Hermes

Blondie’s job and passion is to deliver messages to the world. As the god of messengers and orators, Hermes guides Blondie in her quest to give the people what they need to hear. They're also not above a little breaking-and-entering together.

Duchess: Hera

Raven: Hecate

Hecate is the goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, and crossroads. While it’s obvious Raven is a powerful sorceress, Hecate also recognizes and admires Raven’s stance on choice. When she’s stuck at the crossroads of two very difficult decisions, Raven trusts her instincts and does what she thinks is right even if nobody is behind her.

Apple: Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty, and desire. As Fairest in the Land, Apple is this world’s next Helen of Sparta. But Aphrodite has learned her lesson since Troy. She knows of Apple’s passion and selfishness, and her beauty has as much potential to destroy as it does to create.

Briar: Dionysus

Dionysus is the god of wine, revelry, theater, and madness. While Hypnos had his eye on her, Dionysus knows a kindred spirit when he sees one. Both he and Briar know how to throw a party and want everyone to have a good time. They also both know the stress that comes with responsibility and family, as legacies tend to carry.

Cedar: Apollo

You might not think of Apollo when you think of Cedar. But among his many attributes, he is a god of art, prophecy, and truth. Cedar's talent for painting and sculpting is what initially caught Apollo's eye, but her curse is what cemented his interest. Prophecies require complete truth and will alway happen once spoken. While Cedar may not have the gift of prophecy, she will always speak the truth.

Darling: Athena

This one feels obvious. As a war goddess, Athena is impressed by Darling's skill. But she is also the goddess of wisdom, and Darling is known for being cunning and crafty. Darling's spirit and mind set her on the path to be a great warrior.

Dexter: Hephaestus

Dexter works in tech, Hephaestus works in bronze. But they are both experts in their craft. As the god of craftsmen, Hephaestus recognizes Dexter's potential when it seems other people don't. He also knows what it's like to be ostracized, especially within his own family.

Daring: Zeus

* Ginger suffers from hyper-metabolism and is constantly hungry. She hides snacks in her room and packs some in her bag in case her energy starts to drop.

* High metabolism, hypoglycemia, and iron deficiencies runs in her family. It’s why they’ve lived off a diet of sugar-laden, lost children.

* She had an Easy-Bake Gingerbread Oven when she was a kid. Faybelle would use it to recreate “Hansel and Gretel” by shoving her dolls in it. Ginger hid it from her after that.

* Her parents are separated.

* Ginger genuinely considered Faybelle a friend when she was little, but she had no idea that Faybelle didn’t feel the same way. Though, her experience with Faybelle taught her that she can make friends by giving away sweets.

* She used to taste everything by sticking her thumb in first, just like Jack Horner.

* She’s not that great at magic. She has little to no control over what she might bring to life, and trying to do anything on purpose yields few results. Her best magic is potion-making, but she’s still mediocre at best.

* Despite being around ovens and stoves on the daily, Ginger has an extreme fear of fire. She takes extra care not to burn herself when in the kitchen.

* She’s not all that comfortable with the idea of Rumplestiltskin dating her mom, especially when she has no idea how old her professor is.

* She has a heightened sense of smell, like most witches. She also has a heightened sense of taste. She can name every ingredient in a dish just by tasting it.

* Ginger loves to travel. She loves exploring other cultures, looking for new ingredients, and coming up with new ideas for recipes.

* She doesn’t have a particular favorite food because it’s constantly changing. She does have very fond memories of her mother baking ube velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting whenever she came home for the summer.

* She laughs when she’s embarrassed.

* Ginger struggles with intimacy. She doesn’t like people making assumptions about her, and that affects her dating life. It hit her hardest when Hopper thought she’d turn him into Frog Leg Soup.

* Speaking of Hopper, it takes her a bit to move on from him. But they eventually strike up a friendship, and Ginger becomes part of the Pink Squad with him, Briar, and Cupid.

* Ginger does the catering for Briar’s parties.

* Aside from being a baker and chef, she is also a decent sculptor.

* She knows a lot of weird people. She grew up in the Dark Forest, for Grimm’s sake!

* She has a special friendship with the Wonderlandians. She loves going to Maddie’s tea shop to gain inspiration, and she tries to make Wonderland treats. Unfortunately, Wonderland food has strange ingredients and doesn’t exactly have recipes.

* Ginger is very conscious of other people’s dietary needs and preferences, and she goes out of her way to accommodate. It takes up a lot more of her time, but she will not allow someone to be excluded.

* She listens to a lot of bubblegum pop and pop rock music. She usually keeps it to herself since it’s not everyone’s style.

* Her favorite band is the Sugar Plums, a fairy group from the Land of Sweets in Toyland.

* The only food she truly dislikes is cilantro.