Alright Boys, This Is MY Soulmate, Find Your Own

Nero was born in Australia to Rosemary and Eugene Graves. He grew up with his younger sister, Olivia, in Australia, where the two siblings were extremely close. Nero moved overseas to live with relatives and start at a new high school when he was in his early teens. He was a popular guy at school, and definitely played the part, having all the looks but barely any of the grades to make up for it. So it was shocking to most students when Nero met and became best friends with Raphael Kingston, one of the outcasts in their grade. The two remained best friends through high school and graduated together. Nero and Raphael even went to the same community college, using each other for support during the new experience.

While studying in college, Nero got lost on his way through campus during a particularly bad storm. He ran into a kind and beautiful woman who helped him on his way, but he never got her name, and sadly assumed he’d never see her again. Fate had a different plan, however, and Raphael introduced Nero to his friend, Cornelia, whom Nero recognized as the woman who helped him through the rain. They were fast friends, and they were even quicker to date. The two mixed so well, and were soon inseparable. Their relationship did create a rivalry between Nero and Cornelia’s friend, Marc, and the two would butt heads often. Nonetheless, the relationship was practically perfect, filled with unconditional love. The two finished college and were married shortly after.

Nero and Cornelia lived in a small apartment, and while Nero waited on tables, Cornelia was often away for her job as a flight attendant. The newlywed couple unexpectedly ran into money when the relatives Nero had been staying with passed away, and left their belongings to Nero. The two were suddenly homeowners of a big, black house in a quiet neighborhood, and didn’t quite know how to handle the sudden change. The two moved their money around and invested into Nero’s family’s business, a small general store in the neighborhood they lived in, which they renamed Nero & Cornelia’s. Nero managed the store part-time and waited on tables when he wasn’t at the store, while Cornelia still traveled for her job. The two managed the separation somewhat alright, but Nero noticed the loneliness Cornelia was experiencing when she was away. Knowing about Cornelia’s mental health struggles, he had learned to spot the less obvious signs and talked to her about possibly finding work closer to home. It was a big topic of discussion between the two, one they spoke about at length when she was home. Eventually, Cornelia decided to quit her job and work full time at Nero & Cornelia’s. It seemed like a well timed decision, because not long after, Cornelia was pregnant with their first child.

The Sunset Of The Perfect Life

Nine months passed, and Cornelia gave birth to their first daughter, Melony. When she was born, it was evident in the way she glowed that Melony had inherited Nero’s family’s genetic trait; Nero’s family had the unique ability to transform into a giant animal when extremely angry or upset. One person per generation possessed this trait, and Nero was the holder in his generation. He was surprised to see that Melony had inherited it, but it did not deter from the couple’s pride in their daughter. They raised her with all the love and care they had. While Melony was young, another family had started renting the house next door as a summer home. Nero introduced himself and his family to the new neighbors, and he recognized them as the recently retired rockstars, R. and Z. Rutherford! He didn’t know their music very well, but he knew the names! What he didn’t know was that they were parents of triplets of Melony’s age. This similarity had the Graves and the Rutherfords bond rather fast, and the kids played as the adults spent summer nights having dinner and talking the night away. Summers quickly became the family’s favorite season, and the Graves and Rutherfords kept in touch even during the colder months. Nero and Cornelia showered their daughter in love, though Nero was aware of the times his wife would fall into her depressive states. He supported his family through not only their hardships, but their best times as well.

When Melony was seven, Nero and Cornelia had a second daughter named Leah. Leah was quieter than Melony, but loved all the same. Nero was happy to see Melony quickly took her baby sister out, when she was old enough, to play with her and the Rutherford triplets through the year, as the Rutherfords had decided to move into their summer home permanently. Nero and Cornelia spent a lot of time with R and Z, and the two couples were very close friends. Nero got along well with R, and the two would play music together when there wasn’t much else to do.

Scars Inside and Out

When Melony was 16, and Leah nine, tragedy struck the Graves household. Nero awoke to sounds within the house, and he and Cornelia confronted a mysterious stranger in Melony’s room. The stranger was hostile, and attacked Nero and Cornelia; they slashed Nero’s face three times, and Cornelia’s once. The stranger escaped, and Nero managed to get help in his injured state.

Paramedics arrived and the two parents were brought to the emergency room, while Leah stayed with R and Z. Nero was conscious before his wife, but he was informed that Melony and one of the Rutherfords’ sons, Harrison, were missing. The news destroyed Nero, but he knew Cornelia would take it harder. Having a hard time digesting the news himself, Nero contemplated how he’d break the news to his wife, all while in constant pain from the new injuries on his face. When Cornelia came to, he explained the situation to his wife, and was heartbroken when she took it even worse than he expected, knowing there was nothing he could do to make it better.

Nero and Cornelia were released from the hospital, and heard that Harrison returned home, albeit different, but Melony remained missing. This wrecked Nero and Cornelia, but Nero felt he had to remain strong for his family. Nero had to quit his job as a waiter due to his injuries and took over many of the responsibilities at the store, as Cornelia no longer had the will to work. He tried to remain a strong figure for Leah, though he failed to notice Leah’s ever growing doubt in her father’s abilities.

When Your Lantern Dies, You're Alone in the Dark

Time passed, and things trembled on a fine line. Cornelia’s depression worsened and Nero spent more time taking care of her when he could, all while juggling the store. He hired two employees for his store: a man with a mysterious past named Nigel, and a face from the past, Raphael. The two men helped in any way they could, especially with the store, but Nero found himself being worn thin regardless. He kept up his positive demeanor despite the struggles being thrown at him and his family, and he kept his head up high. He was a deep believer in the power of positive thinking, and figured everything would be alright soon enough.

So it didn’t make sense when Nero came home one night to Cornelia having hanged herself in the living room.

The memories of the events that followed became a muddled mess. He could only remember rushing to check on Leah, and coming back down to the living room, but Nero awoke in the Rutherfords’ home some time later. The reality of the situation slowly settled, and Nero was in shambles. Cornelia’s death rippled across the neighborhood, and friends and strangers alike came to share their condolences. He had several visitors during the time between Cornelia’s death and her service; Nero’s younger brother by 20 years, Frank, flew in from Australia, R and Z visited after having moved away, and even Marc, Nero’s old rival, came to make amends. After Cornelia’s service, Nero began to withdraw from society and keep to himself, rarely leaving his home. His seclusion worsened when Leah ran away from home, as she believed her father had a hand in her mother’s death. Although Nigel and Raphael had moved into Nero’s home, Nero felt stranded and alone, and rarely saw anyone. His sudden seclusion created rumors amongst the less informed neighbors, and people kept their distance from Nero’s home.

Nero was always a resilient soul. Years passed, and Nero started to go out again, although all he wore was black. People had begun to fear Nero, due to the unsavory rumors that were never properly addressed, so Nero was able to reenter society at his own pace, not having to worry about others approaching or judging him. Despite the rumors and his seemingly lonely nature, Nero ended up adopting a 15 year old boy named Hakon. He gave the boy a lot of love and a home, even sending him off with well wishes when Hakon left to join the military at 18. That endeavor did not last long, however, and Nero happily accepted Hakon back when he ultimately dropped out. Hakon, along with Nigel’s daughter, Hope, brought new life into Nero’s home and family, and he was beginning to return to his former, more outgoing self.

But Wait! There's More!

Multiple unexpected changes happened as time went on. Much to Nero’s surprise, Melony returned home after decades of being missing. Nero embraced the return of his daughter, even as she explained she had been experimented on by her kidnapper and hasn’t aged since the day she disappeared at 16. She moved in next door with Nero’s neighbor, Chrys, and Nero visits her every week.

With several years with no contact from Leah, Nero was contacted about Leah being in the hospital after a car accident. Leah had fallen into a coma, and Nero spent nearly every day in the hospital with her, talking or just sitting in silence with her. Leah recovered, but Nero did not tell her he had visited as often as he did, even when she told others he never came. He still does not see her very often.

Nero’s sister, Olivia, worked with a man named Tyler Parlington, and one day Nero was called with news of her passing, due to an accident during work. The loss left Nero heartbroken, but with the support of his family in his home, Nero was able to heal and move on. He wishes to meet with Tyler about Olivia, but hasn’t been able to contact him.

While out shopping one day, Nero ran into a nervous monster by the name of Evets. This man was sweating and clearly didn’t know his way around the human world – Nero offered the nervous monster a place to stay at his home. Although Evets protested, Nero insisted and moved him into his basement. He provides a home for Evets and is happy to do so.

Nero lives in his giant home with Nigel, Ralph, Hope, Hakon and Evets. He is easygoing and a great person to talk to if you’re feeling down. Although the neighborhood, for the most part, keeps their distance, Nero isn’t reluctant to travel out into the world. He just wants to provide the most for his family and keep everyone happy, even if that means sacrificing his own happiness.