Just Some Guys Trying to Get By



Elliot Pembroke

Race: Star Gazer

Age: 15

Elliot

A moody teenager locked in a constant battle with her depression. Elliot may be seen as an oddball in her Zodiac Beast community but she's praised by the adults around her for being mature and intelligent for her age. This image however is fueled by a strong, lingering, fear that showing the cracks in her life will cause everyone to abandon her. So she puts on a mask, goes about her day pretending that she’s better than her juvenile classmates, and goes home at the end of the day to suffer in silence. It's a life she's more than willing to play out...at least until the day she wakes up and finds herself far from home and under the surveillance of a rambling stranger. It turns out Elliot is some kind of prophesied figure who is destined to bring the world into a new age of peace- the Crown Bearer, a figure that hasn't walked the world for thousands of years. To no one's surprise, this information understandably doesn't sit very well with her, at all.

Worth more trouble than she looks. Underneath those tired gray eyes Elliot is a sarcastic pessimist who stopped giving a shit ages ago and is willing to do/say whatever is necessary to benefit herself at any moment- even if those moments usually end up making things worse due to her lack of a filter. She has no idea how to go about saving the world or even where to take the first step, and the fear and uncertainty of her role only grows stronger as she continues to roam the country looking for a solution.


Fun Facts:

  • Perpetually tired.
  • Has a short fuse. Doesn’t tolerate being teased or insulted very well.
  • Doesn’t bother living up to anyone’s standards, nor does she have the motivation to do so. The lack of ambition worries both of her fathers.
  • Hand-me-down enjoyer. Most of Elliot's wardrobe consists of old clothes that used to belong to her three brothers. She's not complaining although her dads feel bad that she doesn't have anything more cute/feminine to fall back on.
  • Due to being raised by Beasts, Elliot has a habit of exhibiting Beast-like behavior like snarling, growling, and baring her teeth. There's been a few instances where she's gotten in trouble at school for biting her classmates (in her defense, she gave them a warning).
  • Feels a lot of resentment towards other Star Gazers, prefers being around Beast folk.
  • Youngest member of the main quartet.
  • Has gone through so many revisions, probably more than any of my other characters. Started off as a really cringe, not like other girls, self insert that I'd sometimes use as a mouth piece to preach about whatever was relevant in the early/mid/late 2000s. Now she's completely separated from me, no longer has the "not like other girls" mentality, and is her own person (we've both come a long way. Growth is real y'all).


Seth

Race: Star Gazer(?)

Age: Estimated to be between 15-18(?)

Seth

A wild and scraggly youth squatting in an abandoned building in some dying town. Seth...sure is trying their best. Paranoid, covered in scars, avoided by others due to a few manic episodes and a skin condition that marks them as a bad omen; they certainly have a lot going on and nobody really knows what their deal is. They just showed up one day and people have felt uneasy around them ever since. The body Seth is forced to live with is one that is constantly in pain; always aching, always convulsing, always causing them to seek out the aid of drugs to help manage everything. And then there’s the voices. Persistent, convincing, always twisting the truth. Drugs don’t help, if anything, drug use makes them worse, it makes them louder and stronger, and it’s getting to a point where Seth isn’t sure if they can handle it anymore.

Always on edge and talking to thin air. Acting normal is a bit of a challenge for them and every failed attempt to fit in only shines a brighter light on their issues. Seth has a hard time seeing themselves as human- thus they always refer to themselves as a “monster” and often refuses to be called by gender specific pronouns because “what use does a monster have for those?”

There's more to the illness that Seth suffers from than meets the eye.


Fun(?) Facts:

  • Is covered in scars, most of them are self-inflicted.
  • Stronger than they look.
  • The tallest member of the main cast
  • Honestly prefers the use of "it/its" pronouns. Elliot thinks it sounds...a little too harsh though and usually defaults to "they/them."
  • Prefers to keep their hair long so it can hide their face.
  • Fiercely protective of Elliot. Their bond is deep and Seth would gladly throw themselves into danger to save her without any hesitation.
  • Seems to heal surprisingly quick from their injuries, not even being poisoned keeps them down for very long.
  • Another character who had a massive facelift over the years. Seth started out as a generic, smart ass, love interest with secrets. Then they kinda became less generic, and less of a smart ass, and maybe a love interest? Now they're just a fucked up little guy having the worst day imaginable. All the time. Sorry buddy.


Lidia Zoavayn

Race: Zodiac Beast (Draco aligned)

Age: 18

Lidia

A proud and confident young woman hailing from a small Beast folk village. Lidia is the pinnacle of Beast-man perfection to the eyes of her peers. She's bold and resourceful, assertive but fair, a sturdy wall with sharp eyes and a kind heart, many believe she has all the qualities of a great leader and could easily take over the village when her mother steps down. She's determined to carry out the role that's been given to every generation of her family for centuries; when the next Crown Bearer is revealed, it will be her job to lead and protect them until their duty is fullfilled. It's a task she's been eagerly looking foward to ever since she was chosen to assist the foretold hero, even if the mission could lead to her death- it won't stop her from making her family proud and healing the world. Meeting Elliot (the current Bearer) is one of the greatest moments of her life but her dreams and aspirations come with a cost.

Lidia has no idea what she's getting herself into...

Something of a foil to Elliot's growing cynicism and apathy, Lidia is trying her best to be a supportive friend and the hardened guardian/warrior she spent most of her life training to become. The two get along great, and Lidia certainly means well, but it hasn't stopped the girls from clashing throughout their journey.


Fun Facts:

  • Knows how much of a slime ball Dave is, animal instincts are good for something.
  • Feels extremely uncomfortable and on edge around Seth, has no idea why Elliot is so close to them.
  • Sometimes handles Elliot like a depressed sack of potatoes.
  • Turns into a blubbering mess in the presence of beautiful women.
  • Meant to be a character foil to Elliot. While Elliot deals with her chosen one status with distain, Lidia was excited to learn about her own destiny to aid the Crown Bearer and couldn't wait to play her part in saving the world.
  • The only one in the main cast who is not based on a previous character.
  • Oldest member of the main quartet.


Dhailxaill "Dave" Khiveth

Race: Voyager

Age: 17

Dave

A young man who is one with nature and in tune with the cosmos (whatever that means), Dave has spent the most formative years of his life traveling the country with a hippie commune promoting peace, love, and good vibes. It's a simple life that's far from being glamorous but it suits him just fine. Behind the Cheshire Cat smile and acts of blissful ignorance, Dave is a menace. An intellectual opportunist who would gladly lie and manipulate whoever catches his eye for fun, then move on to someone new when he gets bored. With his friends and family he’s just a chill and gentle soul who could never hurt a fly, to tourists he's a prophet dispelling wisdom from the goodness of his heart (and a small fee), but to a small number of observers who can't be fooled by his charms- he's a massive douche. He's well aware of the state the world is in and knows far more than he lets on.

Unfortunately for Elliot, she's forced to learn this the hard way when she sparks his curiosity.







Fun Facts:

  • Full name is pronounced differently each time it’s said aloud and Dave is probably doing it on purpose
  • Obnoxiously verbose. Likes to throw in big words to try and sound intelligent.
  • Deals drugs to make some quick cash on the side.
  • The only member of the main quartet with a driver's license.
  • Could honestly care less about Seth and Lidia. All of his attention goes to Elliot, be it longing gazes from across the room or unwarranted/unwanted opinions. Although he still can't stop himself from being a little antagonistic towards her.
  • Waaaay back in the day, Dave used to be a Russian circus performer named Salazar. Had a crush on Eliot, he spoke in broken English, total mess of a character. So much happier with this version.
  • Name used to be "David Jackson", it was suggested by my boyfriend because "nobody suspects a Dave". It's just his nickname now.

Secondary Cast

V V

Prof. Mathis Typhon

Race: Star Gazer

Age: Estimated to be mid-late 30s

Mathis

A scientist with a deep fascination for the Crown Bearer legend, Mathis was inspired by the tragic events of the Age of Envy and the generations of Bearers that were lost to time. One day, during one of his study sessions, a thought hit him: if the Crown Bearer was always going to be slain before they could finish their task and The Stars refused to send down another, then maybe he could find a new way to heal the world; to prove to the gods that the Star Gazers could solve this problem and win back their favor without any divine intervention. His experiments started off small at first, testing to see if he could artificially make a Crown Bearer with the help of gene splicing and blood fusion, before quickly going off the deep end once his tests began to involve orphaned children. While he didn’t create a Bearer, he did manage to create a being that was a perfect blend of the three races.

It was at that moment that Mathis realized he could be the next Crown Bearer by using his brilliance to quite literally “bring the three races together”.

These days Mathis is a dark shadow of the man he used to be, continuing to recreate his vision on more forgotten children and twisting them into a mostly loyal army. He tries his best to be a warm and unintimidating figure around his guests and colleagues but his true colors eventually come out into the open if his patience is tested. He was actually quite eager to meet Elliot and share his vison with her, until she escaped from his grasp. He honestly has no idea why she’s so intent on avoiding him when a mere second of her time could easily fix their world, but hey, that’s none of his concern.

If she wants to play games, so can he…


Fun(?) Facts:

  • Another super old OC that got a facelift and a new coat of paint, Mathis was the villain in the very first "Falling Stars" manuscript. Although, he always had a name and a motive but never a face/proper design. This is honestly the first time I've ever drawn him.
  • Professional shut in, the lab he works in is pretty much his home now. Mathis is often so wrapped up in his experiments that he'll go weeks without properly taking care of himself. His hair hasn't been maintained for quite a while...
  • Lives off a diet of caffeine and vending machine snacks. Constantly has to leave notes/set alarms to remind himself to go out in the sun and eat a vegetable.
  • Lupus' current employer. Not a fan of the man's work ethic, but he is one of the more capable people on the premises.
  • Mathis' first iteration was the very definition of problematic. More so than Reuben's comically evil dad over in the beta WoOO manuscript. Beta Mathis was far more vile, cut-throat, and had some...less than PG intensions with Elliot- which is the fault of teen me thinking I could respectfully handle writing a story where one of the main driving forces for conflict was pedophilia (I could not).

    Scrub it, burn it, throw it in a sink hole. Gross, gross, ew.

    THIS version of him does not have these thoughts or desires. While he's still obsessed with Elliot to some degree (in a non-predatory way) and partakes in child endangerment in the name of science, it's less of a "gross shock value for the hell of it" situation and more of a "Hey there troubled youth with nowhere to go and nothing to lose, I'll give you free food and shelter if you agree to be a part of my gene splicing experiments" kind of motivation.


Lupus

Race: Zodiac Beast (Lupus aligned)

Age: Classified (estimated to be late 20s-early 30s)

Lupus

A wolf aligned Beast man who works as a mercenary/bounty hunter and has a past rich in tracking knowledge, hunting expertise, and a psychology class or two- just for fun. Very much a jack of all trades who enjoys his work...but only if the work is entertaining. Lupus may have a few recommendations from previous clients under his belt, but he has the horrendous habit of not doing his job if the act of hunting down his targets is "too boring" and they "don't put up a fight". Shit gets done eventually but it's never at a satisfactory speed.

Working with his current client, Mathis, may not be exciting but he's not going to complain about getting paid for practically doing nothing. In his eyes, doing various odd jobs that range from abduction to “escorting” problematic people off the premises is the equivalent of going down the street to get a gallon of milk. It isn't until Mathis starts to put his grand schemes in motion that Lupus becomes a little more invested in what's going on, especially when the linchpin needed for everything to work disappears from the complex without a trace. Morally gray at best. He’s very aware of the complexities of hunting down a small child for sport and bringing them back to a lab to be somebody’s science project, but these thoughts don’t stop him from trying to complete his job.

He’s been hired to hunt down Elliot and bring her back to his current client, alive, but at the end of the day he makes his own rules.


Cooper (left) and Micha (right) Pembroke

Race: Zodiac Beasts (Canis aligned)

Ages: Early 40s

FS_CnM

Two dog aligned Beast men trying their very best to provide for their growing family and make an honest living in an unfriendly world. Cooper is a jovial sweet heart who runs a small bakery while the more down to earth and logical Micha is a history teacher at a local school. The two often focus all of their free time and effort into giving back to their little Beast community in the suburbs of Brightwich.

The two met in their twenties during (what was supposed to be) a peaceful protest, with Micha barking up a storm and Cooper going around making sure everyone was hydrated. Neither of them even knew the other existed, it was very much a "right place at the right time" situation. It's hard for either of them to imagine what their lives would have been like if Micha didn't witness Cooper getting harassed by some cops and boldly stepped in to defend the smaller dog- landing both of them and few other protesters in a holding cell for the night. These days, two demanding full time jobs and a gaggle of kids they've adopted over the years make going to protests a bit of a challenge but it hasn't stopped either of them from telling their kids that they have a voice and shouldn’t be afraid to use it.

Despite the rumors and scrutiny from the community, Micha and Cooper love their daughter very much and want nothing but the best for her but often struggle to understand her depression and pessimistic mindset. The couple are devastated by Elliot’s sudden disappearance, she’s never left their minds and they’re hoping she’ll be brought back to them soon. Neither of them are aware that she’s some kind of hero hand-picked by the Gods but if they were, there’s no doubt they would move mountains for her.


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