Valencia Harlow

Valencia is a Clan Roleplay character and a supporting character in the Odds Against You series. In her first roleplay appearance, she was chased into the forest by Houtarou, who wanted to kidnap her for her albino hair. She's been a part of several roleplay arcs, including the Island Arc and the Japan Arc.

Appearance
Valencia was born with albinism, a group of inherited disorders that causes a person's skin, hair, and eyes to have little or no color. Because of this, her skin is naturally extremely pale, and her hair has always been naturally white. Her eyes were light blue, but after becoming a vampire, the color faded from them, and they've since been a very pale dead grey.

Valencia's face is heart-shaped, with a more prominent chin and jawline. She has upturned cat-like eyes, and her nose and mouth are on the smaller side. At 5'7 (170.81cm), she's taller than average height and has a relatively slim and athletic build. She has several scars all over her body due to abuse from her family and childhood bullies, the most noticeable one being a scar across her nose. Val's hair is quite long, going about midway down her back; it's fairly wavy and usually has a few small braids in the front. She wears minimal makeup and simple jewelry (if any at all), her favorite jewelry pieces being a pair of moon and star earrings and a moon choker. She typically dresses in all black, hoping to be noticed as little as possible in public. For this reason, she also wears hoods very often that cover her face. She favors clothes that are easy to move in and that have a lot of pockets for her to conceal her knives. For the majority of the roleplay, she's worn her typical black hooded jacket with black leggings and tall boots. However, she recently went on a shopping trip with her sister at the beginning of the Japan Arc and changed her outfit. She's currently wearing a long purple sweater and black denim hooded jacket, along with shear tights, long black cat socks, and her signature boots.

Personality
Valencia was subject to extreme verbal and emotional torment from a very young age, leading to her being a very quiet and timid person. She has incredibly low self esteem and a fair amount of self hatred, and is constantly trying to improve herself. She has severe trust issues due to her own family abusing her for her entire life, and she also is constantly alert and defensive because of this. Since she never experienced real love as a child, she now has issues understanding her emotions regarding love and her feelings for other people. She can be quite pessimistic, and she believed for so long that she was incapable of being loved that she's extremely hesitant to believe anyone who expresses that they care for her. Despite this, deep down, she is desperate to be loved and to find people who she feels she can relate to and confide in.

Despite her traumatic upbringing, Val is a very sensitive and empathetic person who cares very deeply about things. She's had a lifelong love of the arts, particularly literature, which led to her dreaming of one day being an author of novels and poetry. She's very observant and enjoys "people watching" when in public, since she's quite good at reading other people's emotions. She can't stand seeing others in pain (unless she feels it's deserved), and she is very protective of those she cares about. She wouldn't hesitate to physically harm someone who she feels is a serious threat to her or someone she cares about, which is why she carries knives on her at all times.

Backstory
Valencia was born Ivory Jade Harlow to her parents, Jeffrey and Naomi Harlow, in a small American town on August 19th, 1999. When she was born, her parents discovered that she was albino, meaning her skin, hair, and eyes were all extremely pale. Ivory was an unplanned and unwanted child anyways, so her albinism gave her parents another reason to dislike her.

Growing up, Ivy was largely ignored by her parents, who greatly favored her older sister Penelope. Penny was smart, beautiful, excelled in anything she tried, and didn’t seem capable of doing anything wrong. This led Ivy to hate her sister and become very insecure in her own abilities, causing her to constantly strive to improve herself, hoping to one day win her parents’ love. Though Ivy tried over and over to impress her parents, she could never quite beat her sister at anything, and her parents would insult and belittle her whenever she failed. On top of this, she was constantly bullied and excluded at school because of her appearance. Ivy ended up becoming very reserved and started wearing lots of hoods and dark clothing to hide herself. She grew to hate her albinism and developed horrible social anxiety, as nobody ever wanted to talk to her. When Ivy was slightly older, her parents started physically abusing her as well. This left her with several scars, the most noticeable being one across her nose. Between school and home, Ivy grew to hate herself more and more, starting to believe that she was unworthy of being loved.

Everything got even worse when she was 17, while walking home late one night, Ivy was attacked and bitten by a vampire. She told her parents when she got home, but they didn’t believe her. Over the next few weeks, she began exhibiting strange behavior, including a strong aversion to garlic and the sun, and she also started to crave blood. She tried to tell her parents that she thought she was turning into a vampire, but they believed that she was mentally ill, and a few months later, Ivy’s parents decided to send her away to a mental hospital. After 17 years of torment and abuse, this was the last straw for Ivy, who finally ran away from home before her parents could send her away. She was homeless for a little while before making her way to New York City, where she used the little money she had to purchase a small studio apartment. She also fully transformed into a vampire at this point, and adopted the name Valencia as a way to try and put the past behind her.

Over the next few years, Valencia made a living working different odd jobs and kept mostly to herself, choosing not to try to befriend anyone out of fear they would treat her the way her family and peers treated her for her whole life. She started taking lessons in martial arts so if anyone tried to harm her again, she’d be able to fight back. She also taught herself how to throw knives, and keeps several hidden knives on herself at all times in case of emergencies. Eventually growing bored of her mundane life, Valencia started wishing she could find others like her to keep her company. Having never had a real friend in her entire life, she craved someone to talk to and open up to, but she feared her lack of social skills would hold her back. Little did Valencia know that soon, a short and seemingly meaningless walk into the woods would change her life forever.

Introduction
After finishing her shift at work, Valencia decides to go on a walk before returning home. As she strays off the path and walks through the trees, Houtarou suddenly jumps down from a tree behind her, causing Val to whip around and pull out her knife for protection. Taro mocks her knife, considering he's carrying a sword, and looks her over, deciding she'll do nicely. Val asks what he's talking about, to which Taro simply replies that she's coming with him. (Understandably) creeped out, Val starts running away into the forest, and Taro runs after her. Val suddenly hears Taro stop behind her, and turns to see Wisteria Luna-Harrison in between her and Taro. Wis gestures for Val to keep going, and so Val continues to run, eventually stopping once she feels she's far enough away.

Val starts wandering in search of a way out of the forest and eventually runs into Reyna Maiorca, who asks if she's alright. Val briefly explains what happened, and Reyna reveals she knows what Val's talking about, and that Taro is still looking for her. She recommends Val run as far away as possible, and Val says she would, but she has no clue how to get back out of the forest. Reyna offers to help show her out, and Val accepts, with the two then exchanging names. Deciding Reyna isn't a threat, Val goes to put her knife back in her jacket, but finds something else in its place, pulling out a large sword. Reyna recognizes the sword is Taro's, and says Wisteria must've teleported it to Val.

Wis reaches the two of them, with Taro following soon after, as the sword starts vibrating in Val's hand. Wis reveals that the sword attacks anyone holding it who isn't Taro, then summons a fireball to throw at Taro, although Taro is unbothered, claiming that killing him will insure the sword kills Val. Not wanting to give the sword back to Taro, Val simply drops it and kicks it into the bushes behind her. Taro slowly walks over to pick it up, before telling Val again to go with him, and Wis shields Val, telling her it's not worth it. Val pulls her knife out again and threatens to throw it if Taro comes any closer, warning him not to underestimate her. Taro continues to taunt her, and so Val throws the knife straight at his chest. However, Taro holds his hand out to block the knife, and when it sticks directly through his hand, he simply pulls it out and thanks Val for the free knife. Val starts to panic, realizing she can't hurt Taro, and Wis mutters that he has healing blood, a characteristic of the Anzais. She whispers to Val that she needs to get away, and Val nods, coming up with a plan as she slowly starts to walk away from the other two in an attempt to lead Taro away from them. Val tells Taro to come and get her if he wants her, and although Taro knows she must be plotting something, he runs after her nonetheless. Val gets a running start, before shapeshifting into a crow and flying high up, away from Taro.

Forest Arc
After Val lands a safe distance away, Reyna soon teleports back to her, and the two continue wandering, having a brief run in with Freyja Khaalida. Eventually, Wis appears next to them and tells Val that Taro has promised to leave her alone if she gives a strand of her hair. Val reluctantly agrees, plucking a strand of her hair and handing it to Wis. Wis thanks Val and promises she'll make Taro suffer if he doesn't keep his end of the deal, then teleports away again.

Kura & Petra
After getting separated from Reyna, Val eventually hears unfamiliar voices. She notices two men with a cat in a clearing nearby and decides to approach them in the hopes that they'll help her. The two men, Petra Adams and Kurayami Takahashi, are initially hostile towards Val, but Val manages to convince them she isn't a threat. Cautious introductions are exchanged, and Kura apologizes for the hostility, now acting more friendly to Val. Val admits she doesn't blame them, considering the kind of people she's met in the forest, before turning her attention to the cat, who Kura introduces as Spooky. Val remarks how cute he is, her love of cats showing through, and Spooky takes a liking to Val, much to Val's delight. Val then questions if Kura and Petra know how to get out of the forest and why they’re here in the first place. Kura tells her he came to find out something about his family, revealing that they died 18 years ago, and Val is left at a loss for words, offering Kura her sympathy. She questions how long Kura and Petra have known each other, leading them to realize they don’t actually know how much time has passed.

Reyna manages to find Val again, this time bringing her girlfriend Zyanya Dumitru, who reveals Wis has been distracting Taro all this time for Val’s benefit. Kura and Petra don’t trust either of them and eventually walk off, but not before Zyanya reveals that Taro is an Anzai and informs them of the fact there are three Anzai siblings, not just one. Zyanya explains to Val that Wis ended up joining Taro’s gang, the Bonnets, believing she did it because she has an attachment to Val and wants to further protect her. This leaves Val flustered, wondering why Wis would do all this for her, and Zyanya tells her that Wis can sometimes form instant attachments to people upon meeting them. Not wanting to lose Kura and Petra in the woods, Val bids Reyna and Zyanya goodbye, then goes after them.

Val catches up to Kura and Petra, apologizing if the other strangers made them uncomfortable. She questions where they’re going, and Kura tells her they’re getting out of the woods and going back to his home country of Japan, allowing her to come with. They all start theorizing ways to leave the forest, with Kura bringing up the man who raised him, Eichi, as well as a magic bag that’s connected to his apartment in Japan.

Val gets distracted when Wisteria runs up to her, immediately relieved that she’s okay. Wis starts to cry as she explains that she never wanted to join Taro and only did so to distract him, thinking it was the right thing to do. Val reassures her, but then asks the million dollar question: why do all of this for me? Wis confesses that what Zyanya said was right, and that she did in fact develop feelings for Val as soon as she saw her, leaving Val speechless, as she admits nobody’s ever liked her before. Val questions what Wis wants to do next, offering to take her along with Kura and Petra to find a way out of the forest, but Wis wants to return to the gang to avoid suspicion. She promises Val she’ll find her again somehow, and before she leaves, she and Val embrace and share their first kiss.

Now practically high on happiness, Val sets off to relocate Kura and Petra, eventually finding them following Phoenix Pereira. Kura explains how Phoe offered for Petrayami to stay in their house shortly after meeting them, and he hopes they’ll know a way out of the woods as well, since they live here. Val and Kura then get to know each other more, each sharing their reasoning for coming to New York/the forest, as well as happy memories of the towns they grew up in.

Vasuki
Eventually, they all reach Phoe’s house, but Petra ends up wandering off, leaving Kura concerned. Val suggests searching the woods for Petra, and she and Kura decide to split up, each covering half of the woods surrounding the house. Val quickly scans her half and finds nothing abnormal, then returns to Phoe’s house to wait for Kura. She can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong, and so decides to check Kura’s half of the woods as well to make sure he’s alright.

Val eventually finds Kura being threatened by Vasuki Andino. Knife in hand, she runs up and demands Vasuki let Kura go, but Vasuki refuses. Kura insists to her it’s okay, so Val reluctantly steps back, letting Vasuki talk to Kura while keeping her knife handy. Vasuki lets Kura go on the condition he finds Petra immediately, and so Kura walks away with Val. The two wonder how to find Petra, and Val suggests turning into a crow so she can cover more ground, which Kura agrees to. Val shapeshifts and begins searching the woods for Petra, eventually finding him in a clearing and landing next to him. After turning back to normal form, Val tells Petra about the whole situation, instantly worrying him, as he reveals he and Vasuki have a past. He agrees to go back with Val, and the two then shapeshift again and fly back to where Val left Kura.

Kura and Petra reconcile, while Val looks around the trees, wondering how to find Vasuki again. She has a bad feeling about the whole situation and asks Petra what Vasuki wants with him, but Petra doesn’t answer her. Eventually, Kura uses his wand to launch a small firework above them, explaining Vasuki will likely see it and be able to find them again. As promised, Vasuki soon enters the clearing as a snake, and Phoenix also shows up again, welcomed by Kura. Petra shapeshifts into a bear and begins to fight Vasuki, while Kura and Phoenix talk off to the side, and Val just watches the scene unfold.

Out of nowhere, Rachel Abramson shows up and stops the fight with aggressive magic and ridiculous claims, which won’t be given a part in this story. Petra and Vasuki ignore her and continue fighting in human form, while Kura runs up in anger and tells her to back off, which she eventually does. Kura’s anger makes him create a ball of fire in his hand, Osore wanting him to cause destruction. This catches Val, Petra, and Phoe’s attention. Petra yells for him to stop and tries to get his attention by shaking him, Val tries talking to him, and Phoe attempts to comfort him. Suddenly, the fire stops, leaving Kura and Osore both occupying Kura’s body. Their voices are combined when Kura speaks, which scares Val and Petra, neither of them knowing what’s happening. Kura gets out that he and Osore are stuck in the same conscious mind and begins looking through his bag for a potion that can separate them, while Phoe hands Kura’s wand to Petra, before walking off. Petra and Val both offer to help Kura, but Kura tells them to stay away, afraid of hurting them. Kura eventually finds the potion and drinks it, before Petra finally runs to him, unable to bear it anymore.

Lyra & Taro
While Petra comforts Kura, Val wanders off to survey the forest, wanting to be helpful somehow. She ends up bumping into Wis again, who reveals that she managed to leave Taro’s gang after Taro got distracted by Lyra Woods. Lyra then joins them, and Wis introduces her and Val. Wis and Lyra explain how they met and their encounter with Taro, with Lyra revealing he wanted her to help find someone, although she doesn’t know who. Val also explains her experience with Taro and advises Lyra not to trust him, which Wis agrees with. Lyra offers to show them a way out of the forest, explaining she’s lived here many years, but Val is hesitant to trust her, especially after she says she’d show Taro the way out too so she doesn’t break her promise to him. Wis understands Val’s doubt, but wants to accompany Lyra in case she has to deal with Taro again, although she promises Val she won’t leave her. Wis tells Val she loves her, while Val is still unsure of her feelings, though she admits she cares about Wis in a way she’s never cared about anyone before.

Lyra and Wis both hear voices in the distance, although they can’t tell who they belong to. Lyra starts throwing knives into a tree, impressing Val with how good she is, while Wis wanders off to find out who the voices belonged to. Val and Lyra discuss how long they’ve been practicing as Val starts throwing knives too, realizing she underestimated Lyra, although Lyra admits she also underestimated Val. Val wonders if she should check on Wis to make sure she’s alright, but Lyra quickly tries to stop her, eventually admitting she heard Wis talking to Taro nearby. Val immediately goes after Wis, afraid to lose her again, while Lyra follows. After finding Wis, Val grabs her by the hand and insists they should leave now. Wis wants to finish talking to Taro first, but Taro simply says they already finished talking, so Val starts dragging Wis away. Before they leave, Taro calls out to Val that she should cover her hair, saying that “he” might not be as generous as Taro is, but they both ignore him. Wis then asks Val where they should go, suggesting an abandoned house she found earlier, and Val agrees. The two of them invite Lyra along, so they all start walking to the house, unaware that Taro is following them. Val feels bad for leaving Kura and Petra, but makes a mental promise to herself to go back for them when she gets the chance.

Upon reaching the house, Taro makes himself known and casually pulls out his sword, remarking it’ll be easier to protect the girls if they hide in the house. Wis and Val are both skeptical and confused, and Val debates heading back into the forest. Taro then tries to pull her hood up to cover her hair, like he’d told her to do before, but Val swats his hand away in annoyance. Taro insists he means no harm and says Val should listen to him if she wants to stay safe, but Val questions why he’s there in the first place, pointing out that she already gave him her hair and Wis already left his gang, so she doesn’t know what more he could want from them. Taro reiterates that he wants to protect them from someone who he says is now looking for both him and Wis, but Val isn’t buying it. As Wis approaches them, Taro refers to her as “unloyal” and remarks that he hopes she’s worth whatever blood will be shed, but Wis also isn’t having it. Some healthy sarcasm is exchanged, before Taro suddenly hears something in the forest. His whole demeanor changes, and he steps in front of Valsteria, advising them to stay back in case it gets ugly.

By now, Val’s just fed up with all this and starts wondering how they’ll get out of the forest, realizing Lyra seems to have wandered off. Wis proposes they secretly escape together, pointing out a path that she believes leads out of the forest, and Val excitedly agrees. As they walk, they each get to know each other more, exchanging full names and such. They eventually spot the New York street, officially free of the forest.

Wisteria's House Arc
Val and Wis rejoice in being free, and Val asks Wis what she wants to do now. Wis says she wants to buy a house, leading Val down the street to a house she’d been looking into buying. She invites Val to live with her, and Val is surprised by the offer, but quickly agrees. They both reflect on how lucky they are to have met each other, before Val leaves to get her things from her old apartment.

When Val returns, Wis announces she managed to buy the house. The two then enter their new house and have happy wholesome vibes settling in, until Wis suddenly senses Taro on his way to the house, which she quickly alerts Val of. Val makes sure all the doors and windows in the house are locked, going into protective mode as she starts removing her knife collection from her bag and sharpening them just in case. Wis admits she thinks Taro is only after her this time, but Val responds that messing with Wis is equivalent to messing with her too, since she cares about her now.

Val and Wis hear a knock at the door, and Wis looks out the window to see Lyra outside. After making sure Lyra is alone, they let her in. Lyra explains what happened after Val and Wis left the forest: Beatrix Jinx saw them leaving and told Taro, as well as Amell Bonnet, Taro’s adoptive brother and the person he was trying to protect them from. Bea then tracked them using her enhanced hearing and led the Bonnet boys and Lyra to the house, but Lyra managed to walk ahead and get to the door with nobody seeing her. Lyra apologizes, swearing she didn’t want Taro and Amell to find them, but Val and Wis assure her it’s fine, saying they’re just glad that she got away from them in time. Lyra compliments the couple’s house, and Wis and Val hug, preparing for what’s to come.

Wis opens the door to confront Taro and Amell as they approach, while Val and Lyra stand ready behind her with their knives. Amell brings up Wis’s betrayal of the Bonnets, while Wis calmly asserts that she never wanted to be in the gang anyways and only joined to protect someone. She dares Amell to try her, and Amell then pulls out a gun, as well as the hair Taro got from Val, asking Wis if she recognizes it. Wis asks why that matters and continues to mock Amell, which angers Amell further and makes Taro laugh. Amell tells Wis that typically, a person who chose to leave the gang would be subject to an aggressive beating, but if Wis does what he says, then she won’t have to. He tells Wis he’ll need her blood, then asks Taro to extract it for him, which catches Taro off guard. Taro argues with Amell for a moment, before slowly walking up to the house, although his face indicates to Wis that he has a plan. He whispers that he’ll protect her and the girls, but she’ll have to trust him. Taro then kisses Wis, shocking Amell, and Taro takes the opportunity to take Wis’s knife and throw it at Amell, knocking the gun out of his hand. Amell pulls out another gun and shoots at Wis, but Taro blocks her, taking the bullet instead.

Amell immediately panics and runs to Taro, who’s only laughing and insisting that he’ll heal, but Amell knows Taro can’t heal with a bullet in him. He asks Wis for help, but Wis is shocked speechless, and Val protectively grabs Wis’s hand, her thoughts only focused on the kiss. Amell applies pressure to Taro’s wound and again asks for help, this time asking Val for her knife. Val initially denies him, considering he just threatened someone she cares about, but Amell convinces her by playing on this and begging her to help him save someone he cares about. Wis approaches Taro to try and heal him, leaving Val even more stunned and angry. She stalks into the living room and starts throwing her knives into the wall, overwhelmed by emotion and wondering why the kiss affected her so much, if this means she really does love Wis. Lyra can tell how pissed Val is and says nothing, instead throwing her knives alongside Val, while Wis eventually comes back to the room and apologizes to Val. However, Val tells her to save it and leaves through the back door.

Val goes on a walk to clear her head and eventually bumps into Penelope Harlow. Val’s too distracted by her own thoughts and keeps walking, but Penny believes she recognizes Val’s voice, and decides to follow Val without her knowing.

The Beating
Val eventually returns to the house to discover the front door broken down, and Taro and Amell now inside. By this point, all her patience is gone, and she demands they both get out, but Taro raises his hands in surrender, attempting to show her again that he means no harm anymore. He also gives Val her knife back and thanks her genuinely for it, but Val is still wary of him, thinking he’s still here for Wis’s blood. However, Taro tells her that he wants Wis to beat him up, which just confuses Val. Taro explains that since Wis’s only options to leave the gang are to give blood or take a beating, to save her from having to give blood, he’s going to instead take the beating for her. Val agrees to join, seeing it as a way to get out her anger, and she then follows Taro and Wis out the back door, deciding to leave her knives inside since it’ll be more satisfying to beat him on her own.

Taro kneels in the grass and makes the official announcement that he’s going to take the beating for Wis to leave the gang, with Val as witness. Wis gets some potions at hand, while Val prepares herself, and Taro teases her about how eager she is to hurt someone, given he’s kept referring to her as an “angel”. However, Val reminds him he’s the one who mistook her for an angel, then kicks him in the stomach. Taro disagrees with her, since she’s technically doing this to save someone’s life, and Val admits she’s not quite a demon, although she still doesn’t think she’s anything close to an angel. She continues to kick and punch him, getting out all her anger at everything he’s done to her and to Wis, including making her feel helpless, which she reminds him (and herself) that she never will be again. When she’s done, she leaves Taro bleeding on the ground and walks away from him and Wis.

Sister Reunion Arc
Val stalks off down the sidewalk, wanting to be away from Wis and Taro. Seeing her chance, Penny, who’s been watching through the window the whole time, runs after her and tries to get her attention, eventually calling her Ivory. This causes Val to stop, turning and realizing the voice calling after her is the voice of her older sister, someone she hasn't seen in years. Penny reaches Val and throws her arms around her in a hug, thankful that she's alive and okay, but Val pushes Penny off of her. She doesn't believe that Penny truly cares about her, given how she treated her for years. Penny tries to apologize for everything and calls Val "Vee", an old nickname for her, but Val yells for her to stop, informing her that isn't her name anymore. They both start tearing up as Penny tries desperately to convince Val how much she regrets the way she treated her and that she's not the person she used to be anymore. Val slowly approaches Penny, questioning if she really means what she says, and she tells her that she goes by Valencia now. They both agree that their parents were the worst, before Val hugs Penny.

Val and Penny start walking down the sidewalk and talking, letting each other know what's been happening in their lives since they last saw each other. They eventually reach Val and Wisteria's house again, and Val confesses she doesn't know how she feels about Wis anymore. Penny offers that Val can stay at her apartment while she figures things out, and Val hesitantly accepts. She enters the house again to collect her things and sees Wis and Taro smiling and talking out of a back window, which reignites her anger. Making the decision that she won't come back until Taro is gone, Val then walks back out to Penny, and the two start walking to Penny's apartment.

Val and Penny finally reach Penny's apartment, and Val starts respecting her sister more after realizing that it's nothing fancy and just a normal apartment building. Upon reaching the apartment, Penny points out the different rooms to Val, before leaving to her bedroom to change. Val heads into the guest bedroom, deciding to change as well after realizing how dirty her clothes are. She flops on the bed and tries to sort out her thoughts and feelings regarding Wisteria and Penny, then gets up and heads back out to the living room, where she finds Penny sitting on the couch reading a book. Val realizes Penny's window is open and goes to close it, but notices something approaching in the distance. The thing flies through the window, surprising Penny, and Val realizes it's a paper bird. She unfolds it to see it's a magical letter sent to her by Kura, which tells her that he and Petra are now stranded on an island and need help. It also says that all Val needs to do to find them is refold the paper bird, and it will lead her to the island. Val races back to grab her things from the guest room, and while she's gone, Penny reads Kura's letter and realizes what she's doing. She begs for Val to think this through, but Val tells her not to worry and asks her to stay here, promising to come back as soon as she can. Val refolds the bird and watches as it reanimates, then briefly thanks Penny for everything. She shapeshifts into bird form and flies out the window after the paper bird as Penny watches in shock.

Island Arc
Val flies over the ocean after the bird, until it eventually lands on a tiny island next to Kura and Petra, with Val landing next to it and shapeshifting back to regular form. Petra is shocked to see her, while Kura, clearly tired, only smiles at knowing she got the bird he sent.

The Breakdown
The happy reunion is short-lived, as Devon Vann then approaches Val and refers to her as the girl who “shattered her cousin’s heart”. Val’s incredibly confused by this, until she learns Devon is in fact Wisteria’s cousin. At first Val is defensive of her choice to leave, remembering how Wis interacted with Taro, but while remarking on how naive and complicated Wis is, Devon inadvertently reveals that she has a son. This shocks Val momentarily, since Wis never told her, but she quickly puts up walls, declaring she should’ve known Wis never truly cared about her and that you can’t love someone you just met. Devon attempts to reassure Val that Wis really did care for her, but Val doesn’t believe her, starting to pace as she says her life is all one big joke. Val’s thoughts start spiraling as she recalls how she’s been treated over the years, and Devon then walks away, starting to feel bad as she realizes how much what she said affected Val.

Val sits on the sand and tries to keep the negative thoughts from overwhelming her, until she hears shouting from somewhere further away on the island. Realizing the shouting is Petra, she starts to worry and decides to make sure Petra is okay. Walking into the trees, she eventually finds Petra alone on the ground and asks if he’s okay, but he yells for her to get away from him, fear evident in his eyes. Val mistakes this as him being afraid of her and quickly leaves with tears in her eyes, as Petra realizes what he’s done.

Petra’s reaction reaffirms the negative thoughts in Val’s head, and she keeps wandering until she eventually sinks down by a tree to cry, wondering why she’s nothing but a burden to everyone. Devon finds her again and tries to sympathize with her, sharing that her own family were thought of as freaks for a long time, but Val walks away from her in anger, telling her she has no idea what it’s like.

Val makes her way back to the ocean and sinks down on the beach, hoping the sound of the waves will calm her. Kura and Petra return to the beach and see her, deciding to approach her. They sit next to her as Kura tries to get her attention, but Val doesn’t open her eyes, afraid of what they’ll say to her. Eventually, Kura side hugs her, which makes Val finally open her eyes and start to relax, side hugging him back and petting Spooky, who walked up with Kura. Val apologizes to Petra for earlier, but Petra lets her know it wasn’t her fault. She then remembers the reason she came to the island in the first place and asks if they’re both okay, which they confirm they are. Kura explains that he and a group of others were all flying to Japan on Petra as a dragon, until he crash landed, which is how they ended up on the island. Val’s impressed by the fact Petra can shapeshift into a dragon, and is relieved to finally know what happened and that nobody was hurt. She thanks them both for all they’ve done for her, considering she sees herself as a burden, but Kura’s able to tell what she means and asks if she thinks this because of her albinism. He tells Val there’s nothing wrong with her, that she’s gorgeous the way she is and a wonderful person on top of that. He also tells her he knows what it’s like to feel alone because there’s something different about you, but he lets her know anyone who makes her feel worthless because of that isn’t worth her time. Val starts to cry again at his words, having never been told something like that before, and for once actually feeling wanted and cared about. Kura hugs her fully and pulls Petra in as well, and the three hug for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.

Meeting the Others
The friendos eventually separate, and Kura tells Val he and Petra were planning on going back to where the others had built a shelter, inviting her to join them. Val agrees, then stands up with Petrayami and starts following them. Upon reaching the camp, they run into Yua Anzai, the sister of Kura’s friend, along with a young girl she introduces as Kitty, whom she’d just found on the island. Yua formally introduces herself to Val, as Kura hides behind Petra from Kitty, revealing he’s scared of children. Petra and Val both try to reassure him, while Devon suddenly runs up in excitement, believing Yua’s adopted Kitty. Seeing Devon makes Val uneasy again, and she starts to back away from everyone, feeling self conscious. She sits a safe distance away from them to calm down, and Petra and Kura sit beside her again, bonding over their social anxiety.

Daiki Anzai, Yua’s brother and Kura’s friend, then approaches them with coconuts, introducing himself to Val as he offers her one. He questions how she found them, then compliments her hair, his glowing blue eyes showing her he understands what it’s like to be considered an outsider because of something you can’t change. Petra glares at Daiki, revealing the animosity between them, as Val accepts the coconut and thanks Daiki, explaining the origami bird story. Noticing Val’s fangs, Daiki asks if she’s a vampire, which she confirms, and Daiki’s curiosity shows as he then tries to touch her fangs. Yua notices, having been nearby getting Kura to start a fire using magic, and she reminds Daiki to remember his manners, leading him to apologize to Val. Devon brings over her cousin, Thyra Vann, who also happened to be stranded on the island, and Val starts stressing again about all the strangers. She eventually notices Mauve Adams sitting alone nearby and decides to scoot closer to introduce herself, realizing she hasn’t met her yet. They talk briefly, and Val realizes Mauve is Petra’s sister.

Val zones out as the rest of the group do their own thing around her; Petrayami have cute moments, Daiki and Mauve try to figure out where they are exactly, and Yua questions Thyra after learning she has a ship, wondering if they could use it to get off the island. Eventually, Daiki announces to the whole group that he’s managed to estimate their location by drawing a map in the sand, and he believes they can use Kura’s magic origami birds to contact other people as a means of getting off the island. The group wonders who they could contact, nobody having any real answers, until Kura suggests they could get help from the man who raised him after his parents died, Eichi Hanyu. Petra and Val both comfort Kura, knowing how talking about his family affects him, while Daiki tries to lighten the mood by suggesting a game, but nobody is really up for it. Val’s afraid of playing a game with people she barely knows, and Petrayami also express not wanting to play a game with a stranger, obviously referring to Thyra, which causes Thyra to walk away from the group, feeling unwelcome. Daiki notices Val’s anxiety and reassures her she doesn’t have to join if she doesn’t want to, which makes Val relax slightly and start to trust Daiki, grateful he understands. Kura questions what Val’s looking forward to in Japan, assuming she agrees to join them, and Val doesn’t have an answer, but says she’s excited to finally get out of New York. She asks if Kura’s excited to go home, and Kura admits he’s just excited to finally be able to rest. Val and Petra realize this’ll be both of their first time in a different country, meanwhile Kura looks at Daiki, noticing he’s dropped out of the conversation and has just been quietly drawing. He can tell Daiki’s nervous about returning home and starts talking with him to calm him. Val eventually starts drawing random patterns in the sand as she thinks of all she’s been through in the past few days, realizing she doesn’t regret any of it. She ends up falling asleep, as night falls on the island.

The Tragedy
As Val sleeps, Daiki realizes his sister and some of the others have wandered off, and sends Mauve to go find them. Mauve searches and soon finds Yua, who explains that she, Kitty, Devon, and Thyra are investigating Thyra’s ship to see if it’d be safe to take them to Japan. She asks if Mauve wants to join them, but Mauve declines, instead opting to head back to the camp and tell Daiki where they are. Meanwhile at the camp, Kura finally agrees to send an origami bird message asking for help to Eichi, getting their coordinates from Daiki so Eichi will be able to find them.

As the sun rises, Daiki hears a scream from somewhere on the island, immediately alarming him, since he thinks it’s his sister. He starts running toward where he heard the scream, Petrayami following, and he ends up running into Mauve, who had just been making her way back to the camp and also heard the scream. Mauve explains what Yua told her about the ship and leads the boys down to the beach where she last saw Yua. They find Yua and Kitty alone on the beach with no ship in sight, and Yua clearly very drained and shaken. After Daiki makes sure Yua is okay, Yua reveals that they’d gotten on the ship and tried to start it, but it ended up quickly crashing and sinking. Although Yua managed to save herself and Kitty, the crash killed both Devon and Thyra. The news leaves everyone in shock, but shortly after, Daiki starts leading them back to the campsite to get water for Yua and Kitty, trying to be strong and still believing they’ll be rescued. As if on cue, everyone hears a strange noise coming from the sky, looking up to see a fleet of origami birds flying toward them, soon followed by a plane with the words “Takahashi Airlines” written on it. Kura immediately lights up and tells everyone to follow him, knowing that Eichi got his message.

The Rescue
Val finally wakes up and finds herself alone, then sees the plane in the sky and starts to walk toward it, realizing the others must’ve called it somehow. She notices everyone in a cluster waiting for the plane to land and quickly joins them. The group are all excited about finally being rescued, watching as the plane lands, and the door opens to reveal Eichi. Kura and Eichi greet each other, Eichi expressing how concerned the letter made him, and Kura thanks him for coming to save them. Kura then introduces Eichi to the rest of the group, and Eichi lowers the ramp, inviting them all to board the plane. Daiki is hesitant to go, unsure if he and Yua will be accepted since their parents are the ones who killed Kura’s family, but Yua insists he go and drags him to board the plane, declaring she’ll kill anyone who tries to stop them from going home. Kitty slowly follows them as well, and as Yua introduces herself to Eichi and thanks him for rescuing them, Eichi addresses her coldly and takes note of her eyes, resolving to bring it up with Kura later. Meanwhile, Val nervously takes a few steps toward the plane, but doesn’t board, and Kura notices how anxious she is. Val tells him she’s never been on a plane before, so Kura reassures her, telling her he’ll be with her the whole time. Val thanks him, remembering she’s not alone anymore, then boards the plane as well, leaving just Kura and the Adams siblings outside. While Yua leads a very confused Kitty to the seats, Daiki stays back to help Val, but remains not looking at anyone, clearly lost in thought. After learning Petra’s also never been on a plane, Kura walks up the ramp hand in hand with him, which Eichi notices and starts to grow curious about.

Plane Arc
Once everyone’s on board, Eichi closes everything up and starts the engine, the plane soon taking off from the island. He supplies Val and Petra with blood bags, as well as a candy bowl for Kura, while everyone settles into their seats. Eichi and Val exchange introductions, and Val discovers Eichi is actually Kura’s uncle. She again thanks Eichi for rescuing them, before Kitty asks Eichi where they’re going, clearly still confused. Val tells Eichi about how Kitty was found on the island and has likely lived there for a long time with no concept of the outside world, leading Eichi to try explaining Japan to Kitty. He explains that Japan is home to himself, Kura, and the Anzais, making Val think about how nice it must be to have a home to go back to, considering she hasn’t had one in a long time. She tells Kitty they have something in common, since this is all new to her too, and Kitty nods before moving closer to Val and Eichi.

Val then asks Eichi if the plane belongs to Kura, remembering the name on the side, and Eichi tells her Kura’s owned all of his family’s property since they were killed in a car accident, which Val hadn’t known before. However, Daiki listens nearby, knowing this isn’t the truth, and becoming increasingly nervous. As Eichi explains Kura’s reasoning for coming to America in the first place, believing he’d found a lead to the true cause of his family’s death, Daiki eventually can’t take it anymore and stands up, heading to a room in the back with Mauve soon following to make sure he’s okay.

Val looks out the plane window at the ocean, starting to grow excited at the fact she’s really on her way to a foreign country, and realizing she actually feels comfortable in the group now. Eichi asks Val who Petra is, noticing him talking with Kura, and Val explains as best she can, though knowing it’s probably not her place to tell Eichi about the Petrayami ship. Yua then decides to speak up as she covers herself and Kitty with a blanket, asking Eichi how long the flight will be and where they’ll be landing. Eichi gives her the information with a blank expression, that the flight will be a few hours, and will land at an airport near the Takahashi estate. Yua recognizes the name Takahashi and asks if the family has traded with the Anzais before, to which Eichi bluntly replies that the Anzais have been long time enemies of the Takahashis. Yua chooses to answer respectfully, telling Eichi she doesn’t believe her family are bad people, and she hopes the rivalry could potentially end, considering the close relationship between Daiki and Kura. However, Eichi only tells her the families will remain enemies regardless of one friendship, before walking away.

Spooky wakes up and wanders around the plane, eventually settling in Val’s lap, which delights her. Kitty watches as Val pets Spooky, tempted to pet him as well, but remembering how Kura was afraid of her and thinking it might not be the best idea. Yua notices Kitty looking at Spooky, turning her attention to Val as she realizes how unique and beautiful her features are. Val notices Yua looking at her, getting a bit self conscious, before getting up her courage and introducing herself. Yua introduces herself as well and apologizes for staring at Val, telling her she finds her hair beautiful and has never seen anything like it before, but Val says it’s alright, admitting she’s never met anyone like herself before either. Yua assures Val she knows what she means, pointing out her own unnatural eyes. She then questions why Val is going to Japan, and Val replies that she thought it’d be interesting after hearing how Kura talked about Japan, adding that she doesn’t have a home or anything to miss anyways. Val’s words remind Yua of something, and she tells Val a story of finding an albino deer one day while she was out hunting and deciding not to shoot it, because although its appearance made it a target in the forest, it was still a deer and belonged with a group that would protect it. She explains that home isn’t a place, but rather being surrounded by people who love you and let you be yourself. She can see Val probably feels like she doesn’t belong anywhere, but reminds her she makes her own choices in life, and wishes her luck finding what she needs in Japan. Yua also asks Val if she’ll be staying with Kura when they reach Japan, leading Val to realize she hadn’t thought about it, as well as the fact that Kura’s no longer in his seat. Val asks Yua if she saw where Kura went, and Yua points toward the bathroom, remarking that Kura looked pale. Val thanks her and starts to worry about Kura, eventually deciding to pick up Spooky and take him to check on Kura.

Val knocks on the bathroom door, asking if Kura’s okay, and Kura confirms he’s fine, that he just got motion sickness after eating too much candy. He comes back out and catches up with Val on what’s been happening, meanwhile Kitty tries to pet Spooky again, but stops when Kura comes out, not wanting to upset him. Kura sees her and starts to get nervous again, but tells her she can pet Spooky if she wants, and Kitty does so carefully, still trying to stay a safe distance from Kura to not freak him out more. Kura also apologizes for acting strange, explaining that kids just freak him out, and Val looks at him reassuringly, while Kitty keeps happily petting the cat. Val eventually asks about the whole situation of where to stay in Japan, and Kura tells her she can stay with him, remarking it’d only be fair since he dragged her here, but Val asserts that she came because she wanted to. She realizes she considers Kura a friend, something she’s never had before, and thanks him again for getting them a way off the island. As Kitty gets distracted talking with Yua again, Kura and Val make their way to sit back down, while talking more about Spooky and his magical link with Kura.

Eichi pulls Kura aside to discuss landing the plane, causing Val to look out the window and realize how close they now are to land. Daiki bumps into Val as he gets up, asking if she knows where to get water on the plane, and Val says she doesn’t, but tells him they should be landing soon and could probably find water at the airport. Right on cue, an announcement comes over the speaker that the flight will soon be landing at Ahane Central Airport, and so Val and the rest start returning to their seats. Val realizes why Daiki must’ve been asking about the water, seeing how pale Yua looks, although Kura soon returns to the main section with Eichi and hands her a water bottle. Val holds tightly to the arms of her seat and closes her eyes, trying to stay calm as the plane hits turbulence on its way down. Eichi notices and asks if she’s okay, reassuring her there’s nothing to be afraid of, and Val thanks him, starting to relax and thinking more about how excited she is to begin this new adventure. As the plane finally lands, Val locks eyes with Daiki, giving her even more reassurance that everything is fine now.

Waiting for clearance to get off the plane, Yua asks Val if she’s ready for Japan, and Val can actually say yes confidently, feeling cautiously optimistic about what’s ahead. Yua tells Val about how beautiful springtime is in Japan and offers to show her the cherry blossom trees at the Anzai estate, remarking that her brother is more familiar with them, but he’s not allowed outside the estate’s borders. Val agrees, but is hung up on what Yua said about Daiki not being allowed outside, leading Yua to explain that since Daiki is the Anzai heir, their father is extremely protective of him and never allowed him outside until he ended up running away to find the family truth. She reveals that she was sent to find and bring him home, which she’s now succeeded in, and Val feels sympathy for Daiki, realizing how much she can relate to him and thinking about what it would be like if she were forced to go back to the home she escaped. Yua can tell what she’s thinking and insists that Daiki is making the necessary sacrifice for his family, but Val questions why he should be forced to give up his happiness for his family’s sake.

The Airport
After getting lost in her thoughts for a moment, Val looks up to realize people have started getting off the plane. She gets off the plane into the airport and attempts to find people she recognizes, eventually noticing Yua and Kitty standing nearby. However, before she can approach them, she hears someone shout her name from across the airport. She turns and sees someone quickly sprinting through the crowds toward her, eventually realizing the figure is Penny. When Penny finally reaches Val, Val questions how Penny got here, stunned almost speechless. Penny explains that after watching Val fly away, she didn't just want to stay put and let Val leave her for a second time, so after remembering seeing "Japan" in the letter sent to Val, she threw some stuff in a bag and booked a flight to Tokyo hoping to find Val. She admits she didn't know they'd be in the same airport at the same time, declaring it a lucky coincidence, while Val keeps staring at her in disbelief. She asks why Penny would spend a ton of money and fly to a foreign country just to find Val, not even knowing if she would be there, and Penny simply says it's because Val's her sister and she was worried about her. Val struggles to form words, realizing for the first time that Penny truly cares, and Penny then asks if Val has somewhere to stay in mind. Eventually, Val nods and leads Penny over to Yua and Kitty standing nearby.

Introductions are exchanged between the four, and Yua welcomes Penny to Japan, then questions how she got here. Penny tells Yua the whole story, looking down in slight embarrassment as she realizes how crazy she sounds, and Yua assures Penny there are much stranger things in the world, and that she understands what it's like to chase a sibling across the globe. Penny is surprised to learn Yua can relate, but admits it's comforting. They both declare they're glad Val is here and safe, making Val look down to hide a smile, still not used to people caring about her and wondering whether to believe it. Yua takes a liking to Penny's warmth and liveliness, glad to see some sort of stability in Val's life, and reminding the sisters to appreciate their time together. Penny and Yua discuss supernaturals, with Penny musing that she'll have to stop at a library at some point to learn more, and questioning if there's such a thing as a magical library. Yua suggests Penny talk to her brother if she wants to find books on magic, then tells the sisters they're welcome to stay at the Anzai estate once she finds Daiki. Val remembers Kurayami's offer for her to stay with him and wonders if the offer would still stand if Penny were there too, deciding she should probably talk to Kura before giving Yua an answer, though she doesn't know how to go about finding him. Penny makes a mental note to talk with Yua's brother eventually, and Yua goes to say she'll be there if the sisters ever need anything, but ends up saying her brother will be there instead, not wanting to lie to them, as she's still uncertain of her future. Val thanks Yua for the offer, but tells her she wants to talk with Kura first, then explains the situation to Penny. She takes Penny's hand and starts leading her back to the plane to look for Kura, both bidding goodbye to Yua and Kitty.

After an hour of searching the airport with no success, Val sits defeatedly in a random airport terminal, mumbling about the rest leaving her, though she knows she can't blame them for doing so. Penny tries to make Val feel better, telling her not to take it personally since today has probably been hectic for all of them, but then encourages Val to see the bright side and take this opportunity for the two of them to explore the new country. Val starts to smile and admits Penny's right, causing Penny to hug her, excited about the sister bonding time.

Exploring Japan
Val and Penny walk down the street after leaving the airport. Penny asks if Val would lend her clothes, given she left in too much of a hurry to remember to pack any, and Val admits she's only really had two different outfits for the past few years. Penny's initially shocked by this, then gets an idea, grabbing Val's hand and announcing they're going shopping for new clothes whether Val wants to or not. Val groans, but chooses not to argue as Penny drags her toward a shopping district. After shopping and selecting new outfits, Penny agrees they can move onto something else. Her eyes widen as she notices Val replacing her knives to their spots, and Val explains that she always keeps knives on her for protection. She offers a knife to Penny, and Penny hesitates, before eventually accepting it at Val's insistence, putting it in her pocket.

Now finished shopping, Val and Penny walk down the street again, wondering where to go next. Penny excitedly points out a library, recalling how she wants to learn more about the supernatural, and Val is surprised, but agrees nonetheless. Val and Penny enter the library, and Penny walks off toward a section marked "The Art of Magic", leaving Val to wander on her own. Penny fills her arms with books on various magical subjects, then goes to check them out.

The Spellcaster Spirit
After checking out her books, Penny hears a scream from the other end of the library and immediately runs toward it. She reaches for the knife Val gave her, but is stunned to see her sister engulfed by a black mist. Watching Val's knife do nothing against the mist, Penny panics and wonders what to do, aware that she and Val are now completely alone. Penny does the first thing she can think of and runs to pull back the curtain of a large window, hoping the sunlight will hurt the dark force somehow. The mist slowly drifts away from Val, leaving her sitting on the ground badly injured, and Penny quickly runs to her side, catching her from hitting the floor as she passes out.

Knife Throwing
After moving to New York, Val taught herself how to throw knives as another method of self defense. Over the years, she’s gotten very good at it, and she keeps several knives on her at all times because it makes her feel safer.

Martial Arts
Around the same time she taught herself knife throwing, Val started taking lessons in kickboxing, karate, and tae kwon do. She’s continued to practice even after mastering all three, which has kept her quite physically fit and flexible.

Supernatural Abilities
Along with her other abilities, Val has all the traditional abilities of a vampire. However, since she was never taught anything about controlling or using these powers, she’s a bit rustier than a trained vampire would be.

Trivia
-Valencia's voice claim is Elizabeth Gillies, and her face claim is Natalie Dormer

-As of now, she has 3 theme songs: "Elastic Heart" by Sia, "Believer" by Imagine Dragons, and "Yellow Flicker Beat" by Lorde

-She's an INFP personality type

-She hates when anyone calls her by anything other than Valencia

-Her biggest weakness is being called by her birth name, Ivory, since it reminds her of her traumatic and abusive past

-Her favorite spot in the whole world is the beach in her hometown; in fact, beaches have always been very calming to her, as shown in the roleplay during the Island Arc

-She's a major nerd for poetry and classic literature

-Her favorite animal is a cat

-Her favorite color is black, but violet is a close second

-Her "gay awakening" (the event that made her realize she was attracted to girls) was watching "Ocean's 8" and seeing Cate Blanchett (yes yes I know, please just let me have this one)

-She can sing, but she hardly ever does

-She gets motion sickness and car sickness very easily

-She's pretty much always cold, no matter what she's wearing

-In canon roleplay, the only present she's ever received was a stuffed cat from her sister, which is still a source of comfort for her to this day (in the non canon Christmas Roleplay however, she received gifts from both Kurayami and Wisteria)