x____________{ Alice }
Alice isn't what people think of when they think of the word 'beautiful', nor is she exactly what springs to mind at the thought of criminals. She is, in point of fact, plain and rather forgettable. Her hair is an average medium brown, falling several inches past her shoulders, with the barest hint of a wave to it. Her eyes are dark brown, with neither inner warmth nor the hard ice often associated with street life. Her skin is far from perfect, with a rough tan, thick calluses, and a modest collection of scarring. She stands only five feet, four inches tall, and is neither thin nor fat. Her voice is pleasant enough, and she speaks properly, shunning slang as often as possible.
When it comes to clothing, Alice adores jewelry, and is rarely seen not dripping necklaces and rings. She prefers subdued colors in flamboyant cuts when in the comfort of her own territory, but alway dresses down when working. She isn't much for skirts or dresses of any kind, and will only wear high heels if she feels she needs to make an impression on someone.
Notably, Alice is hardly ever without a sweater or coat of some kind. She hates cold, and so dresses as warmly as possible at all times. She's psychologically incapable of wearing shorts and tank tops, opting instead for jeans and long sleeves. All in all, she projects a feeling of well-to-do middle class, with perhaps a touch of powerful family backing.
_____________________________
Beneath her very civilized exterior, however, Alice is everything a ruler of the streets must be to survive. She is hard, ruthless, and cold. There is nothing she will not do to secure her position, wealth, and safety. She refuses to be cowed, since fear is a sign of weakness someone in her position cannot afford. She can and has killed in cold blood, even preemptively, and her reputation for being inhumanly cruel to those who 'poach' on her territory is well-deserved and only barely exaggerated.
Oddly, though she treats them harshly at times and rarely shows them any kind of affection or approval, Alice cares deeply for her children. Anything she would do to protect herself, she would also do to protect even the least of her children. She understands - in fact, embraces - human weakness and fallibility, and will go out of her way to take care of her gang, even if there's no benefit in it for her.
Alice's 'family' is one of the few gangs that allows members to leave freely. The true measure of the loyalty Alice can inspire is evident in that most if not all of those who leave the ranks of the gang still maintain contact with her, and often lend her assistance in any way they can.
_____________________________
Given Alice's background, it's not hard to see why she has such a deep understanding of her subordinates. Born and raised on the streets, Alice became a student of crime at the age of seven, immediately after her mother's death. Having never known a better life, she sought out and joined a gang, working her way from package girl to a high-ranking confidant to the gang leader.
When he died, she was claimed by another gang, and came to hate that gang bitterly. The first 'family' to take her in had been much like a crude prototype of the one Alice herself would eventually head, but this one was nothing more than a motley collection of thugs and thieves. Using that anger, Alice clawed her way up in the ranks, eventually taking over by killing the leader.
Using her newfound wealth, network, and connections, Alice began a ruthless overhaul of the gang, killing a great many of the original members. It wasn't long before she was down to a tiny support base of loyal members, and she began recruiting. Street orphans, whores, small time drug runners and arms dealers, anyone on the streets with the brains to see that Alice was their only hope- she brought them all in. As her gang swelled, she began expanding her territory, until it became what it is today: a criminal empire built almost entire of those owing personal loyalty to Alice. Even other, much larger and older gangs are afraid to challenge her, for not many can truthfully claim the smallest and newest of their gang would gladly take a bullet for them.
x__________{ Perenor }
If Alice most resembles a middle class housewife, then Perenor most resembles a farmer. Lean, rangy, and about six feet tall, Perenor sports a head of short, sandy hair and warm hazel eyes that sparkle when he smiles. He moves with grace and deliberation, not an ounce of energy wasted, and he certainly has the whipcord muscle to have spent his life working the land.
Even his clothing tends to further the impression, being mostly old, worn, and commonplace. He never wears anything fancy or flashy, and his clothes are always functional. He never carries a weapon openly, and anyone who might later remember seeing him will usually dismiss the idea he was in any way dangerous.
When he's working, however, Perenor transforms into a completely different person. It's like spotting his target flips a switch in his brain and shuts off his humanity. At these times, he resembles a demon. His movements are quick, precise, efficient, and chillingly devoid of emotion.
_____________________________________
Perenor is capable of killing anyone. Wealth, political power, social standing, bodyguards, all of this mean nothing to him; all he cares about is completing his job. He'd literally rather die than fail. He has a reputation for always getting his target, no matter what it does to him, and it's generally accepted that nothing can get him to give up his employer. This enables him to live quite comfortably and safely as freelance contract killer, independant of any gang or syndicate.
While between hits, Perenor tends to come as close to a complete state of rest as possible. He can come off as lazy, since he almost never leaves his safehouse at these times, although he takes care to never let himself get the least bit out of shape. Like a whore, Perenor's body is his lifeblood; anything less than perfection will likely get him killed.
Perenor is a fairly methodical person, highly intelligent and adaptable, but predicatably enough, he'd terrible at dealing with people. If he's not killing someone, he has no real idea of how to act. He has an odd moral code that compells him to play hero. If someone isn't a target or doesn't get between him and a target, then he will protect that person, if at all possible and from any threat. He's come close to being caught more than once that way.
_____________________________________
Perenor is the son of a street whore and a drug dealer. Despite his parents' professions, the three were a very loving little family, and their home was a happy one.
Perenor was fourteen years old when the world suddenly and violently intruded on his life. A rival drug deal set fire to their grimy little apartment, killing his parents and nearly killing Perenor as well. His hate for the arsonist enabled him to survive the long, painful process of recovering from his extensive injuries. Further, it drove him to find a mentor, someone willing to teach him the fine art of assassination, and eventually got his revenge.
With his parents' killer dead, Perenor suddenly lacked a focus in life. Unable to find anything he wanted, he settled for perfecting his skill as an assassin. It wasn't long before that became his end-all and be-all. He's become so caught up in becoming the best contract killer in known space that he no longer wants or needs a different goal. His one dream is to finally find a target capable of besting him, because he can't think of a better way to die.
x__________{ Nana Dark-eyes }
Nana is the essence of a free spirit. She's small, thin, almost delicate-looking, with large blue eyes and head full of long, gloriously brown hair. She has rough good looks, a stubborn little chin, and an adorable pout that could get her almost anything, if she only knew how to use it. Her smile is wide and friendly, and she never seems to stop talking or moving, just like she never seems to sleep.
Nana wears mostly tight leather pants and low-cut shirts, not because others find it attractive, but because she finds it comfortable. Her preferred footwear is boots with thick soles and wide heels, and she'll never wear black if something brighter is available. The most notable part of her wardrobe, though, is the number of bags she carries. The large backpack contains her clothing and any breakable merchandise she happens to be carrying. The shoulder bag contains her personal items, her valuables, and the really rare items she has for sale. Everything else, she keeps in the bags hung from her belt. She looks like the walking curio shop she is.
_____________________________________
Nana is a friendly person. She'll always give someone a chance, and if they blow it, no worries; she gives second, third, fourth, and fifth chances, too. She'd be a natural mark, if she didn't also attract people who want to protect the naive brunette rather than exploit her.
Nana loves to be around people, but she becomes bored seeing the same faces after a while, so she's always on the move. She makes her living selling jewelry, knick-knacks, assorted daggers and knives, and the occasional antique. She likes chatting, and never passes up the opportunity to talk to someone who seems friendly.
Aside from people, Nana's greatest love is music. If she has no one to talk to, she'll sing. She also dances, because, as she puts it, "Dancing is just singing with your body instead of your voice." She also love animals, and often wishes she had a pet to take on her travels with her, but she's yet to find an animal hardy enough to endure the trip.
_____________________________________
Nana was born the youngest of three, with two older brothers. Her family encouraged her free spirit during her childhood, and always supported her dream to see the worlds. From a very young age, she showed a shrewd business sense and a deft hand for haggling and pitching, so her family got together and convinced her the best way to fulfill her dream was to become a vendor.
She did just that, becoming one of the best vendors on Titan, and managed to get together enough merchandise and money to move on to the next stop. She stopped, sold her wares, found new items to sell, and moved on again, thus setting the pattern of her life for the foreseeable future. She loves her vagabond lifestyle, and wouldn't trade it for anything.
