Profile of Melinoe

"The worse they are the better they taste."
It's clear from a glance that Melinoe drew the short straw in life. She's broken more bones than she's got in brain cells and her body is scabbed and scarred in places to the point her fur has given up trying to grow back. Still, she's got her mother's supple legs and allure, especially in the face. One could assume her father was large since she's inherited that bulk.

Most of her fur is a combination of rich coffee browns, mochas, and creams. The exception is an off-patch of white across one side of her face. Her eyes are split like that too, one in light blue and the other brown. She's scruffy-looking but that just adds to her charm.

"You don't get to live a bad life and have good things happen to you."
Melinoe respects power but not necessarily order. She doesn't give a fuck and she makes that apparently clear. She finds indifference in all political alignments and while she dislikes the Imperial Army and Nobility, she knows that it's best to cooperate with the upper crust. Bribe a guard here, take on a dirty job there, spend a night or three with a lord's daughter... the list goes on. She won't shed a tear for them, but she knows it's in her best interest to let enough well alone.

There's a glamour and seduction to street life. Though she may find some of the work distasteful, she has since gone above and beyond the job description. Conflicted but accepting of her own violent nature. Ultimately, Melinoe knows that she's to blame for her family's deaths. Her crimes do weigh on her, and so when something awful happens to her, she sees it as retribution.

She finds enjoyment in many of the distractions the streets offer; But mostly in the organized fights and brothels. She's very taken with the brothel girls and rarely comes without gifts for her favorites. She's also surprisingly protective (and on occasion possessive). Despite this, she struggles with commitment, especially due to her line of work. Melinoe understands that anyone she's close to may also find themselves in danger because of her.

TW: dark themes, implications of sexual assault, gore

» Melinoe grew up in Sussex under a different name. She was born to one of the prostitutes there, who had previously attempted to abort them. After this, her mother decided to keep her and leave that life behind... Which was easier said than done. Her mother got a job but always seemed to resort back to prostitution to keep food on the table. Before long Melinoe also had a little sister to look after.

» They lived in poverty, exposed to the dirtiest and darkest parts of society. They were lucky to even have a roof over their head and food in their bellies, so education wasn't an option. Pushed around by the Imperial Army, and looked down on by the more fortunate. Melinoe fell in with the local gangs, and while it did help support her family, it also had its consequences. Aside from the beatings, imprisonment, and even being arrested for crimes she didn't commit... It also put her family in harm's way.

» All it took was stealing from the wrong noble. Melinoe returned home to find her mother in a pool of her own blood. Her little sister violated and beaten so badly that she was unrecognizable. The next thing she knew, the crime was pinned on her. The whole town abuzz about how she'd murdered her mother and sister in cold blood. She didn't try to prove her innocence... Who would believe a street rat like her anyway?

» So, she skipped town and adopted a new identity. She swapped out the life of a street thug for something more organized... and dangerous.

» The death of her family greatly impacted her lookout on life. For the longest time, she filled the void with mindless distractions, usually whores and violence. She grieves in her own self-destructive way.