Wyley Castillo
pinkprisms
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- 3 years, 3 months ago
- Creator
- pinkprisms
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Profile
TO BREAK LOOSE; TO BE SET FREE
"We are just victims of the same situation, we were just born to lose this life."
Wyley is half Caucasian and half Filipino. On her mother's side she comes from a long line of high-class diplomatic French people. Her father's family were simpler people, with her grandfather being a tableware engraver who decided to pursue a brighter future when his wife became pregnant with Wyley's dad and they left for America.
She mostly takes after her father with her features being predominantly Asian. She has rich, straight brown hair that has been choppily cut to the middle of her neck, warm tawny skin, and dark eyes with a beauty mark under the right on her cheek. All of the piercings she has in both ears she did herself over the years, and she always wears an oversized reddish-brown jacket that once belonged to her older brother that still carries dried bloodstains. During all of the recent trauma Wyley has fallen into a majority of silence, and the dark circles under her eyes reveal her troubled sleep. She speaks only if it becomes absolutely necessary - all other times she is nonverbal. When it's too much to try talking she relies on whistling as a response, especially when out in the wilderness or on heists with the gang and communication is vital.
Wyley very much has a "it's me against the world" type of thought process given all she's been through. She works hard at all she does and will do whatever it takes to make it through another day, even things she later isn't proud of. When winding up alone after Eliseo's death and after being rejected and shunned by humanity time and again, she's closed herself off to everything around her in order to protect herself from the harsh realities of the apocalypse, trusting no one and fearing attachments.
Instinct drives her to survive, but despite how much she's suffered at the hands of other humans she can't help but still feel some of the kindness that she's pushed so far down when it comes to the choice of helping others. Against her will to ignore it she still cares, and it honestly frustrates her. Especially when it comes to the Dullahans, who she initially was using for protection and food, and ended up becoming a permanent gang member.
Details
Likes
- Mother's homebaked cinnamon raisin bread
- Riding alone with Alpas
- Bonfires
- Having time with Alana
Dislikes
- Snakes
- Loud noises
- Fairy tales and happy ending stories
- The snow
Traits & Skills
Smoking
Unfortunately over the years Wyley has picked up a rather bad smoking habit. First introduced to her young when she and Eliseo made camp with other survivors, she got addicted and now always carries a pack of cigarettes on her. She admits to hating everything about smoking and insists she'll "stop after this pack runs out" but somehow or another she always ends up with more.
Languages
Wyley is fluent in both English and Tagalog, having grown up bilingual. Before the outbreak she had even started to learn French from her mother and still remembers some basics with enough to get the gist from a native speaker.
Creativity
Even before she went nonverbal Wyley enjoyed writing her thoughts down, with most of her words forming poems and short prose. She has a rather worn out leather bound journal that she documents her writings in. Along with this she is quite captivated by music. Eliseo would play guitar for her, and while Wyley has yet to hold the skill herself, she desperately hopes to learn one day so that she can finally remember the song her brother used to play all the time.
Tailoring
As her dream was to grow up and be a seamstress, Wyley is rather skilled when it comes to sewing and making repairs on torn clothes. Given being out in the wilds most of the time, she's had plenty of practice on her own clothes and lends this skill to the Dullahans as well.
Early Riser
It's no secret that Wyley hardly sleeps, just one look at her gives it away. However she has always had the affinity to wake as early as possible, usually when it's still dark but just beginning to turn milky. Despite the lack of rest she gets through the night, being able to see the sun rise on a new day gives her a sense of peace during the moment. Survival is hard, but she's here to wake up; that has to mean something.
Sharpshooter
Wyley is known to have a keen eye when it comes to both spotting things during hunts and heists, and with aiming as well. A rifle is what she's most comfortable with when shooting, though she's fairly on target with pistols too.
Aesthetic
Summary
Childhood
Wyley's father Garrett immigrated to America with his parents from the Philippines and settled in Louisiana, where years later he enlisted in the Civil War. He ended up deserting the army and ran to Dakota Territory to have a better life where he met Evelina and the two made their family together on a small farm, eventually joining the Dakota Wheat Boom.
Life was quiet growing up with her parents and brother at the farmhouse in the northern parts of Dakota Territory. Wyley and Eliseo spent many days running out in the wheat field, with one of her fondest memories being the games of hide and seek they would play that lasted for hours. Being a ways out from towns, Wyley hardly had interactions with other children aside from her brother, save for the few times her father would bring a family home to have help on the farm, so for a majority of her childhood she remained shy up until the first schools were established in Fargo and she was allowed to attend, where her social skills soon blossomed.
For the remainder of her youth, Wyley was bright and cheerful, always eager to talk an ear off about all sorts of things, and by age 10 was working towards her interest of being a tailor, often staying in town just a bit too late to watch the seamstresses do their jobs. All in all she had a good future to look forward to.
Survival Years
When she was 11 Wyley's entire structure came crashing down when the first waves of the plague hit the midwest. Without the protection afforded by living in Fargo, her home fell quickly to the overrunning zombies, and with only the clothes on their backs, she and Eliseo were the sole survivors as they escaped the horde.
By this point the town wasn't taking any chances with non-residents and refused asylum to the kids and other folk who begged for safety. Eliseo, only 15 at the time, stepped up to care for Wyley and keep them safe out in the unknowns as Dakota was ravaged by the virus. Because of the trauma and during their hardships, the once bubbly Wyley was now shutting down, learning quickly what is was taking to survive in this new world and doing a lot of things she wouldn't be proud of until she grew too jaded to care.
On her 15th birthday Wyley made a fatal mistake. Coming out of winter just barely surviving, Eliseo was left weakened by a still-raging cold, and Wyley having done all she was capable of, decided it was time to get medicine from the Fargo Settlement. After being rejected from previous attempts to get aide over the years, she ditched the helpless act altogether and went for it. Sneaking in wasn't the hard part. With the zombies having spread out by this point meant there were fewer sightings, and the town had gotten complacent. Getting out was where it got difficult. Townspeople themselves were also still fighting off sickness from the harsh winter, and even with them running on a shorter supply of medicine, Wyley chose her brother over other lives. However while she got what she needed, doctors working around the clock easily noticed the stolen meds soon enough before Wyley could make her full escape.
Eliseo, growing in concern as time lapsed, left their camp to find Wyley at the settlement. He made it inside no problem and tracked down a hiding Wyley, but in the ensuing panic they were caught together. Before Wyley could be blamed Eliseo had snatched the medicine from her and admitted to the crime in front of the crowd, all the while fighting against Wyley's attempts to stop him. In the end both were locked up, however they were placed separately.
Through the rest of a sleepless night they were denied warmth and food, and by daybreak Eliseo's fever had returned and his cold was worsened. Their cells were barely spared any attention during the day, even despite Wyley's ruckus about her brother's condition. Eventually as evening drew in the sheriff came to lay out their punishments. Since neither would relent their sides of the blame it was only 'fair' that they both share the same fate. Once alone Wyley worked on her cell door and managed to pick the lock, though when it came to Eliseo it became clear that he wasn't in any shape to travel, and his racking coughs would give them away anyway. He assured his sister it would be okay and insisted she get out before it was time for their sentencing. Wyley wasn't going to have it, guilt consuming her for the fact that Eliseo shouldn't have been caught at all, and she should be the only one receiving punishment. They both knew what happened to outsiders who committed crimes, and he was still willing to take it because "That's what brothers do."
With reluctance Wyley left Eliseo in jail, though not for long. He may not be strong enough to run, but they could get away on horseback. While the town was off setting the scene outside, Wyley made her way around to the stables where she fought to get a horse under control. Eventually a young buckskin cooperated with her and right as the stablehands were returning she charged out through the side gate.
In the time they'd been in jail the outside had shifted dangerously. Bursting out of the settlement brought Wyley right into the thick of a zombie horde, and with horror she knew just where they were heading. Fighting to keep control over her new horse they slowly made their way through the crowd, but by the time Wyley was able to get to the front of town she spotted that Eliseo had already been strapped out on the stripped scarecrow boards. She spurred the horse on desperately, though it would end up too late. The fastest of the zombies had arrived before them, and Wyley had to wrestle her bitten brother out of the monsters' clutches. She caught sight of the townspeople watching safely from behind their walls and felt her scorn towards humanity deepen. Avoiding the rest of the horde as it caught up, Wyley rode out with Eliseo.
They went on for a long time with no words, stretching miles between them and Fargo, and only stopping when the horse had had enough. At this point with a combination of his cold and the virus Eliseo had almost no consciousness left and it became clear to Wyley what had to be done, and the half-corpse of her brother barely had anything left to offer in their last moments. Feeling the blame for it all she pointed Eliseo's own gun at his head and put him out of his misery. Silence befell the clearing and that's how Wyley would spend the rest of her time, as though her voice had died alongside her older brother. She and the newly named Alpas bonded in the first few days of survival, and after seeking some kind of shelter in a smaller town, Wyley became aware of her wanted status by Fargo and went on the run from whatever remained of the 'law'.
The Present
After escaping from Dakota Territory, Wyley has ended up in Wyoming and found herself being taken in by Alana Quinn, who saved her from near starvation. Now in the tight-knit little gang, after months of being forced to survive by herself she struggles learning how to exist with other people again.
Her original plan was to mooch off the outlaws until she was set and then sneak off, however at the welcoming and compassion she received from complete strangers Wyley's demeanor changed and in the end between Jo's death and Noah's leaving, Wyley decided to stay against her inner judgement. The bond she'd forged with Alana by that point had been solidified and Wyley couldn't handle the crushing guilt at thinking of abandoning her. While still recovering on her own terms she does find herself enjoying the company and safety the Dullahans offer, and even slowly if the mood strikes she's able to open up socially.
Alana Quinn
[ adoptive mother ]
In her delirium of almost dying, when Alana found Wyley she thought the woman was the Grim Reaper finally coming to take her soul and make her pay for her sins. Wyley kept herself cold and distant despite Alana personally attending to her for a long time, until about when she was strong enough to walk around on her own, at which point she began to integrate into the gang's culture. The first time she opened herself to Alana was when Wyley saw the leader mending clothes and she sat with Alana until she'd finished - just in silence, but that was the start. From then on Wyley slowly found herself coming to rely on Alana and enjoyed the company of another after years of trusting no one. Despite the bumps and hardships during outlaw life, Wyley has come to care deeply for Alana and even sees her as a type of mother figure. Wyley's previous plan to leave the Dullahans brings her regret at ever thinking she could abandon Alana.
Johanna "Jo" Sohmer
[ former gang member ]
During their brief time together Wyley was never sure what to make of Jo. The lively and loud woman was a stark contrast to Wyley's own personality, however there was also something endearing about her and Jo became the first person who Wyley spoke a word to after months of silence. She almost joined Jo to what would become her deathbed, and the thought haunts her of if she could have done something to prevent the outcome. For a few weeks following Jo's death Wyley again lost her voice as she struggled with her emotions and closed herself off once more to attachments, even distancing herself from Alana during this time.
Noah
[ former gang member ]
Wyley only knew Noah for a short time during the period where she was only temporarily staying with the Dullahans. His departure was a confusing feeling as while he might have been a near stranger, Wyley also saw pieces of her brother in Noah, and under better circumstances she would have liked to have gotten to know him on a personal level. She harbors some guilt at the bitterness she sometimes feels when thinking of him.
Barred Rafter Bandits
[ rival gang ]
Wyley has had few encounters with the rival gang, but knows that they threaten the Dullahan's survival if they claim too much territory and win out on train heists. She feels no particular ill will towards the other outlaws, but her loyalties lie deep with Alana and her new home, and she'd be damned if she let anyone take her family away again.
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