Aoifa Ryan

According to legend, Selkies are fae who can transform between human and seal. Native to Ireland, they often spend the majority of their lives as seals. However, they have the ability to remove their coat, assume a human form, and live among humans. Some, like Aoifa and her mother, chose to live among the humans. However, for a Selkie to do so, they must put themselves at significant risk. If a human steals their coat, they lose the ability to return to the seal. They also are forced to marry them.

This is exactly what happened to Aoifa's mother. Before Aoifa was born, her mother's coat was stolen by the man she loved, who then forced her into marriage. Over time, he changed into a cold, bitter man. As Aoifa grew older, she found her greatest escape in the sweeping fantasies found at her local library. When Aoifa was 10, looking for more books to read, she rummaged through boxes in the house. She discovered her mother's coat, and after a single tearful goodbye, her mother took the coat and disappeared into the ocean, leaving Aoifa with her father. As soon as Aoifa could, she left. She moved as far as possible - to America, hoping for a new start.

College and Onward

Aoifa was never the type of person to talk about feelings. Or, really, let people in much at all. When she boarded the plane to America, she promised herself that she would get through college, work off her student loans, and become a successful author. Nothing would stand in her way- especially not something as frivolous and dangerous as a relationship.

Of course, things never quite seem to work out the way they're intended.

Within her first year of college, she'd developed a reputation- which did plenty to keep people out of her way. That was, except Cybil Hale. The overly muscular woman reminded Aoifa of an oversized dog, exciteable and far too attached. In Aoifa's second year, Cybil asked Aoifa out at least 4 times. Aoifa wanted nothing more than to rid her life of Cybil Hale. That was until Aoifa found that the only paid work she could find was playing bass for none other than Cybil's band.

Despite her initial feelings toward Cybil, they made an admittedly good team. Cybil was surprisingly calm and thoughtful when she wanted to be, and she brought Aoifa out of her comfort zone. Despite all of Aoifa's apprehensions, Cybil's friends were kind, intelligent people, and she quickly found a place among them. Whenever she found her writing becoming too stiff, too formulaic, Cybil's mere presence was enough to make her excited to write again. It didn't take long before Aoifa was regrettably, undeniably, head-over-heels in love with Cybil. It didn't take long for them to start happily dating.

In their third year of college, Aoifa and Cybil bought an apartment together. Then, it was a dog. Years later, it was a pair of rings. As time grew on, Aoifa was able to become a successful fantasy writer. Soon, Aoifa agreed to carry their child, who they named Laoghaire.

Personality In-Depth

Aoifa's greatest character flaw throughout her story is her lack of trust. Scared both from her mother's experiences with her father, as well as her mother's choice to return to the ocean, Aoifa rejects intimacy and close relationships before they have a chance to hurt her.