Isabelle

Isabelle is a petite woman who was a cheerleader in high school and has more or less maintained that level of fitness into her adulthood. She will grow dangerously thin before the survivors reach the site where Willowmoor is built, but then she will get into reasonably good shape and stay that way.

Isabelle prefers long dresses and skirts, though she'll wear pants if the occasion calls for it; in those cases, she's likely to wear a nice blouse. She carries an inhaler at all times.

Isabelle was born in the Before Times, so not much is known about her life before the bombs dropped. She worked an administrative job and held a college degree. She had a younger brother who was close enough in age and appearance to her that she called him her twin, and she was friends with a lot of people.

Isabelle's introduction to the bombs falling was the start of her trauma. She had been at a crowded house party to celebrate New Year's Eve, and she noticed a missed call from her brother, so she stepped outside to call him back since it was silent out there. Almost immediately, the silence was broken by the whistling and then distant explosions. Her brother didn't pick up the phone, and she ran across the street to get a view of the destruction taking place on the nearby mountain. Suddenly, an aftershock sent her flying backward into the front lawn of the house behind her; something struck the party house, which was immediately engulfed in flames as it began collapsing quickly in on itself. Isabelle ran toward the danger, calling to her friends, hearing their screams of agony where they were trapped in the fiery rubble. She was aware of neighbors in other houses fleeing, of more debris falling, but she stayed until she couldn't bear the screams anymore.

Everyone had left the area by the time Isabelle set out on foot, and then she had a long walk ahead of her that involved ducking and covering as more bombs fell on the city, having small panic attacks when she saw dead bodies (of which there were many), and running faster than she ever had in her life to get away from absolute trolls who tried to grab her for one disgusting reason or another. That was how she lost her purse and the nice coat that had been keeping her warm; the only reason she retained her inhaler was because she had just used it before being chased by the man who grabbed her coat sleeve. She knew leaving the garment behind (the purse flying off with it) might have saved her life, but that was of little comfort in the January cold.

Toward the end of her journey to the arena, Isabelle's trauma manifested itself when she found an injured bird on the road. There had been no signs of wildlife, so she was glad to see the bird, and she was definitely surprised when it spoke, telling her its name was Oscar. She was hallucinating or imagining things or otherwise coping with her circumstances by envisioning this. Though the bird died, she carried its little corpse with her part of the way to the arena, talking to it as if it were talking back. She finally let it go, treating the parting as if Oscar had to fly to bluer skies and so regrettably left her behind while she set the little body by the side of the road and covered it with dead grass.

At least Isabelle doesn't keep quiet about her full experience, telling some friends about Oscar, so she is at least willing to address her trauma with other people. Even so, she sometimes uses her naturally cheery disposition as a mask to hide behind so others don't have to see how clearly broken she believes herself to be.

Isabelle is a glass-half-full kind of person, and she'll pour out her own half to make yours full, if you like. She only wants to lend a helping hand, and she thinks the world would be perfect if everyone was like that. She doesn't think that in an arrogant way, though; she's just seen firsthand the good that comes from helping others and how they tend to replicate the action. Her positive attitude is often a choice as well, since she believes we are able to manifest outcomes with our beliefs. If she believes things will turn out in a good way, it's more likely they will.

Like many of the survivors, Isabelle is motivated by a desire to return to some form of normal so that she can continue to live her life.

Isabelle worked in administrative work for a reason; she's detail-oriented, organized, and enjoys taking good notes.

She always thought her worst flaw was her inability to take criticism, but after her time trying to get to the arena, she learns she has no stomach for trying times.

Likes

• Hot chocolate
• Sunny days
• Pop music

Dislikes

• Unhappy endings
• Pork

Isabelle is a creature of habit, so she would typically shower every morning, following up with her other beauty routines. Her self-esteem suffers a lot in the arena and especially on the road when she can no longer care for herself in these ways. Luckily, restoring them with a built Willowmoor will help.

Isabelle is the only person to serve on both the Leadership Council and Advisory Council while in the arena. Once those two councils dissolve to form the Caravan Conclave, she will join that group as well. After Willowmoor's government is established, she will be elected into a leadership role that she will keep for many years to come.

Isabelle arrived at the arena alone, though she's one of those who quickly befriends everyone around her by virtue of her positive attitude. What only a select few know - Alli, Flora, Rhea, for example - is just how shallow her attachment is to most people. She wants to box herself up in a happy room away from the horrors of the world forever rather than face anything remotely like them again.

Isabelle can't believe in a god anymore after what she saw in the aftermath of the bombs, even if she was raised to have an unshakable faith in his existence. She trusts her fate to the universe now, as well as a couple of people who she feels have earned it.

Isabelle considered hanging with friends a hobby - perhaps her favorite - back in the Before Times. She'll pick up sewing in the caravan, finding that it soothes her.

She has no pets.