Name: Athena Harper Pickett Nickname: Thee Date of Birth: February 24 Age: 26 Pronouns: She/Her Hometown: San Francisco, CA Occupation: Jackson Seamstress
Biography:
Athena found herself an orphan just hours after her birth when her birth mother passed away from complications from the birth. With no father in the picture, Athena is left alone in the world at only hours old. She lucked out though and a kind nurse and her husband would soon step up to adopt Athena. Athena would enter a loving home that not only included a mom and dad, but a big brother as well. Despite her sad beginnings, Athena knew nothing but love when she entered the Pickett's home.
Athenaās birth mother never got the chance to name her before she passed this left the Pickettās with choosing a name for their new daughter. For days they went back and forth over what name to give their baby girl when the idea was to name her for a mythical god the same way their son did. After going over the many different names they settled on Athena with the hopes that their daughter would be wise and strong in life.
For 12 weeks Athena was doted on by both her parents and brother. The newly formed family of four bonded with each other but all too soon Athenaās mother had to return to work and within a few months her father was deployed once more. Just like her brother, Athena found herself spending time with the neighbors or her grandparents. The bright spot in all of this was the fact that her brother Atlas was there with her.
Athena might have been just a newborn baby but that did not stop her from developing an instant attachment to her brother. She smiled every time she heard their voice, giggled when she saw their face and as she got older, and started to move around on her own she would follow them. Athena always wanted to be where Atlas was and if she couldnāt be with him she would cry until she could. While you would think this would bug them it did not. Atlas doted on Athena. Over time Athena would do anything she could to make Atlas happy.
Happiness to a child can be the simplest thing even in the middle of an outbreak. Athena was only three years old when her world changed dramatically. Her family left their home to move into the San Francisco QZ. There she would live out her childhood, teenage years, and enter adulthood. She thought of herself as one of the lucky ones. She still had both her parents and her brother while others had lost one or both parents or even their whole families. Athena never took what she had for granted.
While her parents found jobs within the QZ, Athena was once more left with her brother. To help pass the time Atlas would allow her to add finishing touches to his artwork. She loves those moments and thinks of them often. As Athena grew she started to realize how much she loved to put pencil to paper and create something unique. Something that no one else had ever thought of. Ā While her drawings were not as good as Atlasās, Athena still had a knack for creating beautiful dresses and shirts. Once her mother discovered one of Athenaās drawings she knew it was a sign that she needed to teach her daughter how to sew.
At first, Athena did not have much interest in sewing. She thought of it as a bit annoying and it took away from her time to play. Over time she started to realize that she had fallen in love with bringing two pieces of fabric together to form something new. By the time she was 16, she had started working with the other seamstress in the QZ. While the work never allowed her to make one of her designs, she was still doing something that was close to her passion.
Athenaās day-to-day life was in a continuous loop until it wasnāt. San Francisco QZ fell and that left a lot of chaos and destruction in its wake. Athena had been with her mother at the time and without thinking they headed back to their home in search of her father and brother. The mother and daughter were able to find Athenaās father, but her brother was nowhere to be found. Her father left in search of Atlas but never returned. The day turned into night and before Athena knew it three days had gone by with them locked up in their tiny home. Her mother knew they could not stay there any longer and took a chance by leaving to find help.
Athena thought she understood how the world was outside the walls of the QZ, but she couldnāt have been more wrong. The reality of the horrors that existed not just the outbreak but by how people treated others shocked the young woman. Leaving San Francisco behind, Athena and her mother traveled north toward Oregon. Her mother told her that she had a sister up there and the plan had been that if they got separated they would meet up there. It took weeks to make the trek through northern California up into Oregon. Just before they hit the state line trouble found the pair. Athena would make it out, but her mother would be bitten.
Athena begged her mother and pleaded with the old woman not to make her go but in the end, Athena left her mother. She made it about a mile away from her mother when she heard a shot ring out. With no idea where to go or who could help her, Athena wandered for months through California and Oregon then into Idaho, and at last down into Utah. It was in Utah that she finally met up with a group of five who were willing to let her join them. During her months of traveling any time she would come upon another human, they would chase her away or try to kill her. Athena quickly learned how to be cautious and reserved around others. She knew that at any moment a friendly face could turn into a deadly one.
This time was different and while Athen did not change cautious ways she did at last allow herself to open up to her new friends. Time passed and one month turned into two and all too soon a year and a half passed. By this point, they had made their way into Wyoming. They were camped just outside of Jackson when they were approached by two people. They seemed nice but that did not mean Athena was about to let her guard down. They talked for a few hours, answered questions, and questioned a bunch of their own. By the end, the strangers offered to bring them into Jackson. Athena entered Jackson hesitantly, unsure if this was all for real or a trick. Only time will tell if she has truly found a safe place or if sheāll end up back out into the unknown, searching.
