Character Name: Cassandra Bailey
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Universe: Star Catchers
Canon or Original: Original

Appearance: Although standing at nearly 6 feet, Cassandra is the shortest in her family - a fact her brothers love to tease her about. She has a rather average build, with well-formed muscles in her arms and legs from all of the labor intensive farm work she's done her whole life. Her skin has seen more than its fair share of sunlight, retaining a tanned complexion that never has a chance to go away. Her hands are cracked and chafed, a layer of dirt under her fingernails that never seems to fully disappear no matter how much she scrubs. She's always sporting various small cuts and bruises in many different parts of her body, concentrated on her arms and legs. Most of the time, she can't even recall the source of them.

Cassandra has straight auburn hair that falls just past her shoulders. When not trying out some new style, Cassandra's hair is often left free and straight, plaited into braids, or pulled back into a half-ponytail.

Her eyes are hazel, a pale kind of brown with hints of green in the right kind of lighting.

When it comes to clothing, Cassandra opts for functionality rather than anything exciting. Clothes are expensive and she tries to treat them with care so that they will last for as long as possible. She's lucky in that she's the single daughter of the family, so she only gets hand-me-downs from her mother, unlike her brothers who all have to share between them. Her outfit generally consists of well-worn leather boots and gloves to keep her feet and hands protected, as well as simple blouses and skirts, covered by an apron with extra pockets sewn in. She sometimes likes to wear a woven wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun out of her eyes.

Personality: Cassandra is a person who hates feeling trapped. An ironic turn of events, considering her family and the life she leads. Despite her desire to go out and see the world, her world consists of farming, home upkeep, meal making, and learning. All within the small village she's lived in her entire life. When she's not at a lesson for her trials, she's at home, pitching in with whatever needs to be done. It's an unending cycle with a predictable path.

The Trials have made it so that she at least can entertain herself with various different crafts and new skills, but it's not enough. Lorham is a small place with a limited amount of people. She knows the patterns of the stars in the night sky, she has memorized the calls of the birds in the trees. She's walked every path, and every path leads back to home.

But she loves her home, with its wobbly front door that never seems to sit right no matter how often its been through repairs, the wide swaths of land full of growing golden hay, the smell of fresh air mixed with all the intricate scents of rich soil. There's love in this home, from the way her brothers tease her with kindness in their eyes, to the way Papa hugs her close and tight when he says goodnight. There's love when Mama bakes something sweet just to cheer her up after a rough day.

Still, Cassandra can't help but to feel uncomfortable, in a way she can't quite explain. This is a good life, a life she cherishes, a life she should want to have for the rest of her life. She should be able to find happiness here, as a farm girl. Cassandra has convinced herself of this her entire life, constantly reaffirming the fact that her family needs her more than she needs to find something else.

She feels selfish about these thoughts of leaving, of wanting to escape from a family and a life that has been nothing but good to her. So Cassandra has learned to be very good at compartmentalizing things into very exacting places, able to switch off from certain things when the need arises. If she gets reminded of her aching need to just explore, to adventure somewhere, to get away from this life of constant repetition and repeated cycles, she can put it into a box in her mind and simply ignore it. She'll focus instead on the fact that Mama needs help in the kitchen, or that the harvesting season is just around the corner and many things need to be prepared.

Despite her desire for adventure and escape, Cassandra is incredibly hard working and dependable. She'll push through aches and pains to help get a job done if its necessary. She might daydream a little while working on a project but she never slacks off or leaves a task unfinished.

Cassandra is inquisitive and likes to ask questions. Questions are how you learn, after all, and if no one else is going to ask them, then she will. However, she's pretty perceptive, and knows when it's time to stop pushing.

Although she has a tendency for putting herself down, she doesn't let it keep her from feeling enjoyment and happiness. She still laughs, still rough-houses with her brothers. She tries her best to be kind and comforting to people in need. Depending on the situation, however, she can be quick to anger, especially when it comes to wastefulness or cruelty.

Much to her mother's chagrin, Cassandra likes to experiment with her hair, opting to attempt to curl it or cut it into interesting angles. She takes it as a way to explore something new in a life where new experiences are hard to come by. Plus, it's completely free and it will grow back eventually, Mama. Cassandra's experiments aren't often successful, especially with the lack of specialized gear at her disposal and the fact that she tries to replicate hairstyles she's only heard about but never seen. In hopes of looking her best during this special coming-of-age event, she's stopped with her experiments months ago and her hair is looking its most natural at the moment.

Any Unique Abilities/Skills:

Elemental Affinity: Spirit. Cassandra doesn't quite know what her affinity actually is. The only clue she has is the one time during a drought that was hurting the family farm - along with all the other farms in Lorham. Cassandra, staring up at the clouds and away from her family's distraught faces, imagined with all her might that it was raining. Her imagination is the one thing she calls all her own, one of the few things that brings her solace, so maybe if she just pretended hard enough, it would actually work. Miraculously, it rained shortly after, just a small burst of wetness but enough to bring reprieve to the growing plants. Because of this, however, Cassandra often wonders if her affinity is for Water, instead of Spirit.
Strength: A life spent on her family's farm has helped Cassandra develop well-trained muscles that can endure labor for extended periods of time.
Perception: As a girl always desperately looking for new things to experience, for new people to talk to, Cassandra has fairly keen sense of perception. She pays attention to details, notices things that are different and out of place, knows when something is out of the ordinary or new, and has developed a knack for noticing social cues from people (which has helped her from angering strangers with all of her questions).  

History: Cassandra has lived with her family in Lorham her entire life. They're a family of farmers, specializing in growing hay. They provide feed for the many ranchers, shepherds, and farms, located within Lorham. They also sell their hay stock for the use of making beds, thatching roofs, and other necessities around the village.

As a family with only three children, the Bailey family is much smaller than most other farm families they know. Still, they work hard together and they laugh often with one another, despite all the hard work they have to do. The family is close-knit, though they share their fair share of tiffs and arguments from time to time. Everyone must pitch in to keep the farm running smoothly and it's no easy feat for such a small group. There is little time for rest, especially as time must be set aside for the ever important trials of each child, as well as regular schooling amongst the farm work.

Right now, the focus is on Cassandra's own trials. Lorham offers a lot of opportunities for various lessons and apprenticeships, but they are all similarly themed around the different labors necessary for such a small village to keep running efficiently. And they are all things her family encouraged her to learn, since it is expected for her to stay on as a farmhand even after the trials are over. Cassandra has spent time learning the different methods of the other farms in Lorham, such as the raising of sheep and tending to a flock and growing many fruits and vegetables. She's apprenticed with the hay merchants that buy their stock so that she may learn the intricacies of what happens after the hay leaves the farm. She's worked with tailors and weavers so that she could patch up worn clothing or other materials more easily.

Despite needing to learn all of these things and knowing that they are very practical skills, Cassandra has chosen one or two selfish trials throughout the years, ignoring the guilt of wasting the opportunity to learn something that would further her future career as a farmhand. Her favorite was when she worked within the local tavern. Although she often knew exactly everyone who came in throughout the days, sometimes there would be a new face amongst the crowd. Someone with new stories to tell and new experiences to share.

It is through the few books her family is lucky enough to own that Cassandra found a small way of escaping, of having an adventure while never needing to leave her family's side. She's read through the small collection of books  so often, she could practically recite them verbatim. She often wishes she could read them all again for the first time.

With the Coming-of-Age soon approaching, Cassandra is beginning to feel a little more despondent about her situation. For years now, she's been able to at least go out and learn a new skill, to experience a different way of life for a bit during her trials. But now that's coming to a close. Soon, she'll just work on the family farm with only her worn books for company. Before, she could at least pretend she was somewhere new, at least for a little while. But that opportunity is soon lost to her forever.

A dark and oh-so-selfish part of her has latched on to a terrible idea recently. Maybe her life doesn't have to be settled before she ever finishes the climb atop Mount Everlast. What if she were to finish her Coming-of-Age with the very adventure she'd always sought? An adventure that could lead to the fulfillment of her most desperate wish: a way to explore the world, to have adventures, while still ensuring her family is in good hands without her.

The idea has clung tight to the back of her mind, no matter how much she tries to dismiss it, no matter how much she reminds herself of all the risks and terrible possibilities. She can't help but to counter it by reminding herself of the good possibilities, of how everything could change if she were to be a Star Catcher.

It's terrible, selfish, dangerous. She knows she could perish from this, leaving her parents with nothing but heartbreak. But... Dying. Living a hollow life. Are they really so dissimilar?

Star Catcher. It feels like her only hope, a last desperate chance.

And now, with the time so close at hand, Cassandra often finds herself staring up at the stars, excitement heating her blood and guilt chilling her heart.

Other Noteworthy Facts:
Book Collection: Cassandra counts her small book collection of 4 tomes to be her most prized possessions. Technically they belong to her father, but he gave them to her for "safe keeping" when she was curious and young, and she's kept them ever since. Her father doesn't seem to mind. Cassandra has read these books front to cover countless of times, but even just flipping through the pages can bring about images of far away places and interesting ideas. One of her biggest desires is to expand this collection, but books are expensive and unnecessary.
Family: Father (Charles), Mother (Deborah), Brother (Walter, 23), Brother (Simon, 19).
Although Simon is closer in age, Cassandra is closer to Walter. He's always looking out for her, despite never letting up on the teasing words. Both brothers are past their own trials but still living at home in order to help out their parents and the family farm.  
Relationships:

• Kitty Davis: The Davis family and the Bailey family have long had a working relationship. Through this, Cassandra is acquainted with all of the Davis children in some small way or another. She even spent some of her trials at the Davis farm, and vice versa. Despite their similar age and going to the same school, this acquaintance has never had much of a chance to change into anything else. Sometime after Daisy Davis grew ill, Cassandra offers the Kitty one of her prized books as way to help get through the rough times. After all, books are what help Cassandra get through hardships, why wouldn't they work for Kitty as well? This is what helps Kitty and Cassandra break through the barrier of "just acquaintances" into something a little more akin to "friends". It's a kind of easy companionship Cassandra never realized she wanted (or even needed). Recently, they've been spending together whatever leisure time they can find, with an unspoken agreement to not talk about the bad things going on around them. They find welcome distractions in one another's company.
  
• Egwene: Cassandra met Egwene during their schooling, being in the same year together. Since Egwene is the daughter of the innkeeper, Cassandra has always envied her day-to-day life. Egwene gets to sit in the tavern, hearing people's stories every day. What an amazing thing that must be. As with most of her fellow classmates, Cassandra was friendly with Egwene but one could not called them "friends". It was actually because of Egwene that Cassandra gave in and had part of her trials at the inn the girl calls home. If she had the excuse of wanting to spend time with a classmate's way of life, then the fun trial didn't feel quite as selfish. In exchange, Egwene also trialed at the Bailey farm. This bridged a gap between them, becoming something more friendly with one another. However, at the moment, they aren't especially close.
  
• Charles DeBoer: Charles isn't someone Cassandra has spent much time talking with except through polite chatter during school. She knows that Egwene and Charles are kind of close and related to one another, but she doesn't know how to interpret their special kind of relationship. When the two begin to get fiery with one another, Cassandra prefers to let them deal with the situation themselves rather than getting involved.  
  
• Samson: Although not close with Samson, Cassandra has always enjoyed the way he spoke of animals and his tenderness with them. He seems like a kind soul and she doesn't mind talking with him when the occasion arises, whether inside or outside of school. Because Cassandra trialed at the Davis farm, she didn't see the need to trial with his family, however, Samson spent a part of his trials at the Bailey farm, and she enjoyed working with him.
  

Universe Specific Information: Star Catchers - HC Event

Storyline Specific Information:

(HC) Star Catchers:

RP Sample:

This was it.

The final day of her youth. She'd soon be an Adult, ready to commit herself fully to the family farm. The time for learning, for pretending, was over. She'd shed her childish daydreams and take on the coat of responsibility and expectations.

If this were like in her favorite stories, the sun would be shining brightly, as brightly as her dreams. The sky would be clear as her conscience and the wind would press against her gently towards her goal. She would feel bolstered by her own convictions, no doubts to pull at her. She would feel at peace.

Except, none of those things were true.  

The sun was just the sun, warm and pleasant but only that. The sky wasn't brilliantly clear, and the wind was doing whatever it wanted with no thought of the teenager it rushed past. Doubts weighed her down, an unforgiving cage that would never allow her to be free again.

Peace was no where to be found.

Her family was smiling though. Happy for her, excited to see her take this next big step in life. Papa came over and gave her a big hug, his arms a temporary shield against her turmoil. She hugged him back, clinging. A moment later, a moment gone too fast, he pulled away and held her at arm's length so as to get a better look at her. "No smiles for your big day?" he asked with a smile of his own.

Cassandra smiled then, unable to resist his warmth and love.

Walter laughed. "She's nervous. Don't worry, Cass, you'll be back home before you know it."

She looked at her eldest brother, and smiled at him as well so that she would be spared from saying anything at all.

Everyone was coming in for a group hug now, their adoration almost palpable.

It made her feel sick.

She loved them deeply, she even loved the farm she called home, but her heart needed something else. Something more. They'd thought her 'flights of fancy' were long gone for years now, disappearing as she got older. But if she were to stay here, she wasn't certain she'd ever find happiness. She'd get through the days, going through the motions, but eventually there'd be nothing but a husk left in her place.

A bird trapped within a lovingly-built cage is still caged.

That was why she'd find a way to do it right. A way to keep her family from feeling her absence too harshly. A way to keep them happy and wanting for nothing.

A way to free herself from the cage.

As she gave them a wave at the gated end of the farm, their familiar faces blurry with distance, she finally spoke, her voice a whisper, but strong. "I'm sorry."

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