Serena Blake

Early Life
Serena was found and named by an elderly couple, Acalan and Solace Blake, who lived on a small estate near the outskirts of Goulburn, on the 1st of July 1991. They were farmers who owned chickens, horses and a few cattle, selling their produce to make a living. Whilst walking one night, admiring the stars and kept company by the few horses they kept, together they discovered a quiet little bundle lying by a fence close to the local road. Wrapped in a dark cloak and half obscured either by the fog of dusk or her own uncontrolled powers, it was only by the moonlight shining on Serena’s pale skin that Solace noticed her. Acalan and Solace gazed down at her in their arms for what must have only been mere moments, but seemed like an eternity to them. The mutual decision to adopt the little baby was acknowledged with just one glance between them. Being both human, they were unaware of her developing powers. Serena was forced to deal with the strange new changes alone, and such responsibility was a huge drain on her. At school her peers thought she was clumsy or plagued by bad luck, avoiding her at all costs. Solace was patient, though, and could see Serena was somehow different. She decided to home-school her, and would sit with her each day, teaching her that which she could not learn with the other children. Each night when Acalan came home from working at the local restaurant, while they were all sitting together by the warmth of the fire, they would share stories about the adventures of that day. Serena and Solace laughed and joked easily together as Acalan listened, and cheerful background noise was emitted by the small television in the lounge room. The memories of those days, before Acalan’s sickness, are still the happiest Serena has. When she was only fourteen, Serena watched as the ambulance came to swallow Acalan, and – though she didn’t know it at the time – she shed the last tears she ever would. Solace and Serena visited Acalan often, but the sickening smells of medicine and disinfectant made Serena nauseous. Acalan became weaker and weaker, and his requests to see his home one last time before he died were denied by the doctors. Solace comforted and assured him he wasn’t that sick. To Serena it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than Acalan. Either way, he passed on during the night, only a week after admittance. They didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye. Three years passed since Acalan’s death, and Serena matured and grew into a quiet young woman. Solace seemed to remain in a constant state of lethargic melancholy, leaving Serena to complete most of the chores around the estate herself.

Powers
Serena had Umbrakinesis, it seemed, as soon as she was born. It took many long years of concentration and self-discipline for her to master it though. By about the age of 10 she could use it to extend shadows or darken rooms by a few shades. At 16 she’d perfected her gift enough to manipulate and generate concentrated areas of shadow, either to hide within, or to mask only some of her movements. It was especially useful during the night. A secondary ability she didn’t know she had until only recently was, she thought, probably either Power Absorbtion or Mimicry. One night, Serena was feeling particularly lonely, as Solace had gone shopping in Goulburn for some supplies they couldn’t make themselves. Sitting alone in her bedroom, plucking at her doona cover and sighing, Serena unexpectedly felt a small gust of wind over her skin. It made her shiver, but as she turned to close her bedroom window, she realised it wasn’t open. A moment of fear stabbed at her heart as she remembed the dreams she had each night - those always featuring some frightening demon crawling forth to hurt her. Sighing again, she relaxed. A surge of anger at her own foolishness fantasies brought the wind back with full force, almost knocking her from the bed on which she was perched. Genuinely scared, it was only pure luck Solace arrived home before Serena had shrouded their whole house in pure darkness. Solace calmed her and sent her to bed, where she lay for most of the night, unable to sleep and going over in her mind the day before to try and work out what had happened. She remembered only encountering one person besides Solace, and he had seemed to act quite perculiarly at the time anyway. A travelling salesman, muttering and cursing to himself under his breath had stopped by their house. His wares - mainly trinkets, and the offer of a handyman who 'could fix any problem' were of little interest to either occupant. His services were kindly turned down, but as Solace did so, Serena saw the tree under which she was standing strain under sudden harsh winds. They ended as soon as he had left and was out of sight. Never before had she been able to manipulate the wind, and it would've been too much of a coincidence for both events to happen so closely to each other.

Romantic Life
Spends an unusually large amount of time with animals… Just joking. Encounters with all humans – except her adoptive parents – had been less than friendly, and since her school experiences Serena found no need to associate with them. There was one male who she took an interest in, but he didn’t know she existed, because she only watched him as he walked to school past her house every day. It was probably her first – and only – very temporary crush. She was young and curious. Despite this, she didn’t bother pursuing the topic.

Personality
Growing up, she was quiet and withdrawn, but she helped with chores around the house and was always polite. Not much changed. Solitary and thoughtful, Serena prefers being by herself – listening to music, reading, riding the horses or practicing with her abilities are all things she does often. When by herself, she sometimes sings too, but she’s as self-conscious of that talent as she is of her abilities.

Appearance
Misty grey eyes, which often reflect what she’s wearing, so can sometimes be mistaken for sky blue or transparent green. Long black hair that she has allowed to grow down almost to her waist, and which she sometimes uses as yet another veil to hide behind. Slightly above average height, usually wears the black cloak she was found in – and which she believes once belonged to her parents. Her skin has a healthy glow, but isn’t tanned. She doesn’t bother with make-up much, as there isn’t anyone there for her to impress.