#fortunaintro

Kalissa was one of four siblings, and she had a doting mother and father. Most people thought her family life was bound to be a trainwreck, but she and her father were spearheading their company in a good direction. Kalissa was attending college, along side her role as the COO of Hale Telecommunications. Life was good. 

She and her boyfriend were out of town on business when the disease wiped out most of New York. She got one last call from her parents--- From her dad that ended in her hearing him die over the phone. Their plane landed in Detroit and that’s where she stayed. 

Kalissa is definitely a little spoiled, a little stubborn. But she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty, and she does believe in fighting for what she believes in the greater good. 

For this character I’m looking for several different connection types. 

I want someone who doesn’t believe she’s a good person, because of her ties to a big business. Someone who keeps trying to dig up some kind of dirt on her. And wants her out. 

I want someone who is her best friend. Someone she sits around and drinks with. Someone who is down to help her take the edge off after a long day of helping out around the settlement. Someone she can joke and have fun with. 

Someone she looks out for like a younger sibling. Since her family is gone, she’s got a lot of holes that need filled. 

[biography // past life]

There are always people who believe in fate, or those that believe there is something better out there. Harrison Teller isn’t one of those people — never has been and probably never will be. From a young age he had very little hope that there would be a better life past the four walls of his room which he would hide inside every single day while his mother and father got high off whatever could give them a good trip. It was all that they had ever really cared for and most of the time they’d sleep soundly despite the fact that their son had come home with a letter from his teacher asking about the small burns on his arms or why he’d spent most of his lunch time hustling the other kids for some of whatever lunches their parents had packed for them. For a little while he actually hoped that someone would take the next step and have authorities sent to his house to see the type of place he had as a so-called home… but that never happened. That was when he knew that there was nothing anyone could do to change things for him or even really cared to try. 

Things at home weren’t always bad though, he vaguely remembered being happy and getting a goodnight kiss from his mommy after he’d been tucked into bed. It had been forever ago and memories of that felt like they were nothing but dreams.  Everything after that was like a nightmare that he couldn’t escape no matter what he did, like drowning and any cry for help was as futile as simply holding your breath and hoping that the agony of running out of breath wouldn’t overcome you.

While most of these things went on while he was still very young he remembers most things as if they had just happened yesterday. One thing he could never forget was the look in his mother’s eyes when his aunt decided to take Harrison away from his parents. His mother was so lost, she had no idea she’d never see her son again.

[weapons  & equipment // what he’d never go anywhere outside the walls without]

Harrison isn’t a big fan of firearms. He finds that their ability to kill and destroy faster than a jagged piece of metal takes a lot of fun out of things. Sure they can come in handy in a tight situation, but he tries to pick his battles in order to reduce the chances of getting himself into something fatal whether it’s against the living or the dead. Melee weapons are his bread and butter — quiet and in his opinion, a lot more threatening. There’s something about inflicting deep wounds or even simple swift ones with sharp objects that strike fear into others much more than bullets. Still, he isn’t completely against using them

Crowbar (1), Carpenter’s Axe (1), Tire Iron (1) During the first few days of the outbreak there was theft among the chaos. Many took advantage thinking that the destruction would settle in a few weeks and that the government would do something to fix things, and when that happened they’d rich. People couldn’t have been more wrong though, but Harrison had known that all along. He wasn’t one to hold onto hope when it was clear things had gone to shit and passed the point of no return. Still, he joined a group of looters that had been collecting equipment and weapons. His plan was never to stick with them — they were loud, reckless, and it wouldn’t be long before they ran out of bullets. It all seemed like some sort of joke to them and used their brute strength to colonize a city that was going to eat them alive. On the fourth night with the group while the everyone slept, he decided to leave in the middle of the night taking a large amount of supplies with him. As much as he could carry with him anyway and only important things. The most important to him was a black crowbar and as many sharp tools that would surely come in handy.

Screwdrivers (3 - one slotted, two phillips) Among the things he stole from the group he’d been with were a few dozen screwdrivers that the guy in charge of equipment had so stupidly gathered in one place. Unfortunately as time passed, Harrison has been forced to use many of them whether it’s been to pierce through the heads of many runners or to actually use as intended and now only has three.

shiv (2 - both sharp broken glass) It’s not too difficult to come across glass from either broken car windows or mirrors and windows from abandoned homes. They’re easier to come by and work with than metal or steel. The only downside is that they sometimes shatter far too easily but it’s not too much of a deal breaker as long as it can cut a fine line across a person’s throat.

glock 19 (no bullets) During his solo journey through the state, Harrison has encountered many people. Some with good intentions and some too stupid to go through with their threats. Not only that but he has come across old faces, one being a member from the looting gang he had stolen from back when the outbreak had just started. It had been weeks since Harrison had left them and he thought he’d never hear about them ever again, much less see them. As it turned out one of the guys had been trying to find Harrison for months. He wanted to tell him all about what happened to the group but most importantly to get revenge. Harrison had taken a very large amount of supplies from them — the most crucial being most of the ammunition the gang had stored but chose to leave the firearms behind. It seemed funny at the time to leave them stranded in an infested city with only a few bullets in their guns until Harrison finally learned what had become of the people he stole from. They were attacked; cornered by runners they thought they’d be able to kill off with the decent amount of firepower they thought they had at their disposal. “We thought we were safe… we had weapons after all,” he’d been told by the revenge-fueled man. There was a mix of anger and hurt in both his voice as he held the glock up aimed at Harrison’s back. As he carried on with the story of what happened to the others, he got to the part about why he was so hell-fucking-bent on finding the guy that had basically left them with very little chances of survival. Among the guys from the group that was killed was his brother. A kid that had only just turned seventeen had nothing to defend himself with spent his last seconds alive balled up in a corner, crying, until runners got to him. Guilt should have filled Harrison instantly but there was nothing. Instead, he laughed and told the man that he wouldn’t be getting a proper revenge if shot the man responsible for his brother’s death in the back. That of course, instantly became the opening Harrison needed and the rest was nothing but a blur to him and they were both on the ground with the gun several feet away from them. From there the only thing that made sense were fists connecting with jaws mercilessly over and over again and Harrison didn’t stop until his hands were covered in blood. In fact, it was nearly impossible to stop as if there was something that had taken over him that kept him going. After what felt like forever he was finally able to stop himself from continuing the attack once he had realized that there was no longer any life to beat out of the man he was kneeling over. Gathering enough energy to get up he reached out for the gun with the intention of putting a bullet through the guy’s head so he wouldn’t turn. To Harrison’s surprise there wasn’t a single bullet in the gun. It’s been months since the incident and he looks back on it every now and them as if it were a fond childhood memory. He’s also kept the gun without any bullets regarding it as a memento of the first time he genuinely wanted to kill someone with his bare hands and did.

Sackpack He was carrying this with him on the day the chaos began. He’d been using it to carry a few clothing items. It’s old and on the verge of ripping beyond the point of repair but he’s managed to keep that from happening. It’s not everyday that you come across a sporting goods store to pick up a brand new one now.

Blanket He came across this while he was on his way out of the big city. There were multiple homes that were abandoned and it this one in particular caught his eye. It reminded him of the one he had over his bed growing up as a child. Despite hating most of his childhood, he figured he’d need it and it reminded him that no matter what he was the only person that would look out for him. Another plus is that it’s easy to carry and practically weighs nothing, although it’s not exactly idea for the somewhat cold weather of Chicago.

Thermos He only recently picked this item up and it’s not the best for carrying any sort of liquid. With a missing cap and a broken handle and slightly cracked base, it should have been left in its place on the floor but Harrison makes due with it enough to hold some water for a few hours. That’s definitely better than having to go without any water.

Matches (thirteen), Nature bars (seven), alcohol (½ twelve ounce bottle) These are some of the many things he has stolen from people he has come across — whether they’re aware of it or unfortunately realize is missing until it’s too late. Now that he is down to very few rations of the bars he has tried to cut down on the intake so they’ll last him long enough to find something else to eat or someone else to steal from. As far as the matches and alcohol go, they’re only to be used in case he needs to set up a fire or clean up any wounds with the alcohol.

thea is the baby of her family and up until the day of her father's death, she was a daddy's girl through and through. she very much considered him her best friend. he used to call her teddy.

she was always a well behaved little girl but, around the age of 6, thea's behavior began to change. she became irritable and meanwhile also having problems in school with her concentration. she'd fall asleep in the middle of class and had an insatiable thirst and hunger all day long.

it wasn't until thea passed out and began seizing in school that she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. though she was too young to understand what that meant, she quickly learned just how different it made her from other kids her age. her diet was different, adults paid more attention to her than usual, and most importantly, she had to begin wearing an insulin pump and receiving injections.

after having a diagnosis and treatment plan, thea was in for a long road ahead of her. unfortunately, it wasn't easy to get used to her new way of life and things didn't immediately become easy. there were days when her sugar would drop and she'd wet herself in school and start shaking or her sugar would go too high and she'd throw up.

some days were worse than others and kids were cruel. the teasing and bullying got so bad, thea had to switch schools. she began to keep to herself and grew quiet and shy. her older sister, reagan, took on the role of protecting her and it's something she's always grateful for.

since thea wasn't one to go out and make friends, she focused on her studies and maintained straight a's for most of her academic career. in high school, she took every AP class available to her. her favorite subjects were history and biology. she graduated with the title of salutatorian.

she LOVES animals and while she was in high school she'd often volunteer at different organizations, it was the only way she'd get out of her house otherwise since she didn't really have any friends.

before the infection became the pandemic it is now, thea was in her first year at tufts university in massachusetts studying veterinary medicine.

though she began travelling with a large caravan of people when shit hit the fan but a fire to kill the infected who raided a hotel they were in cut them in half and she's been with just reagan and monroe ever since.

being a diabetic in this environment, thea knows her supplies are limited and her time is going to run out sooner rather than later and she's accepted it. the thought of running away from her siblings and ending it before then has come into mind but, she knows she can't do that to them and she knows her father would want her to fight to stay alive. thea's giving it her best shot and fortuna is offering her something the outside didn't, a slice of life and humanity she hasn't felt in a long time.

FUN FACTS.

she was named after theodore roosevelt but if you ask her, FDR is her favorite president.

somewhere between their last camp and fortuna, thea found a black kitten and smuggled it in with her. she named her hope.

she feels she owes being alive this long to her sister and the memory of her father because she doesn’t see how useful she is. she thinks she's more dead weight than anything else.

she’s good at first aid, making traps, finding food, tracking animals, fishing, etc.

she has a photographic memory.

she has a stuffed teddy bear she’s had since she was a toddler named mr. bunny in her bag. it was a saftey blanket for her when she was growing up and it’s become one for her again.

she’s become terrified of the dark.

she’s a cancer with a virgo moon, and a gemini rising sign.

she isn’t opposed to the nickname dora.

veronica jada segovia -- known to few, like family and close friends as vero -- is the only daughter of a short lived fling. her father was twenty-five when she was born and her mother twenty, feeling she was too young to be a mom vero’s mom bowed out three months in. because of it vero grew up being really close to her dad, everyone dubbed her his mini me.  her dad was a cook in a restaurant owned by a couple that spoiled her as if she was their granddaughter. growing up was normal enough, she’d have her teenage rebellion moments but for she was a good kid for the most part. she always knew she wanted to be a doctor of some sort, it was only after her aunt had her own daughter that vero treated like a little sister when vero was sixteen that she started thinking pediatrician. she knew it was going to be a long road to a degree so she started online college courses at seventeen.  everything was close to perfect at twenty-one. she had completed her requirements for graduating ungrad and was well on her way to medical school and she was in love with her childhood sweetheart. gabriel garcia had straightened out his life and wandered back into hers. and she knew it was love and not just some stupid feeling that could be mistaken for infatuation. that’s why it hurt so much when he was gone again within two years. she was furious, she was depressed, and she felt a certain level of betrayal with what had happened. leaving him hurt her but she couldn’t sit there and watch waste away before her eyes.

five year time skip. she finished her time with school she found an office and everything’s pretty much the way she feels it should be until the reports started pouring in. she called her father with no answer. she called her aunt who spoke gibberish for the most part, she only got fragments of it ‘dead’ ‘attack’ then the clearest thought that she wasn’t going to let her daughter become one of those things. asking what she meant repeatedly she was met with a click of the phone, and with careful maneuvering she was able to get the house and see what her aunt had meant for herself. her world seemed to go black everything had lost it’s sound but it was still deafening.

it took her a week to gather herself and get out of the house, two weeks to get away from mexico city, and then it was another two months before she was out of mexico. she just kept moving, she didn’t stay in the same place more than a week, and she never NEVER grouped up with anyone. it was by chance she heard someone bring up fortuna to their companion as she hid. and it was by weariness and maybe just missing some sense of protection that her feet began moving her in the direction of it.

so i’m going to say she’s been here for a handful of days, after clearing quarantine she probably just passed out somewhere for a bit. now she’s just going to be slightly on edge and maybe just a little distrusting of others.

Mary is 22 years old and she’s was from Georgia, her birthday is july 2nd. 

Her family isn’t really around since birth, she’s learn to be independent ever since she was little, and choosing photography made her travel and be free from the old town she lived. 

In terms of relationships Mary has never been in one that she considers the one or even been in love for real, sure she had boyfriends and everything but nothing that would make her stay in one place. Not unlike now, ever since coming to Fortuna she learnt to be independent in a different kind of way, she couldn’t run away from her feelings or anyone. 

-While travelling the world Mary picked up cooking to survive with less. 

There is little that Mary is afraid in this world, but maybe taking the life of a friend or even a person she exchanged words with, that would be something she wouldn’t like,

- Kieren was born April 14th, 1999 in Huntington, New York

- His parents were super rich, super successful. To the outsider, they were the perfect family. Money, a gorgeous house, etc. But on the inside, the family was anything, but perfect. Both his parents were too busy with their careers to really pay much attention to their children.

- Kieren’s older brother, Nathan, was always the favorite. He did really well in school and played football. He was everything Kieren wasn’t. His parents constantly compared the two, making Kieren feel incredibly inferior and self-conscious. He and his brother were close as little kids, but when Nathan started high school, he developed a bit of an ego. Plus, the constant pressure to measure up to his brother’s success drove a wedge between them.

- When Kieren was four he met the future love of his life, Anna. They lived next door to one another, and were instantly inseparable. They remained the best of friends until Anna’s parents died in a car accident when she was eleven. She moved to Pennsylvania with her aunt.

- Kieren had lost his best and only friend. He was on his own for the better part of a year until he met Gus. An Irish immigrant who moved to New York with his parents. The two hit it off immediately and remained friends until Gus’s death ( more on that later )

- The summer before senior year, Anna moved back to Huntington. By then, Kieren had developed a bit of a “bad boy” persona around town. He was a far cry from the boy Anna knew as a child, but nevertheless they reunited and it was as if no time at all had passed. Kieren, Gus, and Anna became like the Three Musketeers, basically.

- It was around this time that Kieren realized just how deep his feelings for Anna were. He was head over heels in love with her all this time and didn’t even know it. However, Anna was the girl that all the guys wanted to date. Even though she wasn’t interested in any of them. In truth, she had feelings for Kieren too.

- One night after Kieren had too much to drink, he let it slip that he was in love with her. And Anna, who was the designated driver, immediately pulled over and was like “umm... what?” and her heart was bursting cos “holy shit I’m in love with my best friend and he loves me too????”

- Once Kieren was sober again, he asked her out properly. A week later, he bought a ring and kept it with him the entirety of their senior year. Waiting for the right moment to ask her. Kieren knew immediately that Anna was it for him. There would never be another girl he loved as much as he did her.

- They got engaged a few months after graduation and moved to Brooklyn. While planning the wedding, Anna discovered she was pregnant. They decided to post-pone the wedding until after their daughter was born.

- Everything was perfect for once in Kieren’s life, that is, until Anna went into labor a few weeks early. She was bleeding a bit before the birth, but the doctors said it would be alright. However, after Edith Parker was officially born, Anna started bleeding again. She was losing blood faster than the doctors could keep up with.

- Anna ended up slipping away early that morning, leaving Kieren a single father. He was at the end of his rope and slipped into a deep depression. He had Gus to help him raise Edith, but often struggled with his drinking. Gus was understanding, and took over when Kieren was too strung out to function, but ultimately, Gus knew that if things didn’t change, Kieren might lose custody of Edith. He wasn’t about to let that happen, and forced Kieren to get clean. After months of white-knuckling it through therapy, Kieren came through the other side. He was ready to be the best damn father he could.

- Unfortunately, a mere month later, the first signs of the outbreak started to surface news. Kieren debated leaving the city, but things escalated faster than he could make a move. He, Gus, and Edith were evacuated to a refugee camp nearby. They stayed there for the next few months, until the food ran out, and many of the camp members decided to take their chances on the road.

- The three spent the next five years moving from town to town. They traveled along the coast, trying to avoid big cities. Over the years, they heard rumors of an outpost in Detroit, a place that seemed to be thriving despite the chaos the world had fallen into.

- They made it just outside of Detroit when a runner caught them. It went for Kieren and Edith, but Gus jumped between them. He wrestled it to the ground and managed to kill it, but was bitten in the process. He tried to keep it from Kieren, but Kieren knew something was amiss with his friend. Gus fought on for as long as he could, trying to get Kieren and Edith somewhere safe.

- In his final hours, Gus found an empty town for them to settle in. There were stores nearby and houses that surely had something worth looting in them. Confident that Kieren and Edith would be safe, Gus went out to the backyard to put himself down. He was shaking, and could barely hold the gun. In the end, Kieren was the one to pull the trigger.

- About two months passed, and Kieren did everything he could to keep them going. He looted every building, every house, but eventually there was nothing left, and they were beginning to starve. On top of that, Edith was sick. Kieren had managed to find medicine, but it had run out, and Edith was only getting sicker.

- Just as he lost Anna, and Gus, he lost his daughter. She was five when she passed, and despite being sick, she died with a soft smile on her face. Kieren buried her next to Gus.

- Feeling utterly lost and weaker than he could fathom, Kieren debated killing himself. Instead, he gathered his few belongings and wandered along the roads until he stumbled upon Fortuna. The town Kieren was staying in with Edith and Gus isn’t far from Fortuna and he visits it from time to time, leaving flowers on their graves.