Kit Trist

**Kit Trist** is a primary protagonist in SELF/LESS. She lives in the Underground and belongs to Clan Ember.

## Appearance

Kit's appearance changes throughout SELF/LESS, but she is primarily noted for her bright bubblegum-pink hair. She often is seen wearing a caramel, fur-lined coat. She wears a black belted tank top and dark red jeans. Her nails are long and pink, the same shade as her hair. She also wears black boots. Covering Kit's arms are black tattooed swirls, covering scars given to her by Paula.

Kit is shown to be fashionable and trendy, often remarking on things as 'cute'. This goes onto her clothing, where, despite the limits of living in the Underground, she makes do with.

## Personality

Kit is lively and bouncy, and hates limitations and rules. She is easily excited and has mood swings, often jumping to conclusions. She grows attached to people very easily, and when she senses that they're trying to push her away, she enters defense mode and pushes them away before they can reach her. Kit is hyperactive and fit, jumping through windows and sneaking through the City during curfew. Despite being pushed away by Teddy, Kit remains loyal to her, trying to keep her safe.

Kit's job in the Underground is a healer, and as such she is equipped with medical knowledge and natural empathy.

## Relationships

### Teddy Veodrum

Kit naturally cares for Teddy, rescuing from Paula and proclaiming her innocence. She delivered Teddy back to her house from the Underground in the night alongside Jamie. Kit is very protective of Teddy, wanting her to herself and announcing that she can't be without Teddy. Jamie explains to Teddy that Kit was very excited about her 'Sunlighter friend' (Teddy). She longs to do things for Teddy and keep her safe, to the point where Teddy finally snaps and tells Kit off for treating her like a child. Despite her fights with Teddy, she remains loyal to her, determined to have her as the leader of Clan Ember.

### Jamie Guise

Jamie and Kit have known each other since Jamie was seven and Kit was five. Kit has tried to push Jamie away from her numerous times, but Jamie held on, and Kit finally gave up, admitting that she needed him around. They have a very close friendship, and Teddy suspects they are more than friends. Kit is extremely distraught when Jamie is killed, and blames Teddy for it. However, she revokes this later.

### Paula

Kit sees Paula as a mother figure after Paula 'adopted' her and allowed her into Clan Ember. Kit is very protective of her despite what Paula has done to her. Kit brushes this away, focusing so much on Paula's scarce positive qualities she blinds herself with adoration. Her tattoos, however, conceal scars Paula has gifted her with, when Kit had to prove that she was worthy to be allowed into Paula's inner circle. Kit snaps at Jamie and Teddy when they suspect Paula of trying to destroy the Underground. When this is later proven to be true, Kit apologises profusely, cries a lot into Teddy, and turns against Paula with tears in her eyes.

### Kit's Mother

Ms Trist is Kit's biological mother. She fled to the Underground after the City Council deemed her as 'infected'. Kit's mother became sick when she was pregnant with Kit and died when Kit was very young.

### Leelo Trist

Leelo is Kit's cousin. Though Kit trusts her and wants to defend her, Leelo is somewhat shallow and exploits her and Teddy's plans to Michelle in Clan Gaia. Despite this, Kit chooses to trust her and prompts Teddy to do the same. She is angry when Teddy sees through Leelo's shade and refuses to allow her to pick up truckloads from Sympathisers.

### Zelda Moon

Zelda and Kit are described by Jamie to have a "love-hate relationship". Overall, she and Kit are friends, and Zelda is another whom Kit has tried to push away in the past but had failed. Both she and Kit support Teddy in part/two of SELF/LESS.

## Appearances

**WARNING: This paragraph contains SPOILERS.**

Kit Trist first appears in SELF/LESS. Teddy follows her after curfew, intriguied by the sight of Kit's pink hair, and is captured by Paula, who believes her to be a spy from an enemy clan in the Underground. Seeing Teddy's wounds and abuse, Kit vouches for her, knowing that Teddy couldn't possibly be a spy because she was so bad at stealth. Kit is called for medical duties, however she also frees Teddy afterwards, delivering her, unconscious, back to her home in the City. When Teddy wakes up, Kit vaguely explains the situation, glossing over the information about the Underground. She tends to Teddy's wounds, giving her stitches in her shoulder and bandaging her up. Teddy is concerned that Kit will be found out as 'infected' and offers her one of her old school dresses and a hat to conceal Kit's indentity. Kit exits out the window, calling Teddy a friend over her shoulder.

Kit visits her again later and this time earns herself a tour of Teddy's kitchen, scarfing at the food. She explains a little more about the situation to Teddy and how the Underground works. Kit elaborates on the work of being a healer, and describes the crisis that the Symphathisers, 'infected' citizens in disguise in the City, are dropping less and less supplies, leaving the Underground cold, hungry and violent. In sympathy, Teddy gifts her with a scarf for the winter. Kit declares it to be a 'rag' and that it's ugly, but she thanks Teddy anyway and takes it.

Later, Kit leaves a note in Teddy's bedroom, telling her to meet her in the City warehouse at midnight 'tomorrow' (the day after Teddy's Partnership). After Teddy is Partnered with Jamie, she meets Kit and Jamie and flies into a rage, furious about being set up for her Partnership. Teddy and Jamie accuse Paula for the suspicious lack of supplies given by the Symphathisers. Kit is furious and shouts at them, storming off.

Kit runs off on a watch to collect the next truckload of items delivered by the Symphathisers. Unknown to her, Teddy and Jamie unearth Paula's plan to flushout the Underground in order to be allowed back to the surface by the City Council without being Sanitised. The pair witness Link, Paula's right-hand man, and a group of corrupted City guards murder Maree, a Symphathiser. They rush to warn Kit on her watch. She is at first furious at them, but finally comes to when she hears the story of poor Maree and Link's evil gang murdering her. She apologises profusely for her immature behaviour and has to admit that Paula has betrayed her and the whole Underground. This knowledge breaks Kit, who has always seen Paula as a protective figure and a role model.

Teddy notices a figure heading for Mrs Lowry's house and reognises it as that of her mother's, who is revealed to be 'infected' and a Sympathiser. Mrs Lowry and Luana Veodrum are ready to drop off materials for the Underground, unbeknowing of them being taken - or stolen. Kit, Teddy, Jamie and Mrs Veodrum hide in a secret compartment build inside the staircase. They eavesdrop on Link and Paula, along with the captain of the Sanitisation Crew, listening to their footsteps. Kit listens to Paula's harsh voice and her plan to drive out and kill the thousands of residents in the Underground in order to get back to the surface without facing any consequences. She hears Paula call her useless and unreliable for 'not being on watch'.

Teddy comes up with the idea of having the real Sanitisation Crew arrest and Sanitise Paula by lying that Mrs Veodrum (Luana) caught her daughter ("Paula") painting in secret. The plan relies on the Crew not looking twice at Paula and taking her away, deleting all information on Teddy Veodrum before they realise that it was Paula and not Teddy. Teddy agrees, and her mother goes to call the real crew after Link and the corrupted guards have left. The plan works and Paula is taken away by the Sanitisation crew.

Kit then argues that it's clan law for the one who defeated the previous leader to become leader themselves. Teddy protests, not wanting to become Clan Ember's leader without even going Underground (lest her kidnapping, in which she didn't know she *was* Underground), but Kit argues that it's the rule, and since Teddy came up with the plan, Teddy has to be the new leader of Clan Ember.

The Sanitisation Crew offer to get Mrs Veodrum medical support for shock that her "daughter" was 'infected'. She quickly tells Teddy that she will be back soon and leaves with the Sanitisation Crew. Kit and Jamie both assure Teddy that she'll be an amazing leader of the Underground's Clan Ember, especially with her knowledge of Metropolis City.

Underground, Kit introduces Teddy to things such as dancing and artwork. She defends Teddy from those who believe her to be 'Sunlight scum' and introduces her to several people of the Underground - Zelda, Mark, Rita.

TBA

## Trivia

* Kit is shown to never have had chips before, and grows a loving for salt and vinegar chips.
* Kit appears in the artwork for QUEEN OF THE FREAKS, BLAME IT ON THE KIDS and RULES.
	+ In the artwork for QUEEN OF THE FREAKS, Teddy stands alongside Kit and Zelda.
	+ In the artwork for BLAME IT ON THE KIDS, Kit is shown lounging in a shopping trolley, smoking despite never being described to do so in the book(s).