Viola Steele

**Viola Steele** is one of the main protagonists of Chosen. The leader of the Revolution, Viola works night and day fighting against the Illuminati / Esperanza, the Revolution's sworn enemy. She yearns to destroy them and their shadowy control of the world, so that the world can finally be how it should be (in her eyes): no kings, no queen, no Illuminati. She acts as something of a mentor figure to Brittany and Tiffany.

## Personality

Viola has a lot of byronic traits - atypical for a female character (while female Byronic Heroes aren't unheard of, males are far more common). She is passionate, introspective, melancholy, sensitive, artistically-inclined, goal-oriented, rebellious, and ambitious. Her desire to make her dreams come true surpasses all; she has very little regard for others' philosophies, especially if she feels ideologically opposed to them, and keeps going down her chosen path in the face of resistance, criticism, judgment, and violence - all of which she is more than capable of dishing out herself.

Viola is very intelligent. While not a 'genius'-level intellect, she prides herself on her tactical, sophisticated mind, and has clearly given her goals, dreams, and plans a lot of forethought. Viola is someone who's constantly observing and analyzing the situation around her. Every bit of data matters to her: supply, numbers, health, terrain, weather, ability, visibility, time, intel, weapon condition... everything. Viola has a rapid-fire mind: plans form, shift, fall apart, and consolidate in her mind quickly, almost too quickly. This can make Viola appear somewhat fidgety and nervous. She has a tendency to ramble to herself when her mind simply can't contain all the thoughts in her head. Though Viola has made many tactical errors on her own, she is valued by the Revolution for her sharp mind, and her ability to make something out of disaster. In addition, Viola's ability to change - tactically-speaking, anyway - and her undeniable passion is what makes the Revolution so successful. Rarely does Viola stick to the same strategy unless it's a tried-and-true one; she doesn't want Aralita to ever get the advantage over her, no matter the circumstances.

Viola becomes easily exasperated, tired, and stressed-out. Her crusade against the Illuminati is a troubled one - Aralita rises far above Viola in terms of numbers, influence, money, and equipment, and no doubt this keeps the bubblegum rebel up at night. Viola and Lunesta share a trait where, when they become stress, they become dependent on addictive objects to keep them at bay. Viola used to be able to use music as a means to relax - her musical mind is nowhere near as strong as her tactical mind, but she is very good nonetheless - but with how exorbitantly busy she'd become, she turned to material objects like caffeine and candy to de-stress: soda in particular, compared to Lunesta's constant coffee-nursing. Viola has a variety of tics that pop up now and then: brushing her thumb over her Rosewood, re-adjusting her scarf, rubbing her hands over her forearms, tapping her fingers against her leg in a rhythmic fashion, like a metronome.

Viola is somewhat-easily offended and prone to taunts, due to deep-seated insecurities about her looks and the validity of her status. Morton said he forgot she existed even though she shot him mere minutes ago, which upset Viola considerably, making her storm away from the scene in exasperation. Aralita is a sore spot with Viola - failures against Aralita strike a nerve with Viola. She deeply despises her and has an irrationally broad, black-and-white view on most Esperanzans: barring Prince Halos, Beep-Boop, and (sometimes) Flacara, Viola detests everyone in Illuminati society, viewing them all as corrupt, incorrigible, and privileged, ignorant and careless to the struggles of the common people. This is almost ironic and hypocritical, given that Viola's family and upbringing was within spitting distance from a noble status (albeit a low one). Clearly, Viola tried to leave her past back at home.

While far from a monster, Viola is also noticeably pragmatic and, sometimes, ruthless in battle. She has no qualms about winning by any means necessary. She's used theft, sabotage, blackmail, dishonesty, and suppression to make ends meet or achieve a particular objective. Viola believes the ends justify the means - while it's clear that she often uses this excuse as justification for her more amoral deeds, it's also evident she simply believes that it's the best way to achieve her endgame goals. She'll - reluctantly - work with criminals, mercenaries, or scum of the earth if it means she can achieve something quicker, or more satisfyingly. However, Viola also tries to keep these dealings under wraps, indicating a level of care for her and the Revolution's reputation and identity.

Viola cares, at the end of the day. She cares very much for the well-being of her friends, colleagues, and loved ones. She genuinely wants to change the world for the better. She has moments of motherly and sisterly affection for those around her, in particular Brittany and Tiffany. While Viola feels some spades of guilt and remorse over being responsible for forcing Brittany and Tiffany into a life of war, she convinces herself that they would have been safer and more independent that way. Her relationship with Salia is as thick as blood and oil - it's clear Viola loves her and would defend her to the ends of the earth. She's also shown a deep amount of respect and care for Einar and Lunesta, a level of understanding and friendly ease with Jeremiad, a level of trust and relaxation around Caesar and Sam, and she has got along surprisingly well with the likes of Prince Halos, the Illuminati-raised prince. Virtually nobody questions Viola's authority - while some may, and will, challenge it, the majority believes in her and believes in her quest. And, at the end of the day, she believes in them as well.