Hayden Sterling

Hayden Sterling is a seventeen year old Norse demigod child of Loki and Samuel Sterling. They came to camp at fifteen years old

## Basic Stuff

### Alias

HayHay, Haylo, Haydo, Denny, Den, Loki, Cheetah Kid, Person Who is the Child of Some Parent

### Residence

Camp Olympia (Currently)Boston, Massachusetts (Formerly)

## Family

### Adoptive/Step Family

Mrs. Sterling (step-mother)Unnamed step-siblings

### Biological Family

* Loki (immortal parent)
* Samuel (Father)
* Sigyn (maternal step-mother)
* Helblindi and Býleistr (Uncles)
* Narfi, Vali, Jǫrmungandr, Hel, Fenrir, and Sleipnir (Half-siblings)

## Appearance

### Outfit

* Normally very fashily and flamboyantly (mainly purple and green)
* Purple-and-green argyle sweater vest
* White shirt
* Skinny lime green jeans
* Battered lilac high-tops
* Cashmere sweater

(PS! Hayden's story is based on Alex Fierro's back story)

## History

### Early Life

Hayden Sterling was born to Loki, God of Mischief, Artifice, Magic, Fire, Lies, Serpents and Stories, and Samuel Sterling, a mortal man in Boston, Massachusetts on August 28, 2004. The Sterling family is influential, which was what first attracted Loki's attention, causing the trickster to seduce Hayden's father, a married businessman, in the form of a "voluptuous red-head" and tricked him into having an affair with the trickster in his female form. Nine months later, Loki returned to Hayden's dad's doorstep and left him with their child. The family didn't take the news well, especially after Loki permanently lifted the Mist from their eyes.

### Childhood

Hayden lived in a three story mansion in either Lexington or Salem. White painted columns were at the entrance, and honeysuckle bushes were planted in the front yard. There was also a porch, and an American flag rippled on the porch. Hayden spent their life being resented for both their Norse heritage and their own birth. They would be bullied, both verbally and physically, by their classmates and berated by their father while their mortal step-mother did nothing to prevent this domestic abuse. Their parents resented them and thought they were embarrassing, and their stepmother was not happy to have them there. They told Hayden that Loki put ideas in their head and corrupted them, blaming them for being gender fluid (though it wasn’t their fault, they realized they were Gender fluid at seven). Their family was rich, but they didn't care about feelings and only a child and heir. Hayden had other siblings, but their relationship was unknown, but their father thought of them as his "real" children. He also thought Hayden's pottery was garbage and said they had so much potential, and wanted them to be normal in his twisted way.

They were very close to their Abuelo, an immigrant from Mexico, and he taught them pottery. He told them about old Mexican myths and legends, and talked to them about their heritage, saying how their family had been making pottery for centuries, before the Aztecs. His grandfather supported who they were as gender fluid and honored it, telling them about duality people with two faces, two aspects for each gender. They and their grandfather also discussed ancestors sculptures, because their grandfather wanted them to understand it and reclaim Hayden's heritage. This infuriated their father, saying that he was putting ideas in their head, and hated that he was finding validation from their family. Hayden hated their father's pottery business, and called it crap, since it was machine made and not done the old way like their Abuelo. The company was big when Hayden was around six, after their father took over and their Abuelo died, their father made machine made silverware and home goods. Because of this, their father tried to make Hayden into a businessperson, grooming them to take over the company, discrediting their Abuelo's ideas, and destroying their art, but Hayden didn't let him. He didn't understand why Hayden didn't want to make money off of pottery and hated when they listened to their Abuelo's legends. He made millions and it was a big name, until they realized the quality was going downhill and it became unpopular.

They were involved in a pottery studio at Brookline Village one point and went camping with the kids there often, going away in the mountains to "get away". It was the only consistent place for them, and the owners let them crash there when things got bad at home. Hayden tried making a pottery man, but it failed. As for Loki, he would show up and try to "parent" them. One day, Loki showed up at the pottery studio. Loki tried to impress them and show them how much Loki could do for them. Loki taught Hayden an enchantment that could turn anything into a weapon. they didn't want the satisfaction of Loki helping them, so they used the spell on the stupidest thing they could think of: A clay cutter. they didn't think it could be a weapon, but it turned into their signature wire. When they were ten years old, Hayden was beat up by a group of teenagers and was kicked, calling them a freak. Hayden was too terrified to shape shift and curled up into a ball.

### Disowned by Family and Life on the Streets

When Hayden was fourteen, about a year before coming to camp, Hayden became homeless when their father threw them down the stairs of the house in the front yard, and threw a sculpture Hayden, which had two faces. Their father told Hayden that he just wanted them to be normal, and Hayden insisted they were. Their father then said they would have no more help and no more money, which Hayden rejected. Their father said they had so much potential, since they understood the craft as much as their Abuelo, and mocked their appearance, spitting on the steps. Hayden corrected their father and said it was an art, not craft, and their father looked disgusted, and said their sculpture wasn't art, it was trash. They both waited for the other to apologize, but their father shook his head in dismay and slammed the door, disowning them. At some point in life, they lived in a youth shelter on Winter Street in Boston, at roughly the same time when Madeline had become homeless. They remember hating the place. Also during this time, Hayden befriended a boy named Adrian, but he would end up killing himself. Hayden was often beat up in homeless shelters, they would occasionally steal from their family.

### Coming to Camp

When Hayden was fifteen, they met another demigod by the name of Madeline Mendoza. They became good friends, and Hayden was shocked to hear that Madeline accepted them for being gender fluid. The two traveled together for the most part, taking pictures of their "adventures". One day, the two of them were given a message (sent by Hermóðr from Frey) for Madeline to get to camp at fast, and she was given a map. Hayden also went, not wanting to be left alone. The two fifteen year olds traveled by feet, occasionally hopping busses to avoid any monsters that wanted to attack them. After a few weeks of traveling from State to State, the two made it to California. Madeline, using her survival skills, lead herself and Hayden to camp. The two made it in one piece and met Zoe Potvin, who explained everything about the gods. Hayden was awkward and distrusting around some of the other campers, but later became friends with some of them. They were late claimed by Loki

## Personality

Hayden Sterling was extremely aggressive and volatile when they first came to school and threatened to kill people. They lashed out at everyone in the school, including Madeline, and didn’t trust her or the others. However, deep down, Hayden was severely traumatized from everything that happened to them in the past and was angry at their parents for sending them to school. They eventually learned to trust Madeline and their friends. Unlike most of the demigods, Hayden is obsessed with change and is proud of their shape-shifting powers because they can change. Hayden has a tattoo of a snake on their neck, which symbolizes change. Hayden tends to act differently from one moment to the next with no particular motivation, especially toward Madeline. Going from a normal teasing friend to very flirty. Hayden also wears a lot of outfits. Their feelings towards someone can change very quickly, like Juniper, when they went from hating her to valuing her as a friend. Hayden likes to tease people, especially Damian for being the shortest in the group, and Madeline. Hayden teases Maddy a lot and cuts her hair with a garrotté wire many times. However, Hayden shows empathy sometimes, truly cares about their friends and takes great risks for them. Hayden can also be very angry and tends to throw things at people when mad. Hayden tends to hide their feelings from other people and does not talk about their past readily. They didn’t want Melody to heal them after they cut themself because they didn’t want her to see what they had been through. After Melody saw their painful memories, she was nearly reduced to tears. They also never told her about their nightmares of Loki. Hayden and Melody talk about their pasts and soon become very good friends. Hayden likes fashion and pottery. They like stealing things and playing pranks on their friends'. Hayden loves being themself, and hates when people don’t accept them for being gender fluid, after all of the bullying and abuse they were subjected to because of that. They hate when people don’t respect their pronouns or call her an *argr*, and has lectured people about that term. Hayden views themself as the same as everyone else, as they told their father in their last conversation, but likes to flaunt their weirdness. Their Abuelo also taught them to be proud of their Mexican heritage.

### Fatal flaw

Hayden's fatal flaw is wrath. They tend to let their anger get the best of them and cloud their other views. They also tend to lash out at people and let their anger build up on the inside.

## Appearance

Hayden is a seventeen-year-old of Mexican-American descent. They are petite, with sharp and beautiful facial features and the same sly grin as the god of lies. They have heterochromia, with one dark brown and one pale green eye, and their hair is dark at the roots but dyed green. Hayden dresses rather flashily and flamboyantly, primarily in purple and green. They wear a purple-and-green argyle sweater vest over a white tee, skinny lime green jeans, and battered lilac high-tops. Tied around their waist like a kilt is a cashmere sweater, which conceals a garrote wire and a hunting knife tucked behind a belt

## Powers and Abilities

### Loki Kid Powers

* They are able to change their gender at will along with being able to fully shape-shift
* They can read body language.
* They able to out think their opponents in combat and are always a few moves ahead.
* They can shape shift into any animal they choose.
* They can talk to snakes and other reptiles.
* As their father is the God of Lies, Hayden instinctively knows when someone is lying or is about to tell a lie
* They are immune to all poisons, venom and toxins.
* They have enhanced strength.
* They can Lucid dream and can control the dream.
* They can talk to horses and charm speak.
* They have magical abilities, equal to that of children of Hecate
* They have manipulation and control of fire
* They can sense when monsters are around.
* They can talk themselves out of any nearly any situation as they are considered silver tongued

### General Abilities

* ADHD: Like most demigods, they possess inborn supernatural battle reflexes and senses that they use to analyze the fighting style of their opponent.
* Dyslexia: Hayden's brain is "hard-wired" for divine Ancient Norse Runes instead of mortal languages.
* Pottery: In their room, Hayden has a pottery wheel, which they use to make clay vases. Each of their creations has symbols related to their friends or their immortal parent
* Camping skills: Hayden had spent many weekends with the kids at their pottery studio as a kid, camping in the woods as a way of getting away. These skills are often displayed during quests
* Fighting skills: Hayden is known to be a very good fighter
* Swordsmanship: Hayden is really good with a sword
* Superhuman durability: As a demigod, Hayden is more durable than a regular human being
* Superhuman strength: As a demigod, Hayden is much stronger than the average mortal
* Superhuman Reflexes: As a demigod, Hayden reflexes are greater than the average mortal
* Superhuman Agility: As a demigod, Hayden is more agile than the average mortal

## Relationships

### Friends

#### Madeline Mendoza

Maddy and Hayden are known to be good friends. They both share the fact they Norse Demigods and Maddy likes watching Hayden make pottery. They both like talking about famous people drama and hang out a lot

### Family

#### Loki (Immortal parent)

Loki, the God of Mischief, is Hayden's immortal parent. He had an affair with Hayden's father and told their family about the Nine Worlds. He has had contact with Hayden through their life and taught them how to make a weapon out of anything. When he recognized Hayden while wandering through Boston, he tried to kill them by causing a monster to come an attack them, this attempt failed and Hayden escaped. Loki warns his child to stay away from the family and tries to kill Hayden during their claiming ceremony. However, Hayden managed to resist him. Hayden doesn't like their immortal parent at all, and admitted that they didn't like him very much when they were finally claimed and continues to resent him

#### Samuel (Father)

Hayden was born out of an affair between their father and Loki. After Loki opened their eyes to the nine worlds they were never the same again. Hayden was abused by their father throughout their childhood for being a demigod , and no one did anything to stop it. Samuel also hated that his father accepted them. Samuel abused them emotionally (and implied physically) so badly that Hayden would have to escape to their Abuelo’s house. The two look alike, with Hayden having their father's petite build. He also resented Hayden for not wanting to take over the family business, and calling their pottery trash. When Hayden was taken in by Zoe at thirteen, they continued to have nightmare to nightmares about him.

## Etymology

The name Hayden can mean **“of the hay fields”** or **“fire.”**

Sterling is an English surname. One source attributes this surname to **a contraction of Easterling, "a name given to Hanse merchants" and nothing more than a compass point-associated name**.

## Trivia

1. Hayden identifies as Gender-fluid and Asexual
2. Hayden is 5'5
3. Hayden's favorite food is pizza
4. Hayden is based on Alex Fierro from The Magnus Chase series
5. Hayden is able to create stories on the spot with only a few words given to them
6. Hayden doesn't mind it when people use he/him or she/her pronouns for them, but prefers they/them for simplicity
7. Because of their father, Hayden hates anything related to snakes
8. Hayden's name can mean fire, and Loki is known as a fire deity