Maeve King

## Synopsis

Though she initially started out as a rose in a sea of rebels, taking up space in Baron Nines' domain, Maeve King eventually found her way over to the Valley. It was slow to start, but her first few months in the valley were tumoltuous. Full of friendships and mistakes and heartbreak, the Toreador's time in the Valley has never been dull and while she's grateful for the community and safety LA has to offer, she's more often than not frustrated with its general inhabitants.

Tragedy struck more than a few times since her arrival on the West Coast, and those events began to weigh heavily on her in both a mental and moral capacity. This, along with a few other incidents, led her down the path of embracing her Sabbat roots. And it's now that's begun calling herself the Shadow Rose--bond mate of the San Gabriel Bishop and force to be reckoned with.

## Important Character Information

* Relatively new Bahari
* Strip Club Owner, though it remains unopened at the moment
	+ The club is named Ophidian
* Former Toreador Speaker
* Killed Francis Byrne (before the timeline shift)
* Comic nerd
* Has a very small fanbase on Instagram and has started a Twitch channel under the same handle, QueenOfK1ngs.
* Has an affinity to most of the performing arts, but she absolutely *cannot*sing
* Described by the Baron himself as "a Toreador with a Brujah paint job"
	+ Is covered in tattoos from the neck down to the tops of her feet
	+ Has multiple piercings in each ear, a septump piercing, and snake bites
* Though she's decent with guns, Maeve's weapon of choice is the blade, and she always carries one called "Thorn"--an obsidian black dagger decorated with an ornate black rose hilt

## Important Relationships

* Jackson "Jax" Redfern -- Bond Mate, fiance, and best friend
* Cole Walker-- Boyfriend
* **Lorelai Reese**-- Sire, whereabouts unkown
* **Anna da Costa** -- Ex-girlfriend, in Atlanta
* **Anthea King** -- Mother, in Atlanta
* **Lyall King** -- Father, Deceased
* **Silas King** -- Older Brother, Deceased
* **Elias King** -- Younger Brother, in South Carolina
* Scott Wilson -- Childe, in South Carolina
* Paisley Agrippa -- Close Friend
* **Adi Kohavi** -- Close Friend

## Backstory

*WARNING!! THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS MENTIONS OF: emotional abuse, substance abuse, self harm and suicide attempts, and gaslighting. Please read with caution.*

It's said that whatever direction the first born child goes, the next will take the opposite, and the could not have possibly been more true than with the King siblings. Maeve Rosalyn King, the middle child of 3, was a rebel from the beginning. Her parents were rich off of old Savannah money passed down through generations and generations. Old Savannah money, despite being relocated to Johns Creek, meant Old Savannah upbringing. Lots of rules, lots of public opinion, lots of class. And while her brothers both seemed to thrive under their parents' manipulative and disciplinarian hands, Maeve struggled. She was labeled the "problem child" and "rebel" and "bad seed". She was ignored and condescended and rejected.

Sometimes, if you can't convince someone you aren't what they think you are, you become it. And so, when she turned eighteen, Maeve took all of her rebellious attitude and her inheritance money, and she ran. Running was always the easy part, it was knowing the destination that was hard. But she settled, for a few years, in Atlanta proper. Used to a certain lifestyle and the cushion of her parent's money, Maeve's irresponsible and rebellious nature got her in trouble. That, paired with a series of serious mental health conditions that had gone unaddressed for the entirety of her young life led her to what can only be described as excess.

She ran through the money faster than should've been possible, blowing it on parties and alcohol and clothes and *​​​​*pointless things. And when it was all gone, she was left at rock bottom with addictions and habits that she could no longer fund. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse--Silas died in a tragic car accident at the ripe age of twenty-one. These were the darkest days of Maeve's entire life. These were the days that she could barely get out of bed, that her self-harm tendencies took a turn for the life-threatening, that she really didn't see a way out. Anna and her cousin Ceasar, did their best to keep her afloat, but there was only so much anyone could do. She was rushed to the hospital at the age of nineteen and sent to rehab a week later.

To say that rehab was a struggle would be an understatement, and to say that her first time was her only time would be a lie. Maeve was in and out of rehab for a number of issues over the course of the next two years, until finally, at the ripe age of 21, she found herself to be... mostly stable. In the years that followed, she was able to graduate college, get a shitty job at an editing company she hated, and find a few creative spaces to express herself. It was there, among the burnouts and the dreamers, that she met Lorelai Reese.

Lorelai was equal parts charming and beautiful, sadistic and manipulative. She took months of time to gain Maeve's favor, bonding over novels and productions and beauty standards. And then, when the moment was right, she posed her deal. Every member of her Garden got the same offer: to die with her blood in their veins and be reborn anew, or to die with their blood in hers. Even if it was a terrible choice--and it really, genuinely was--it was a choice all the same, and Maeve chose a new life. Free of fear of death, of her current responsibilities, of the shame of what she'd put her loved ones through. But as it turns out, neither the Buckhead Garden (the name Lorelai's progeny had taken) nor the Sabbat lifestyle were quite what Maeve wanted. And frankly, Lorelai wasn't what she wanted either.

So, just like when she turned eighteen, Maeve ran. Far and fast and hard. At this point, Maeve was about a year dead and on the run from the scariest woman she'd ever met, so she bounced from state to state, city to city, for a long time. And when she finally reached LA, she found herself under the protection of none other than Nines Rodriguez. Though an odd fit, this was also a good fit, and Maeve flourished in the Los Angeles heat. So she stayed where she was, content to be a flower among daggers, until she got roped into an adventure at the request of one Mr. Victor Temple. Just like that, she was hooked. The Valley hit every one of her needs: scenery, adrenaline, and freedom. Here, among the "all are welcome" policy, she could hide. But as it turned out, hiding had its fair share of drama.

Namely, the same "Bahari bullshit" that Maeve would eventually take on as her own. It was at a Garden Party that everything really began. There, Maeve truly became acquainted with the Valley Kindred that would change her life forever. Maybe it's because the stars aligned as they did. Maybe it's because the Valley draws people together. Maybe, perhaps, it's because the nature of monsters to be intrinsically tied together. But no matter the reason, Maeve found her people.

Since becoming a Valley resident, she's been through hell and back. She's made and lost friends, tripped her way in and out of a few broken coteries, and watched the people she loves most be ripped to shreds. And now, perhaps more than ever, she's setting out to show the world--or at least the Valley--that you should never judge a book by its cover. Pretty faces are just better at getting close enough to stick knives between your ribs.