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Post by Shay Anderson on Aug 6, 2008 4:06:08 GMT -6
valkyrie, california ,
[/color]  she's strong, got the world on her shoulders,
she can take the heat, she can take cold winter,
she's got faith there's no quit in her,
she's strong, solid as a rock.[/center] the ocean breathes salty ,[/b][/size][/color] roleplayer ,name: captain asia, again.
age: seventeen.
gender: female.
years roleplaying: longer than you.
other characters: shay, nate, xavier, kiran, blake, astrid, DJ, tristan, soon to be Silver, and now hayden. (:
collected my belongings ,[/b][/size][/color] character facts ,full name: hayden samantha hadley.
gender: female.
age: sixteen.
school year: sophomore, grade ten.
art interest: film and television.
portrayed by: jessica stroup.
appearance: For as long as anyone could possibly remember, the media has been the largest influence on mortals today. The current celebrities are the people who set what the “right” sort of appearance should be. In the 1950s, it was Marilyn Monroe with her platinum blonde hair, red lipstick and hourglass shape. During the 1990s, it was the teen stars who rebelled against everything mainstream, and rocked out with their grungy fashions, messy hair and strange make-up. However, as the world began to age, and it soon entered the 2000s, a new phenomenon came into place: body image. For the first time in years, starlets began the crazy diets, and made it a must-have to become thin. As the years passed, this obsession transitioned into the real world, and – eventually – people everywhere were obsessed with being tall, thin, having long hair and dressing like a star. But when it came to those like Hayden Hadley, it was a little bit different. For so much of her life, she hadn’t had a choice in what she looked like, it was second nature not to really care. She had an image, and she was going to stick to it. But there is so much more to a person than their physical being.
It had become so common for females these days to define themselves by their hair, it’s astounding. But, really, what kind of girl hates to be commented on her mane? Usually, when you’re describing someone, it’s their hair. You say that she is blonde, or that he has brown hair. You can use your hair to, often, send out the sort of image you’d like to portray. For instance, if you are craving the 1950s sexpot sort of look, you would probably bleach your hair platinum, cut it into a chic bob and attack it with curlers. Maybe you’re after the posh and urban sort of hairstyle, which means a dark color in a long, straight style. Once, actually, internationally famous supermodel Gisele was overheard saying, “Never again [will I cut my hair]. Look at me. I’m famous for my hair and my boobs.” Even so, what kind of girl doesn’t spend time on her hair in the morning? Whether that means straightening it to wits end, spiking it up into a Mohawk or simply adding product, it would be something different for a female to walk out of her house without having done a thing to her hair. Like I said, those stupid cults really don’t give a young girl much to go off of when it came to her mane. It was always straggly and kept back in an equally ugly bonnet or something. Only in recent weeks has the girl taken a particular interest in her dark hair. Just like that image, she keeps it well enough to satisfy herself. Generally curled into loose, bohemian waves, this sophomore girl had the effortless style of any other boho. Headbands, scarves, or just waves. It’s all the same to her.
It is natural for all parents to tell their children how physically attractive they are. Even if that child turns out to be uglier than a puddle of mud. But, like we all know, the Hadley’s weren’t part of the natural world. Her mother would sometimes smile at her lovingly, telling her only daughter she would grow up to be a lovely nun or something. She never really listened. Truthfully, she took her looks directly from her mother. With her bright smile and lively eyes, it was an easy thing to call Hayden a pretty girl. She had that understated beauty so rare these days. The look that just screamed ‘quirky’ or ‘individual’. Seeing as the Hadley children had just recently been, ahem, let out of the pen, it was taking her awhile to get used to all of the beauty in Valkyrie. Why was it that everyone looked like a supermodel? Tends to bring a girl down. Either way, that bright smile has given her enough confidence to ensure her own beauty, it’s not a hard thing to find in people.
People had always told her she was beautiful.
People had always said she was “unique” looking.
As confused as this confused mate was, she could never help but gaze at her eyes when she looked in the mirror. Like many others, she was fond this part of her body. Her father had been born with large – almost round – eyes that were the darkest mixtures of browns and blacks anyone had seen in a long time. Her mother, on the other hand, had inherited her eyes directly from her own father. The narrow, almost almond shape that had been sent down to her youngest child. They too, were filled with the light, almost dizzying mounts of blue coloring. But, as age continued to bind her down, they grew careless. Empty and stony. Like the cruel bitch she was. Nonetheless, Hayden got her eyes from her mother, just like everything else on her face.
Whether it be the Californian sun, the tanning salons on every corner, or that new phenomenon of spray-on tan, it is difficult to find a person attending Valkyrie Academy who was not tanned. Sure, a small minority of people were of ethnic backgrounds, giving them a various skin tones. But Hayden was never part of that majority, nor the small minorities. There were a handful of people with skin so pale, it was practically transparent. There were even a few students with the skin tone of streaked sand: tanned, but with large clumps of white. For most of her life, Hayden’s skin had been flawless. As a child, it had gone through that terrible phase of constant dryness and rashes. As time passed, and she grew into puberty, she seemed to surpass that awful stage of greasy skin blotched with red, and covered with pimples. To this day, in fact, her flesh looks airbrushed, like in one of her photographs. Genetics or just luck? Both, thanks.
Quite unlike the rest of her family, Ross Hadley was not a tall man. He barely reached five feet, nine inches on a good day. However, both of his children had been born with astonishing heights – DJ reaching an easy six feet, with Hayden reaching five feet, eight inches by the age of sixteen. Where he was lacking in height, he definitely made up for in physique. Like many religious men, he had been subjected to sparse amounts of serious exercise; which easily explained the doughnut quickly growing around his middle. With sloped shoulders and thin limbs, it was easy to see he naturally had a skateboarders build. Which is what exactly her brother got in terms of body type. Hayden, on the other hand, took directly after her mother. While she walked with the sloped walk, it was easy to see Julia Hadley was a tall woman, standing at a modest five feet, eight inches. However, it was her physique that often caught the stares. For the first fifteen years of her life, Hayden had been the subject of cruel and unusual forms of punishment; the favourite being starvation. She often went more than a week with little more than water. While her mother had been born with a rather curvaceous body, with buxom assets and thunder thighs, there was no way her daughter would look like that now. Maybe at one point in her life, but not today. After years of tormenting her body, the fat just melted off of her, leaving her with a slightly skeletal appearance. But hey, it worked.
At Valkyrie Academy, the majority of the student body dressed fairly well. In slim cut pants, short skirts and trendy items. A handful of people dressed in skinny pants, black shirts and colored hair. Others wore nothing but sweat pants and sweaters. Some girls only dressed in argyle, pearls and flat shoes. A minority of people draped themselves in black, wore only turtlenecks with fedoras and trench coats. A select few only wear business-esque attire out in public: suits, button down shirts and dress pants. As someone who had been the object of 1950s affection, Hayden had been wearing conservative dresses and outdated shoes for much of her life. As soon as the word freedom was added to her vocabulary, she let loose all of the energy that had been keeping her at bay for so long. Choosing to sift through thrift stores for hours, she had put together a unique style for herself. Very artistic, very bohemian. What could you expect from her? in your head, in mouth ,[/b][/size][/color] character personality ,personality:
`` THE HAPPY FROWN,
It wasn’t as though either of the Hadley’s were unhappy people. Because, in all realities, they weren’t. Both DJ and Hayden had been born with a drive and love for life; the kind of drive that couldn’t be taken away just by a few setbacks. You see, while many people in their…quaint little – what did they call it? – “farming community” were so bogged down by this religious propaganda; they lost themselves in a whirlwind of bible study and religious sermons. However, I think it has been established that these rebellious siblings were smart enough to get out of all of that early on in their lives. While she was busy pretending to listen during her youth, Hayden really had the opportunity to explore the world around her. She saw good in the world, good in everyone. Even when she was glaring up at her parents as they ate dinner and she casually sipped on water for the fourth day running, she knew there were good souls in there somewhere. It’s true; she has every right to be as miserable and bitter as an old widower. At times, there is a certain amount of bitterness in her smile. While not quite as angry as her brother, there is more than sunshine and lollipops to Miss Hayden Hadley, I’ll tell you that. While she has a love of life, and a constant smile, there is the odd time where that smile is turned upside-down. You just wouldn’t know it by her first impression of smiles and laughter.
`` THE QUIRKY REBEL,
I mean, anyone can be friendly, can’t they? Half of Valkyrie Academy’s student body is the happy-smiling-muffin basket combination. Now, that’s all fine, if they want to be like that. Hayden Hadley, on the other hand, had never wanted to be like that. She wanted to give people a warm impression, with a kind smile and laughing voice. She never wanted to be up in your face nice, or anything equally annoying. She was still a teenage girl remember, and despite how you were raised, you are subjected to mood swings. Even though she had only lived in California for a short amount of time, her brother was already building himself the reputation of charming troublemaker. He was, by nature, someone who challenged authority. How else do you think he got through seventeen years inside of that fucked-up religious center? While they were similar in many ways, the troublemaking was not one of them. However, she was stubborn just like her brother. Stubborn and scheming. As a girl with such a quirky, individual sort of personality, it was easy for her to put those schemes to good use. While she was friendly and non-judgemental, she still got on well with many of the school’s icy queen bitches. That takes talent. Hayden really is a girl who knows herself, with no problem in telling the world about her quirks and weird habits. And what comes along with that? Rebellion. Now, not at the level of DJ, but close. She speaks out against this topic in this class, or asks the smart-ass questions when she wants to press someone’s buttons. Take a real quirk to do that, doesn’t
`` THE STRONG SIDE,
It would be just moronic to say that Hayden Hadley was not a strong person. After all of those years of verbal abuse, unusual punishment, and the occasional physical blows, she had grown more than a thick skin. I won’t lie to you, she was a fragile girl. And it was clearly evident. The way her actions are careful, her words gentle, Hayden’s soft nature was unusually obvious. The way her face grows stony and cold the moment a negative comment flies from someone’s mouth, or even how her expression saddens while others are in pain, shows the world of her open emotions and raw feelings. A teenage girl who is both sensitive and fragile, what a surprise! For much of her life, the youngest Hadley had been constantly mistakened for some weak-ended prune. Whatever. But, everyone has more than one side, don’t they? Quite unlike the rest of the female population, her different faces were not “bitch” and “uber-bitch”. At times, a soft smile is on her face, a caring expression reaching her eyes. Other times, her face is stony and her eyes are fiery. And for everything in between? Let me just call it a happy medium. Sensitive to others, but not spineless. Caring but surprisingly aware. See, there are many different sides to a girl who should be bitter and weak, but, instead, is in love with life and has a stubborn fire to her.
`` THE FILM STAR,
Stubborn or not. Friendly or not. Rebellious or not. Strong or not. There are many different aspects to Hayden Hadley’s personality, there really are. However, if you have to describe her in one word? It would have to be filmmaker. Ever since she was a toddler, Hayden had been just fascinated with things caught on camera. From the technology used to the people making the impossible happen, it was all just magical to her young eyes. While she never really got to flex her creative muscle during her youth, for obvious reasons, all of the catching up is quickly happening. In the few weeks her and her brother had been living in California, nearly all of their experiences had been caught on tape. Their living situation was a complicated one; filled with DJ getting pelted by lawyers, arguing with social services representatives and financial accountants. I would be lying if I said he wasn’t getting pulled in two different directions by keeping his sister in his custody. More than a few of her videos were of her brother yelling at her to turn the camera off. But, it made a good documentary. By nature, Hayden is a positive force. She finds a light at the end of any tunnel, including this one. What better way than to document everything that happens for the future? Just adds to her quirk, doesn’t it? Smile or frown, tears or not, if there is one thing always in Miss Hadley’s possession, it’s her trusty filming equipment. Want to tell her your story?
`` THE BITTER SPRINKLE,
As someone who enjoys the finer things in life – being pastries – let’s use it as an example for this quirky young filmmaker. Really, she was stubborn, friendly, head-strong and fiery all cooked into a cute little cake. But what about the toppings? I mean, no cake is decent without icing, at least! Come on, what kind of people are you? Cover all up with bright blue quirk icing, we have one more addition: the sprinkles. You see, Hayden has every right to be bitter and angry. Hell, her brother was bitter and angry much of the time. While they shared shocking similarities personality wise, they also had vast differences. She loved life, he was mediocre. She was friendly, he was charmingly polite. She was sympathetic, he was a royal jackass. See where I’m going with this? While DJ Hadley is a rather bitter character, his sister, not so much. Excuse the odd bad day, but there are few negative things in the world from Hayden’s point of view. However, there is the occasional moment where her expression will darken and her smile will turn upside-down into a sombre frown. Sometimes she did resent her past. Other times, she was bitter towards the world for giving her brother such a hard time. See, there are times where she wasn’t one hundred percent cheer. She had her bad days, she had her moody times. But really, it was more than that. When Hayden Hadley is in a bitter mood, she takes it all the way. Angry remarks, staring off into space, mournful music, the whole shebang. But we call that occasional, remember? Just like the occasional sprinkle on your cake.
likes: filming things,, living in a hotel,, life in general,, her brother,, having friends,, smiling,, being an individual,, old records,, thrift stores,, standing out,, being friendly,, the rolling stones,, literature,, writing poetry,, painting,, scarves,, laughing,, youtube,, blogging,, living a lie,, sunshine,, unique fashion,, supernatural things,, harry potter,, video games,, home movies,, playing cards,, coffee,, the internet,, meeting people,, california.
dislikes: her past,, new jersey,, anything religious,, getting in trouble,, drugs,, darkness,, being speechless,, uptight people,, haters,, flaming others online ( although she will ),, reality television,, judgmental people,, racism,, seafood,, the color purple,, suits,, academics,, mathematics,, bad 90's comedies,, conformity,, getting caught,, telling people her past,, 'all work no play' types,, getting insulted.
flaws: - far too sympathetic.
- smiles to endure the pain.
- reacts too quickly to insults.
- mistrusting.
- is afraid of any sort of commitment.
- worries too much about what-if questions.
habits: likes to chew her fingernails,, giving people the benefit of the doubt,, filming absolutely everything,, blogging about her feels on LiveJournal,, giving in too easily.
strengths: knows herself,, confident in the choices she makes,, is always there for people,, good at keeping secrets,, smarter than she lets on,, keeping herself together,, helping others,, learns quickly,, independence,, strong sense of morals.
weaknesses: easily influenced,, mistrusting,, slightly innocent,, a sad face,, likes toying with others' emotions,, films when she probably shouldn't be,, blogging,, messes up easily.
when the ocean met the sky ,[/b][/size][/color] character history ,originated from: princeton, new jersey.
parents: ross hadley. in prison.
julia hadley. in prison.
siblings: dallas james hadley, eighteen. brother.
other: no one that she knows of.
living situation: the days a way hotel.
history: ( a decent length. birth - now )
[/size] why don't you waste the afterlife ,[/b][/size][/color] for admins ,read the rules: what are rules?
name one you like: is there one about important things? i pick that one.
roleplay example: i forget how to roleplay. ):
credit: format by lainey, lyrics by modest mouse
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Post by Shay Anderson on Aug 7, 2008 16:52:36 GMT -6
History:
( BEFORE IT ALL )
For the past two thousand years, religion has always been a prominant part of society. It determined who you believed in. It determined who, in turn, believed in you. It determined your social standing. It could even determined whether you deserved to live or not. For something that it supposed to be so delicately powerful, it sure has caused a whole lot of hell in the world. Millions of people have died because of who they were raised to depend on. Hundreds of thousands have been hurt, both mentally and physically, because of what they believe. Higher power or not, religion has always been something to follow around Earth's inhabitants. However, at the end, it was up to the individual whether they chose to believe or not. How much they believed. How much it effected their life. It was all up to one person, them. You can't just force some stupid rules into someone's head if they think the entire thing is a pathetic joke. Everyone will just end up looking like morons. However, when it came to the Hadley family, no one had a choice. What the parentals said, went. So, if you thought everything was a joke, it didn't matter. You would be beaten and broken until you finally admit that you know they are right. And, unfortunately for us all, both Julia and Ross Hadley had been raised in fiercely religious homes. There were crosses nailed to every sqaure inch of the house. You would say grace three times at each meal. It was expected that you follow those thousand year olds rules that some old guy with a beard and walking stick said were crucial to your sanity. Or, in this case, insanity. You were to prey ninety billion times a day, just to make sure the big guy upstairs heard you the first eighty nine billion times. You attended church a few times a week and read the bible for pleasure. No television, unless it was educationally religious. You go to a private school where you wear ugly uniforms and never speak of the opposite sex until you are a mature adult. Sounds just charming, doesn't it?
Charming or not, this was the way it was. And still is.
You see, Julia and Ross Hadley had never been in what most people would call your average, boring marriage. Not at all. See, Ross had been born as a member of the "First Sun" religious organization. For his entire life, the strict man was a strong part of the church. Once the leading priest - or was some other guy in a weird robe - declared they would move onto the next step, he jumped at the chance. A incredibly large ditch of land was purchased just outside of Princeton, New Jersey. All of the church's active members picked up from their suburban lifestyles and left. Quit their jobs, severed all ties with friends, broke-up with serious significant others. Whatever it took, they did it. They trashed their wardrobes, threw out every superficial product they owned, got haircuts, did whatever it took. Then they disappeared from society. Never to be seen or heard from again. What the fuck? You see, the rest of the world just assumed they all moved or something; that's correct in its own twisted kind of way. You see, cults have always been a large part of secretive American society. And, in the past fifty odd years, religious cults have become increasingly popular. And that's what Ross Hadley did. He severed all ties with his old life and became a member of this one. He wore baggy suits and never spoke out of character. Nothing but the Lord mattered now. But, things need to continue like they always did. Soon, the children in the First Sun Church began to grow and mature into the same ratty old suits and modest dresses that their parents wore. It was a functioning town, with school and work. At thirty-nine, it was his turn to help out. Please enter Julia Smith. Otherwise known as Julia Hadley.
At fifteen years old, her parents had just become members of the mysterious cult. As someone who was raised in an incredibly religious home, she knew nothing else. She teased her hair, didn't wear make-up, and was always seen in the same mouldy green dress. At fifteen, it was her turn to help out where she could. That meant getting involved in the 1950s style women’s workforce. Oh, darling, we all know what that means, doesn't it? Until she reached menopause, looks like you're a permanent baby-making machine. That was her new job. These creepy old men would be in relationships with her. They would turn out the lights one evening around seven o'clock, lie down beside her on the lumpy old mattress, and pull the covers high over their heads. He would never feel her young, naked body. She would never caress his aging skin. They would robotically lift up their dresses and pull down their dress pants, have unprotected intercourse for several minutes and go about their days. Like it was a sport. By the age of seventeen, Julia had become a full-fledged religious cult slut. She had delivered two children already, who were both in the loving care of other women and their husbands. By seventeen, she was introduced to Ross Hadley, forty-one year old native First Sun member. She had reached the age of marriage, lucky her. The same customs applied in their strict marriage. No real affectionate actions, no undressing in front of one another, and definitely no sex. She wasn't even legal yet and baby number three was on the way. This time, they got to keep it. She would grow up to be strict and classic, with the mouldy dresses and sexist mannerisms. She would prey every night and be perfect. Just like everyone else's child. Oh, if only they knew.
( BEAUTY IN A CHILD'S EYES )
As you read this clearly recycled history, I think it will come to light that Hayden Hadley has similar views as her brother – pathetic. This entire religious cult thing is a big, fat joke.
Shortly after Julia's nineteenth birthday, her own daughter with Ross was brought into the world. Like any healthy baby, she was born perfect. Pink, plump, perfect. Sure, she was born with the help of an unofficially trained birth maid or whatever, but what did that matter? The look on the young girl's face was enough for her to forgive her. She had already given birth to two children, and Ross had fathered countless ones before meeting his too-young wife; but what did it matter? They were finally sharing their second child with one another, and she was just as perfect – yeah, right – as the first. She would grow up to be like her mother; have a cheery childhood and believe that those stupid commandments actually mettered. As she continued to grow and mature, it seemed like everything was okay. Like any other useless toddler, Hayden would wordlessly follow each and every demand her father made. No questions asked. Like her brother, Hayden was soon saying all ten thousands of their prayers during mealtimes. She was acting like a child should. She listened, didn’t talk and prayed. Oh what fun! But, there was a problem. See, while she was participating like any good little girl did, there was a different influence: her brother. He wasn’t mentally slow, neither was she, and never made any waves. But, she had the natural ability to tell when something just wasn’t right. How she would hesitate and complain at the odd commands she got. How she took all of their punishments without a second glance. Even how she would fall into a sombre mess while she snuck to the front fences and watched happy families driving down the road to Princeton. Any normal parents would be concerned. But, we all know that Ross and Julia Hadley are not normal parents. They're not even normal.
Her childhood was boring like everyone else’s. Every month was like the last. Days melted together. Weeks became countless. She would still challenge her authority figures – albeit now quite like Dallas did – and seemed to, as well, gain more pleasure in causing small bits of mayhem than thanking some old guy in a robe for her dinner. Her parents still listened to what everyone else advised. Punish her more, force more on her, do whatever it takes and it will get through that thick skull of hers. Aren’t normal children this way? She laughed and smiled more than she looked down upon them “unfaithful folk.” – those useless wastes of flesh who didn’t wear a cross everywhere they went. Both of the Hadley children weren’t like other people. They were born with free spirits, not like the robots who were also their age. What choice were they given but to just deal with it? The punishments reserved for little kids never worked, just as they hadn’t on DJ. There wasn’t a thing they could do to Hayden for the first twelve years of her life. Children are precious until they become teenagers. Her brother had already gone through it. Now it was her turn to see how things could change.
( TWELVE WAYS OF REALIZING )
Hayden Hadley had been born with a sharp mind. Not the type of mind that could figure out a complex math problem in a matter of seconds. Nor the kind of mind that could diffuse the meaning of Shakespeare in less than an hour. No, she had been born with an odd sort of mindset. She was smart, that much was obvious. And she had a drive about her rarely seen in everyday society. But there was more going on upstairs than anyone would have guessed. For the first twelve years of her life, she had been repressed and shielded from the world today. She had a faint idea about what life was for those useless unfaithful folk, but that was it. All she had to rely on was the propaganda shit his parents fed her and the truthful little clues she picked up when she went with her mother out on the streets of Princeton. You see, she had been born with a bright sense of morals. Like it was her instincts to know right from wrong, truth from lies. For the first twelve years of her life, she actually was beginning to believe what everyone kept preaching to him. She was being raised in an unusually religious household, yes. And she was constantly surrounded by these outside influences, yes. But she had always held strong belief about the individual. While you took after your parents to some degree, there's a reason everyone is different. You are born with your own mind. Even if you don't know it yet, you'll come to realize what you believe and what you don't. Just wait, it will come with time. And, by the time she was a teenager, Hayden had come to realize, and embrace, this. It was her nature to be quirky and happy. She didn’t have trouble with self-esteem – which, by the way, you should have if you’re a proper...whatever religion his parents were. Catholic? Christian? I'm betting Mormon. They were too cool to indulge in something no one knew about. But, they had been surprising her for her entire life. She had been surprising them just like her brother had.
When you become a teenager, or even a pre-teen, the rules begin to change. Now, I don't know if it works that way in all of these "support groups" or not. But what I do know is that you are considered mature enough to start contributing to your community when you've lost all your teeth. At fourteen, those little girls are put in the dark rooms with those big, creepy men and commanded to become baby-making machines ( they don't believe in the Stork. Or Santa. How depressing. ) By age twelve, Hayden was helping out around their little community. From sweeping the streets to almost screwing that creepy old man ( she never actually did. ) She was like fucking housewife. Yes, she was smart enough to read those forbidden textbooks that are now mandatory in all educational systems - twisted cults included. The first times he realized something really was wrong? The first time she finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and saw the big picture? When he didn't dust the living room well enough, that's when. You see, when Hayden did something wrong, they would just yell at her. They'd call her horrible, degrading names. They'd insult her in biblical terms. They never hit her. And they never starved her. But, she just reached the magical age. She was old enough to know what was going on.
It wasn’t the yelling her parents did when she got caught back-talking to some old guy in a robe. It wasn’t even the look of disappointed she got from her grandparents. You see, she had been raised to take absolutely everything her elders say to the greatest calibre. For a world where individuality, the First Sun Church did anything but support that nation. Everything was because of God. Every good thing you did is because of God. Every time you prey, you’re thanking God for not smiting your pathetic existence. Everything was all thanks to the big guy upstairs, Yup, that’s just the way it is. Pity she found it ridiculous. As she grew up, under her brother’s watchful eye, her mind began to process thoughts like never before. She put the pieces together just as he had. Wasn’t everything a little weird? Even from what DJ told her, she had to realize certain things for herself. Normal kids weren’t raised like this. They didn’t have to prey ninety billion times a day. Like her brother, Hayden Hadley was a ‘doit!now’ sort of person. At age thirteen, boy she was a big girl now, she began to rebel. Not throwing things or screaming, but actual rebelling. She said straight ‘no’ to authority figures. She stopped preying. She didn’t even sing in that stupid choir anymore. It was wrong, sure, but since when had this siblings had a problem with breaking the rules? No problem, until those big girl punishments came into effect.
She had been yelled at and verbally abused before; it has always been a part of her daily routine. Get up for school, eat breakfast, have mommy or daddy yelling at you for twenty minutes while you calmly ask your brother to get your homework together. When she had been doing the rebellious little things any normal kid does, the punishments had just been that voiced hurt, maybe a smack on the wrist with a ruler. But now that she was a big girl? Hardly. The first time she said a soft little 'no' to her father, an icy sort of look had crossed his leathery face. Almost like the look a soldier would get before he shoots someone else. After that usual twenty minutes of calling her a worthless waste of oxygen, he posted a little note up on the fridge. It had the numbers from one to fourteen. At first, what would you think of it? However, the next morning, the 'one' had been crossed off with a sharpie marker. All Hayden had done at the time was raise her eyebrows as her father lay the back of his hand across her bony back for the very first time. Fourteen days. Fourteen fucking days was the limit for starvation before it became a real crime. She was allowed water, and maybe the odd vitamin to keep her conscious. But that was it. For saying no to her father, she went without food for a full two weeks. For not dusting properly, she got a fierce beating for more than an hour. As she began to rebel more, the more his punishments intensified. It never went to real torture, but it was close enough. Holding her under water for a minute and a half. Not allowing her water for two days. It was like torture, but not really. She wasn't in any pain.
And this was just for the first year.
And it was exactly how it happened to her brother.
( TEENAGE ANGST )
People have always said that your teenage years are some of the most important years of your entire life. It's the time when you grow the most, when you develop and mature, when you get those real interests, when you experiment and get into messes, when you can be considered a young adult. Most of the time, all of the happens when you're sixteen, maybe seventeen. But for the Hadley children? They got the full-fledged adult trial period when they were thirteen, maybe fourteen. For the beginning of her teenage life, Hayden Hadley knew she missed out. She missed out on a lot. She was treated the same as she ever was, only with more severe punishment. Both her and her brother were forced to prey ninety billion times a day, were sill forced to wear those baggy dress pants and conservative dresses; were still forced to be the perfect little Mormons – or whatever religion they were – that they always were. Sounds like the good ol’ American fucking dream if you ask me. Except for the fact that, somehow, the DNA belonging to Ross and Julia Hadley joined to make two very free-spirited children. Maybe after they discovered Hayden was like her brother, they decided to stop having children together. Not to say they didn’t do it with other people – you need eight children under your belt to be considered cool. DJ was still old enough to put himself into some poor little girl, and Hayden was still young enough to have old, creepy men do that to her. Best not cross-contaminate anymore. It was out of the loop for couples to have children with other people, but we don’t want anymore Hadley’s running around. No sir, we do not.
While most teenagers are out experimenting with drugs and alcohol by their thirteenth birthdays, Hayden was still as boring as she ever was. The most rebellious thing she had done - besides her constant crossing corners with authority – was dare to bare her individuality. Really clever.. Okay, so let's face it. Life in the Hadley household wasn't overly interesting. She didn't mess up anymore than a usual teenage girl. She didn't do anything out of the ordinary for a usual teenage girl. The only thing interesting about her upbringing was the fact that both of her parents were heartless, fucked up religious freaks. Can't do much to change that, can we? Until shortly after her sixteenth birthday, nothing changed. By now, Hayden, too, had concluded that everything in this stupid religious support group ( she had been punished for saying 'cult' ) was just wrong. No one really lived this way. It wasn't the real way of living, despite all of the efforts her parents had tried during his childhood. Hayden had been born a free spirited person with a sharp mind for when things were right. And, for the past ten or so years, that siren had been going off like an angry shy guy in a bar. Loud, obnoxious and out of control.
Except the day everything finally changed.
It was common knowledge that nobody was allowed to use the single telephone on the entire property. Only the priest or whoever was permitted to make a yearly phone call to the other illegal fucks who were participating in this cruel and unusual world. DJ himself was smart enough not to touch the 1980s style piece of technology. What are iPods, anyways? While her brother had been born with the sharper mind, it had always been Hayden with the free attitude. She was never quite the troublemaker he was – she was too smart for that – but she did undercut everything they didn’t believe it. She didn’t get the whole ‘let’s ruin their lives!’ fix her brother always needed to have. Not quite sure he did, either. For heaven’s sakes, it could lead to something deadly one day! Mind you, it probably would have if he didn’t get out when he did. However, it had all been Hayden’s clever idea to sneak out of the house in the middle of that hot, steamy afternoon. It was her idea to dodge any and all pieces of useless authority. It had been her idea to break into the backroom of the church to twist the dial on the shitty old telephone. Stupid thing didn’t even have caller ID, let alone call history. They never found out who the Hadley siblings had contacted that day, but it didn’t matter. They still found out they had called someone.
She got ten full days without food. She got a hefty beating that left more than a few bruises on her little body. She got about fifty years worth of 'you useless - insert biblical lingo here -' No matter what they did her to her, she reminded him that it was all worth it. They both knew this was one sick and twisted world, and nobody should really be a part of it. She had only needed to spend the three minutes on with the kind 911-lady before hanging up. Silly women got all she needed to know to tell the authorities about a serious case of child abuse going on here. It took a full fourteen days after that phone call for the unfamiliar sound of helicopter blades to slice through the unusually serene Wednesday afternoon. Two solid weeks before they heard those sirens and saw those flashing lights; before they heard the confused rage and demanding voice of the law. Sorry, big guy, the police had more power down here than you do.
Nearly two hundred minors were removed from the First Sun religious cult. Even more adults were put in handcuffs, transported to Princeton and then up to New York City while the lawyers scraped together their strongest cases. In the middle of January 2007, one of the largest cults in America was broken up because some starved teenage girl had gotten the initiative to do something about the world of repression and propaganda that they lived in. Read the newspaper, you'll hear about the court dates and the desperate attempts these religious freaks have at getting their underaged children back, and getting back to their too-young 'wives'. You might hear the name Hadley, too. Because, I hear they were the ones who broke everything up.
( LIVING IT NOW )
It's now what, the beginning of February? Is that it? Hayden Hadley had long remembered to keep track of what day it was. For awhile there, she had been sure it was still December, right before everything happened. In the few weeks since their worlds had changed, things were different. Very different. All of the minors had been placed into protective child services around the US, being placed in foster homes and crisis therapy groups. As for the two Hadley children, they were transported all the way from Princeton, New Jersey and into the posh suburb community of Los Angeles. What fun! DJ had mentioned multiple things about the City of Angels, but living near the legendary city? Sounds fantastic. Valkyrie Academy received two late submissions by a stage actor and a film expert. Look at what they’ve been through, they deserve an acceptance letter. The bruises are finally fading, and meat is slowing returning to their starved little bodies. Neither of the Hadley children were overly traumatized about what happened. They caused it, remember. They were two free-spirited little rebels, if you hadn’t heard. They’ve just arrived in this strange new world. At eighteen years old, DJ had the choice whether to move into social services. And right now, he didn’t want to. He could have custody over his sister too, despite many objections. They rented a little hotel room off of the grief money awarded to them the week after the immediate trials began. I hear child services pay many of your expenses as a youth as well. Awesome.
Huh, they didn't have to prey ninety billion times a day now, either.
Not even eighty nine billion times.
Oh Valkyrie, what will you do with these two new imports? Find them a place to live? Or just let them live in a hotel until Hayden is eighteen? As long as I don't have to prey even eighty eight billion times today, it's all good.
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