Cassandra

Cassandra is one of the shifters in the current game, and had been one for 3 days before arriving to Vertia.

## Pokémon form

### Moves

Heat Wave, Wild Charge, Hyper Voice, Snarl, Overheat, Crunch

## Appearance

### As a human

Cass measures in at roughly five feet and seven inches of tanned skin and finely cut muscle. Before the game, she was never all that toned-- more lean, really--, but the transformation granted her a decent volume of bulk in the upper arms, shoulders, and thighs to a point where she could easily be mistaken for a professional fighter or athlete. Her skin is golden-tan and tough; callouses have roughened the skin over her palms and the soles of her feet, and her elbows and knees are weathered as if from constant sun exposure. A ridiculous amount of hair flows straight down her back; the tips reach just beyond her buttocks, each strand a vivid red with a single bold stripe of yellow down the center of her hair and a few thin strands of gold interspersed throughout. Occasionally she wears it in a thick braid, but usually it hangs freely about her backside. Her eyes are almond shaped and slightly slanted, with piercing blue irises. Dark brown eyeshadow and eyeliner contribute to the ferocity of her gaze, but her big, borderline-goofy smile offsets most of her intimidating features. Her eyebrows are sharp and neatly manicured, unlike the rest of her.

#### Original clothes

The outfit she awoke in is blessedly simple. A tan camisole, only a few shades darker than her skin tone, shows beneath a soft flannel the color of burnt umber. The flannel's sleeves roll to her elbows, and the flannel itself remains unbuttoned. A basic pair of leather leggings matching in hue to her flannel hug her skin, and disappear mid-thigh beneath a pair of tan leather boots. The material of her boots is surprisingly supple enough to allow for rapid movement without much restraint. Although not quite unkempt, Cass is usually in a state of disorder and is therefore less likely to be caught freshly made-up.

### As a Pokémon

Cass isn't terribly different than the average female Pyroar, though her shoulders are slightly more broad and the fur on her chest is more prominent. The long streak of mane has a few more thin strands of gold as well.

## Backstory

Cass had always believed in soulmates. Perhaps not strictly in the romantic sense, but the idea that two souls were destined to be together-- one soul split into separate halves-- had always been a perfectly rational explanation to her. From a young age, Cass was convinced that she and Allison were the same; not just the same face, but the same soul, complete and at peace only when the two of them were together. Allison's presence made everything right in Cassandra's world. The strength of the twins' relationship was a powerful force, and it reflected in how both girls clung to the other at various times of the day. In the morning, they shared a seat at the kitchen table. At school, they shared toys and academic material without missing a heartbeat, as if one person was using them instead. In the evening, they talked about everything and nothing, sometimes in a gibberish that only the twins somehow understood. They even shared the same bed and did not break the habit until they reached fifteen years of age. They were always touching somehow-- holding hands, standing shoulder to shoulder, leaning against each other-- though usually subconscious, as if the physical connection somehow heightened their mental one. The twins were on the same wavelength with only each other. Cass and Alice were one and the same, and it was not until the middle of high school that either of them began to doubt that conviction.

Puberty brought about a whirlwind of changes, but none was more apparent than the drastic shift in the girls' personalities. Cass didn't notice it at first. She was excited about becoming a trainer or eventually the Kalos Champion Rapidash racer; she trained day and night, but whatever free time she had, Cass spent it at Allison's side, who had always been supportive and an emotional crutch. Cass was more talkative than Allison, and therefore filled whatever silence that fell with chatter and babbling. She didn't notice when Allison started listening to darker music, or when she ignored Cass's talk to read her books, or when she stopped hanging around Cass's group of friends. Eventually Allison stopped showing up at Cass' junior races altogether. Cass brushed it aside, convinced her twin was simply devoting herself to her studies. After all, Allison was emerging as a real brainiac with strides that even Cass struggled to keep up with. It wasn't until they had their first real fight-- Cass had tripped on Allison's laptop charger and it broke-- that Cass began to realize that her sister had changed. At first, it confused her. Why would Allison change? Her sister was pretty great as she was. For a while, Cass tried pretending that everything was fine, that Allison was still her Allison, but it didn't take long for Cassandra to realize that ignoring the problem wasn't going to work. Her twin's style changed, her attitude. She cut her hair short, pixie-length, which contrasted Cass' long hair. She buried herself in books and dropped all extracurricular activities, going so far as to even giving away the Minun that she had received on their 16th birthday (Cass' had been a Plusle). Shortly after, Allison got her own room and left Cass by herself. It seemed like every part that they shared was gradually erased away until Cass wasn't sure they shared anything at all any longer, except their face; yet even that was different, for Allison threw herself at developing her femininity and pursued a talent with make-up and fashion. Cass was utterly bewildered and hurt. Her soul felt as though it had been perforated, like swiss cheese, with every little argument or difference that came between them. She wasn't complete anymore, and without Allison, Cass was lost and alone.

She was not the type of person to give up without a fight, however. In a last ditch effort to win her sister back, Cass abandoned her training and her friends, hoping to assimilate herself to Allison's new interests. She clung to her sister and she clung *hard*. At first, her twin didn't seem to care. Cass was happy to do whatever Allison wanted so long as it included herself. Their relationship stabilized for only a few weeks until Allison grew irritable again. One day, Allison exploded at Cass out of the blue: she hated their similarities, hated that she couldn't be different from her sister, hated that she wasn't her own person. Cass didn't know how to respond. Without Allison, Cass didn't know who *she* was. Crushed and betrayed, Cassandra withdrew from her sister and threw herself at her previous activities until the twins barely saw each other during the week. This continued for nearly a year; sometimes talking, sometimes arguing, sometimes ignoring each other for days on end. Cass hated it. The negative impact on her affected her ability to perform and her mental health, until she lost so many races that her sponsors retracted their support, and finally Cass dropped racing all together. She wandered regions as a trainer for a while to pass the time and make some money. It never filled the void left in her heart, but the bonds she developed with Pokémon soothed some of the ache. After a few years, Cass felt healed enough to return home to Kalos and reattempt connecting to the sister she had loved so dearly.

It could have gone better. Allison was almost like a stranger at this point, and Cass almost didn't recognize her; she had dyed her hair a deep red, wore thick, dark make-up, and generally looked like someone that belonged in an angry punk band. There was a simmering rage in Allison that Cass didn't recognize, and it frightened her. Much to her surprise, Allison was willing to establish a connection again. Although it was rocky, it was something, and Cass couldn't help but feel the flutter of hope in her chest at the prospect of having her sister back after all those years estranged from her.

A year ago, Allison got involved with a shady character that Cass took an immediate disliking to. This person was sly, rude, and manipulative-- Cass could see it plainly, but her sister was blind to it.She didn't care that it was a woman (she wasn't one to judge in that circumstance, anyway) but for the simple fact that this woman was taking advantage of Allison's skill and knowledge in biochemistry and engineering. Cass remained on the sidelines, watching her sister like a hawk. They were a part of a project of some sort, and this woman pushed and pushed and pushed Allison to work, and as soon as the data was available, it was stored onto a harddrive and shipped elsewhere while the originals were wiped. Allison didn't get paid for any of it except with quick, dangerous smiles and sugary promises.

Cass tried talking to Allison about it, about the suspicious things she'd seen the woman do and the injustice of the entire arrangement. Her twin bristled and snapped something about "You just can't let me have anything to myself" before storming away. It bothered Cass too much to let go, though. She felt like she had run out of options. Without thinking it through, Cass approached their parents and explained the situation, hoping to gather their support-- yet in her determination to save Allison from a bad relationship (and possible criminal activity), she outed her twin to their family without realizing until it was too late. Their parents went into an uproar and threatened to disown Allison unless she recanted her orientation. Horrified and outraged by their reaction, Cass screamed out her own orientation and raced after her twin, who had fled the house violently trembling. By then it was too late; Allison's words were venom, and she made it thoroughly clear that she wanted nothing else to do with Cassandra.

Cass was hollowed after that. She spent the night in the forest outside of their hometown, curled up on the grass while her Pokémon dozed in their Poké Balls nearby. She didn't cry. She was too empty to conjure tears. When a strange shadow approached, Cass barely registered its presence. There was something about a game, about a wish. Instead of paying attention, she was half-dreaming about her childhood, back when the world made sense and her soul was whole. Yet the mention of a wish drew her from her fantasies. The shadow asked her about her greatest desire, and to what lengths she would go to achieve it. Cass didn't even skip a beat as she blurted, "I'd do anything to have my sister back!" The forest around her faded into an abyss of nothingness in response. Though she couldn't see the figure, its voice floated through her, filling her head with rules and details that both frightened and intrigued her. But she envisioned her wish, her desire, and nothing else mattered-- with sudden ferocity, she accepted the challenge and fainted.

The first thing she realized, in her next conscious moment, was that someone else was pressed close to her. Cass awoke snuggled against the backside of some random lady, who, incidentally, had also passed out in the middle of a forest. A few moments later the stranger stirred. Cass, in all of her unbridled curiosity, leaned closer to get a better look at the stranger's face...and her eyes snapped open in the same split second. This startled the unknown woman enough that a bright flash momentarily disoriented Cass (as she had been quite close), and suddenly a black and white striped horse-creature was staring down at her, aghast. *This* then surprised Cassandra enough that the light returned and within seconds she found herself on four legs and tongues of fire flickering out from between her newly-massive jaws.

Needless to say, it took them a little while to calm down and sort out what happened. Both of them agreed to stick together, as neither was particularly keen on figuring out what was going on on their own, with the idea of tracking down the 'Helix' business and getting their memories restored. Currently, they have been traveling for three days in the game.

## Personality

Cassandra, unlike her sister, is a very animated person. Her expressions vary greatly depending on her mood, and thus make her easily readable by others. A happy Cassandra is typically very gregarious and warm-hearted. She is open to new friendships and exploring the unknown as if her curiosity were an insatiable beast, though her nearly non-existent foresight often leads her into trouble. While she is capable of being patient, Cass prefers action of some sort and quickly becomes restless in stagnant situations. Angry Cass is incredibly hotheaded and easily provoked, but she can never hold grudges for long and can be won over with humor or sweet talk. She enjoys the company of just about anyone she meets. Her welcoming demeanor seems to attract children, which she doesn't mind as she possesses a strong maternal instinct that can be triggered by her desire to be close to and protect others. Cass is the optimist of the twins.

## Team

### Dagaz

Dagaz is a male shiny Fennekin. He has a Timid nature, the ability Blaze, and the moves Psyshock, Flamethrower, Hypnosis, and Flame Charge.

## Trivia

* She discovered a small, child-sized backpack at an old camping site they happened across. A berry juice was inside, but Cass drank it shortly after its discovery (much to the disgust of her companion).