Theo Blanche

## Basic Information

Theodore Blanche is one of the two love interests in the story *The Queen of Freaks*, falling in love with Princess Evanna Reign and helping her fulfil her purpose in *The Lightbringers* series.

In the *Episode Interactive* version of *The Queen of Freaks*, the reader has the ability to customise Theo's name and physical appearance. However, according to the novel in the works, he has brown hair, blue eyes and his good looks are characterised by a "boyish charm". He is also very tall and lean, standing at 6"3.

## History

Before being admitted to St Angela Merici's Academy, Theo believed that he was simply a totally average human being. He grew up in a loving family with his younger sister, Jeanie, who he was fiercely protective of. However, their family was never particularly rich, and Theo notes in *The Queen of Freaks* that he was forced to learn martial arts and self-defence in order to survive in the rough part of London where he lived.

### Family History

Theo's family had owned a small music cafe in London from the year 2014. They had gained significant acclaim as a fun, quirky little cafe which served great tea and coffee, and held eclectic open mic nights every day of the week. However, the family lost their cafe and their home above it during the Freak-Human War and were left penniless, homeless and hopeless before Theo's birth in 2188. His grandparents, James and Rosaline Blanche, roamed London and the surrounding area until they finally settled in Cheshunt, England and had their son, Valour. The family worked in retail but refused to give up their love for good music, tea and company, often holding small nights in their own home with their close friends. As such, Theo was encouraged to pursue music from a young age and gained a passion for the guitar. Theo can also sing very well, but he is extremely self-conscious about his singing abilities and refuses to show them off to people if he is not completely comfortable with them.

Theo's parents, Valour Blanche and Amilie Tone, met at secondary school and formed a very close friendship, being completely inseparable and confiding in one another. Amilie's mother, Moira Tone, was a single mother who refused to mention Amilie's biological father, save for calling him a "bad, bad man" and stating that she was a "stupid, impressionable girl with far too much trust and unrealistic dreams". Therefore, Moira warned Amilie against pursuing a romantic relationship with "the men who say all the right things" - advice which she refused to take as she dated notorious bad-boy and womaniser, Harry Cuffer, at school. Valour, secretly in love with his best friend, found himself deeply upset by this relationship and began distancing himself from Amilie in an attempt to hide his feelings. It would take years before the two began getting closer once more when they met accidentally at a bar in Cheshunt. Valour eventually confessed that he had secretly loved Amilie at school, and the two eventually decide to give dating a shot. They married two years later and remained deeply in love throughout Theo's childhood.

After Valour's boss's daughter is discovered to be in possession of Supernatural abilities, he decides to close his shop, leaving Valour unemployed with two children. Theo's grandmother Moira had died two years prior, with her house going to the state, and Amilie had inherited very little money from her. Therefore, at the age of seven, Theo is uprooted from his quiet life in Cheshunt and forced to move into London, interestingly on the same street as the old Blanche cafe (unbeknownst to Valour and Amilie). The bomb which destroyed the cafe had also turned the once-bustling area into an economic wasteland inhabited by criminals and the most desperate migrants from elsewhere in Britain. Theo was forced to protect his sister and himself, keeping alert during the most simple of times, such as walking to school. Despite living in a criminal hub, he was extremely popular in school due to his warm, open nature and his insistence on helping everyone around him. Despite this, though, the family attempted to maintain their moral codes of helping anyone in need and maintaining a friendly, loving household. This experience helped Theo to make the best of all situations, remain positive and attempt to help anyone even when sent to St Angela Merici's Academy.

Theo's mother taught him to cook from a young age, stating that it was one of the most important skills a child could learn. He also attempted to aid his parents whenever possible, mowing lawn for money, babysitting Jeanie for extended periods of time whilst his parents went job searching, and waking up early t do a paper round, giving whatever little change he earned to Valour and Amilie. Due to the family's sudden poverty, Theo was often forced to find new and inventive ways of cooking, cleaning and generally surviving during the times when the electricity or the water were cut off. Theo managed to stay positive during these experiences, spending time entertaining Jeanie and turning these experiences into fun games for her. Valour noted often that Theo's positive nature and ability to bounce back kept the family together during the most difficult times. Valour and Amilie's friends would comment regularly on Theo's warm smile and politeness, being pleasantly surprised that a child experiencing such an uprooting could manage to continue being a light, bubbly person.

### School Life

Theo thrived in school, particularly loving music and mathematics and generally working hard to do well throughout his school career. His least favourite subject was Art, which he found extremely frustrating, stating that he couldn't seem to "get the thing [he] was imagining down onto paper". As well as generally being an all-rounder in terms of academic affairs, he was also very talented at sports, despite his lack of interest in pursuing them, with his height causing his P.E teacher to seek him out for the school basketball team. As well as this, Theo was keen to improve the school, planning many fundraising activities throughout his school years in order to refurbish the gym and get the equipment needed to clean out the pool. Theo also dated two girls during his school years: Jennifer Owen and Jayshree Bhatt - both of whom he remained good friends with after breaking up. As such, Theo was greatly missed when he was sent to St Angela Merici's.