Cousins from Another Bosom

==Cousins from Another Bosom==
The group of friends who grew up around Inari Pollari in the little apartment complex where Fiona Pollari moved to in their early twenties. Many of their parents had cut off contact with their blood relatives and so none of them had much in the way of extended family. To make up for this, they came together to support each other.
==Shep==
Full Name: Shepard Faheem Khan
Nicknames: Shep
Pronouns: He/Him
Orientation: Gay 
Birthday: November 14th
*Pirate: 25
*Modern: 21
Height: 6'2"
Body Type: Slim
Hair: Black and coarse like his mother’s. He wears it short, though he occasionally dyes it different colors. He grew his beard out a year ago and keeps it trimmed short.
Skin Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Occupation:
*Pirate: Prostitute 
*Modern: Fashion Vlogger and University Student 
Parents:
*Kareena Gaffar Salim Khan - Kareena was born into a well-to-do family in Syria. When she was old enough, she asked to attend university in Los Angeles, California. Her father agreed under the condition that she not date and focus on her studies. Kareena immediately broke the rules. That summer, she met David Wicks and the two began a whirlwind love affair. It came to a bitter end when Kareena discovered that she was pregnant. Her family disowned her when they found out, and David broke off their relationship when she decided to keep it. Without the funds from her family, Kareena had to quit school and find work to sustain herself and baby Shepard. Years later, she now works as a pharmacy technician and is in a much better position in life. In the pirate universe, Kareena was kidnapped at a young age and sold off to the highest bidder looking to bring an exotic specimen into his brothel. She later escaped with Fiona and the others where she now lives a happy life amongst the other freed women. 
*Daniel Wicks - He had a summer affair with Kareena in university, but he left when she informed him that she was pregnant. He paid the court ordered child support, but he refused to have a relationship with Shep for most of his life. When Shep was a senior in high school, Daniel realised he couldn’t have children with his current wife and so he reached out to Shep to form a relationship. Shep sees him about once a year now. In the pirate universe, he was a nameless client of Kareena’s who never saw her again.
Siblings: None
Likes: The ever-evolving, cutting-edge of fashion, rabbits (the smaller and fluffier, the better), and making out in the rain with fit lads.
Dislikes: Complicated friend group dynamics, the whole concept of sports, and heteronormative fashion critiques.
Strengths: Shep is a vibrant, creative soul who often uses his enthusiastic energy in service to the causes that mean the most to him. If any of his friends need cheering up, he’s the first to volunteer his time and energy. He’ll stay with them for hours and still be up for work the next morning as though he had a full night of sleep. His romantic advice is unparalleled. Though he isn’t an artist himself, Shep loves to support the arts with his money, time, and encouragement. It’s common to find him volunteering as a model for young artists without any mention of compensation, and he’s a patron of a multitude of creators on the internet. 
Weaknesses: Shep is terrible at taking his own advice and has resisted the call to settle down many times. His unwillingness to take relationships seriously has led to him hurting several people through his dating life, and his willful blindness has gotten his friends upset at him more than once. In addition, Shep can be very catty when people disagree with his fashion opinions or any of his other strongly held opinions. He’s not the best at hearing other people out. 
=== Biographies ===
==== Pirate Universe ====
Childhood Days: Shep was one of several children born to the women who worked in the small brothel in Oulu, Finland alongside Fiona Pollari. His mother had been taken to Finland against her will and sold as an exotic attraction, and the owners were prepared to do the same thing to Shep during his “prime” working years. His mother, along with the other mothers in the brothel, fought to keep their children safe for as long as they could. Shep and his friends were kept far away from the clients where they were allowed to grow up in relative peace until their early teen years. 
Shep took it upon himself at a young age to prepare for what was to come. He embraced his new role with the intention of protecting his friends from garnering unwanted attention, and he succeeded thanks to his mother’s minor fame. Amy joined him in his goal and the two became a physical barrier for their friends on many nights. It was enough to prevent Lindsey, Jayla and Lexi from facing the worst of their fate, though Inari wasn’t as lucky. 
It was Shep who saw Inari last before she disappeared from the brothel. They had been standing outside together one day shirking their duties for a few precious hours when a young man appeared and offered to take Inari with him to join a pirate crew. Shep had no desire to join a crew, though he nearly asked the boy to join him upstairs. It was Inari’s hesitation that kept him focused in that moment. He encouraged her to escape while she could and promised to tell the others what had happened so that no one would worry. He hated to see her leave, but it was more important for her to better her situation while she had the chance. He waved his goodbyes with a smile. The group concocted a story about Inari escaping in the early morning hours to avoid the blame falling on Shep for her escape. 
Escape and Freedom: It took another few years before life changed for them all. Shep was a grown man and falling out of favour with the brothel owner when one of the owners went after Fiona. She and Astrid fought the man off and ultimately killed him. They immediately knew that they had to leave and they decided that it would be best for all of them to flee as far as they could manage that night. Over half of the workers decided to band together and make their way south. It was a difficult journey during which they had to steal on numerous occasions to keep themselves fed, but in time they found their way to Helsinki. 
Fiona and Astrid decided to take over an abandoned building and turn it into a safe haven where queer people could meet in secret without the fear of discovery. Anyone who wished to live in the apartments nearby were welcomed, and those who wanted to pursue their previous trade were offered the upper rooms of the tavern, though they refused to take any of the money from their profits. It would be their business and no one else’s. For everyone else, Astrid and Fiona helped them to find other work within the tavern and out in the city. It was a fresh start for everyone.
Shep spent a few years pursuing other employment, but found himself wanting to return to sex work. No one could force him to sleep with anyone who displeased him now, and he was allowed to make it clear that he only had an interest in men. As far as he was concerned, it was the best of both worlds. He became one of the few who continued seeing clients, while his other friends went on to pursue their own dreams.
==== Modern Universe ====
Childhood: Shep was born in Los Angeles, California nearly three weeks early. The months of stress that had led up to the date of his birth had taken a toll on his mother, and the unexpected change in dates made Shep’s arrival in the world quite the dramatic one. He went home a week later with relatively few complications. 
Shep grew up in a tiny studio apartment. His mother did everything in her power to prevent the unhappy circumstances from affecting Shep, and she worked every hour that she had to spare. He had the best of what she could afford and he never went hungry. Only when he was older did he learn about the hungry nights that his mother endured so that he could eat a healthy and filling meal every day. Once he was old enough to be allowed out of her sight unsupervised, Shep began to explore the building while he played. That was how he met Inari and became the first of her friends. He was thrilled to know her and equally as thrilled when the two of them discovered four more children in the same building. They all became fast friends and soon became each other’s sanctuary both at home and in school. It was a good life all through their younger years. 
It was during middle school that Shep began to seriously question his sexual identity. Puberty had found him and feelings that he had noticed as a child became more pronounced. He had no interest in girls the way the other boys at school did, and his female friends had more interest in female celebrity crushes than he ever had. He knew about being gay thanks to his friends’ parents, and yet it was something he had never considered for himself. One night when the group was staying over at Jayla’s apartment, Shep admitted that he thought he liked boys. The news was received well and the group told him that he ought to explore his feelings. Shep took the advice to heart and he spent a good amount of time that year looking for queer media that might speak to him. At the start of eighth grade, he came out to his mother and later at school. With his friends at his side, he weathered the bullies and bigots, and quickly became a very out and proud gay teenager. 
High School: By high school, his mother had managed to go back to school and got her two year degree as a pharmacy technician which meant she had better hours and more money to improve their situation. She and Shep moved out of the apartment building to a condo across town where he started at a new school. Though he missed his friends, he made the most of his new circumstances and quickly endeared himself to many at his new school. He joined the school’s GSA and soon became a part of the leadership planning events and encouraging other queer and questioning students to attend events. 
He started going on dates as soon as he learned how to sneak out of the apartment without his mother noticing. The first few were innocent, but it didn’t take long for Shep to discover a few older teenagers who were happy to help him explore the physical side of his identity. He quickly became more interested in sex than he was in romance, and it became his goal in most of the interactions that he had with available boys. 
Which led to the year he met Inari’s new gay friend, Sebastian. Shep was interested in him from their first meeting, but he knew the other boy had only recently come out and so he gave him space to figure himself out. That was until Inari asked Shep to take Sebastian out so he would finally stop bitching about being single. Shep happily accepted the task and it wasn’t long before Shep invited Sebastian back to his condo when his mother was away so the two could have some real fun. It was a whirlwind romance that Shep enjoyed greatly for the summer that it lasted, but he soon discovered that it had to come to an end. Sebastian was getting serious about the two of them and Shep wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. Rather than draw anything out and risk hurting him, Shep let Sebastian down gently and asked that they remain friends. It didn’t work as Shep intended, but Inari promised to keep an eye on Sebastian for him and try to convince him to reach out once he had recovered from the heartbreak. 
Post High School: It wasn’t long before Shep graduated high school and set his sights on higher education. He decided to pursue a degree in fashion and journalism as he had run a fashion blog for many years. His mother wasn’t happy about his choices and tried to persuade him to follow a more lucrative path, but he refused to listen. Once he was accepted into his program, his mother gave up her efforts and did her best to support his dreams, though she also took to hinting that he ought to settle down sooner than later. 
Shep learned to balance his full load of classes alongside his hectic social life and his efforts as a small time fashion blogger/influencer. Though he rarely has much money to throw around, he has remained the life of any and all parties he was at. 
=== Trivia ===
* Shepard dreams of owning a purebred britannia petite rabbit someday who he intends to name Elizabeth or Philip. 
*Shepard shares Inari's habit of picking up friends in rough places. It's put him in a few dangerous positions over the years, but risks mean nothing to him if it's in the same of taking care of a friend. 
*Once he graduates, Shepard intends to get a job reporting on the fashion industry. 
==Lindsey==
Full Name: Lindsey Audrey Clerk
Pronouns: She/Her
Orientation: Lesbian
Birthday: May 4th
*Pirate: 27
*Modern: 23
Height: 5'6"
Body Type: Slim
Hair: Curly (3A) Blonde grown out halfway down her shoulder blades
Skin Colour: White 
Eye Colour: Brown
Occupation:
*Pirate: Seamstress
*Modern: Hair Stylist
Parents:
* Winifred Clerk - Winifred grew up in a small town in Iowa. From a young age, she had lofty dreams to become a famous actress and escape her small town. When she was a junior in highschool, she drove up to Des Moines to see a production of Hairspray. After the performance, she snuck into a bar where she bumped into one of the understudies from the play, a handsome man named Hans. They flirted through the night and he asked for her address. They began exchanging love letters until the day came that he offered to pay for a bus ticket to Los Angeles to help her start her acting career. She packed her bag and took off without telling her family anything about where she was going. The first gig that he got her was a porn film. Her dreams quickly faded into a nightmare that she remained trapped in for three long years. Hans treated her as poorly as her employers, but she was too ashamed to call her family for help. It wasn’t until she found a spare moment to see a play at the tiny playhouse called Innovation House that her life changed. There she met Tony Clerk who heard her story and got her into contact with resources to help her escape from her abuser. The playhouse hired her as a secretary, and she and Tony grew close. Soon enough, they began to date and were quickly surprised by news of an unexpected bun in the oven. They agreed to keep the baby and they moved into his apartment together to start their new life. Winifred pursued acting classes throughout her pregnancy and after, but decided to become an acting teacher rather than actress. She now teaches younger students at Innovation House. In the pirate universe, Winifred lived an ordinary life outside of Oulu, Finland until the day she found herself seduced by a traveling performer who had come to town. Her family found out and forced her out of the house. She traveled into Oulu and was hired at the brothel to keep from starving. She escaped alongside Fiona, and she now lives in Helsinki working as a seamstress. She met Tony, a local wordsmith who had no concerns about her past or her growing daughter. The two are happily married and living close to Fiona and Astrid’s establishment. 
* Tony Clerk - Tony grew up in Los Angeles, California. He was a theater kid from a long line of actors and he began to perform at a young age. Though he never gained any notable fame, he went to school for acting and later became the stage manager of the Innovation House, a small theater that promotes young talent and LGBTQ+ content. It was there that he met Winifred, Winny to him, who he became fast friends with. Once she escaped her situation and grew more stable, he decided to shoot his shot and found his affections reciprocated. They dated for less than four months before Winifred discovered she was pregnant. Tony was only too happy to keep the baby and start a family with the woman of his dreams. Their risky situation worked out well for them, and Tony soon found himself married to Winnie and father to Lindsey. He continues to work at Innovation House as a stage manager, now one of the senior members of the staff. In the pirate universe, Tony grew up in Helsinki, the son of a merchant who decided to take up writing as his profession. Though he pens his own works, his main source of income is a local printing press which produces many of the city’s printed material. He met Winifred shortly after she arrived in town and immediately fell in love with her. The two married a few years ago and now live a happy life still connected to her old friends. 
Siblings: None
Likes: Bohemian fashion ( she has made great strides to be more culturally aware of where her favourite pieces come from), intense cake decorating competitions, and obscure bands of the New Age variety.
Dislikes: Humidity, frat parties, and cockroaches (she has been known to scream at pictures when she’s not prepared for them).
Strengths: Everyone who meets Lindsey can see that exudes joy and passion for everything that she loves. A frown is rare for her. She’s a romantic at heart who follows her flights of fancy all over to whichever new adventure calls to her, and yet she knows when to put down those dreams to support the people she cares about the most. Her friends and family need only call once and she’ll be in a taxi on the most direct route to get there. 
Weaknesses: Lindsey is by far the most flighty person in the group, and while most of her friends enjoy listening to her exploits, she has a few of them concerned for her future. She’s moved in with no less than three girlfriends after only a month of dating, and she’s bounced around from job to job ever since her first in high school. She is obsessive about her hair and skin care routines to the point where it will impede vacations that she attends and cause her to be late on a rent payment if she needs to replace one of her products.
=== Biographies ===
==== Pirate Universe ====
Childhood Days: Lindsey was one of several children born in the brothel in Oulu, Finland. Her mother traveled into the city after her family forced her out for sleeping with a man outside of wedlock. She became pregnant a few months after beginning work in the brothel.
Lindsey was born the year before Inari. Along with Amy, she became an adoptive older sister to the younger children as Lexi had been for herself and Amy. As she grew older, she worked hard to protect her friends from the harsh realities of their lives. However, Lindsey was fortunate. Unlike her friends, she wasn’t considered a rare beauty, and so while she had to endure many unwanted encounters, she was often overlooked and allowed to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a seamstress for the other people at the brothel. She worked hard to bring her friends joy whenever she could because she knew that it was impossible for her to physically protect them. 
The day that Inari escaped, Lindsey created the basis for their cover story of a horrific kidnapping for which she fashioned a false dress that they ripped and stained with blood. With the evidence planted and a few key witnesses, Shep evaded suspicion and Inari was given the time she needed to get away from Oulu. 
Escape and Freedom: After an attack by the brothel owner that led to Fiona and Astrid killing him, Lindsey and her mother joined the band of workers who decided to risk the long journey south to find a new life for themselves. Her skills as a seamstress came in handy throughout the journey to clothe them and feed them as they worked their way down the coastline to their new home. 
Once they had settled into the tavern, Lindsey chose to follow after her mother and start her own business working as a dressmaker. The pair were able to build up their clientele list until they had enough money for a shop which was purchased by Tony Clerk, Lindsey’s stepfather. He embraced both Linsey and her mother as his new family, giving them a safe place to call home without limiting their freedom. 
Lindsey chose to remain living in the tavern along with her friends who remained her family, while her mother took up residence with her husband. It was more comfortable for her due to her friends’ presences and because of her own love for women which she discovered as a teenager. She has yet to find anyone special, but often spends her nights in the tavern waiting for the woman she believes will sweep her off her feet. 
==== Modern Timeline ====
Childhood: Lindsey was born in Los Angeles, California the year after her mother found freedom from her failed acting career and a new life with the love of her life. Her free spirited parents encouraged Lindsey to express herself without a care for what the world might think of her which nurtured her expressive personality that soon helped her find her first friends in her apartment building, Inari and Shep. The trio soon blossomed into a circle of six friends who spent all of their waking hours together. 
Unlike most of the others in her group of friends, Lindsey had always known that she liked girls rather than boys. She loved to play princesses with her friends, but always demanded one of her female friends be her knight rather than Shep or Lexi. Though she faced some backlash for her openness as she grew older and began encountering bigots, she never backed down from being who she knew she was. It helped that her parents had her back. 
Lindsey gained a passion for makeup and hairstyling once she reached middle school which was bolstered by Jayla and her mothers who taught Lindsey how to effectively manage her voluminous curls that she had inherited from her mother. Alongside Shep, she became the go-to girl whenever a formal event was on the horizon. The pair loved coming up with new looks for one another, and still occasionally send shocking makeup looks to each other when they come across something new. 
High School: At the end of middle school, Innovation House took off in popularity and the sudden increase in revenue meant more money for the Clerks and a chance to move to the suburbs. Lindsey was devastated to be moving away from her best friends, but she wasn’t the only one leaving her childhood home behind. She ended up in the same school as Shep and joined him in becoming an active member of the GSA, though she wasn’t as interested in the planning side of things. 
Rather than activism, Lindsey turned her attention to finding the lady knight of her dreams. She tried to interact with some of the other out girls in the GSA meetings, but none of them were ready for the sort of relationship that she was after. Shep jokingly suggested that she ask Jayla or Amy out, but Lindsey knew she had never had romantic feelings for her friends. Rather than sit around waiting, she dove headfirst into the alternative music scene where she sought out other lesbians at the various underground music events she went to. She had several girlfriends over the years, each one being declared as the one a week after she met the girls, but none of them lasted more than a month. By senior year, Lindsey had to put her love life on hold to ensure that she passed her classes. 
Post-High School: After graduating, Lindsey decided to get a cosmetology degree rather than attend university like her other friends. She dove headfirst into her studies, while working hard to balance time with her friends and family. She’s since finished her degree and begun working at a saloon, though she dreams of having her own place one day in the future. 
Only recently has she begun to date again, though no one has given her the long lasting love that she’s dreamed of yet. 
=== Trivia ===
* Lindsey occasionally volunteers to do makeup and hair at Innovation House whenever troupes have trouble finding someone.
*Finding Miss Right has led Lindsey to set up accounts on every dating site known to man. While she goes out with different people almost every weekend, she very rarely brings anyone home.
== Lexi ==
Full Name: Alexander Tuli Koskinen
Nicknames: Lexi
Pronouns: He/Him
Orientation: Heterosexual
Birthday: June 19th 
*Pirate: 28
*Modern: 24
Height: 5'8"
Body Type: Muscular 
Hair: Brown and cut short. In the modern timeline, he also has a beard which is trimmed short and kept meticulously groomed. 
Skin Colour: White 
Eye Colour: Brown
Occupation:
*Pirate: Bouncer
*Modern: Fitness Trainer
Partners:
* Tea Mattila (28/24) - Tea grew up in Los Angeles, California as the only daughter of a plastic surgeon and a registered nurse. Her homelife was stable until high school when her parents split up due to issues in their marriage. Even before the divorce, she had always been a dedicated student athlete, but during the tumultuous time, she found solace in the gym and training for the many team sports she was a part of. After she finished high school, she decided to try working as a yoga instructor and began working on getting her certification. It was during that time that she met Lexi. The two quickly hit it off and started up a friendship that slowly developed into a deeper attraction. After several weeks of exchanging looks, Lexi finally asked her out. The two of them recently moved in together into an apartment of their own. The two have already begun to discuss marriage and children, but want to wait a few more years until they’re both better off financially. In the pirate universe, Tea grew up in Helsinki where her father was a surgeon while her mother remained at home. She thought she would remain at home until the day her parents found her a husband, but then she met Lexi in the market one day and struck up a friendship. The two have only recently begun counting, but Lexi has already been putting thought into buying some property so that he can ask her father for her hand in marriage. 
Parents: 
* Meri Koskinen (deceased) - Life was never easy for Meri. Both of her parents were addicts who abandoned her and her older brother Karl emotionally and physically. Though life was often miserable, Karl tried to keep her safe and fed often at his own expense. The two of them managed well enough until the day their parents overdosed and CPS stepped in. Karl was already eighteen at the time, but he lacked the resources to get custody of his sister. She spent several years in foster care, each home worse than the last until the day she ran away with her much older boyfriend who had already gotten her pregnant. It was an abusive relationship that Karl eventually helped her to escape from when she became pregnant with Lexi’s younger sister. After Auri was born, Meri tried to turn her life around and start anew by getting her GED. That dream ended when her ex tracked her down and killed her. Karl arrived in time to save her children, but it was too late for Meri. In the pirate timeline, Meri was sold off to the brothel at a young age to pay for the family debts. It was a terrible life, but she found friends among the other women there. Unfortunately, she died in childbirth, leaving both of her children in the care of her friends. 
* Karl Koskinen - After spending years trying to keep his sister safe, Karl decided to pursue a livelihood where he could continue to help other people and make enough money to also support his sister. He became a paramedic after finishing high school and quickly set about saving up to buy a house for his sister and her children. After her untimely death, he immediately took custody of his niblings and dedicated himself to giving both children the best life he could. He has yet to find a partner for himself, but isn’t in any hurry. He wholeheartedly supported Lexi when he came out as trans in middle school. In the pirate timeline, Karl left his parents behind once he was old enough to find work and set out to track his sister down. He wasn’t able to find her before she died, but he did meet her children and he immediately offered to help her friends escape from their terrible circumstances. In doing so, he adopted both of the children that Meri left behind and followed them all south. He bought a home near to the tavern where he began work as a carpenter. 
Siblings:
* Auri Koskinen (21/17) - Auri has lived a kinder life than her brother. She was a baby when their mother died and only learned about the circumstances of her death when she reached high school. With both a doting uncle and older brother, Auri is somewhat spoiled and very dramatic. She dreams of being a model when she graduates and wants to go into a fashion program like Shep. Her relationship with her brother is a very close one. In the pirate timeline, she remembers some of her life in the brothel, but she was spared from any interactions with clients through the dedicated efforts of her brother and the women charged with her care. She was often hidden away to ensure that no clients could see her, so she escaped with her innocence intact. She chose to move in with her uncle once they reached Helsinki, but Lexi still visits her often. She is also apprenticing with Lindsey as a dressmaker with dreams of making a name for herself. 
Likes: Shakespearean dramas (and specifically the Lion King in the modern universe), all of the meat, and strength based competitions (specifically highland games and Finland's wife carrying competition in the modern universe).
Dislikes: Transphobic assholes getting in his face, spring time (he’s got bad allergies), and poorly made traditional foods (specifically Taco Bell in the modern universe. Never ask).
Strengths: Lexi is by far the most level-headed of Inari’s cousins and often acts as the older brother to the rest of the group. He gives some of the best advice among them and as such is the first person many of his friends and family talk to about important decisions. His strong sense of self has made a pillar in his local queer community as well. He is also quite humble despite his physical accomplishments and is only likely to brag during friendly competitions or when he has to shut down assholes. 
Weaknesses: With great strength comes great stubbornness, and Lexi is just as well known for his stubborn streak. Convincing him of anything can be a Herculean task regardless of how close someone is to him. In addition, it can be very difficult to compliment Lexi as he’ll dodge nearly all compliments much to Shep’s annoyance. While far from a meathead, he often lets his gym time and sports overtake the time for his other hobbies which means he’s about three years behind everyone else when it comes to popular media.
=== Biographies ===
==== Pirate Timeline ====
Childhood Days: Lexi is the oldest of the children born in the brothel in Oulu, Finland. His mother Meri had only been working for about a year when she had him, but the other women of the brothel rallied around her and her new baby. They ensured that she had the lightest load until she could fully recover, a practice which had been adopted years prior after too many women died due to complications from childbirth. 
It was a difficult life for Lexi. Though he was born biologically female, he never felt comfortable as a girl. He took on the role of the protective older sibling for his friends as each of them was born in the years that followed, and for a time, that was enough. 
Everything changed when his mother died giving birth to his baby sister, Auri. With her gone, Lexi stepped up to care for his baby sister. The other mothers helped as well when they could. But something felt very wrong whenever they complimented Lexi’s skill as a mother to his younger sister. Late one night when he was rocking his sister to sleep with Shep, he said for the first time that he didn’t feel like a mother. Or like a girl. It took several more months of working out the details for himself, but soon enough he declared that he was a boy and his friends rallied around him. The adults took longer to catch on, but they soon came to understand and support him. 
His situation was made more difficult when it was decided that he should start servicing customers. Lexi doesn’t like to speak about his experiences when he was forced to take clients, but he endured and carved out his identity by changing his appearance as much as he could and dressing in men’s clothing. During his spare time, he dedicated himself to becoming the protector of everyone in the brothel. He spent hours training with his fists and a sword so that he could fight off unruly clients who tried to hurt the others or overstay their welcome. His efforts earned him many beatings, but he gladly took the punishments knowing that his family was safe. As his friends got older, they tried to take attention off of him by making themselves more visible. Their sacrifices only made Lexi fight harder for himself and his loved ones.
The day that Inari left, he vouched for Shep having been with him during her ‘abduction’ to help sell their story. 
Escape and Freedom: It was a few months after Inari’s escape that Lexi’s uncle, Karl, appeared looking for his sister. Though he mourned her death, he was overjoyed to meet the nephew and niece that she had left behind for him. His timing was perfect as the attack on Fiona and subsequent killing of the brothel owner soon followed. He joined the group to venture south in order to make a better life for his sister’s children. Lexi bonded with him working together to protect the group from unsavoury types who sought to exploit them on the road. 
Upon arriving in Helsinki, Karl offered to get a home for himself, Lexi and Auri. Lexi asked his sister to join their uncle, but himself wanted to remain with the others. He wasn’t ready to leave his found family and strike out on his own, and although his uncle did his best to understand his nephew’s identity, Lexi wanted to remain in an environment where he could be around other queer people and live without fear of being himself. 
He took protecting the tavern that Fiona and Astrid founded, and he has thrived in his new role. He continues to visit his uncle and sister at least once a week. It used to be more, but now much of his time is taken up courting his friend, Tea Mattila. While it will be some time before anyone hears wedding bells, Lexi has already begun making plans for a life with her. 
==== Modern Universe ====
Childhood: Lexi has very few happy memories from the time before his uncle came into his life. His early years were filled with screaming and hours spent locked in his room alone. He is very tightlipped about the time in his life when he and his mother still lived with his sperm donor before she fled with Lexi and his newborn sister. 
Once his mother got them to his uncle Karl and into a new home, Lexi’s life became hopeful for the first time in his short existence. He suddenly had a loving father figure and his mother was no longer trapped in survival mode. The two of them helped Lexi to catch up at school while his mother began to pursue her own education. Everything was perfect until the night when Lexi’s sperm donor tracked them down. Lexi woke to the familiar sound of shouting, and immediately grabbed Auri to hide away in a crawlspace in her nursery. He’s never spoken about those hours when he hid while his mother died trying to protect them. All he has ever said is that his Uncle Karl came before his sperm donor could find the door to the crawlspace. His sperm donor was sentenced to life in prison a year later, and Lexi hasn’t seen or heard from him since.
Karl moved Lexi and Auri in with him that same year and immediately enrolled Lexi in therapy to process the trauma of his earliest years now compounded with his mother’s murder. His own apartment, while not in the best part of town, was a warm environment for his nephew to begin to heal. Lexi quickly made friends with the other children in the building as their parents started to come over to welcome the new kids and offer Karl help caring for his newly orphaned infant niece. In no time at all, Lexi became the responsible one of the group who took it upon himself to keep his friends safe and out of trouble. 
As he began to heal, Lexi discovered a feeling that he had been ignoring for many years. A disconnect between himself and his gender. He was born female and he had grown up thinking of himself as a girl, but the older he got, the more he struggled to see himself the way he saw his female friends. It was when he was talking to Shep one afternoon after school when he said out loud that he felt like a boy. With the help of his therapist and some of the other queer parents in the building, Lexi soon arrived at the word transgender and felt a piece of himself click into place. His uncle, though he struggled some to fully understand what was going on, stepped up to help Lexi embrace his new identity. Medical options weren’t available for him, but Lexi socially transitioned fully less than a year later and from that day on began to blossom as a boy. 
High School: Due to his transition, Lexi suffered from some bullying at his old school and so Karl decided to pay to send Lexi and Auri to a private school once he started high school. Lexi was sad to leave his friends, but he appreciated the fresh start. He and Inari continued to walk to school together along with Auri which made it easier for him as the years went on. 
Lexi wanted to get into track and field at his new school, but found that the administration wanted him to compete with the girls’ team instead of the boys. Rather than deal with the bureaucracy, Lexi found himself drawn to a club at the local YMCA where they practiced for the Highland Games. It was a niche interest that quickly became a major facet of Lexi’s life and a very supportive environment for him to explore his masculinity. He also took up weightlifting to increase his muscle mass and sculpt his body into a shape that made him happier with himself. Soon enough, he was spending most of his free nights in the gym.
Post High School: By the time that Lexi was ready to graduate, he had decided to explore a career as a personal trainer which meant going to school for exercise science. He jumped into his studies headfirst, using the insurance money from his mother in order to attend school full time without taking out loans or working. He finished his degree in three and half years and immediately applied at his favourite gym to become a trainer there. 
It was in his first year of work that he met a yoga instructor, also new to the gym, by the name of Tea Mattila. The two of them quickly became friends, and that friendship grew until the day that Lexi worked up the courage to ask Tea out on a date. The two have been going out for about a year and half now with their second anniversary on the horizon. 
In addition to his love life flourishing, Lexi has already been taking hormones for about three years now and had his top surgery two years prior. His next goal is to save up for his bottom surgery which he is about a third of the way to. His current request for every birthday and Christmas is cash to add to his fund. 
=== Trivia ===
*Despite not having gotten to know each other well, Lexi was first person Seb ever designed a tattoo for after he saw some of Seb's doodling in a notebook.
*Lexi dreams of being one of the first transmen allowed to compete in the American Highland Games. He wants transgender athletes everywhere to have a chance to compete and often debates the subject with others at his gym.
*Lexi has cPTSD from his childhood which he has been receiving treatment for since he was young. His journey has been a long one, but he has made great strides over the years. He’s very private about his struggles, though his closest friends are aware of his symptoms and ways they can help him to manage on bad days. 
== Jayla ==
Full Name: Jayla Heritanjona Walker-Diaz
Pronouns: She/Her
Orientation: Lesbian
Birthday: December 8th
*Pirate: 26
*Modern: 22
Height: 5'9"
Body Type: Athletic 
Hair: Black with 3C Curls. Jayla keeps her hair cut just above her shoulders and prefers to wear it loose. When she chooses a protective style, she prefers cornrows. 
Skin Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Brown
Occupation:
*Pirate: Bartender
*Modern: University Student and Dog Walker
Parents:
*Mikayla Walker-Diaz - Formly Rakotomalala Fandresena Mikayla Francine. Mikayla was born in Madagascar a year before her parents immigrated to America. She grew up in Northern California where her parents settled as farm hands with a goal to one day own their own farm. They would go on to achieve that goal the same year that Mikayla went off to university. She double majored in education and art with the dream of being an elementary school art teacher. Once she graduated, her parents pressured her to marry which led to her agreeing to an arranged marriage to Henrik, another young immigrant from Madagascar. Neither of them felt much attraction to each other, but they went on to have Jayla in order to build the family that they both wanted. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. A few years after her birth, Henrik came out to his wife as gay. Mikayla, much to his surprise, was relieved as she had also discovered she was gay. They agreed to a quick divorce so that they could both pursue their own happiness. Mikayla’s parents were angered by the divorce, and later disowned Mikayla when she came out as gay to them. Rather than fight them, Mikayla decided to move south to Los Angeles with Jayla and start again. She took a room with another single mother who was looking for a roommate, and so met Josey Diaz who quickly became a fast friend to Mikayla. It wasn’t long before the two of them fell for each other and began dating. They later married and moved out to the suburbs together shortly before Jayla entered high school. In the pirate timeline, Mikayla found herself stolen away as a child from her home and sold as a curiosity to several merchants until she escaped during a trip to Oulu, Finland. After a few hungry nights on the street, she was found by the brothel owner and quickly ‘employed’ to attract more clients to his brothel. She had Jayla while she was trapped there with the others. She later escaped along with Fiona and the others. 
*Josey Walker-Diaz - Born just outside of Los Angeles, California, Josey Diaz grew up two hours north of the big city where her parents worked several jobs under the table due to their immigration status from Mexico. She grew up with very little, and often had to spend her free time after school helping around the house while her parents were out working. She struggled to keep up with school and often felt smothered by the expectations her family had for her. Shortly before she finished high school, Josey became pregnant by her boyfriend at the time. He wanted nothing to do with her child and ran off. Josey’s parents, while not happy about her pregnancy, made space for the baby at home. Josey spent a few years recovering, but it didn’t take long for home life to become suffocating. She moved out with her baby into an apartment that she worked three jobs in order to afford. It was a hectic life and one that left little time for her daughter or a social life. At the end of her rope, she sought out a roommate which is what brought Mikayla into her life. She quickly befriended her roommate and discovered her bisexuality as she fell in love with her. The two married a few years later and moved out to the suburbs to live a happy, quiet life together. In the pirate universe, Josey’s family came to Finland from Spain, and settled in Helsinki where they earned a living as textile makers. She was married at a young age, but her husband ran off shortly after her daughter was born. She met Mikayla in the market where she was selling her family’s materials. The two of them quickly hit it off, and Josey left her family to be with Mikayla. The two now live in one of the rooms at the tavern together along with their son.  
*Rakoto Andriniaina Henrik Nary - Henrik was born in America shortly after his family immigrated from Madagascar. He worked very hard in school to try and become the sort of man who would make his family proud, but that dream began to die when he realise that he wasn’t attracted to women. Fearing that living his truth would mean losing his family, he asked his parents to arrange a marriage for him which is how he and Mikayla were married. While no sparks flew between them, Henrik thought that he might settle into his new life if they had a few children, and so they had Jayla. It wasn’t enough. After a few years of trying to force himself to be happy, he came out to his wife, and was pleasantly surprised when she came out to him as well. They agreed to go their separate ways with Mikayla taking primary custody of their daughter. He went on to find his current long term partner, Jaiden, who he’s been with for almost fifteen years now. Henrik sees Jayla usually during the summer, but will occasionally fly down during holidays. He and Mikayla are still good friends. In the pirate universe, he remained in Madagascar and is not Jayla’s father.
Siblings:
*Nisha Lanitra Walker-Diaz (21/17) - Nisha remembers very little of her life before Mikayla and Jayla came into it, and as such, she considers the both of them her family without any additional labels. She idolized Jayla for most of her elementary school days, but slowly began to carve out an identity all her own which quickly became centered around philosophy. These days Nisha can often be heard quoting various philosophical ideas depending on her current reading material. She’s somewhat fond of nihilism much to her mothers’ dismay. Jayla does her part to keep her little sister from going off the deep end by visiting her often. In the pirate universe, Nisha disliked growing up in her grandparents’ home, and so she was quite happy when her mother moved them out to live with her lover. She has several young men seeking her hand, but she’s only willing to accept one who is just as well read as she is. 
*Tyron Walker-Diaz (13/9) - Tyron is the youngest Walker-Diaz child who Mikayla and Josey adopted as a baby when Jayla was thirteen. Jayla was skeptical when she first learned that her mothers were adopting another child, and yet she quickly grew fond of the new baby and often babysat him when her mothers wanted to go out for a date night. Even after moving out, Jayla still makes time to visit every month or so to take him out on hikes with her or to go see his dance competitions. In the pirate universe, Mikayla and Josey found Tyron in the marketplace waiting to be sold off along with his mother. She begged them to take him away, and so the two spirited him away and vowed to raise him in a safe environment. He dreams of being a bartender like Jayla, though his mothers want to get him into an apprenticeship instead. 
Likes: All of nature and conservation work that promotes protecting the wilderness around her, butch style clothing that leans toward business casual, and romantic comedies (any and all involving lesbians are treasured).
Dislikes: Climate change deniers who try to use uneducated influencers as references during debates with her, animal abusers, and most deep fried foods. 
Strengths: Jayla is a very self-confident person. She has never been afraid to take on a challenge or make her thoughts and opinions known to her friends and enemies alike. That self-assurance has given her quite a bit of success on the dating scene. In addition, she’s very book smart from years of studying in school and for fun. Her passion for the outdoors is unmatched, and that same passion can often be found in her relationship with her friends and her lovers. 
Weaknesses: That same confidence can make it difficult for Jayla to admit when she’s wrong about something. She prides herself on her research skills, and she hates to admit when they’ve come up short. She can also go overboard with her passions and vanish for weeks when a new project has come up that she feels needs her full attention. Her friends are aware of this quirk, but it can be difficult for new acquaintances and colleagues to understand at times. 
=== Trivia ===
*Jayla is earning her BS in biology with the goal of one day working as an ecologist. Preserving animal habitats and wild spaces are two of her biggest passions.
*Out of all the friends, Inari most often sees Jayla and Shep for movie nights since all three share a passion for rom coms. 
*Jayla was a runner in high school and now competes in marathons during her spare time. 
== Amy ==
Full Name: Amy Xiong
Pronouns: She/Her
Orientation: Polyamorous Bisexual
Birthday: April 25th 
*23
Height: 5'4"
Body Type: Petite 
Hair: Black naturally, though she bleached it to an auburn and curls it daily
Skin Colour: Somewhat tan due to her Chinese heritage.
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Occupation:
*Modern: Part-time University Student and Makeup Model
Parents: 
*Ester Xiong - A nutritionist by trade, Ester took Amy in after her parents threw her out for going on a date with another girl. Ester was the original black sheep of the family who was cast out when she dated a black man for a few years. Now she supports her niece. 
Siblings: None
Likes: Sex, fanfiction where her favorite characters are gay like her, and ring pops.
Dislikes: Being labeled unfaithful, ignorance, and people who confusing screaming for debating. 
Other:  
*Amy is going for her undergrad in political science with the intention to go on to law school once her modeling career ends. 
*It's her dream to find the perfect partners to settle down with: people who will love her and each other while leaving room for experimentation and the inclusion of new partners. It's been a difficult road. 
amy.jpeg|Amy
Category:Side Characters
Category:LGBTQ Characters