RolePlayer.me

Welcome to my Roleplay page. Whether you sent me a friend request or not, it doesn't matter. You're here, and we're talking. I think that about covers it, right? � DISCLAIMER: I am not Gabriel Macht or the Late Paul William Walker IV. Nor do I claim to be him in any way, shape, or form. I am only using him as a playby for Roleplay purposes only. DO NOT ask me if I am him! 1. Use of Proper Grammar and Spelling is strongly advised. If there is some difficulty, a dictionary is used. No chatspeak is acceptable. If you use it OOC, that's fine, but if it's in roleplay, I'll issue you a warning and a request to fix your starter or reply, but you get one warning only. 2. To the Female Roleplayers who I share storylines with. Should our storyline involve sexual activity, and you feel offended, feel free to inform me, and your concern will be brought to my attention.Your needs and concerns are MY Priority. 3. I am an original character based off of Gabriel Macht's character from SWAT: Firefight, but that does not mean that I won't allow roleplayers of different games, films,�or whatever have you to add me. I am adaptable to all storylines(except vampires) and I will bring life into our storyline, regardless of genre/universe, to the best of my ability. 4. Those who think that god mode is tolerated, can delete me now. God mode is stupid, and is unacceptable.No one here are 'Gods', so it's pointless. Plus it's considered as not roleplaying fair, so it's best that you reconsider before adding me. � 5. For ALL Roleplayers. Roleplay is strictly for roleplay purposes only. I will NOT tolerate drama that goes on in real life. Roleplay is commonly used to escape reality, because we've all got lives of our own, and we've our own problems, . Those who fail to comply will suffer extreme consequences. 6. I Roleplay in Messages or comments, so whichever's your style, I can perform to it. 7.Now this is Addressed to you all. Captain Cutler is a fictional character. He is a fictional character created by me. Those who think that you are the real character, are idiots, and are encouraged to kill yourselves. If you require assistance for that, That can be arranged.. 8. Another request. During roleplay, at least act like you are enjoying yourself during our storyline. Any comments or concerns about MY Style of roleplay will only be tolerated if it is positive. Anything EXTREMELY negative is unnacceptable. 9.To all who send a friend request. If you request, a starter required to go with it, but it does not have to be immediate. However, if I send the friend request, one will be sent shortly. 10. I address this to those who wish to change character. If you change during a storyline, I have no choice but to delete you. Sorry, but that'd mean I'd have to change our original storyline. However, if you change before we share a storyline, that is acceptable. 11. To those who send the starters, take your time, please. Starters are not meant to be pressured, but it's recommended that you write to the best of your ability. 12. I expect professional conduct with everyone who roleplay with me here. If you're professional with me, then obviously I'll be just as professional with you. Maybe down the road, we'll go� whack-a-doo funny, but that's later. In a nutshell: You play by my rules, I'll be a team player. You f*** with me, well.. I think it's self explanatory what comes next. 13. Another thing: God Mode involves you roleplaying my character... Let's not do that. CPT Cutler's my character, and you have your own. So how about you play your character, and I play my character? Sounds only reasonable. � That concludes my rules ladies and gentlemen. Sign the confirmation oath below, and I look forward to roleplaying with you. Police Captain I Gabriel James Cutler, LAPD Metropolitan Division, Officer In Charge, D-Platoon(SWAT) I, (Your Name Here), have read, and understood the following rules of this profile. I am aware that�in an event that�an infraction should occur during any part of the storyline, I will accept the consequences of my actions, depending upon the severity of the infraction. I will comply to the expectations required of me, and will abide without question. By signing this, I state that the following is true without penalty or perjury.�

There were times I was lost, and you found me. There were days which were dark and you lightened my heart. Through it all, since the day when we met, there was you for me and me for you. That hasn't changed. That will never change. Times have been good, and times have been bad. And still, our love has endured and triumphed. Through pain and passion, through sorrow and hope, through death and through life. No matter what tomorrow may bring, we will face it together." --Jean Grey / Scott Summers

Michael Cole has announced that their is three candidates to play the main antagonist Tanya Winters as he has three ladies in mind to play the role Maryse Ouellet not sure why he picked her for candidate, Kelly Kelly and also current Shimmer women' champion Alison who are three candidates for the role? <form method="post" action="https://poll.pollcode.com/xhxs"><table border="0" width="175" bgcolor="EEEEEE" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="0"><tr><td colspan="2"><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="000000"><b>Who Should Play the Role of Tanya Winters?</b></font></td></tr><tr><td width="5"><input type="radio" name="answer" value="1" id="xhxsanswer1"></td><td><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="000000"><label for="xhxsanswer1">Maryse Ouellet</label></font></td></tr><tr><td width="5"><input type="radio" name="answer" value="2" id="xhxsanswer2"></td><td><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="000000"><label for="xhxsanswer2">Kelly Kelly</label></font></td></tr><tr><td width="5"><input type="radio" name="answer" value="3" id="xhxsanswer3"></td><td><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="000000"><label for="xhxsanswer3">Alison </label></font></td></tr><tr><td colspan=2><center><input type="submit" value=" Vote ">&nbsp;&nbsp;<input type="submit" name="view" value=" View "></center></td></tr><tr><td colspan=2 align=right><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="000000">pollcode.com <a href="https://pollcode.com/"><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="000000">free polls</font></a>&nbsp;</font></td></tr></table></form>

|Grand Theft Auto III| looks like the franchise everyone keeps loving is open up big as the show season started intense no action but hey action can wait later we start big Claude is potrayed by Chris Evans awesome job liked it as Matt LeBlanc edgy job but will get better, Anna Paquin she sure convinced let's see more Catalina played by Eva Mendes sexy yes! and Jensen Ackles plays Miguel step up more and let's see this guy bring something to this charecter as the next chapters stay tune to the story |Grand Theft Auto Vice City| looks like things are hyping up for Vice City the uppocming Season when Auto III wraps up as many superstars are fighting for the role of who will be Tommy Vercetti? well for answers go ask the man behind the scenes Michael the producer of the GTA scenes ask him |Saint Rows| looks like another one will make it in Saint Rows will begin as casting will take place for the charecters which will soon be taking place ask Michael Cole for answers

If you want to role-play I will want to start discussing what ideas you have first before we start and not have any confused questions. I would not mind waiting for awhile, I am patient. But if there's going to be a delay I want to be given a reason for it.  No god-mode! Ruins the moment Don't mind para and multi but is a lot to type in. So whatever happens in role-play, stays in role-play. NO ONE LINERS! I am a literate writer and will not tolerate those who dont give some effort. Two or three would fine if your not much of a paragraph writer, just give some thought and time into it. I do stuff in real life and need other things to do so I will probably be busy and be patient unless you want to ask to rp with me. I normally go for sci fi, fantasy (little of both), mature, modern era. Most of all I am not a number and like to be treated as a friend and not be ignored! Do NOT ask me if I want to rp on Discord, I don't have one, nor have time for it. I didn't join this website just to go elsewhere.  If you have any questions feel free to simply ask.

Here is a collection of some of the intro posts I've written for various SLs. For our SL we can either take one as such, modifying it just a little to fit your character, or just use one or several for inspiration in creating a new SLs.[ Starter 1 ]The starter I like best is of course one that I already posted in another blog post:https://www.roleplayer.me/view_blog.php?id=0000011476[ Starter 2 ]SETTING: some Islamic country (jungle setting, possibly in Africa)Opportunities like these were hard to come by so when Gray Fox acquired substantial intel on a meeting between representatives of two of the most wanted Islamic terrorist factions they knew they had to act fast. The 1st Assault Delta Team was immediately deployed, flying once more across the globe for a clandestine operation which to them was a common daily activity. The five men of Captain Kaye's team, including himself, HAHOed during nighttime into the thick jungle surrounding the enemy camp and stealthily advanced towards the target area through a swampy landscape, thick vegetation and a heavy rain that poured onto them until morning when they reached the camp. Luckily their only attackers were nasty insects and small reptiles of all kinds. None of the hostiles had spotted them and they didn't take out any because they knew they had to stay focused on the mission that required their presence to remain unknown.The men had taken cover in strategic positions from where they could cover the entrance to the camp and make sure none of their targets escaped; in the current scenario everyone in the camp was a target. The captain was in the first line, ready to lead his men in when the time was right and in his proximity were 1st Sergeant Gibson, known to everyone as Hoot and Master Sergeant Sanderson. Further back was 1st Sergeant Flynn and even further, providing long distance sniper cover was Staff Sergeant Gamble. 'Red Smoke, this is Hawkeye. Possible tangos on the hill half a click east,' Gamble informed the captain using the call signs they each had assigned. 'I don't have visual but there's definitely movement there.' When he did a quick sweep of the area through the scope of his M-24 sniper rifle Gamble had caught sight of some movement on the hills on the opposite side of the target area and assumed there had to be hostiles there since they hadn't been informed of any friendlies in the area. 'Roger that Hawkeye. Focus on the main target for now. Over.''Roger. Hawkeye out.''Any moment now...,' Kaye whispered more to himself, directing the scope of his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle towards the dirt road that led inside the camp from the right, as viewed from Delta Team's position. 'There we go...,' he added when two 4x4s came into sight, rolling towards the camp. 'All call signs stand by.' All eyes were on the vehicles that entered the camp. About seven men came out and one in particular was greeted by two men in the camp. 'That's our guy,' Kaye said referring to the man who had arrived in one of the four by fours. 'We need him alive. All others are expendable.''Think he'll talk?' Master Sergeant Sanderson, call sign Capstone, asked.'No, but we'll have to make him.'The three men, terrorist faction leaders, went inside the main tent in the center of the camp while the guards who arrived with the third formed a perimeter around it. The guards already in the camp maintained their previous positions and patrol routs. 'Quick Clip, move up and to your left.' Kaye gave out the order, making a small sign with his hand to indicate the direction but keeping his arm close to his body. Cautious maneuvering was essential in approaching the target area undetected. Although he kept his sight straight forward, surveying the area in front, he knew that his men would be watching him as well as the target. 'Cover the north-west corner.''Roger,' Sergeant Flynn aka Quick Clip answered and moved into position.'Capstone, move to your right and cover the south-west corner.''Copy that.''Hawkeye keep sight on the eastern perimeter. Wait for my signal.''Roger Smoke.''Silver Switch you're with me. We're moving out.''Roger,' Hoot replied and with his riffle at the ready followed the captain in a slow advance towards the camp. Hawkeye, Clip and Stone waited to be given the order to take out their designated targets so that Switch and Smoke could move in.[ Starter 3 ]SETTING: abandoned construction site - LA, CaliforniaWhen the numbness began to dissipate so that a sharp pain could take its place, Stefan was forced to push past the darkness that had partially clouded his vision and acknowledge his surroundings. Looking up he saw through a cracked wooden ceiling the metal ledge above from which he had fallen. It hadn't been long since, probably only a few minutes, though it seemed much longer and fortunately the fall hadn't caused Stefan any injuries severe enough to prevent him from moving. Still, his injuries were far from comfortable. At first he thought they were only some scratches and bruises and the pain was mostly from the strong impact - first when his body smashed through the wooden roof and then when he fell to the ground - but when he stood up he realized it was more than that. When he had been fired upon one of the bullets had hit the left side of his waist area. Fortunately the bullet only clipped him and didn't go through nor did it stuck in his flesh. There was something else in his right shoulder blade but he could not tell what. All he felt was pain but he couldn't tell if it was a bullet wound or he had been injured during the fall. Looking around at the spot where he had fallen he saw some scattered pieces of sharp metal and concluded that had probably been the cause of his shoulder wound. The worse part was the he could still have some pieces of metal stuck in the wound but he was unable to reach back there and attempt to remove them, plus he saw no mirror around and attempting an improvised surgical maneuver in the dark as it were could have caused more damage than good.He needed help to mend his injuries and going to a hospital was out of the question. In his line of work going to the hospital was never an option, it would bring about the failure of the mission so when an operative got injured in the field they had to find other means to mend their wounds, and since Stefan was not even on an official mission he had to be twice as careful about keeping his cover. Unfortunately he had no connections in LA, no one but his old friend Cole Bauer anyway and as much as he didn't want to drag him into his personal business, possibly putting him in danger, he had no choice. The man that Stefan had been following from afar had vanished and the one who shot him had been a sniper positioned far enough from Stefan's location. He estimated that based on the surrounding of the construction site. In less than ten minutes he managed to make his way out of the construction site, running - leaping actually because of a sprained right ankle - with his left hand pressed against his bleeding side. He made sure he stood clear of any open spaces where the sniper could have targeted him again and got out through a poorly patched opening in the surrounding tall metal fence, in a more obscure area of the construction site, although the entire deserted place looked obscure. The exit took him to a side street where he found an old car which he forcibly opened and started the engine by crossing the wires. [ Starter 4 ]SETTING: ISA/Gray Fox headquarters - Fort Bragg, North CarolinaIt had been less than six hours since Kaye and his team returned from their last mission, somewhere past midnight, that his phone rang again and he was requested to report immediately to headquarters. For security reasons no details were given on the phone but by the sound of the colonel's voice it had to be something grave. In any case that didn't matter much to Kaye who treated each mission, regardless of its importance, with the same promptitude and seriousness. He drove from the apartment complex where he resided, in the officers' district, to the ISA's official headquarters that also functioned as a cover for the organization's true identity, bearing only the nickname Gray Fox, under which highly classified covert operations were carried out. Dressed in a "sanitized" uniform (bearing absolutely no tapes, such as his name, or even U.S. Army, or rank insignia), the captain chose to walk in through the visitors' rear entrance instead of the main one, where there were higher chances of being approached by various people and drawn into tiresome conversations that often included a request being made by the intruding party. Since he was far from being someone who enjoyed such interactions he always preferred to come in and leave unnoticed. Aside from his usual stern and almost threatening expression that made most people reluctant to approach him unless they had no other choice, his Russian ties, which had started not only rumors but thorough investigations as well to discover where his true loyalties lay, also helped him gain a fierce reputation in his domain and among those who frequently came in contact with the ISA. Once inside he went straight to his left, heading towards a corridor leading to a door that required an access card and code in order to open. To the right there was a small office where visitors signed in but when he entered the building Kaye did not look in that direction knowing that his destination was elsewhere. There were only a few people passing through the lobby and since he did not personally know either of them he did not salute or even looked at any as he passed by, advancing with quick steps. "Sir!? ... Captain!" He had almost made it to the secure entrance at the end of the corridor when he heard a young male voice calling him from behind. It was a private first class, judging by his uniform, which Kaye noticed when he briefly turned to catch a glimpse of the person addressing him. If the boy knew him by rank he must have been around the ISA for some time although to Kaye he didn't look familiar or any different from most soldiers moving about."Sir, there is someone here from...," the soldier began but was cut off."Tell them to wait or come back another day." Kaye had reached the door where he slid the card through the designated slot then punched in the code. He didn't look back at the private when he replied and before the young soldier could say anything more the captain had already stepped on the other side and shut the door behind him. The only thing left for the private to do was to go back and inform [ your character's name ] of the situation and help her/him get in touch with a personnel manager if her/his visit could not be postponed. As he walked back along the corridor, then into the lobby and finally back to the small office, the soldier realized that he didn't know the captain's name. He had always addressed him solely by rank and there was no room for confusion since he was the only one with that rank at ISA and the only one who was second in command to the CO. The young man had also lent his curious ear to the many rumors circulating about and in that context the appellative Russian Delta Captain was more interesting than the man's actual name.Meanwhile Kaye had made his way to the large room that served as Gray Fox's Tactical Operations Center. There, specialists worked with computers and other electronics to gather intelligence, just like the ISA was supposed to do. The TOC was also tasked with the surveillance and coordination of the missions that Gray Fox's special operations teams took part in. The many screens and computer monitors in the room showed various images from charts and graphics to satellite feeds, surveillance footages and even news channels. Now they were all focused on the crisis that was at hand.Kaye met with Colonel McKnight in the back area of the TOC, which was separated from the rest of the large room by a glass door on the left and a large window that stretched from there all the way to the other end of the wall. "Get your men here as soon as possible, brief them on the situation. We can do this but we have to move fast, before Washington sends a few suits over to slow us down," the colonel informed him and Kaye nodded in agreement. "I will be in the briefing room. Some suits might already be here," he went on, recalling the private who wanted to inform him of someone's arrival. "If they're DOD it's better if I'm not here when they come. I have no patience to deal with them at this time.""Like I do," the colonel shook his head with annoyance and handed Kaye a folder with the necessary information for the current mission. "Be ready to leave in forty."A few minutes later the captain had made it to the briefing room, where he sat at the desk in front and waited for his team members to arrive. While going over the files he had received he alternately drank from a cup of dark coffee and smoked a cigarette, indifferent to the household rules.[ Starter 5 ]SETTING: road-side country bar in one of the states bordering North Carolina A five day mission was never a long one in Stefan's book except when he had to repress troubling personal thoughts and feelings stirred by unresolved issues for the benefit of the mission and then when it was over they all came back tumbling. It had been once again one of those missions where after the deed was done the team broke up and it was every man for himself. They couldn't afford being caught by foreign authorities, theoretically they did not exist, their unit was specialized in black ops of the highest rank. Usually they each chose one of the three ways of travel: land, water or air. This time Kaye had chosen air and since he needed to be as discreet as possible he had taken a flight that arrived at an airport far from his base or even the state where it was located. He also had to choose the first flight that would take him back to the US and the only one available at the time at his point of departure was one that took him to [ insert location here ]. From the airport he decided to change the means of transportation and drive to Fort Bragg.With the sulky mood he was in and the thoughts he had to fight back, driving straight to a hotel and spending the remaining of the day and the night there before he drove on was not too appealing. Assuming that he would eventually find a motel before sunset, Stefan stopped his rented car in front of a bar next to the main road. Inside he went straight for the bar and out of custom he took a seat on one of the tall stools close to [ your character ]. Usually he would use this technique knowing that single women in a bar were, almost all of them, there looking or at least hoping for company and since he stood there minding his own business, enwrapped in an air of mystery, the women approached him. They were tired of loud, obnoxious males assaulting them with clich� pick-up lines and a lot of them were not shy about making the first move, especially when spotting someone more appealing was a rare occasion. Stefan on the other hand didn't like flirting too much. He was practical in every way and when he saw something he wanted he knew how to obtain it with a forward approach. But it was not too often that he spotted a woman who interested him so much that he would go out of his way to approach her. As much as he liked women, he had not time for serious commitments so he allowed the representatives of the fair sex to approach him whenever they liked and he accepted their offers when it involved a trade of carnal pleasure. This time it was different. Rachel had so rapidly become an important part of his life and even though he had only been with her for a short while it felt as if he was really in a serious relationship that he wished to prolong. As such he felt that he could not cheat on her. He didn't feel any impulse of that kind. Rachel was everything he needed and longed after even if they were more apart than together, because of his work. "Beer. Any kind you've got," he told the bartender on a deep and low voice when the man stopped in front of him, asking with his eyes what he wanted. A vodka would have been better but since he still had to drive, and he considered the possibility of not finding a motel and having to drive all night, he chose a lesser beverage for a change. Before the bartender served him his drink Stefan took out a half full pack of cigarettes from an inside pocket of his leather jacket and lit one; he put the packet and the lighter on the bar, next to his still untouched beer. Only one empty stool separated him from the [ your character ] he had spotted earlier but he kept his gaze down and never looked at her. When he pulled out some cash from the right back pocket of his pants to pay for the drink he remembered that he didn't have much money left. He had enough to pay for one night at a motel, but since he also had to save some money for gas and food for the drive to Bragg it would have been better if he didn't have to give money to a motel. If it hadn't been for Rachel he would have surely left the place in the company of some eager woman who would have offered him a place to stay for the night, but under the new circumstances the only option he could think of was sleeping in the car, if he didn't want to pay for a room. [ Starter 6 ]SETTING: Greenwich Village - Manhattan, New YorkGreenwich Village, often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential area on the lower west side of southern Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families.Judging by the social status of Stefan Kaye's family, it would not have been uncommon for him to move into an elegant apartment of this particular residential area, if he had decided to move from Boston to New York. However, anyone who was familiar with Kaye's true profession knew that he wouldn't have suddenly rented an apartment there for personal pleasure. It had been less than a week since Kaye moved into the apartment, introducing himself as Daniel Grant. Everything about this situation and the man he was pretending to be was fake, because it was nothing more than a job, just another mission.In reality he was a US Army Captain, part of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, commonly known as Delta Force. The difference between Kaye's four men team and the other Delta Force operatives who were sent on deployment to conflict zones alongside the regular army was that they were part of a program that officially did not exist, because this was one of the main reasons Delta Force was created in the first place. To the general public they were Delta Operatives who no longer served on active duty, either retired or no longer able to fight; they were said to be instructors, advisors or doing some desk job at Fort Bragg. In truth they were part of a secret counterterrorist organization that carried out covert missions sanctioned by the president himself.The purpose of Kaye's undercover mission in Greenwich was to supervise one of the building's residents, [ your character ], whose father was either knowingly or unknowingly leaking valuable information to a known terrorist. When intel confirmed that a rival terrorist might be planning to kidnap the man's daughter in order to forcibly obtain the information, Kaye was sent to monitor the girl's activities but not protect her from the terrorists who might be after her. His true mission was to allow her to be captured so he could then follow her to the terrorists' location. It was a dangerous situation for the girl and she might not make it out alive but this was just another sacrifice that had to be made in order to save thousands of lives and it certainly wasn't something new for Kaye.Another day passed by with nothing happening. He had followed the girl around, discreetly as always, but could not spot anyone else doing the same, or her meeting with any dubious people. It was close to midnight and it hadn't been long since he had arrived back to his apartment after having followed the girl to a bar not far from the building, and then back. Again, nothing unusual. Only one light was turned on in his apartment, in the hallway, while he sat in the darkness of the bedroom, leaning against the windowsill and looking down at the street below, as well as the surrounding buildings, trying to spot something out of the ordinary. Perhaps whoever was after the girl was out there, but he just didn't spot them yet.There was complete silence all around. Nothing in the street, no noise coming from the neighboring apartments, so when a loud noise suddenly echoed through the exterior corridor Kaye became alarmed. There was just one noise and then it stopped, which was a bit curious. If there were some people making noise, they would have probably continued to do so and if they were the people sent to kidnap the girl then they would be professionals who made no noise. Still, Kaye grabbed his pistol, attached the silencer, took off the safety and moved towards the door of his apartment. He unlocked it making as little noise as possible then opened it and carefully looked out towards the girls' apartment, on the same side as his and to the left. There was nothing there, but immediately some noises from the right made him turn and there he saw his other neighbor, whom he hadn't met until then. The only thing he found out while making investigations about the people living in the building was that she was a new resident as well, which earned her a place on Kaye's list of people to keep an eye on. Of course, she didn't appear to be someone who could be involved with terrorists but appearances were almost always deceptive and in his line of work Kaye had seen people even less likely to be terrorists who actually had such extracurricular activities. From the looks of things she had just dropped her belonging and Kaye contemplated retreating back to his apartment before being seen, but then he thought that as much as he was not fond of interacting with people just for the sake of it, it would be better if he became somewhat familiar with this new neighbor, in case she was indeed somehow involved in his assignment. He put the safety back on and tucked the pistol in his belt, behind his back and underneath his loose shirt and left the door ajar while moving towards the woman who was still collecting her things from the floor. "Evening. I heard a noise and thought there might be something wrong. Was someone else here?" he inquired, making it seem as if he was asking the woman whether she had been attacked. At the same time he crouched down to help her gather her things and picked up the case files which were closer to where he stood. By the official insignia he understood that she had to be a lawyer working at the DA's office. Again something to make him further keep an eye on her, since corrupt lawyers seemed to exist in unlimited numbers and until he could prove this assumption to be wrong, it was his duty to remain suspicious. Without saying a word he took his eyes off the case files and looked back at her while handing her the files.[ Starter 7 ]SETTING: Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital - New JerseyIt was supposed to be a mission like any other, a simple one even since Kaye had been sent alone, not with his team as on most missions. He was also supposed to stay focused, be objective and allow no emotions to cloud his judgment. Usually he could achieve all this to perfection but this time was different because the place he was sent to was New Jersey, a place that stirred up the deepest emotions he was capable of. It was the place where he had met his wife, the place where she grew up, the place where their daughter was born and also the place where she moved back to after their divorce. Stefan hadn't seen either Amelia or Madeleine in almost six years and since then they could have very well moved from Wayne, Amelia's native town in New Jersey. Or they could have moved to another city in New Jersey. Even though the place of Kaye's assignment was far from Wayne, it was still a place of significance to him. The city through which he was now driving was Princeton, one that Amelia was familiar with since she had attended the University with the same name. She was in her third year studying political science when she met Kaye, got pregnant and eventually dropped out in order to marry him and live with him on the military base he was stationed at. What Kaye didn't know was that after the divorce Amelia went back to Princeton, got her diploma and became serious about following a career in politics, which eventually had her move to Washington where she was working at present as assistant to the Senior Policy Analyst of the Secretary of Defense - The Senior Analyst, Audrey Heller, being a friend of hers.Kaye's mission in Princeton was a result of his unit's collaboration with the CIA, who needed a highly trained soldier to serve as their assassin and Delta offered the best of the best. The mission also served the interests of his organization, Gray Fox, and was a matter of national security for which reasons Kaye's superiors agreed to lend one of their operators to the CIA with the condition that none of their people intervened or kept watch on him but stood aside and let the captain do his job. The mission involved the assassination of an international terrorist and a man responsible for mass murders in his native country, Sangala, in West Africa, where he served a general with great power and influence in the country and who tried to forcefully establish himself as leader. There had been US troops in Sangala for some years now but recently the conflicts escalated and war broke out. The man lying in a coma at Princeton-Plainsboro teaching hospital had come to the US with plans of sabotaging Sangala's enemy from within but when his plans were thwarted he found himself on the threshold of death.Still, he managed to keep his cover and escape the authorities with the help of a few of his loyal men who were still alive and who brought him to a teaching hospital in a relatively quiet urban area since it was unlikely for the law enforcement agencies to storm in there of all places looking for him, that is if they managed to find evidence that connected him to the terrorist attacks he had been involved in, since he was good at covering his tracks.All that the staff at the Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital knew about Mr. Udo Ngozi was that he was a wealthy foreign businessman who had requested that his identity and his staying at the hospital remained confidential and that his personal assistant and two bodyguards remained with him while the best diagnostic doctors tried to figure out how to heal his afflictions and bring him back from the semi-conscious state he was now in. Since Mr. Ngozi was incapacitated his assistant was the one speaking with the doctors and making his decisions for him.This was all information that Kaye did not yet possess and which he had to acquire in the course of his investigation prior to the actual assassination, which required a well-established plan. Kaye arrived at the hospital on a Wednesday, late in the morning, since he knew that by that time there would be a lot of people going about the corridors of the hospital and a crowd would allow him to move more freely without drawing anyone's attention.After parking the car he had drove in, Kaye walked across the parking lot and then through the main doors of the hospital, blending in with the crowd of people waiting or walking, sitting or standing, talking or arguing either between them or with the staff. Unless there was someone there who could recognize him, Kaye looked like just another common man, wearing a brown jacket, a dark grey shirt, black jeans and comfortable black shoes. As he moved about inconspicuously, acting like all the other patients who wanted to make an appointment or wanted an immediate consultation, Kaye accidentally brushed against a doctor storming out of the elevator and moving towards the receptionist's desk, seemingly inquiring about an urgent matter. The doctor turned to apologize politely albeit hastily before going on his way and Kaye did the same, but fate is rarely without irony. In this case, Dr. Wilson had no idea that the man he had just bumped into was an undercover Delta Force soldier contracted by the CIA to assassinate the patient who was Dr. House's current medical puzzle, but who was in fact a cold blooded murderer responsible of genocide, while Kaye had no idea that the doctor he had just bumped into was romantically involved with his ex-wife, Amelia. Almost an hour had passed by and because of the heavy traffic within the hospital Kaye was unable to get close to the receptionist's desk to overlook any files that might indicated on what floor and in what room was his target. He couldn't do much but sit and wait while maintaining his cover as a man who had come in for a consult. Even though he wasn't suffering from any serious illness or had any injuries that needed mending, there were many things that could be used as arguments in favour of his desire to have a consult, from his smocking habit that had increased during the past six years to recently heeled bullet wounds that might not have heeled so well, or bullet fragments that had remained in his body and which could cause him health problems in the near future.One thing that had drawn his attention when entering the hospital was the name on the office of the hospital's Dean of Medicine, Lisa Cuddy and it didn't take him long to realize where he had heard that name before. Even though he had met her only once in his life, Lisa Cuddy was his daughter's god-mother and a good friend, if not the best friend of Madeleine's mother. Despite the nine years difference between Amelia and Lisa had known each other for a long time since they both grew up in Wayne, New Jersey, attended the same high-school there and then both came to Princeton. Lisa had been there for Amelia when she got pregnant at twenty and was alone and scarred. Alone because Stefan had to leave on deployment even after knowing that he had gotten her pregnant and scarred both because of the thing itself and because she feared her parents' reaction, who indeed reacted as badly as Amelia had imagined. Eventually she dropped out of college to see the pregnancy through since she did not wish to have an abortion and Lisa helped her with everything, offering the girl both moral and material support. When Stefan returned from deployment and sought out Amelia, their daughter had already been born. That was the first and only time he had met Madeleine's god-mother since after that he married Amelia and according to army regulations the wife and children had to live on the base where their spouse was stationed. During their five years of marriage Amelia did meet with Lisa again when she came to visit and after the divorce they saw each other more frequently since Amelia and Madeleine moved back to New Jersey.Almost two hours later Kaye had been escorted in one of the examination room and told that a doctor would be with him shortly. Remembering Lisa Cuddy made him remember many things of his past which he usually did his best to keep hidden since emotions could make one lose focus during a mission and he could not afford that. Still, as he waited in the small room he wondered if Lisa had been in the hallway while he waited and moved about. He did his best to remember her face from the previous and only time he had seen her, almost 11 years back, and wondered if she would recognize him if she saw him there. [ Starter 8 ]SETTING: shabby flat - Brooklyn, New YorkA shabby Brooklyn flat, seemingly uninhabited. Two men sitting at an old table set against one of the three windowless walls of the single room that served as everything but a restroom, that being the only other room of the flat. Each man sat on a three-legged stool, both casually dressed with jeans, shirts and jackets of dark and slightly washed-out colours - common clothing, nothing to make them stand out in a crowd. One man had light-brown hair and a clean shave, the other black hair and an equally dark stubble that had almost grown into a short beard. The light-haired man looked troubled and restlessly rubbed his hands together as he kept them on the table in front. He occasionally glanced rapidly from the windows in front to the dark haired man. By contrast, his mood was at an opposite pole. He seemed calm and careless, indifferent to a certain point but still he handled with skill and some subtle excitement the Glock pistol he was loading. 'Last time we talked you said you could put me in touch with Milosz. Now you're saying you have nothing to do with him anymore?' the bearded man spoke in Russian and didn't look at the other, continuing to mend the weapon.'Shit got messy Stepan. Only Vladimir can get to Milosz and he said to never come looking for him again. Sais he now has to live with the pigs breathing at the back of his neck because of me, but I swear I had nothing to do with no fucking police.'Halfway through the man's confession Stepan raised his eyes to look at him. 'You must have done something to break Vladimir's trust, Yuri. Why would he accuse you otherwise?''I did nothing to compromise Vladimir, I've always been careful but there's some cop looking into old stuff. Many know him, he's even put some of Vladimir's boys away but they didn't talk, they know better.' 'And this cop has his eye on you? You said you're always careful.''Now I am, but I told you he's looking into old stuff and years ago, when I was young, I wasn't so careful, even got locked up for a few months. With the Vory, if you did time back in Russia and you came here, you're king, but if you do time here they'll kill you themselves."'I know.''You know?' Yuri chuckled on a mocking tone. 'What do you know? You've never been a Vory, never been in prison.''If I've never been locked up by some government it means I'm good at what I do. They don't know I exist so I can do whatever I want.''Yeah, I suppose,' the man chuckled again and suddenly put on a more serious face. 'So this cop probably has a file on me from back then, no? They keep everything.''Yes, they do.' Stepan replied to Yuri's last statement that sounded more like a question.The other man became restless and looked once again aimlessly towards the window then back at Stepan. 'We gotta do something about this cop.''We?' Stepan set the gun on the table and arched a brow at Yuri's comment.'You don't want to help now?''I do, but what are you saying?''I'm saying we gotta take care of this problem with the cop.''Killing the cop solves nothing. All the files incriminating you will still be there and the next cop that comes along will have you as a prime suspect if the paperwork shows this cop was looking into you before he died. And I think you know that cops take it very personally when you kill one of their own. You wouldn't...'Stepan stopped abruptly and looked over his shoulder at the window that overlooked the courtyard in front of the building. There was a rusty metal gate providing entrance into the courtyard and in the silence of the night he was certain he had heard it creak. 'Someone is here,' he whispered to Yuri who stood up on the spot, pulling out his own pistol. Stefan stood up and walked towards the window where he leaned against the wall and peeked outside. The gate had definitely been opened and there was no wind to blame that night. Meanwhile Yuri walked to the door and opened it slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. First he peeked left and right in the hallway then he took a few steps forward towards the banister of the staircase and glanced downwards. Someone was definitely down there, on the first floor. 'There is someone downstairs,' he told Stepan when he went back inside the flat, continuing to speak in Russian like before. 'The fire escape at the end of the hall,' Stepan replied and Yuri understood what he meant. Both men exited the apartment, closed the door behind them then crept along the wall towards the fire escape at the end of the corridor, left from where the apartment was. Yuri walked in front and Stepan followed, both holding their pistols at the ready, Yuri in a more street-style, the only one he knew, and Stepan in the professional way he had been taught during the many years of intense military training. Please DO NOT reply / post RP comments Here!Message me to tell me which one you like and I'll send it to you in comments, personalizing it and adding more information if necessary.

[OPEN//NEEDED Connections: ] [ Play-by: Matt Cohen ] Connection Type: Younger Brother Name: Filipp Kaye Nickname: - Callsign: - Age: 27 Height: 5' 11�" (1.82 m) Profession/Rank: US Army Ranger - Staff Sergeant Specialization (MOS): 11B - Infantryman Other info: - he is Stefan's younger brother by ten years; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: https://www.roleplayer.me/walk_the_fire [ Play-by: William Fichtner ] Connection Type: Colleague/Team Member/Good Friend Name: Jeffrey Sanderson Nickname: Jeff Callsign: Capstone Age: 41 Height: 6' 0�" (1.84 m) Profession/Rank: Delta Master Sergeant Specialization (MOS): 18D - Special Forces Medical Sergeant Other info: - member of Gray Fox's 1st special operations assault team; - close friend of Stefan Kaye's for more than 10 years; - he and his wife were Stefan and Amelia's godparents and witnesses at their wedding; - is married to Pamela (40) with whom he has a son, James (9) and a daughter, Nikki (17); - started Medical School before joining the army to pay for his studies but never returned to finish and continued his military career instead; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: N/A [ Play-by: Jeremy Renner ] Connection Type: Colleague/Team Member Name: Brian Gamble Nickname: Gamble Callsign: Hawkeye Age: 29 Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m) Profession/Rank: Delta Staff Sergeant Specialization (MOS): 18B - Special Forces Weapons Sergeant Other info: - member of Gray Fox's 1st special operations assault team; - former Marine Scout Sniper; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: N/A [ Play-by: Harold Perrineau ] Connection Type: Colleague/Team Member Name: Michael Flynn Nickname: Mike, Night Stalker Callsign: Quick Clip Age: 32 Height: 5' 10�" (1.79 m) Profession/Rank: Delta Sergeant 1st Class Specialization (MOS): 18E - Special Forces Communications Sergeant Other info: - member of Gray Fox's 1st special operations assault team; - former 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) pilot; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: N/A [ Play-by: Eric Bana ] Connection Type: Colleague/Team Member Name: Eric Gibson Nickname: Hoot Callsign: Silver Switch Age: 34 Height: 6' 2�" (1.89 m) Profession/Rank: Delta Sergeant 1st Class Specialization (MOS): 18C - Special Forces Engineering Sergeant Other info: - member of Gray Fox's 1st special operations assault team; Character Availability: TAKEN PROFILE: N/A [ Play-by: Tom Sizemore ] Connection Type: CO(commanding officer)/Friend Name: Daniel McKnight Nickname: Danny Callsign: Rider Age: 48 Height: 5' 11" (1.80 m) Profession/Rank: Delta Lt. Colonel Specialization (MOS): 18A - Special Forces Officer Other info: - Gray Fox commanding officer, also directly in charge of field operations; - is a good friend of Stefan Kaye's who is his second-in-command at Gray Fox; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: N/A [ Play-by: Matthew Ferguson ] Connection Type: Colleague Name: Seymour Birkoff Nickname: Birk Callsign: Zapper Age: 28 Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m) Profession/Rank: Sergeant Specialization (MOS): 2611 - Cryptologic Digital Network Technician/Analyst Other info: - technician and computer specialist who also supervises missions in progress from Gray Fox's Tactical Operations Center at Fort Bragg; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: N/A [ Play-by: Wynn Everett ] Connection Type: Ex-Wife Name: Amelia Laurent (Kaye) Nickname: Amy Age: 33 Profession: Assistant to the Senior Policy Analyst of the Secretary of Defense. Other info: - she is Stefan's first wife and the mother of his daughter; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: https://www.roleplayer.me/justlygratifyhonor [ Play-by: Sydney Imbeau ] Connection Type: Daughter Name: Madeleine Laurent Kaye Nickname: Maddy Age: 12 Other info: - she is Stefan Kaye and Amelia Laurent's daughter; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: https://sitemodel.net/nevertoosoon [ Play-by: Gina Torres ] Connection Type: Colleague/Ex-Wife Name: Natasha Andrews Nickname: Nat, Tasha, Tash Callsign: - Age: 38 Date of Birth: 24 October 1971 Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m) Profession/Rank: Sergeant/DOD NC Officer Other info: - works at the Office of Personnel Management for the Department of Defense; - she conducted a series of investigations prior and after Stefan Kaye's recruitment to Gray Fox to determine where his true loyalties lay and what were his connections with the members of his Russian family on his father's side who were involved in criminal and even terrorist activities; their interactions turned into a cat-and-mouse game with her insisting to dig deeper and find something incriminatory and him teasing her about her own Russian heritage; she is half Cuban and half Russian, hence her first name. (The character Natasha Andrews appeared on the tv show The Unit - Season 4, Episode 18: "Best Laid Plans".) Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: N/A [ Play-by: Greg Grunberg ] Connection Type: CIA contact/Associate/Former Colleague Name: Eric Weiss Nickname: - Callsign: Retriever Age: 39 Date of Birth: 11 July 1970 Height: 6' 0�" (1.84 m) Profession/Rank: CIA Agent/Covert Operations Coordinator Other info: - is a member of the CIA's SAD (Special Activities Division); - coordinates missions carried out by the SAD's Special Operations Group; - serves as a liaison between JSOC (the ISA in particular) and the CIA; - he is a good agent and a friendly guy with a sense of humour who gets along well with his co-workers; - he would go as far as breaking protocol if it meant saving lives and if his superiors' orders proved to be incorrect; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: N/A [ Play-by: Barbara Eve Harris ] Connection Type: CIA contact/Associate/ Former Commander Name: Felicia Kendrick Nickname: - Callsign: Bluebird Age: 44 Date of Birth: 8 March 1965 Height: 5'5" (1,65 m) Profession/Rank: CIA Agent/SAD Director of Field Operations Other info: - Agent Kendrick is Agent Weiss' commanding officer within the SAD and like him she is also a liaison between the CIA and the ISA, providing assistance for the highly classified assignments carried out by the organization nicknamed Gray Fox, for which the ISA serves as a cover; - despite appearing to be a stern director, Agent Kendrick would go behind her colleagues' backs and side with her subordinates if the other directors or agents in charge gave orders according to their own personal agenda and not in the benefit of the people; Character Availability: OPEN PROFILE: N/A Leave a comment if you want to fill any of the OPEN Roles!

[ From Birth to Enrollment... ] Stefan Kaye grew up in a fairly well-off family in Boston, Massachusetts. He lived an easy, stress-free life in a quiet and plain suburban neighborhood and then in the equally peaceful college campus, all the way until graduation. Everyone in his family assumed he was pleased with his life since he never complaint or got into trouble. Only he knew what was in his mind as he wasn't too sociable or very communicative. He enjoyed engaging in conversations but only when he had something to communicate; mostly he preferred to sit, listen and analyze the world around him. At 22, right after graduating from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology he shocked everyone when he announced that he had enlisted in the US Marine Corps. He only told his family after he had been accepted and signed up to begin training. This, together with the fact that he never requested their financial support (apparently he had saved enough money over time), led them to believe that it was something he had been planning for some time. Stefan however never offered a straight answer, just told them each time that he was doing what he wanted to do. One of the reasons had been that while a student of psychology he was faced with analyzing the case of a man, former federal agent, who had been given a life sentence after found guilty of the murder of over twenty civilians. The man was transferred to a mental institution, even though doctors had been unable to detect disorders or diseases of any kind. Yet, the man remained true to his beliefs and kept on repeating that he had only done a small sacrifice for the benefit of the greater good. Because the threats the man was speaking of could not be confirmed, he was only seen as a killer, even though his sanity could not be questioned. This puzzled Stefan and made him give the matter much thought, since on the one hand the man's explanations made sense from a logical point of view but at the same time they contradicted the moral values of society, the same values Stefan had so far accepted and obeyed, thinking that was the right thing to do. Can the murdering of innocent people be seen as righteous when a much larger threat is at stake? Stefan joined the army to find an answer to that question since soldiers were faced with such decisions more than any others. He discovered that such actions were indeed not righteous but necessary and unavoidable on so many occasions. Another reason for Stefan's radical career change was the fact that he had come to believe that the people he grew up with and the people they associated with were all greedy and hypocritical. Studies show that the majority of the people who join the army either have some unresolved anger issues, usually because of growing up in a dysfunctional family and being abused or mistreated in their youth or they do it for the money since they come from a slightly better but still modest or even poor family. Stefan was a rare case because his life had been the exact opposite. Money had never been an issue in his family, he always had everything he needed or wanted, there had never been any conflicts in his home, his parents were the ideal parents, their friends and relatives were all nice and joyful almost all the time, there had never been any deaths of a close relative in the family, nothing to mark him or give him something more profound to think about, nor did Stefan experience anything dangerous, frightening or even something genuinely interesting. What displeased Stefan was that in the environment he grew up in everyone lived so carefree as if life was really that simple and that was the general living standard. He was appalled when he discovered the cruel and depressing truths from which his parents had done their best to shelter him in his younger days. It was almost a shock to find out that over 80 percent of the planet's population lived in such poor and unhealthy conditions, the likes of which he could not have even imagined. Suddenly he began to call those people normal while the ones he grew up with and others like them were like a strange breed. He wanted to get closer to the normal people, experience life from their point of view and offer them whatever support he could to help them elevate their living conditions. [ Parents, Younger Brother & Other Relatives... ] Stefan was never on speaking terms with his parents, ever since he decided to drop everything and join the army. In their eyes, their son had disappointed them. They would have wanted him to study more, have some fancy job, marry, have children, and so on, live a safe and plentiful life, like most people want, but a monotonous and frustrating life from Stefan's point of view. Although he did not enjoy the situation, Stefan found some comfort in the thought that his brother Filipp, younger by ten years, would grow up to be the pride and joy of the family, be like his parents wanted him to be and fill the void that Stefan's leaving had created. If they "lost" one son, at least they had another one which they hoped would choose a more common lifestyle and be closer to them. However, the younger boy had always looked up to his brother and despite what his parents said he still kept to his ideas. Even before high-school he wanted to join a military school and not even Stefan's intervention stopped him from doing so. At present Filipp is a US Army Ranger currently deployed to Sangala, a democratic West African nation with the capital at Mali Baso. (fictional country from the tv show 24) A well kept secret of the Kaye family was that the father, Mikhail Vladimirovich Karpov came from a Russian family who had ties to criminal organizations. His parents and close relatives did not support the unlawful activities of the other members of the family, mostly those on his father's brother side, and being aware of the dangers that this betrayal of sorts might bring, they thought it best to send their son to finish college in the United States. Mikhail settled there after graduation, obtaining citizenship and changing his name from Mikhail Karpov to Michael Kaye. When he left Russia he was already engaged to Delia Nikolaidis, a Greek young woman who had earned a scholarship to the same university where Mikhail studied, and with whom he had been in a relationship for two years. She graduated just before they moved to America as she was three years older than him. Also, their son was born in the far-off town of Arkhangelsk in Northern Russia (where the parents hid for security reasons), a few months before they left for America. They named him Stepan Mikhailovich, the middle name being a patronymic name as such was the custom, and later on they had it changed to Stefan Kaye, when Mikhail changed his name as well. Like his father, Stefan now has both Russian and American citizenship. Michael's almost exaggerated care to shelter his sons from anything harmful and offer them a safe, peaceful and prosperous life had been influenced by his own childhood and teenage experiences when he had lived in constant fear. With support from his family at first and then on his own, Michael prospered in the United States, becoming involved in businesses that helped him accumulate a substantial fortune. Because of the social status that he had earned, although his family back in Russia also had a fairly high social status, he wanted his sons to follow in his footsteps. To begin with he had them attend private schools and then wanted them to graduate from prestigious universities; he himself had graduated from Harvard. At his father's request Stefan applied and was admitted to Harvard (3rd on the entry list) where he spent only one semester before transferring to a public college (Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology), because he found the general population at Harvard to be too snobbish and with over-inflated egos. [ In the Military... ] For the first five years he was a Marine (ooh-rah!). After that he joined the Officer Candidates School because an officer rank would give him the possibility to be more than just a simple soldier blindly following orders. He wanted to understand the decision-making process and be a part of it. Still, he felt that if he focused only on the new duties that would come after becoming an officer he would stray from his path. He didn't want to abandon the military service he had done so far and he didn't want to go back to the Marines either, he wanted something more, something new, so, before graduating the officers' school Stefan signed up with the Special Forces (hooah!) and began training. Two years later he underwent further training in order to be admitted into the elite of the Special Forces, the 1st Operational Detachment Delta, commonly known as Delta Force. Another two years later he was recruited by Gray Fox, a secret military counterterrorist organization that carries out covert mission all over the world, sanctioned by the president himself. The organization's official cover is the ISA (Intelligence Support Activity), which is a US Army Special Operations Unit tasked to collect actionable intelligence in advance of missions by other US special operations forces, especially Delta Force and Navy Seals, in counter-terrorist operations. The men who now form his team are fellow soldiers whom he served with either in the Marine or in the Special Forces. These men are: - Master Sergeant Jeff Sanderson (Special Forces Medical Sergeant) - long time friend of Stefan's with whom he served both in the Marine and in the Special Forces; - Sergeant 1st Class Eric "Hoot" Gibson (Special Forces Engineering Sergeant) - good friend of Sanderson's and former Special Forces colleague of both he and Stefan; - Sergeant 1st Class Michael "Mike" Flynn (Special Forces Communications Sergeant) - former Special Forces colleague of Stefan, Sanderson and Hoot; - Staff Sergeant Brian Gamble (Special Forces Weapons Sergeant) - good friend of Mike's and former Marine Colleague of Stefan and Sanderson. After his admission into Gray Fox Stefan took part in an exchange program of sorts for future collaborations purposes between the Special Forces Counter Terrorist Organization he was a part of and its Russian counterpart, the Spetsnaz GRU. This military organization functioned in much the same way as USA's Delta Force, specializing in reconnaissance, sabotage and assassination. However, due to the very harsh standards of their training, based upon pain from start to finish, where they exert themselves to the limits of human endurance, they are believed to be probably the best special forces in the world today. Stefan didn't go there accidentally, nor did he wish only to train. He wanted to prove himself as he had promised a few years back. Having always been a curious boy in his youth, Stefan eventually discovered bits and pieces of his family's history, on his father's side, and after making the first discoveries he couldn't stop before getting to the bottom of it all and revealing the truth. At first his father was reluctant to tell him anything but Stefan kept insisting and eventually he had no choice but to confess. Of course he embellished the story and made it seem less shocking and tragic that it actually was. He made it sound like he had told Stefan all that he wanted to know, but the teenage boy was even then too perspicacious and clever to not read between the lines and realize that there were some details that didn't add up and others that were missing altogether. As he often did, Stefan did not reveal this to his father, but made him think in return that he believed him while he continued to pursue the investigation on his own. Michael and Delia were well aware that Stefan was very persistent when it came to accomplishing a goal he had set for himself but they never imagined to such great lengths he was willing to do. They found out in Stefan's first year of college, when he had not only transferred from Harvard, the university his parents wanted him to attend, to a public college without their knowledge but during spring break, instead of running off to some beach resort like other students would, he boarded a plane to Russia. With only a map and the money he had saved Stefan set off to find his grandparents and his father's younger brother who was an officer in the Spetsnaz GRU. Before going to Russia Stefan had managed to gather enough information about his father's family to know why he had come to America and that his grandfather's brother, along with his sons and other members of his family were involved in criminal and even terrorist activities, while his uncle, Sergei Vladimirovich Karpov (his father's younger brother) and a cousin of Stefan's (the son of one of his father's two sisters) took the side of the law and swore to punish the wrongdoers without remorse even if they were relatives. Stefan's encounter with his uncle hadn't gone the way he had planned. Despite his reserved attitude a certain enthusiasm and even excitement could be spotted in Stefan's demeanor, as a result of the adventure he had set on. His uncle however didn't appreciate this at all and scolded him severely for not understanding the seriousness of their family's situation. Still, the young man didn't give up and emphasized his desire to know more and to help. This time his uncle literally slapped him across the face, telling him that he was no longer part of the family because his father chose to abandon them and flee the country. The slap hadn't been that rough and when Stefan actually had the courage to ask his uncle why he hadn't hit him harder if he said he deserved it, his uncle told him that he was not worthy of it. He was not a real man so he didn't deserve to be treated like one. Disappointed, humiliated and with little money left to prolong his stay, Stefan returned to America without having made much progress in his investigation. However, something had changed in him. His uncle's intentional treatment had served its purpose. Only years later he would realize that it had all been a test. The man had indeed remarked Stefan's potential but he knew he had to push him into discovering it on his own. He also did not hold any grudges against his brother or thought that he had abandoned the family by fleeing to America, like he had told Stefan. In reality Sergei had always supported his brother and encouraged him to move out of the country, especially when he had gotten engaged and was about to be a father. The fact that they almost never spoke was because it was best for the safety of Mikhail and his family. This was yet another reason that motivated Stefan to join the army. Though he did not realize it at the time, he had learned much from his uncle that day and later on in his career he would find himself acting like him. When he participated in the joint training program (with Spetsnaz) after joining Gray Fox he did not reveal his identity or that he knew who Colonel Karpov was. He wanted them to see him only as a simple soldier that they had no reason to care about or give him special treatment. He wanted to prove himself and that he did, enduring all the painful tests and training but also proving his skills and qualities by overcoming the obstacles, defeating the opponents and completing the tasks. It was only after he had gained the respect of the Russian soldiers through his own merits that he revealed his true identity and presented himself before his uncle who showed his true face and confessed that what happened years back was only to determine Stefan to reach the position he was now at. This time he showed his admiration for his nephew's achievements and when he offered to answer the questions about their family that Stefan had asked years back, the now Delta Captain surprised him by showing that he already knew them, since he had never stopped doing research ever since. But there was still one problem. In order for them to fully cooperate, his uncle told him that he would have to switch sides and return to his homeland. He told him that he proved himself worthy of joining the Spetsnaz, but Stefan could not accept. Though he had respect for both countries, his family and home were now in America. He did what he did in the military to help people and not to serve anyone's interests so despite the duality he was facing he was strong and capable of keeping it under control and he would never act as a spy for either side, in detriment of the other. He told him that if America and Russia would go to war he would not pick a side but retire from the army altogether and move to Australia or some other faraway place. His uncle understood and respected Stefan's decision and even if their military cooperation remained restricted to the official collaborations that the organizations they served might get involved in, on a personal level they became more like uncle and nephew. He also told Stefan to take care of his parents and visit them more often, since he had not spoken to them in over 12 years. Even so, at present Stefan still hasn't made time to do that, or perhaps he has kept postponing it on purpose. His training with the Spetsnaz and his team's collaborations with them has earned him a fierce reputation among those who had heard of him and Gray Fox, since their main concern was to keep their secrecy. Stefan wasn't a fan of fame either. Like the unit's code required, he put his missions first and only cared about doing his duty, improving his skills and training the men under his command. The fierce reputation was born mostly of speculations since Stefan as an individual was as secretive as the organization itself. He spoke only when it was necessary, kept much to himself, didn't reveal anything about his personal life or anything about him that was not related to his profession and always kept a serious, even slightly frightening face that revealed nothing of what went on in his mind. [ First Ex-Wife and Daughter... ] Amelia Laurent. As far as Stefan's personal life is concerned, at 25 he married Amelia Laurent (20 going on 21 at the time) whom he had known for almost a year. Although there was an attraction between the two, Stefan married her more out of necessity, since he had gotten her pregnant and their daughter was already born by the time he was able to get back to Amelia. Stefan met Amelia in July 1997, almost a month before turning 25, and he married her the following year, about three months before turning 26. It was through sheer coincidence that Stefan got to know Amelia as she was the sister of another soldier. When they had a short leave one summer, Stefan, who had nowhere to go since he had broken all contact with his parents, accepted the invitation of an army buddy of his, Craig Hannigan, to come with him and another friend of his, John Laurent, to Wayne, his hometown in New Jersey. There the three of them shared Craig's apartment. The first time Stefan laid eyes on Amelia was when she came with her sister to visit their brother. Craig and John had half playfully and half seriously kicked Stefan out in the hallway for smoking and he found a window seal to sit on, next to the staircase. He heard that there were people coming up the stairs but didn't move or even turned to look at them when they passed by. Only when one of the two girls made a scolding remark about him polluting the air Stefan barely turned his head to the right to glance at her from the corner of his eye. But instead of the girl who had made the remark, he spotted the other one, who was closer and no longer bothered to look at the other girl as well. He maintained eye contact for a few moments then looked away, resuming his business. When he returned to the apartment Stefan heard noises coming from the kitchen and assumed everyone was there. Before joining them he made a stop in his room where he came across the girl he had just recently met on the staircase. She was there because she offered to get some music CDs that Craig mentioned since she knew where they were. Craig and John were old high-school friends, so Amelia knew him too and had been at his house many times before. He was like a brother to her. Everything happened so fast when the girls arrived that Craig forgot to mention Stefan and that he had the spare bedroom. Inevitably they engaged in a conversation and Stefan developed an interest for the innocent-looking but witty girl. As with everything concerning his feelings he didn't visibly show his interest but acted neutrally while at the same time trying to arouse her interest as well. During that same day as well as the following ones, whenever they met, whether at the apartment or in town, he continued to maintain a neutral attitude while interacting with her, especially since they were always in the company of Craig, John, Brooke and sometimes other friends of theirs. The first time they met alone was when Amelia came to the apartment late one evening looking for her brother, or so she claimed. Putting together all the information he had, Stefan concluded that she had to know where John and Craig were, which meant that she had come on purpose, knowing he was alone. They spend half of the night on the living room sofa, listening to music and chatting. At this point Stefan slowly shed his neutral approach, becoming less secretive and more open to human emotions. He discovered that Amelia was someone who understood his way of thinking, who had the patience and interest to listen to his rationalizations and philosophical deliberations and who shared his sense of humor, although when it came to jokes she was more playful while he was mostly sarcastic - in general, but not with her. He in fact took her advice and tried to be more understanding with people. The other half of the night they spent in the bedroom after a debate involving sex topics eventually brought to light their passion for each other and they went on to put into practice the theory they had just discussed. John never knew that Amelia had been there that night, since when he and Craig came back home in the morning they didn't go in Stefan's room to check on him, knowing he disliked it very much when people invaded his privacy without a good reason. After waking up, Amelia and Stefan snuck out past Craig sleeping on the couch and went out to enjoy a day in town all by themselves for the first time. In the following few weeks that Stefan spent in town he and Amelia continued to see each other whenever possible without making their romance known to anyone. Although they were close and he liked being with her, Stefan always alluded to the importance of enjoying the moment and avoided discussing about relationships or making plans. He also told her from the beginning about his profession and that he could be called back at any time. When that time finally came he promised to keep in touch with her and visit her at Princeton if he ever got the chance. Madeleine (daughter). Not long after he left he received a call from Amelia who told him that she was pregnant. Someone who was familiar with Stefan's personality and his general view on life would have expected him to ask her if she wanted to keep the baby or suggest that she considered an abortion. Such thoughts didn't even cross his mind when he heard the news. From the first moment he perceived it as his responsibility to take care of Amelia and their still unborn child because it was something that he was directly responsible for. All he could do on the phone was try to calm her, as she sounded very frightened, try to tell her that it wasn't such a desperate situation and advise her to seek the help of a good friend if family was unreliable. Despite her pleas he could not come to her as he had to deploy the following day and that was something he couldn't postpone. First and foremost he had to respect the rules and obey the orders if he wanted to advance in his career, and that was one thing he wanted and needed to do beyond anything else. During deployment he communicated with her only through emails, no more than four in over seven months, since where he was it was difficult to gain access to communication equipment for personal use. On the other hand he also thought it best to avoid communicating with her because he feared that if he kept thinking of her and their unexpected situation it might distract him while out on the field. As soon as he returned from deployment he requested permission for a temporary leave, stating his purpose and making plans in advance for Amelia and their new born child to come live with him on base. It was no longer something he could postpone. He had to do what he had promised and what was right. When he met with Amelia he spoke of marriage as if it was a business proposal. He simply said that they should get married because it was their duty as parents to offer their child a good life. Stefan's behavior didn't show that he did not like the situation or that he did not care for Amelia but that was just his way of being: serious, practical and to the point. In a way he had a neutral attitude towards the situation because it wasn't neither something he wished he didn't have nor something he had always hoped for and which now should have been like a dream come true. In his life so far Stefan hadn't given much thought to serious commitments nor did he see marriage as a compulsory future goal. He didn't discard it either but merely thought that if it happened, it happened. Their marriage was a hasty one and it consisted only in signing the necessary papers with Stefan's good friend Jeff Sanderson and his wife Pamela as witnesses and no other guests. To talk Amelia out of wanting a classical wedding, Stefan told her that there was no time for it, that they didn't have enough money (which was ironical since Stefan's family was wealthy enough, but he had chosen to make his own money and take nothing from them), that religious ceremonies didn't really mean anything and if she wanted to wear a nice dress and go to a party she could do it any other time. He also never wore his wedding ring because he did not like jewelry on men and he would have had to take it off while on missions anyway. It was not a rule, but it was smarter to do so. As for their daughter Madeleine, Stefan did not take long to accept the new situation, being able to adapt to anything with ease, and he also had some experience with taking care of small children from back in his childhood and teenage years when he helped his parents take care of his younger brother by ten years. Whenever he was at home he enjoyed spending time with his daughter, playing with her, teaching her things but he was not the sentimentalist type to be upset about not being there to see her first steps, hear her first word or other such things. If he saw that she could do those things, that she was healthy and happy, then he was happy too. His relationship with his wife was similar. Stefan grew up to be a person who although was caring and compassionate and not as heartless as some might think him, was not prone to express his emotions verbally. He thought it was better to show his affection through gestures, such as helping Amelia whenever she needed something, giving her things she wanted and providing for his family in general. The long, exhausting trainings, dangerous deployments and other problems that came with the job sometimes caused Stefan to be less talkative and more distant towards his family. The good thing was that no matter the problem, no matter what injuries he had suffered or what situation he had faced he was not the type to be overwhelmed by anger and take it out on his wife when he came home. He never mistreated or hurt her in any way, neither physically nor verbally and he rarely got into arguments because whenever Stefan was in a bad mood he isolated himself from everything and everyone until he came to terms with what was bothering him or found a solution for the problem. If he could not find the required solitude at home then he would postpone going there until he had resolved his issues. [ Marriage and Divorce... ] Amelia (wife) and Madeleine (daughter). Amelia and Stefan were married for almost five years, time in which they hadn't spent half as much time together as married couples would. At first Stefan tried to follow Amelia's advice and pursue a career as an officer without signing up for deployment but he soon realized that it was not the kind of life he wanted. Despite his wife's protests he signed up with the Special Forces and eventually with Delta Force, volunteering to go on missions even when he was not requested to. Amelia and Stefan's marriage was by far an ideal one. In fact, they only had a piece of paper that showed they were married, because other than that they rarely spent time together, with Stefan being away for months in a row. Sometimes he even chose to go away on purpose, wanting to get away from a life that he had more or less been forced to live. He cared for Amelia and respected her, but there was no genuine love to make the marriage what it should be. The main reason they continued to be married was the same reason that had brought them together, their daughter Madeleine. Even so, one day, after five years of marriage, Stefan told his wife in a most direct manner, right after he had returned from a mission, that they had to separate. He remained cold to her crying, her pleads and all of her questions, since he hadn't given her a clear explanation, and only told her that it was best for her and Madeleine to move away and have nothing to do with him anymore. What he never told his wife was that when you are with the Special Forces missions tend to get more personal. Since it's not always about a large war but mostly small conflicts involving fewer people, it is easier for the enemy to recognize you as an individual and not as a random soldier, similar to many others. While on the mission, the man they were after took notice of Kaye, since he was in charge of the operation and sent him a "notice" one morning. It was a large bag containing the savagely mutilated bodies of a young woman and an even younger girl, a child no more than four years old. Soon afterwards he received a phone call from the same man who had sent the "package". He wanted to make sure it arrived intact and told Kaye that unless he gave into his demands the next package he received would contain the bodies of his wife and daughter. Eventually Kaye and his team were successful in killing the man and disbanding his illegal operations but the threat he had received marked him deeply. He had always thought that such a thing could happen but he hopped that it never would. Even more disturbing was the fact that the man had managed to find out about Kaye's family in such a short time and even chose as victims for his "present" a woman and a girl that resembled Kaye's wife and daughter. Until he got in touch with his wife and found out that she and Madeleine were safe at home, Stefan had actually believed that they were the ones in the bag. Now, only the recollection of the way he felt in that moment convinced him that separating from his family was the only way to be sure they were safe. Throughout the following six (almost seven) years in which Amelia got no word from Stefan, she got support from her older brother John who perceived the situation from a different point of view, since he had been in the military himself. Although he did not agree with Stefan's abrupt decision, he did understand his motifs better. On the other hand, Amelia's younger sister Brooke was less understanding than Amelia herself. She had quite a temper and had never held back in the past from telling Stefan to his face what she thought of him. Now she had more reasons than ever to hate him for all the suffering he had caused her sister and on many occasions Amelia ended up defending Stefan, despite her own feelings, whenever she was quarrelling with her sister. Eventually Amelia and Madeleine got more attached to Stefan's parents than either he or his younger brother ever did, and during the years following the divorce they had always offered their support to their granddaughter and daughter-in-law. With both sons having disobeyed them and joined the military without their approval, with Filipp rarely visiting and Stefan disappearing completely for six years, the older couple felt that Amelia and Madeleine were the only family they had left. They also formed a tight friendship with Amelia's family. [ One More Ex-Wife ... ] Natasha Andrews (second wife). Born on the 24th of October 1971, Natasha is one year older than Stefan. She and Stefan met when she, as an NCO working at the Office of Personnel Management for the Department of Defense, was ordered to conduct a series of investigations prior and after Stefan's recruitment by Gray Fox to determine where his true loyalties lay and what were his connections with the members of his Russian family on his father's side who were involved in criminal and even terrorist activities. Their interactions turned into a cat-and-mouse game with her insisting to dig deeper and find something incriminatory and him teasing her about her own Russian heritage; she is half Cuban and half Russian, hence her first name. When he found out about her secretly checking up on him, in accordance with her assignment, Stefan decided to play her game and make her believe that her assumptions were true. He unexpectedly travelled to Russia on a more obscure route, knowing that she would follow, hoping to catch him red handed in the middle of some criminal activities and maybe even treason. But once there he surprised her by waiting for her in her hotel room and revealing that he had known about what she was doing all along. Eventually their trip to Russian turned into a self-discovery and self-acceptance journey for Natasha who, because of Stefan, found out some unpleasant things from her own past and that the existing information could cause her to be put under investigation back in the States. After the events they went though in Russia Natasha and Stefan discovered that they had much in common, and with him being a bit emotionally unstable after his recent divorce he rushed into marrying her right there in Russia. Back in the US where they resumed their jobs, their marriage proved to be more difficult to sustain then they had originally imagined... or didn't think much about it for that matter. He had to return to Fort Bragg, where he lived and worked while she had to go back to Washington, where she lived and worked. For a few moths they managed to keep up somehow their at-a-distance marriage, but such a marriage was almost impossible to last. No compromises could be reached. Stefan had no intention of leaving active duty and Natasha had no desire to leave her job in Washington to go be an army wife. At the end of the eight month they signed the divorce papers. [ Recent Developments & Secrets from the Past ... ] The year when Stefan turned 36 had been a very eventful one, most of those events being shocking for common people but apparently only regular occurrences for Stefan's family. What he was most grateful for was getting back in touch with his parents, with whom he had not spoken in almost 14 years, ever since he decided to join the military right after graduating from college. Back then they had made it clear that he had disappointed them by joining the army but eventually they learned to accept the situation, having no other choice. Stefan knew this from his younger brother who had kept in touch with them and visited them from time to time even though he too had shattered their expectations when he decided to follow in his brother's footsteps. Unlike Stefan who attended college, Harvard even for one semester before requesting transfer to a public college, Filipp did not even go to a regular high-school, choosing a military school instead. Even so, Stefan always thought that his parents were still more disappointed with him than Filipp who they probably saw as a victim of his older brother's influences. Feeling responsible for his brother's well being more than ever, after he joined the military Stefan kept in touch with him frequently over the years. Not only Filipp but also his uncle in Russia of all people advised him to go see his family again but he always found some excuse to postpone this. They might have forgiven him and they might be willing to welcome him back like nothing happened, and knowing his parents they probably would, but Stefan did not feel ready for it. Even though he did not regret the decisions he had made in his life he still felt embarrassed for disappointing his parents and putting them through so much emotional pain. Until he was ready to face them he preferred to keep in touch with them from a distance, to check on them without them knowing about it. He would go to various social events where he knew his parents would be present, events that weren't the kind he enjoyed frequenting. In fact he had little interest for public events of any kind and mingled with civilians outside work only when he had to, for various reasons. But since he was living a constant interior conflict which kept alive both the desire to have a normal relationship with his parents once again and the shame of having to face them after having disappointed them, that was the only solution he could think of. At least seeing them healthy and happy brought him some comfort and it proved that the family issues he had caused had not destroyed their lives. Yet those were all Stefan's own suppositions because in the past year he had come to learn that things were not at all as he had thought. He stood face to face with his mother for the first time in almost 14 years in the most bizarre of circumstances, abroad, on a mission, when the person who shot two guards who would have apprehended him and compromised the success of his mission turned out to be none other than his mother. As a first response she only said: 'Well son, if you do not call and disappear for fourteen years, what is a mother to do?' Later they had a more elaborate talk where Stefan received more shocking information. His mother had used her connections to keep tabs on him over the years, simply because she was worried about him and at the same time she didn't want to be the first to go to him, knowing it might bruise his ego and bring him emotional complications that he didn't like having. She knew very well that a distracted soldier was a dead soldier and she did not want to force her son into quitting the career he had chosen. First of all she knew her son well enough to know that he would never do that no matter what she said and the ongoing quarrel would push them apart even more and secondly, she was in fact proud of her son's choice. 'I hope you don't find it emasculating that you inherited the passion for fighting from me instead of your father', she had told him, which made him further stare agape, unable to process rapidly the new and very unexpected information. Delia admitted to her son that she and Michael, Stefan's father, only pretended to be very saddened and disappointed by their son's choice of becoming a soldier because they wanted to think they could actually leave their past behind, actually part for good with all the relatives, mostly distant, they were tied to, back in Russia. Unfortunately, when you come from an important bloodline and are born into an extensive family encompassing both important social figures and notorious criminals, a family split in two sides constantly fighting each other but where no one is what they seem to be and it is impossible to actually determine what side they are actually on (possibly because they switch sides constantly depending on their interests), it is impossible to run away from your past. It will always catch up with you. By saying that Stefan had inherited his desire to be a soldier, a warrior, from her, Delia referred to her own past. She went to college all the way from Greece to Russia, despite the dangers she was facing being who she was, though her true identity was kept secret to the point that it became like a dream, because she wanted to take revenge against those who had butchered her family, her mother's family in fact since Delia never met them. Her mother, a duchess of the Romanov dynasty, had managed to escape the carnage that befell the royal family in the revolution and fled to Greece. There she married a kind, simple man and lived a common life, though always fearing they might find her there. No one ever did, perhaps her existence was irrelevant to them after all. But Delia wanted to fight, to get revenge and recover what was rightfully theirs though she did not know where to start. Her rebelliousness and lack of support might have gotten her killed if she hadn't had the fortune of meeting a younger boy who understood her but also knew how dangerous such a plan was. Instead he proposed they fled far away from all the madness, let things calm down and then make amends in a more diplomatic fashion once they were well off and had built the support they needed. Delia agreed to move to the US with Michael, Mikhail at the time for he had not yet changed his name, and no longer thought twice about leaving once she got pregnant. For the sake of her child's safety she knew she had to leave but she wanted to finish college first so she gave birth to her first son, whom she named Stepan, before leaving Russia. Stefan's father, Michael Kaye born Mikhail Karpov, also came from a prestigious family that had been close to the royal Romanov family. Unfortunately, besides producing men and women of valor it also produced some of the most feared criminal bosses in modern Russian history so Mikhail and Delia together in Russia, trying to live a normal life as a couple and raise their child would have most likely been impossible. There would have been great pressure on Mikhail from both sides of his large family, the good and the bad so to say, pressure for him to make a decision and pick a side, which he did not want. For that reason he chose to leave. The family's greatest secret (though now known by a close few) is that Delia's mother, Stefan's maternal grandmother, was a sister of Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov, the last Emperor of Russia, and thus held the title of Grand Duchess. As such, Delia theoretically inherited the official title of Princess, and her sons Stefan and Filipp that of Prince. Also, this makes them some of the few still living direct descendants of the Romanov dynasty and in turn, heirs to the now split fortune accumulated over centuries of Romanov rule. With the help of his uncle in Russia, Sergei Karpov, Stefan is now attempting to recover some of that lost fortune, though mostly for charitable reasons. In the chaos that unfolded after the removal and execution of the last emperor, and in the communist decades that followed, the fortune was split and part of it ended up in the possession of criminal entities who used it to fund their illegal (many times murderous and even terrorist) activities. Most of these people come from the so-called "bad side" of the Karpov family. [ Ex-almost-Wife ... ] Rachel Gattina. Born on the 18th of March 1984, Rachel is 12 years younger than Stefan. Although they first became acquainted at the opening of the hotel his parents had bought and renovated in New York, Stefan had seen Rachel before and had developed some profound feelings despite not having met her personally. Rachel Gattina was a young supermodel responsible for making Stefan secretly have something that he otherwise thought to be lame and pathetic, namely a crush on a picture from a magazine. The very word crush, unless it meant to physically crush something or someone, felt emasculating to Stefan and he avoided using it even in his thoughts. The first time he had seen Rachel had been in a girly magazine, as he called them, which he came across by pure coincidence. The number featured a "high-school hottie" on the cover, as the headline read, and that schoolgirl was Rachel, only 17 at the time. Seventeen or not she had a very alluring body and for his masculine urges details like those were irrelevant, and it was just a fantasy after all. Since he never bought such magazines or had any connections to the modeling or fashion world, he did not know where to look for other pictures of Rachel and so he missed almost all her appearances, until she became a model for a young up-and-coming fashion designer. After a few appearances she all of a sudden vanished from the fashion industry and later, by pure coincidence, Stefan found her dancing in a nightclub owned by a Russian friend of his, Gavriil (former hitman for the mob back in Russia). He went there to meet with him and then saw her and made up some excuses to come a few times more, just to look at her from a distance. One time he overheard a conversation between Rachel and another dancing girl working there. It was enough to make Stefan understand why she was doing the things she was doing and he wanted to be Rachel's savior but he was afraid not to give her false hope and then not be able to meet her expectations. Because of that and other things, the situation was more complicated than it seemed and getting involved with Rachel then might have not been too good for her. The next time he came she wasn't there anymore and a few months later he learned from his brother that she had became a famous model working actually for the sister in law of a colleague and good friend of his, Jeff Sanderson. He was happy to see she was doing better and thought that barging into her life might end up destroying all that, so he stayed away. But she found him. Even though Stefan was living at Fort Bragg and always going on missions while Rachel worked as a model in New York, and also sometimes travelled for work, and despite their relationship being in general just a series of sexual encounters whenever they had the chance to meet, Stefan still thought that she was his everything and that they could never separate. They were perfect together, had so much in common as far as emotions and experiences were concerned and he was perhaps the only man who truly understood her, why she behaved the way she did. He loved her the way she was and loved to be there for her ... but not as much as she would have wanted. Stefan still had no intention of leaving his demanding military career and could not be the man she needed, living with her, being there for her each day. She also had vocalized no desire of becoming an army wife, which meant giving up on her fashion career, especially now that she had managed to come back from a very dark period and rise professionally as far as becoming a famous model for Victoria's Secret. So, with Stefan coming to visit only whenever he managed to take two or three days off from work every few months, Rachel sough comfort in foreign arms. This devastated Stefan who had become so emotionally involved in the relationship and had so much hope for it. Logic did tell him that the outcome was only natural, giving the distant relationship they had, but that was no comfort. He had to accept the situation because he had no other choice but emotional recovery seemed impossible. Once again he shut himself off from the civilian world and dedicated his whole time and attention to, perhaps his real and only true love, the army. [ Becoming Reacquainted with Madeleine and Amelia... ] - Coming soon - [ Major Influences in His Life... ] Sergei Karpov(uncle). Irina Derevko(aunt). - Coming soon -

CONNECTIONS Navaz || Adoptive Mother / Mentor Profile: Click to View! At eighteen years of age Maniya was freed from servitude by a wealthy but solitary Persian noblewoman named Navaz, who had long chosen to live away from court. She had isolated herself from her noble heritage and dedicated her life to learning and putting her inherited fortune in the service of common, disadvantage people and the improvement of vital sectors of the empire. Maniya remained to live with Navaz in one of the most lavishing villas of the rich district of Babylon, not too far from the royal palace. Navaz became her mentor and spiritual guide but also legally adopted her as a daughter so she could inherit all her properties after her passing and carry on her legacy. Maniya stayed with Navaz because she had nothing and no one in the world and also because she had to make sure no one who had known her before would find out she was alive. To the world she was dead and she had to remain that way, especially if she had to understand her new identity and mission in life. Navaz differed from most women because she had never married and unlike many other women she had dedicated her life to studying history, geography, astronomy, medicine, philosophy, religions and other such domains that helped one understand the world and one's purpose in life. The same as a dedicated scholar, Navaz had accumulated basic knowledge in the various sciences of the time and had gathered many books and manuscripts in her life, thus bringing some of the most important works ever written in one place. As Maniya's mentor and adoptive mother, Navaz began to pass her knowledge onto her, putting her through extensive study sessions from the first day her house became Maniya's as well. As a free young woman, the only tasks that Maniya now had to accomplish were the ones she set for herself or the ones that her mentor and adoptive mother, Navaz, set for her. In the beginning, these tasks involved only her education and unlike her previous tasks they were not a tiresome burden but a true delight. Later on, other of Maniya's duties included protecting the hidden Temple of the Goddess outside Babylon, helping the needy (often by stealing from some of the very wealthy nobles, mostly the greedy and vile ones) and encouraging people to have an open mind and constantly enrich their knowledge so as to understand more and more of the mysteries of life. Most knew Navaz to be one of the wealthiest women in Babylon but only few knew that she was not just any noblewoman but a descendant of royal blood, a cousin of the current Queen of the Persian Empire, Amāstrī, the first wife of King Sharaman. Also following a personal calling from a young age, Navaz chose to live a different life dedicated to learning and helping the less fortunate, not just by random charity acts but by trying to make lasting changes in society. With her large inheritance as a financial background, she acquired properties and started various businesses whose revenue she would donate or reinvest. Because of this she became well-known and respected in Babylon and throughout most of the major cities of the empire. It was not long however before Maniya found out (actually Navaz told her) that not all the wealth and repositories of knowledge had been acquired through law-abiding means. Having been a slave to many selfish, wealthy masters who thought themselves above the rest simply because they had been accidentally born into a noble family, Maniya was not repealed by Navaz's ways. In fact, she approved and embraced them because even though they were breaking the law, they were doing so in favor of the common, suppressed people. Navaz did not believe that the gods simply endowed some people with riches and deemed them superior to the rest and worthy to rule others, who had to obey blindly. A man of power, evidently one possessing great riches, had once told her: 'I have the greatest respect for thieves. Every man born to wealth has a good thief amongst his ancestors somewhere.' Although kind in spirit, like any dedicated parent or mentor, Navaz knew to be strict when it was required and she made sure to impose enough discipline on Maniya's daily schedule and education so she would not fall prey to idleness once she found herself a free young woman, living in wealth. Her methods proved very useful and Maniya would forever remain grateful to Navaz for shaping her into the strong-spirited, knowledgeable and resourceful woman she gradually became. Whenever in doubt, Maniya would seek Navaz's advice, knowing that she would always receive a practical solution, which was the correct path to take, even if occasionally it was not one that Maniya would have wanted to take. Such was the time when Navaz strongly advised young Maniya to put an end to her secret meetings with Prince Tus, offering solid reasons in favour of it. At first Maniya was too overwhelmed by her passions to accept Navaz's advice but later she understood that the right decision, one favourable for others, is not always one favourable for yourself, unless you learn to detach yourself from impossible desires. An even more well kept secret than Navaz's noble heritage was that she spoke from experience when advising Maniya to cease her juvenile affair with Tus. The coincidence was most bizarre, because the poor, orphan girl Navaz adopted as her own, just like King Sharaman had adopted Maniya's friend (yet another peculiar coincidence) became enamored with the future King of Kings, the same as Navaz had been when she was of Maniya's age. Yet, her situation had been different. Years before, when they were much younger, having only recently reached adulthood, it was Sharaman who attempted to win Navaz's hand in marriage. From a political perspective alone, Navaz would have been the best choice to occupy the position of first wife of the future King of Kings since she belonged to one of the oldest and most prominent families of that time, the House Kurush-Hakhāmanish (descendants of Kurush the Great of the Hakhāmanish dynasty, the founder of the First Persian Empire). Their lineage descended from the union of Artastūnā, a daughter of Kurush, and Dārayavahush the Great. Although none of the sons born by Artastūnā to Dārayavahush succeeded their father as King of Kings, the lineage from which Navaz claimed direct descent was perpetuated by the daughter of the two, also named Artastūnā. She married a descendant of Ariyāramna, great-grandfather of Dārayavahush and one of the first kings of Pārsa, the core region of what would later become the Persian Empire. Their descendants also married successors of this lineage and so their family continued to be renowned and respected as descendants of both Kurush and Ariyāramna, an even older descendant of Hakhāmanish, and the purest of the old Persian bloodlines. Their dominion over the region and the city of Pārsa (Greek: Persepolis) prevailed even after most of it was burnt to the ground by the invading Macedonians. The seat of power of the Pārsa satrapy then moved to the nearby city of Estakhr. Navaz's parents used to spend much time in their residence in Babylon, the one she inherited and which is her current dwelling. After marriage, Navaz's younger sister moved to Estakhr with her husband, the satrap of the Pārsa satrapy. Less than two decades later, after both of them passed away, she of illness and he in battle, the governship of Pārsa went to a descendant of Dārayavahush, from the House Dārayavahush-Hakhamanish. Navaz could have become Queen of Queens instead of Amāstrī, but she could not be swayed to accept, despite her feelings for Prince Sharaman. She was determined to follow her own path in life and giving it up for marriage was not something that appealed to her, even if it meant suppressing the true feelings of love she had for Sharaman. With her father dead and no other living, close male relative to force her into marriage and no financial pressures upon her to do so, Navaz followed her own path and desires, which also corresponded to her family's heritage. As proud descendants of Kurush, Navaz's family had always sought to continue the legacy of the Kings who ruled throughout the years the first Persian Empire, a legacy that came to an end with the Greek invasion and their subsequent dominance. Not even the Parthians, a north-eastern sister-nation of the Persians (both of Iranian descent) who drove out the Seleucid Greeks and Macedonians and regained control of the territory that had once formed the Persian Empire, managed to reinstall the prosperous form of government sustained by the Hakhāmanish dynasty when they had been in power. As such, Navaz's family saw it as their duty to continue the legacy of their forefathers and strived to ensure decent standards of living and education for all common people, as much as possible, as well as reduce slavery. They themselves held no slaves and only employed servants who were free men and women, who received payment for their services and could leave the employment if they so desired. Beginning with the reign of Mithradata II, grandfather of Sharaman, a Second Persian Empire began to take form, although it would be consolidated as such only later, during the reign of King Sharaman. Mithradata founded his own Persian-Parthian dynasty, the House Arshak-Hakhāmanish, to which all Persian families belonged from then on, including Navaz's, even if it had lost the fame it once held. Despite the reforms initiated by Mithradata, there was still much turmoil in the empire and much work to be done until the Second Persian Empire would reach the heights of the First and with the numerous bloody disputes that seemed to be a regular occurrence among noble Parthian families, Navaz's family continued to refuse becoming related to the current ruling family. Still, despite her choices, those who knew Navaz and her family closely, continued to recognize the importance of her heritage, since with the passing of her younger sister she remained the sole descendant of a very old and noble family, the only living, officially attested, direct descendant of the first King of Kings. This connection to a King that Maniya greatly admired, even if she was only an adopted daughter of Navaz's, together with the fact that she had been born in Pāsārgād, a city built by Kurush to serve as capital of the First Persian Empire, and which still held his eternal resting place, emphasized her belief that it was part of her destiny to help revive the glory of the Persian Empire. Yet, it was not a destiny born purely out of personal desire and choice, it was also born out of duty. When Navaz chose to dedicate her life to study and the service of the Goddess, she did so thinking the family would live on through her sister and her children. But when the younger sister died without leaving behind any living heirs and Navaz was already passed the age of bearing children, the once great dynasty was faced with the inevitability of living on in name only, though Maniya, an adopted child. Zoraideh || Employee / Confidant Profile: Click to View! In the house of lady Navaz, Zoraideh works both as a housekeeper, a supervisor of all the other servants and an administrator, making sure the house is well supplied with the basic necessities as well as anything else Navaz asks to be acquired. Aside from being in charge of all the purchases and the maintenance of the dwelling, on occasions Zoraideh also helps Navaz with the financial management of the estate. Now a woman in her mid forties, Zoraideh had come to live with Navaz's family since she was a child and served their house ever since, acquiring an education along the way. Zoraideh does not remember much about her family, who unexpectedly found their end as victims of war, only that they were Bedouin desert dwellers of Arabic descent. She retained their traditions and beliefs which held great meaning to her as sole reminder of her people and family. Zoraideh has a strong tendency of perceiving life from the point of view of her inherited believes and many times she gives Maniya advice accordingly, being able to bring her some comfort and at least some sort of explanation to things happening in Maniya's life that she could not otherwise explain. She helped Maniya find her path in life by leading her to believe that the things happening to her could only be part of her destiny. Whether this was true or not, Zoraideh's explanations proved to be a real support for Maniya and helper her move forward each time she found herself in seemingly impossible situations. Zoraideh is a gentle and kind-hearted woman who was always sympathetic towards Maniya's emotional pain and offered her comfort each time, unlike Navaz who sometimes adopted a severe attitude, fearing not to spoil Maniya or soften her personality. Aside from being Maniya's confidant and a good listener with whom she shares all her secrets and emotions, especially those which Navaz would disregard as being silly, Zoraideh is also a good adviser and the only person Maniya knows she can go to for help, no matter the problem. They share many secrets, even from Navaz, especially regarding the times Zoraideh helped Maniya in her more reckless escapades that she threw herself in without thinking and later had to bear the consequences, which sometimes extended to her friends as well, so by extension Zoraideh also keeps secrets of Dastan, Bis and a few other of Maniya's friends. Afari || Unofficial step-sister / Protegee Profile: Click to View! Coming Soon ...

CONNECTIONS Prince Tus || Lover, Unofficial Husband / First Love Profile: Click to View! When Maniya worked as a servant in the royal palace of Babylon, between the ages of 15 and 18, she developed a na�ve, teenage crush on the king's second oldest son, Prince Garsiv. Of course it was something that she kept to herself and did not seek anything in return, knowing it was not possible. She only observed Garsiv from afar and avoided being in his presence, focusing on accomplishing her tasks swiftly and properly. The only time she came face to face with him was when she was appointed to bring a tray with wine goblets to the royal table during a banquet and she tripped, dropping the goblets and spilling the wine. Unlike Garsiv, Tus had an amiable reaction, despite having been the one stained with wine. To him the servant girl wasn't a complete stranger. They had crossed paths one time before in the palace and even exchanged a few words. Not long after Maniya had had the fortune of being freed from slavery and given the position of a servant in the royal palace her younger childhood friends, Dastan and Bis had a similar fate. Dastan's fortune was the most spectacular as he was taken in by the king himself, the King of Kings, supreme ruler of the Persian Empire, to be raised as his son. He of course could not abandon his best friend Bis and the king had no objection to offering the other boy as well a place at court. Bis became the Stable Master's apprentice and so Maniya was able to speak to him more frequently. Often after finishing her regular duties she would help in the stables as well, an environment she had worked in before. She could also blend in without suspicion as she dressed and looked like a boy, with her hair cut short and messy bangs almost falling over her eyes and a cap that helped her disguise. She had been dressing like this all her life, not only because trousers were more practical while laboring but also because passing for a boy sparred her much unwanted trouble and unpleasant circumstances. Maniya would usually strive to finish her chores earlier so she would have more time for the education that her mentor Dalasa was giving her. In these brief moments of spare time and sometimes even at night she would find a secluded place where she could focus on studying and the stables provided such places. When she first met Prince Tus she did not know who he was. Up until then she had only seen Prince Garsiv from far while Tus, already a young man of 24, had an overwhelming crowded schedule since he had to prepare day after day for his future as the next King of Kings. It was his birth right as the Crown Prince, the first born son of the King of Kings and he had been preparing for this role all his life. Maniya was in the stables one quiet afternoon, sitting in a secluded place where she usually sought refuge from the crowded palace environment and she was so focused on her reading that she did not hear someone approaching her. A male voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see a young man dressed in common clothes. He expressed his amazement at what he thought to be a stable boy reading scrolls written in the Persian language. The Parthian language was the common tongue of the Empire since the Parthian dynasty had ruled the lands ever since they rebelled against Alexander's successors. Although King Sharaman was the third King of Kings belonging to a Persian-Parthian dynasty and he had made great progress in rebuilding a Second Persian Empire on the mold of the first, the Persian language was not yet used extensively by the common people throughout the empire. Not knowing who she was addressing, Maniya responded casually, encouraged by the young man's amiable attitude and friendly smile. She proudly confessed that Persian was her native tongue and made a few remarks regarding the importance of education for all people as a decisive factor in ensuring the superior position of the Persian Empire among the nations of the world. Maniya had formed such elevated opinions as a result of paying close attention to the world around her and to the discourses and actions of her masters and their interlocutors as well as by eagerly learning what Delasa was teaching her. The young man was impressed by the stable boy's answer but since he was pressed by time he could not linger in conversation and asked for assistance in saddling two horses. Another surprise came when the presumed stable boy stepped closer in better light to do what he had been asked and the young man remarked that the boy was in fact a girl. Upon being exposed, and being uncomfortable about it, Maniya managed to appease her worries, acknowledged her true identity and presented arguments in her favour, saying that there was no shame in honest work, regardless of the trade and that she had the experience to perform the necessary tasks correctly. Still, she hurried to finish the current task, worried that she had already become too exposed to someone she did not know. Having lived as a slave all her life and then being freed by a pure stroke of good fortune, Maniya thought it best to be careful in her new life and not do anything that might reverse the good fortune. She could not end up in slavery again. Now that she had had a taste of a better life she started having hopes of finding better employment later on, once she had completed her basic education. After the young man proceeded towards the exit with the two horses Maniya retreated to her secluded place but her focus was distracted once again a few moments later when she heard the young man calling out for Dastan. Looking out, she saw Dastan rushing towards the young man who had mounted one horse, and mounting the other. Then the two of them rode out of the stables. Driven by curiosity Maniya sought out Bis and inquired about the identity of the young man. She was perplexed to discover that he was none other than Prince Tus. That was the last time Maniya went to the stables to find a quiet place for her studies and from that day on she was always careful not to find herself anywhere near prince Tus. It was bad enough that she had to deal with an impossible crush on Prince Garsiv but to develop a crush on the Crown Prince himself was absolutely ridiculous. With him being gallant and handsome a crush would come naturally to a na�ve young girl who, as a simple commoner born a slave, had had such a pleasant encounter with the future King of Kings. Two years later Maniya came face to face with Tus once again when she spilled wine on him while serving at the king's table during a banquet. He recognized her and despite the circumstances he was no less amiable than he had been the first time they met and still smiling. The third time they met things became much more complicated. It was a year after the banquet incident, when Maniya was a free young woman with a promising future, having been adopted by Lady Navaz, a noble woman who had chosen to live away from court. She had escaped servitude at the palace after being presumed dead since she had fallen from a great height into a river bellow, to what seemed to have been her death, or so everyone assumed. The outcome was in fact most favorable since she had also been wrongfully accused of theft. As a free young woman the only tasks that Maniya now had to accomplish were the ones she set for herself or the ones that her mentor and adoptive mother, Navaz, set for her. In the beginning these tasks involved only her education and unlike her previous tasks they were not a tiresome burden but a true delight. For the first time in her life Maniya was free to go wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted. One of her favourite places that she began to visit frequently were the ruins of an old city situated on the outskirts of the city of Babylon. The architectural style of the now abandoned constructions resembled that of desert dwellings. The sand-coloured walls blended perfectly with the rocky desert surrounding it and were contrasted by the green shades of scarce vegetation. The more abundant plains were those close to the banks of the Ufrātu River that flowed in the vicinity. Although not a city in itself the ruins were still home to nomads or travelers who sought temporary shelter there. Farmers living in the region also brought their flocks of sheep or goats to graze on the river plains and some of the animals would sometimes wonder off and get lost in the maze-like structure of the ruins. Still, despite not being a completely abandoned place there were many chambers or courtyards where Maniya could spend an entire day without coming across another living soul and the noises of the outside world faded as well. In such a place Maniya would come to study or to dance, a newly found passion of hers. She would remove the long tunic she wore on the outside and reveal a dancing outfit of pure silk, whose soft texture that shifted delicately with each move from the breeze emulated the undulating moves that comprised the dances. One warm spring afternoon Maniya made her way to one of her favourite places among the ruins knowing that somewhere near a group of nomads had set a temporary camp and the sounds of the musical instruments they played could be heard quite well from Maniya's position to offer her the necessary accompaniment for her dances. This time she had chosen a red outfit and also made use of a separate red silk veil to accompany her dance. A veil was a common accessory for a dance and with two of its edges being held lightly between her fingertips it was either held in place while the body moved or swirled about to accompany the moves of the body. In a way it was an image of how the body should move in such dances, weightlessly and delicately, like silk in the wind or like the wind itself. In fact, certain types of dances were known as dances of the wind. That fateful day Maniya chose to dance one of these dances of the wind. She moved with focus and dedication concerned only with her moves and ignorant of her surroundings, being certain no one would venture to that place. At one point during the dance she threw the veil into the air then leaned slightly backwards and raised her arms. On its descent the veil was stopped by her palms and the rest of it fell over her body. Quickly she pushed it upwards again, as if wanting to throw it behind her but just as she straightened herself she caught the veil between her fingertips as it now hanged behind her back like a cape. The very next moment her fingers unclenched involuntarily and the veil fell to the ground. Her enthusiastic smile vanished as well, being replaced by a look of shock, rightfully so given the unexpected sight her eyes beheld. Standing not too far away, near one of the archway entrances to the chamber she was in was none other than Prince Tus, looking the same as she remembered him from the first time she had met him and once again dressed in common clothes. Maniya was so taken aback by this that she found herself speechless and frozen in place. Tus on the other hand greeted her with the smile she had received from him twice before but did not say anything. While Maniya was speechless because of the unexpected encounter he seemed to be speechless because of being mesmerized by the scene he had witnessed. When she suddenly regained her senses Maniya acted on her first impulse and sprung around, grabbed the bag and tunic she had left there and ran without looking back, disappearing through one of the archways into the shadowy corridors of the ruins. The moment he saw her sudden reaction Tus called after her, telling her not to run because he did not mean to scare her and only wanted to talk. He noticed she had forgotten her veil on the sandy ground and took it, then started running after her through the maze-like corridors, calling after her with the same words whenever he got close to her. After a long chase Tus was eventually able to corner her and Maniya had no choice but to confront him. When he stepped close to give her the veil her fears came true when he gazed at her from up close and suddenly realized she looked very familiar. His memory helped him further and he asked her on a tone of mixed bewilderment and excitement if she was not Maniya, Dastan's childhood friend whom everyone thought dead. After the incident Dastan confessed the truth about Maniya's identity and Tus then knew whom he had met that one time in the stables. Putting her deceiving skills to good use Maniya offered a convincing enough reply that denied his affirmations and chose to be mysterious instead, telling him that a name is of little importance and he could give her whatever name he wanted. She hoped that her lie would be convincing, after all she now looked quite different from before, having long, slightly curled hair with no bangs to cover her forehead and fall over her eyes and a cleaner skin and appearance since she now had access to the finest cosmetics like any noble woman. Her eyes were delicately framed by thin dark lines in an Egyptian fashion and she wore an outfit made of expensive materials. Despite this Tus found it difficult to believe her response but chose to play her game and said he would call her Maniya. When he asked what name she would give him she replied that she did not need one because anonymity was much more interesting. The conversation that followed was also mysterious in the senses that Maniya purposely offered vague or confusing answers in order to avoid becoming trapped in a situation where she would have no choice but to tell the truth, something she knew she had to avoid at all costs. Then she rapidly excused herself but Tus delayed her, expressing his desire to see her again. She offered another vague reply but judging by the way their encounter had played out Maniya was certain she would find Tus there the next time she came, waiting for her just in case she might show up. While she made her way out of the ruins and back to Babylon she was particularly careful not to be followed. Keeping her true identity secret as well as her new dwelling was crucial. The latter was not such an easy task given that Navaz's villa was in the center of Babylon, in the richest district, close to the royal palace and the Fire Temple. Only when she reached the confines of her chamber and escaped the euphoria state she had been absorbed into by the highly unexpected encounter, Maniya analyzed the matter from a more objective perspective. Unfortunately at that early stage of her life she was more influenced by na�ve emotions than by the clarity of reason. This, combined with the new social position she found herself in gave her hope and actually led her to believe she could somehow be with Tus, in an actual relationship. Her feelings for Garsiv had not vanished either, despite the banquet incident but she pushed them aside, dismissing them as silly ideas of her early teenage years. With this in mind Maniya decided to continue frequenting the ruins and meet with Prince Tus. Although a more rational side of her kept thinking all that could not be real she indeed found him waiting for her in the same place the following day. Their second conversation was a more scholastic one. Tus noticed the bag she carried with her and when he inquired about its content Maniya showed him the scrolls she was reading for their historical information and also to improve her knowledge of the Greek language. The scrolls contained information regarding the travels and conquests of Alexander of Macedonia as well as biographical accounts. Maniya shared with Tus her interest for the history of their nation, the First Persian Empire and also for Alexander of Macedonia, as a person, because of his grand goals and the determination with which he carried them out. She hoped to be able to travel as well, following Alexander's trail and then going even further to explore unknown lands and gain a better understanding of the world. Tus was amazed and intrigued to hear such desired coming from a young woman of only nineteen and also considered the possibility that he might have been wrong in thinking she could be Dastan's presumably deceased childhood friend. After all, for one to have such dreams and have hopes of fulfilling them one would have to be of noble ancestry in order to have the financial means for such journeys. The scrolls that Maniya had were also quite expensive and difficult to come across. For a commoner such treasures would have been off limits. For their third encounter Tus manifested his desire to see Maniya dance like he had seen her dance the first time. She did not abandon her mysterious ways and did not give a clear answer but the next time they met she danced for him the most appealing dance she knew. For almost two months these frequent encounters became a regular occurrence and halfway along the way they also became intimate. It was nothing too intense, only a few innocent kissed and comforting embraces but for young Maniya it was everything; her first kiss, her first real love. Beginning with the second month of their platonic affair things took a different turn. This time Tus began acting mysteriously, offering elusive explanations and many times failed to arrive at their meetings. When he explained his absence Maniya could tell that he was not speaking the truth but at the same time she perceived his remorse as being sincere and understood that something must be happening in his life to trigger such a change. She also could not press the matters further for fear of placing herself in a situation where she would be forced to reveal her true identity, which she had managed to keep shrouded in mystery despite their many encounters. In their very last meeting, although at the time neither of them knew it would be the last, Tus surprised Maniya with a peculiar gift, a string of glass prayer beads. It was neither a randomly chosen gift nor one with religious connotations. He chose to give her those prayer beads because of their sentimental value. The unique beads had been in his mother's family for several generations and she had given them to her oldest son to give as a gift to his future bride. Tus decided to give them to Maniya to show that in his heart at least she would always be his bride, although in real life she could never be his first wife. He did not share any of this with her when he gave her the gift but later Maniya discovered everything on her own. Curious to solve the mystery behind Tus' peculiar behavior and his absences, Maniya snuck inside the royal palace to visit her two best friends, Dastan and Bis. Soon after her apparent death she had gone in secret to see both of them again and let them know she was still alive, while also making them promise to keep her secret. Ever since her affair with Tus began she stopped visiting them and when she did visit them again she made no mention of her encounters with Tus. After all, two thirteen and twelve year old boys had other things on their minds. As it turned out there was no need for any tactful inquires because the answer she was looking for was the news of the hour in the palace. Prince Tus was to take as his first wife Princess Vira who would one day rule by his side as Queen of the Persian Empire. Their marriage had been arranged for a long time since it represented a needed political alliance, like most marriages. At first the news did not come as a great surprise to Maniya since she had imagined that such plans had to exist, given Tus' stature, and Navaz had also warned her against it when Maniya told her whom she was meeting in secret. It was only after she met Princess Vira in person that the fantasy world she had been living in was shattered. When sneaking inside the royal palace to speak with her childhood friends Maniya disguised herself as a servant and accidentally ended up among the retinue of the recently arrived princess. The opportunity to be so close to Princess Vira changed her views completely, despite how much emotional suffering it brought her. While before Maniya had cried and shouted when Navaz advised her to put an end to her affair with Tus and boldly swore to defeat all obstacles to be with him, she now understood that it was not right to build her happiness on other people's misfortunate. Princess Vira was nothing like Maniya had expected and she did not see her upcoming marriage simply as a duty. She was genuinely excited about it, she was concerned about not being to the Prince's liking and what was more, she seemed to have deep and sincere feelings for him. Just like Maniya, Vira had also observed her future husband from afar on several occasions in the past and grew to love him. They had met on a few occasions when they were younger but because of the tumultuous conflicts throughout the empire Prince Tus had been rarely available to meet with the princess each time she visited. Maniya also understood that Vira's excitement about her upcoming marriage was not at all that of a silly girl with trivial concerns. Vira was nothing like that. She was a witty, intelligent, knowledgeable and strong-willed young woman, aside from being a beautiful, elegant and well-mannered lady. Since she had been brought up to one day be the Queen of Queens of the Persian Empire, Vira took her future role very seriously and was determined to be a strong queen, involved in political and military affairs as well and become her husband's most trusted aid. In all honesty the empire could not have hoped for a better future queen and such a strong figure was much needed in that point of the empire's history. Also, for an arranged marriage Prince Tus could not have hoped for a better wife. As much as it devastated her, Maniya had to accept these realities and find the strength to completely let go of Tus. Eventually she accepted that in the given circumstances the only way to make Tus happy was to disappear from his life and allow him to find peace, happiness and love alongside his future queen. Of course Maniya had envisioned other scenarios as well, since she had been aware of the complicated reality from the beginning. She knew she could only be a second wife or a mistress but she had been too overwhelmed by her feelings to consider the implications of such positions. For a start she would become tied to one place, which was the opposite of what she had always dreamed of and of what her new mission in life implied. Also, being aware that Tus' feelings for her were intense and genuine, she did not want to shatter Vira's dreams, which resembled her own, by coming between her and Tus. The Princess was undoubtedly aware that her husband would later on take other wives as well but Maniya concluded that since she was the first wife and future queen Vira deserved to have her husband's full attention at the beginning of their marriage to get to know each other better and solidify their important union. Maniya's presence and Tus' affections for her would have only been an obstacle and would have brought Princess Vira a kind of emotional suffering that Maniya was familiar with and did not wish it on anyone. There were metaphorical parallels to be drawn between the condition of a princess and that of a slave and since Maniya was well aware of what it meant to be a slave she swore to prevent anyone from living in such conditions as well as in conditions that just slightly resembled them. However, the emotional side of the situation, concerning Tus and Vira's happiness, was only a small part of the issue. There were much more important reasons that made Maniya understand her presence would only complicate things and possibly even be the cause of negative outcomes. Tus was not just a man with an important position but the man with the most important position in the empire, since preparing to be the future King of Kings was an even more difficult task than actually being the King of Kings. Maniya knew that he could not afford any unnecessary distractions and that he had to take his training very seriously and work very hard. The empire was also in a fragile state and could not afford any dissent within the central government that King Sharaman was trying to reinstate. Tus' affections for a freed slave could have given rise to unwanted circumstances and at that early stage of her life Maniya did not feel like she could bring any contributions. She did not want to be just a wife or a mistress, she wanted to help in improving the administration of the empire and the lives of its low class citizens and slaves but she was still young and had much to learn. After meeting Vira in the palace Maniya went once again to the ruins, not to meet Tus but only to leave the beads he had given her, thinking she did not deserve them and also as a message to Tus, letting him know that she would no longer be coming to meet him. Just as she was about to leave she heard Tus approaching and hid, watching from a distance how he picked up the beads with much sorrow in his eyes. Without making her presence known Maniya snuck away, leaving Tus there to search and wait for her in vain, hoping he would understand the message and that it was for the best. Then something intriguing occurred in the days following this event. While learning Sanskrit, a language for which she had developed a sudden liking, having a peculiar feeling about it as if she had some sort of connection to it, Maniya was completely baffled to discover that in Sanskrit her name translated as glass bead. Immediately she thought of the prayer beads that Tus had given her and began to wonder what was all supposed to mean. When she shared this information with her housekeeper, Zoraideh, a wise woman who was also her confidant and a good adviser, Maniya received a very peculiar but also intriguing response. Zoraideh told her that it could not be just a coincidence and her destiny must be tied to that string of beads. She told Maniya that according to the beliefs of her people the gods would write a person's destiny before they were born and then palace it around their necks at birth. Although Maniya would dismiss such ideas as superstitions it was still an interesting coincidence that the gift she received, which bore the meaning of her name, was also something she could hang around her neck. Thus, according to Zoraideh's beliefs she would literary have her destiny around her neck. But of all the beliefs that Zoraideh shared with her the one that had the deepest impact said that ever since birth every man and woman walk towards their written destiny and there is a time in their life when they come face to face with it. That is the moment which changes everything and you understand what you came to do in this world. Because of the circumstances in which Maniya received the prayer beads she believed that moment to be the one Zoraideh spoke of. Being profoundly marked by the possibility of such things being true, or at least needing to believe them in order to make her loss more bearable, Maniya returned to the ruins in a hurry and was relieved to discover that Tus had left the beads there. From that moment on she never parted with that string of glass prayer beads and always carried them with her, either wrapped around her right wrist like a bracelet or around her neck. She also vowed to dedicate her life to ensuring the happiness of the man she loved, even if it meant disappearing forever from his life and only helping him from afar, without him knowing. She believed this was part of her destiny. The day she went back to retrieve the beads was the last day that Maniya went to the ruins of the old city. Tus did return there several times hoping to meet her again but with no luck. He also noticed that the beads were no longer where he had left them but assumed someone else had taken them. Prince Garsiv || Husband / Teenage Crush Profile: Click to View! In her teenage years, although street-smart and with a good enough grasp on reality, Maniya was very much under the influence of her emotions and her simplistic view of life. Between the ages of 15 and 18, when she worked as a servant in the royal palace of Babylon, she developed a crush on the king's second born son, Prince Garsiv. He had never been aware of her existence, she was after all a lowly servant and she would not dare to ever come into his sight. Not because she was not allowed to but because her secret affections prevented her from having such a courage and she was a shy, naive young girl back then. From a distance she continued to love him in secret, with the innocent affections of a teenager, and from her position of a servant she secretly tended for him. Being aware that Garsiv had no interest in knowing about the servants and their duties as long as he received everything he needed, Maniya became the servant that prepared his meals the way he liked them, washed his clothing and other such tasks. The first and only time Garsiv became aware of Maniya's presence was the first and only time she served a tray at the royal table, during a banquet. To her utmost horror, her nervousness made her trip and drop the goblets of wine from the tray. The only one being stained by the flowing liquid was the oldest prince, Tus but he had a surprisingly kind reaction and told the shocked and trembling girl that she should not worry about it. Garsiv however reacted violently, scolding the girl viciously on a shouting tone and letting her know that for such an offense she should be whipped. The mercy of King Sharaman sparred Maniya of a severe punishment but just the following day she was falsely accused of theft by a noblewoman from the palace. In her rush to escape the guards sent to capture her she ended up on the ledge of a balcony from where she slipped and fell into the river below. Due to the great height from where she had fallen the general assumption was that she died. Only after the news of her death Garsiv learned from Dastan that Maniya had been his childhood friend, a secret she had asked him to keep. From that point on Maniya began a completely new life and her new residence became the house of Navaz, her mentor, who also legally adopted her. With all the unbelievable transformations that had taken place in her life, the things she now had to discover about herself and the mission she was entrusted, Maniya moved her thoughts away from her teenage crush. When she grew older she even laughed at herself for the way she used to think and feel and dismissed her innocent love for Garsiv as the nonsense of a silly and simple-minded girl. This perception prevailed even when she once again spotted from a distance an older Garsiv, now a man and a warrior. But although her conscious self would tell her not to linger on such thoughts, on a deeper level she could feel the lurking of familiar emotions from the past. And so yet another inner conflict between the two sides of her personality was unleashed. Eventually she had to admit to herself that, for instance, her always taking the hallway overlooking the courtyard where Garsiv trained, whenever she sneaked into the palace to visit her friend Dastan, was not a coincidence. Suddenly she realized that she was back in the same situation she had been in her youth, secretly trying to get a glimpse of Garsiv whenever she could. Maniya never held a grudge against him for how he had reacted to her spilling the wine a few years before. She would not have expected him to behave differently towards an insignificant servant he had never seen before and she had always been aware of his personality, with his fits of fury, arrogance and superior attitude. Throughout the years those traits remained more or less the same, his involvement in war giving him only a stronger focus point in life, towards which he could direct his ambitions. The strange thing was that even though Garsiv's main personality traits were ones that Maniya usually preferred to avoid, with him it seemed that those very traits had drawn her to him. But now things were different. Maniya had more freedom than she could have ever imagined and also an important mission in life, so even though she would occasionally allow herself to check in on Garsiv from afar, most of her time was spent on her duties and travels. This helped her take her mind off personal feeling she could not or did not want to understand and avoid having to take a final decision. There was some strange feeling of hope in her soul, although she could not figure out for what exactly. The difference now, aside from Maniya viewing life through the eyes of a young woman and not those of a child, like before, was also that Maniya had acquired some personality traits that were the exact opposites of the ones she used to have. Now she was a bold, courageous, witty and independent woman who no longer waited for things to be given to her but who instead took whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. These new impulses eventually led to her voluntarily presenting herself to Garsiv, though under a made-up identity. Such thoughts had crossed her mind before. What if she would find a way to spend just one night with him and satisfy her desires? After all that was all she could hope for since becoming a constant presence in Garsiv's life would inevitably lead to her meeting Tus once again, who would recognize her immediately. Not to mention that she would have also had to be very careful in not revealing her true identity as Dastan's childhood friend. But even if she might have easily accomplish that she always ended up postponing it. Faith however made the decision for her and placed her in a situation that would determine Maniya to take a path leading to her much desired encounter. While returning from a very long journey of several years, the one that marked her the most, Maniya got word of a cavalry unit of the Persian army, led by Prince Garsiv himself, engaged in an armed conflict with a Dahae tribe from beyond the north-eastern border that had attacked a Dahae settlement within the empire. Conflicts between tribes who had submitted to Persian rule and those who chose to continue the fight were very common at all border regions of the empire. The only reason for which Maniya did not hesitate in taking a decision this time was the rumor about Garsiv having been greatly injured in battle. The Persian cavalry unit had crossed the border and captured a fortress occupied by the rebel tribe. The Kyrkmolla Fortress of Gurgānj, in the Uvārazmish region, was in fact a Persian construction, build there a few centuries back when that region had been within the borders of the First Persian Empire. After defeating the rebels the Persians seized the fortress, although by then it had been abandoned by its non-combatant inhabitants. Making use of her stealth and deceiving methods, as well as her superior agility, Maniya infiltrated the fortress and entered, through the window, a small chamber situated in the superior levels of the fortress. The door had been locked and bolted from the outside and when the Persian soldiers inspecting every corner of the conquered fortress broke in, Maniya presented herself as the daughter of the Dahae king allied with the Persians, whom the northern rebels had attacked. She told them she had been kidnapped and imprisoned in that chamber a few months before. Fortunately for Maniya's cover, the king had died in battle and there was no one around who could expose her. When brought in front of the captain, Garsiv's second in command, Maniya made sure to drive the conversation in such a way that the captain would bring up the issue of Garsiv's health so she could offer to mend his wounds. Once she did that the captain agreed to let her see Garsiv. Her credibility was due to the fact that the king whose daughter she was pretending to be had always been a reliable ally of the Persian monarchy and the healing methods of the Dahae were also renowned for their effectiveness. Of course, Maniya had chosen this cover precisely because of these reasons. Once in Garsiv's chamber Maniya discovered that he had not received many injuries, being a skillful fighter after all, but the reason for him being literally on his death bed was a poisonous arrow that had pierced the right side of his upper chest. For one whole week Maniya stood by his side, systematically applying to his wound the medicine she had prepared, using mostly herbs and other ingredients she had taken with her from the provisions she always carried on her travels. Most of the time she just stood next to him and held her hands over his wound, which was meant to stimulate the energy flow of the body in order for it to heal itself. As Garsiv's state of health was beginning to improve and the moment when he would wake up was approaching fast, Maniya's fears turned from Garsiv dying to him coming face to face with her. She knew there was almost no chance for him to recognize her since she was both older and quite different looking and he wouldn't have remembered a servant he had seen only once either, even if he did find out she had been Dastan's childhood friend. Still, almost the same feeling of nervousness as she used to have in her youth took over her senses. From a certain perspective it was understandable because she did find herself experiencing what she had only dreamed of. The first meeting was more pleasant than she had expected. Maniya had prepared to face Garsiv's rather temperamental self especially since, being wounded, he found himself in a more or less helpless position that he never enjoyed. Instead, after becoming aware of his situation and being told what had happened, including Maniya presenting herself, according to her cover, Garsiv became more relaxed. Undoubtedly, her cover as the daughter of a loyal Persian subject was very helpful in earning his trust in a short period of time. Maniya spent a few more days aiding in Garsiv's recovery, this time with him being awake for the most part of the day. As his health was getting better they no longer kept to the confinements of the chamber where his treatment had taken place but also had walks along the corridors of the fortress and through its courtyard. Although the time spent together was brief and Maniya was mostly trying to dodge questions connected to the life of the person she was pretending to be, which she might not respond correctly, she also became familiar with a different side of Garsiv's, that of the man behind the tough soldier. She had never purposely attempted to seduce him but often enough her behavior and way of being had a seductive air to it and the inevitable consequence of that was a very passionate night of intense bodily pleasure. It all came naturally and when she succumbed to his manifested desires none of her past doubts and fears were hunting her mind. The time they had spent together, just the two of them away from everything and everyone, as if they could actually be together, had completely suppressed those doubts and fears. Not long after they had both fallen asleep close to each other Maniya awoke abruptly, as if commanded to. That was the moment when she reverted to reality and understood that the critical point had been reached. She had done what she had wanted to do and all that she could ever do with Garsiv. The only thing left to do was leave. And in the middle of the night she did just that, sneaking out of the fortress as skillfully as she had gotten herself in. She made her way to the village where she had left her mare, Devi and recovered her from the family who had taken care of the animal. After that she continued her journey back to Babylon. Garsiv was surprised to find that the enigmatic woman he had spent half a month with was nowhere to be found and even more surprised, shocked even, when he found out that the Dahae king had no daughter but not as shocked as he had been when he finally understood why Maniya kept insisting that he did not remove the bandages even when he no longer felt any pain or discomfort. Upon removing the bandages he was amazed to discover that the poisonous wound that almost killed him, received only two weeks before, had fully healed, leaving behind only a small scar. The only people whom Maniya told about what had happened between her and Garsiv were Navaz and Zoraideh, her closest confidants, as well as her childhood friend, Dastan. If before she had avoided being seen by Garsiv because she was nervous about it, now she had to avoid being seen by him because she had no other choice. Before she had also entertained thoughts of becoming reacquainted with Tus, even if just to be an occasional lover, but with this new development such a thing was no longer possible. Her resolution was that she and Garsiv, as well as she and Tus, during their earlier encounters, had done everything they could ever do and there was nothing more that could happen between them, especially with the position of the two men and her adventurous way of life. Her resignation to this reality was sustained by the philosophy which stated that ''The secret to happiness in life is not doing what one likes to do but liking what one has to do''.

            CONNECTIONS           Prince Dastan || Best Friend / Childhood Friend Profile: Click to View! At about seven years of age Maniya moved from Pāsārgād, her birthplace and once the capital of the First Persian Empire, to Babylon, the current capital of the reborn Persian Empire. The decision was not her own but that of her master, in whose service she found herself at that time in her life as a slave. Five years later, when she had turned twelve, faith had her meet two young boys, one six years old, Dastan, the other only five, Bis. She found them sneaking inside the back court of her master’s dwelling in an attempt to find some food and some less torn up cloths that could serve to replace at least some of their scant and barely wearable clothing. They were two street urchins, wondering the streets for as long as their young minds could remember and with no recollection of their parents or any other relative or guardian.      Being a slave herself, Maniya could not bring herself to deny the two children aid, although her act could have brought about punishment if discovered. Yet, fearful not to arise her master’s suspicion by giving away some of his possessions, however slight and insignificant, Maniya chose to give the two boys the little food and fabrics she had for herself, the insignificant possessions that a slave was allowed to keep, aside only her own worn out garment. She had seen many homeless children strive about on the streets, mostly begging and putting their lives in the hands of destiny, waiting and hoping for someone to show some compassion, but the two boys that Maniya came across were not like that. It surprised her to see that although of such young ages, they had understood that the only way to survive was by helping themselves, not begging or waiting for help to come. They were clever and resourceful and stubbornly claimed their right to live, no matter what others might say, an idea that Maniya had also long clung to. The oldest boy, Dastan, was the most resourceful and although Bis was not his blood-brother, but another homeless child he had bonded with while striving to survive in the streets, he had cared for the younger boy the same as a good older brother would. Maniya encouraged the two boys to return whenever they needed food or shelter and promised to find them a place to stay at least during the night, even if the chances for being discovered, especially by a loyal servant, were great. Still, she continued to help them whenever she could and the three children soon formed a strong brotherly bond, with their similar misfortunes and ill fated destinies serving as common ground to bring them closer.      Necessity often forced the two boys to steal for a living and Dastan had promised to become a skillful thief when he grew older and repay Maniya for her kindness and support, first of all by purchasing her freedom. Dastan and Bis might have been homeless orphans but at least they were free citizens of the empire, while Maniya had inherited her position as a slave through birth. She had never had a choice in the matter and had only known the life of a slave, deprived of personal choice or liberty of movement, outside the commands she received. Faith however turned out to be most ironic and later on Maniya was the one who would learn the ways of a thief and explore life in a way she would have never thought possible. She would not only be freed from servitude but would become a very different person from the quiet and submissive girl she once was. The first step towards this journey occurred when Maniya turned 15 and the unexpected death of her master brought upon herself a most unexpected fortune. A kind elderly woman, Delasa, a relative of the man, who inherited part of his fortune, bought Maniya’s freedom and took her to work as a servant in the royal palace of Babylon. The chores might have been similar but at least she was now a free citizen. As soon as Maniya found herself in this new privileged position, from the point of view of a slave, she made plans to ensure for Dastan and Bis similar opportunities, yet their fortunes, especially that of Dastan’s, proved to be far greater than her own. It was nothing less of a shock to discover that the street urchin she had cared for had seized the attention of the King of Kings himself who did not simply bestow upon him some impressive reward but took him out of the streets to raise him as his own son. Dastan’s shock at such an occurrence was of course greater but there were reasons to explain these unexpected gestures of great compassion. Those months of that particular year were ones that would forever remain in history, not only that of Persia but of the world. The day King Sharman galloped victorious through the streets of Babylon and was so impressed by an uncommonly clever orphan that he decided to adopt him right there and then, was also the day that marked the conclusion of a most impressive victory. The Persians and Parthians, both people of Iranian descent, after having united their forces to ensure the rebirth of the Persian Empire, following Greek occupation, had suppressed the expansionist ambitions of the Roman Republic and proved to them that beyond the River Ufrātu lay a great empire, a force to be reckoned with, not just some scattered, easily defeated barbaric tribes as the Romans had assumed. At the battle of Ḫarrānu (Carrhae) the Romans suffered a grave and decisive defeat, their forces practically annihilated. It was an unforgettable example of Persian-Parthian military tactics and skills, one that would impress the world at that point in history and also for centuries to come, remaining in the annals of military history to be studied by future generations. The euphoria that descended upon the citizens of the empire following this great victory, together with the peace and stability brought about by King Sharaman’s reforms, released the empire from the tension and insufficiencies they had lived with in previous years and the general mood was just right for unexpected miracles, such as a street urchin becoming a prince. When Maniya met the two boys once again at the palace, she as a servant, Dastan as a prince and Bis as the Stable Master’s apprentice, she asked them to keep their friendship a secret. Although Maniya had been brought to work at the palace before Dastan’s arrival, she did not want anyone thinking he was abusing his new position by bringing in other homeless orphans like himself. Bis was an exception because they had been like brothers since the first day they met and he was also the boy for whose safety Dastan endangered his own life, in the faithful day that Sharaman entered the city triumphantly but was halted in his march by the tumult the two street boys had unwillingly created. During their time at the palace Maniya spoke more frequently with Bis and met with prince Dastan only rarely, in secret, since he was constantly watched and she did not want her presence or their bond to be known. She also did not bother either of them with her silly crush on Prince Garsiv, which she kept to herself. The years passed relatively quick and the next turning point in their destiny came when Maniya was wrongly accused of theft and in her desperate attempt to escape the guards sent to capture her, fell from a great height into a small river flowing along one side of the palace. After that everyone presumed her dead and being unable to hide their grief, Dastan and Bis revealed Maniya’s identity as their childhood friend and protector, as well as the reasons for which she wanted her identity kept secret. Not long after Maniya began her new life in the house of Navaz, as her adopted daughter, and began to develop a different, thus far hidden side of her personality, Maniya snuck into the royal palace and shocked the two boys with her presence and the revelation of being alive. Due to the new circumstances, the three of them had even less time or opportunities to meet but from their different dwellings they focused each on their own learning and training. Once again she asked them to keep her secret, this time the need to be thought dead and removed from anyone’s concerns being much greater. Then, ever since her unexpected affair with Prince Tus began she stopped visiting her two friends and when she did visit them again she made no mention of her encounters with Tus. After all, two thirteen and twelve year old boys had other things on their minds. Once circumstances forced her to end her affair with Tus, Maniya met with her childhood friends one more time to let them know she would be taking a long journey to the land of Kemet, or Mudrāya as it was known in the Persian tongue and Egypt to the Greeks and Romans. Three years later she returned to the city she loved, her hometown, Babylon and with Dastan now being 17, he had more freedom to move about as he pleased, or he simply disregarded orders and snuck outside the palace and the three old friends now found more time to spend in each other’s company and share the experiences they each had while apart. For the most part they met in the house of lady Navaz, now Maniya’s home as well, a sumptuous villa situated in the rich district of Babylon, not too far from the royal palace. They had every reason to feel at home there since Navaz welcomed them as if they were her own children and they were family after all. Navaz was a cousin of Queen Amāstrī, the first wife of King Sharaman and mother of Prince Tus, but unlike Amāstrī she had chosen a completely different path. She isolated herself from her noble heritage and dedicated her life to learning and putting her inherited fortune in the service of common, disadvantage people and the improvement of vital sectors of the city. When they became reacquainted Maniya shared with Dastan and Bis much of her long kept secrets, including her teenage crush on Prince Garsiv and her brief platonic affair with Prince Tus. She unveiled her deepest feelings to her two trusted friends and explained her actions, letting them know why she had done what she had done and how she had learned to accept the impossibility of having her dreams fulfilled. As such, she decided to dedicate her life to aiding the men she loved from afar and in so doing also ensuring, as much as she could from her position, the safety and prosperity of the empire. Over the years, while studying the history of their people and becoming acquainted with the current state of things, Maniya had developed great admiration and respect for the nation she was a part of and the people who had elevated the empire to what it was at present. From what she had learned, also from foreign records throughout her travels, the Persians and their distant ancestors occupied a land that was thought to be the cradle of civilization, the place where humans first began to evolve and build societies and cities, then nations. The old city of Babylon and its surroundings had been from the beginning in the center of this starting point of development. Later on came the birth and expansion of the First Persian Empire, thought by many to be the largest empire of the known world to that day, an empire unparalleled in both territory expansion and wealth. Yet the greatest feat of all was the wisdom and tolerance with which the old Kings ruled the land, showing mercy to their enemies and allowing many freedoms to newly conquered people. Despite inevitable wars and periods of great unrest, the general state of things was a peaceful and prosperous one and the empire flourished, not only in riches but also in culture and science. Throughout centuries, many libraries were built in the largest cities and filled with countless manuscripts containing works of literature, philosophy, religion, history, geography, politics, astronomy, medicine, architecture, engineering and many other sciences. The empire they called home was truly unique in the knowledge it possessed and it had been the intention of many rulers to see this knowledge made available to all citizens and not just some privileged few. A strong, unified nation could only be sustained as such by the common will of the people, not by force and fear as others believed, and a well educated people could only help in the development of the nation. Many times before the greatest minds of history had sprung from the lowest of social classes and their ideas would have never been born if they had not first managed to acquire some level of education and then find a way to make their ideas known. Still, it was not only her admiration for the past that dictated Maniya’s decisions. Although having an inherit disdain for the nobility, due to the unfounded superior attitude of most of them, she came to see that King Sharaman, as a man, was someone who truly understood what it meant to be a ruler and who had sacrificed much in order to see a second Persian Empire being born, as well as to ensure the peace and prosperity that people had enjoyed in the distant past. Maniya’s change of heart regarding the King of Kings was not influenced by his adoption of Dastan. In fact, she continued to have the same feelings regarding nobility until she discovered herself that King Sharman was indeed a dedicated ruler and a honorable man. However there were still many nobles under his command who fitted perfectly the view that Maniya had of nobility in general and she would have no remorse in depriving them of their possessions and redistributing them to the needy, in her new thieving profession. Dastan and Maniya would often debate on whether there was an already made destiny for each individual or if one made one’s destiny throughout life, but one thing was certain, there had been many peculiar coincidences in Maniya’s life that had led her to believe there could be a destiny she had to fulfill. For one, she was born in Pāsārgād, also the birth city of King Sharman, she was born in the same year and day that King Sharaman was crowned King of Kings, she had been almost like a mother for the boy who would one day be taken by the King to be raised as his own son, she was adopted herself by a noble woman belonging to the Royal House and she swore to dedicate her life to ensuring the happiness of the man she loved but whom she could never have, a man who was none other than the King’s oldest son, himself the future King of Kings. All these put together led to the obvious conclusion that her supreme goal in life, her destiny, could only be ensuring the prosperity of the empire and its people. She had once been one of the common people, of the lowest class even, and now that she had been bestowed with much fortune it was only natural to see it as her duty to help those whose faith she had once shared. With this in mind she had unwillingly developed an almost annoying habit of reminding Dastan and Bis that it was their duty to not forget where they came from and use their new position to do the good they would have otherwise been unable to do. Yet, as much as she wanted to put her life in the service of the empire, Maniya also wanted to travel, even further than she had already traveled, to see and understand more of the known world, and perhaps even uncover new lands. With this in mind she set on a very long journey that took her as far as Britannia to the far west, then northwards across Germania and the vast Sakai plains, finally reaching the Han Empire of the far east. Four years later she returned a much different person, one who had suffered physical torture, mostly at the hands of the Romans, but who also embraced it, found the strength to move forward and accepted the transformation she was undergoing with each new experience, turning her into someone very different from the girl she once was. Whether she had a written destiny or not, there were many moments when such ideas were a comfort and provided a much needed, though simple and vague explanation to the turns her life kept taking. On a more personal side, upon returning from the far east, destiny granted her a more pleasing surprise, that of satisfying her long desire of sharing a few moments of physical pleasure with Garsiv, even though it meant that from then on, more than ever she would have to make sure she never crossed paths with either of the King’s two oldest sons, while in Babylon. When she returned to the capital and was once again reunited with Dastan and Bis she shared with them all her secrets and adventures and burdened them even more with secrets they had to swear to keep.   Each time Maniya returned to Babylon from a long journey she seemed to have lost a part of her old self somewhere along the way and the two young men had to constantly accustom themselves with her new attitude and mentality. At first she appeared only bolder and more self-confident than in her young years, but still possessing much enthusiasm and positive energy that she enjoyed spreading around, trying to get others as well to find more excitement in being alive. She had managed to accept the difficulties and sorrows that life threw her way and understood the benefits of a positive state of mind. Yet, as the years went by and she was forced to experience more of the horrors that life and human existence had to offer, especially after her long voyage to the far west, Maniya’s smile and positive, enthusiastic attitude gradually faded. What replaced them was a cold, emotionless stare marked only occasionally by sarcastic grimaces and ironic smiles. Her general attitude often extended towards indifference and bitterness but she considered this a positive change, arguing that she now had a more realistic grasp on life and had more clarity of mind, unlike her old self, whom she grew to despise for being weak and taking hasty decisions based on emotions, which brought misfortune both to herself and to others.      Maniya no longer had a pure pacifistic view on life. She stated that she now understood the complexities of social structures and human behavior and that what people had named evil, vile or immoral were only such depending on circumstance. What is more, such things are often needed in order to bring about their opposites, so in simpler terms, good can sometimes be brought about only by means of evil, or what people subjectively consider to be evil. As such, Maniya was no longer repulsed by the necessity of murder and could offer many justifications in its favour, depending on the case. Still, this new attitude of hers did not spoil the brotherly bond she had with the two younger men. From many points of view it made it stronger. The many life experiences she had both at home and in her travels forced Maniya to mature rapidly and slightly beyond her years, which only served to increase the protective attitude she always displayed towards Dastan and Bis. Now that she was more prone to irony and mischievousness, she seldom teased them by saying she was like a mother to them and enjoyed pretending to display the attitude of a much older person. Then there were the times when she was the complete opposite and even had moments of irrational behavior, perhaps an inevitable consequence of the burdensome emotional pain she did great efforts to hide.     From the years they lived on the streets when they were young, Dastan and Bis developed their capability of rapidly adapting to new situations so they managed to put up with Maniya’s constantly changing personality and shifting moods. Dastan in particular shared Maniya’s newly developed taste for irony so much of their interactions ended up revolving around playfully teasing each other back and forth on various subjects. Making fun of the difficulties, problems and misfortunes they had to face seemed to be an efficient way of moving forward with much ease and learning to accept what they could not change. Aside from the adventures they went on separately, Maniya, Dastan and Bis also shared common adventures in the few months that Maniya spent in Babylon in between her travels. When they were children, their adventures were limited by Maniya’s bond of servitude that did not permit her to venture outside her master’s dwelling without permission. When they were teenagers they still had little freedom with Maniya being a servant at the palace and Dastan being constantly supervised and attended, since he had become the King’s son. But once they came of age and entered adulthood, the freedoms of all three widened considerably and with almost nothing holding them back, on numerous occasions they ventured into unknown places and situations without a second thought. Their ingenuity helped them through on many occasion but a considerable amount of times they got themselves in trouble and their actions did not pass unnoticed. Maniya’s necessity to keep her identity a secret proved many times to be a difficult obstacle to pass whenever she and her two best friends got themselves in trouble. However, Dastan never backed away from helping his childhood friend, even if it meant taking the blame upon himself. Maniya was not comfortable with this, even if it was a useful solution and the only way of avoiding exposing herself and she would afterwards strive to make it up to Dastan, often by ending up putting herself in harm’s way in the process, the same as Dastan had done for her.               Bis || Best Friend / Childhood Friend Profile: Click to View!    Maniya’s relationship with Bis is similar to that between her and Dastan. They share the same secrets and shared most of their experiences together.                    

*Creed had imprisoned Aphrodite, Hayley, and Melanthe, and had tortured Melanthe in revenge for having Melia stolen from him.*

Disclaimer: I am not nor will I ever claim to be the person you see in any picture you find on my page. I am a role player nothing more, the images give my character a face and nothing more.A warning to those who hold too tightly to Cannon, and believe known characters in the Star Wars verse should be kept true to already established Cannon, look somewhere else. My version of the Guardsmen known as Major Grodin Tierce is going to anger you as he is an original character, got a problem with it I don't want to hear it. You have an edit friend and delete button for a reason, use it. I've played this character for a few years now, I'm not changing him for anyone. Those who don't mind seeing a fresh spin on an established name, feel free to keep me on your list, chat with me, and engage in role play or story lines.  I'm an adult, I will act as such and use language that reflects that. When necessary foul language and graphic language may be used. If the situation warrants a description that could be considered graphic and you can't handle that, tell me BEFORE we ever start writing anything out. If I'm the one starting the blog or comment and you haven't told me to leave that kind of language out before hand and it ends up in there and offends you, I might become annoyed and tell you I won't rewrite it as you've been warned if you took the time to read this blog. You'll either have to deal with it and get past it, or delete me and end the role play. I put too much time into my writing to go back and redo everything every time something offends someone. I'd never get anything done if I did simply because what offends one may not offend the next person. If your one that likes to start drama and cause problems for people, leave my page now and don't bother adding me. If you've already added me, then do me a favor and save me the headache and either grow up or see your way off my list. I've been in rp for twenty years now, endured enough of the drama on MySpace I'm not putting up with it any longer. I have no tolerance for it. Length: Everyone has their own preference for what they like to see and don't like. Personally I'm able to manage anything from para to novella. Novella doesn't happen often for me due to not having the time to always keep that length, not always having enough creativity for it, and not always having the patience. My usual range tends to be multi-para to semi-novella. I will NEVER demand that anyone meet any length I give them. The only thing I will ever ask of anyone is that they give me enough detail and length to be able to continue building the story we have between our characters, whatever it may be at that time. Replies: Sometimes I may have your reply back to you in an hour or two, sometimes it might take me six months or more. It varies based on the demands of life. Sadly I do have some semblance of a life outside of rp... some days I wish I didn't, but wouldn't we all love to escape reality some days? I have friends and family to attend to, and I do have health concerns that require me to spend a lot of time in and out of doctors appointments and sometimes the hospital. If you can't handle waiting for a reply then leave now. You are NOT worth my energy, my health, or my limited free time. I will get to you when I get to you. If you can't reach me for several months send a message to Rebelious Angel Noroga. She knows me in real life, she'll be able to answer your questions as to when I might be able to return to rp, and what is keeping me away. But she will ONLY answer you if your nice about it. Be rude or demanding and she'll tell you where to shove your question just as quickly as I would. Basics: Don't auto-hit, god-mode, meta-game, or puppeteer with my character. I won't do it to you, so don't do it to me. This is your first warning, the second will come if I catch you in the act of any of these things, your third will be when you log on one day and find that you've been removed from my friends list. Ooc chat will be in messages only. Role play and story lines will be in blogs and comments only. If you don't like that set up, tough. The character limit on comments here is ridiculously large if it exists at all. Don't give me the excuse of comments cut off way too short for your liking, I'll laugh at you, call you a fool and tell you to reread my rules then place the post in the appropriate place, or to remove yourself from my list.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW!Clayface: Seriously, I don't know why I'm even here, I haven't been in this continuity at all!Croc: Uh, I've only been in a cameo role in the second movie by Dee Bo, and I was in that little dumb Anime Featurette.Crow: Well, I was in...Croc: We know Jon, you don't have to rub it in our faces.Bane: SHUT UP! My movie's starting!Croc: Your movie?Bane: Um, yeah!*Bane talks for the first time in the movie.*Bane: WHAT? I don't sound like Sean Connery meets Christopher Walken meets Gary Oldman! I'm supposed to sound Latin... Like Alberto Del Rio or something!Croc: Congrats, you do now!Bane: Shut up before I break your arms again.Croc: You shut up before I feed you a broken rib sandwich!Talia: Damn, Marion Cotillard looks drop dead gorgeous!Croc: Um... Hathaway looks much hotter.Clayface: I agree. Seriously, how is this even an argument?Bane: Ya'll are perverts, you know that?Croc: *Points to Clayface* He's the pervert!Bane: How's your wife Waylon?Croc: Fucking bite me Bane!Clayface: You know, I may be a pervert, but I'm not the one wearing a thong on my face!Croc: What the...? GODDAMMIT! Now I'll never unsee that!Bane: At least he kicked the Venom early!Croc: yeah, and Tom looks like he put on quite a bit of weight since Warrior. Then again, when you first kicked the Venom, you were...Bane: Still able to break the Joker's back in one slam!Crow: And still a blowhard!Croc: Whatever motherfuckers, bottom line is... *Hears a line about a giant alligator in the sewers.* I WAS TOTALLY IN THIS MOVIE!Talia: Congrats Waylon, how does it feel to be mentioned in a movie and resembled in another?Croc: How the fuck does Selina's lesbian roommate Holly get a bigger role than either one of us? And furthermore, what the fuck are you doing here anyway Talia?Talia: Um... I'm a fan?Croc: Right... BOttom line is I was in more movies than you!Bane: Wait, now I'm the son of Ra's? So that makes what Talia and I did incest?Clayface: No, that makes you another notch in her belt. OW! *Gets nutshotted by Talia.* What was that for?Talia: I'm a lady Karlo!Clay: yeah, a woman who slept with half of the Arkham Rogues gallery AND Batman! *Gets another nut shot, this time from Bane.*Croc: Shut the fuck up Clay! Oh look, it's the Steelers! Maybe Hines Ward will be blown to bits!Bane: WRONG! I blew up the entire team EXCEPT for Hines Ward!Clayface: Didn't he retire this year?Crow: OH LOOK! I'm in this movie too!Croc: Yeah, playing the part Harvey played in No Man's Land. Do something fucking original for once!Crow: At least I don't rip off my characteristics from Michael Clarke Duncan roles.Clayface: Dude, he has a point.*Tatsu pops out of nowhere.*Tatsu: Actually, Dad should stop with the MCD references because the more he acts like him, the closer he will come to eating like him, and we all know Mike is aCroc: One more word Tatsu and I'll shove your gum drops up your ass then force you to eat them.Tatsu: I'll shut up now. *Goes back to where he was seated.*Croc: Whoa, is this what I think it is?Clay: It is.Bane: This movie is about to get a lot more metal!All 3 of the big Gothamite metalheads: WALL OF DEATH!*The scene switches to the fight between Batman and Bane*Croc: And there's a familiar and refreshing scene: Bane being repeatedly punched in the face... Hey, why did that bitch stab Batman?*The revelation of Miranda's true identity arises*All 5: WHOA!Talia: KNEW IT! She IS gorgeous!Croc: revel in your moment bitch, I was in more movies than both of you idiots! Well, not counting the porno tapes Talia made with all of us.Crow: Except me! I meant the movies, not the porn, because she totally made one with me.Croc: SHUT THE FUCK UP CROW BEFORE I SHOVE YOUR ASS UP YOUR ASS AND MAKE YOU TASTE YOUR OWN GASTRIC WASTE!Talia: Plus, I never slept with you Crow. And no, I didn't make tapes for any of you idiots! Not even you Bane, and I liked you a lot!Bane: If Tom Hardy doesn't get an Oscar for this, it's horseshit.Croc: Maybe TOm should overdose like Heath Ledger did.Talia: Marion already has an Oscar. I can't complain!Croc: Mike got nominated... Once...Clayface: God, I can't wait til I get a movie.Croc: Not gonna happen, Batman just blew up.Clayface: Oh...Bane: Wait, he's alive. He fixed the autopilot.Croc: Huh... Knew we couldn't give up on him.Bane: There still isn't going to be another movie though.Croc: Whatever, we still have the Arkham games. And they're saying I might get a legitimate boss fight in the next one.Bane: In your fucking dreams.Croc: Whatever. This movie was okay. Talia: I DIED!!!Bane: I got blasted in the face by Catwoman. Shut the fuck up!Croc: Whatever. Yeah it was good. Now to unsee the line Clayface made about your mask in this movie.Clayface: FACETHONG! FACETHONG! FACETHONG!The rest of the crew: GODDAMMIT!

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