FILE #035: Noel Rousseau-Smith

Name: Noel Adrian Rousseau-Smith (based on Noel Ruusuvuori, an old character)
Date of birth: 25 April 1998
Age: 21
Height: 171cm
Nationality: French-English
Hometown: Tours, France (moved to Llandrindod Wells, Powys, Wales when 8)
Languages: English, French
Eye colour: Grey-blue
Hair colour: Light brown
Skin colour: Pale
Distinctive features: A quote-tattoo on near collar bones
Personality in a few words: A closed-up and lonely boy who tries to be what he isn't.
Family: Christina Rousseau (mother), Jerry Smith (father), Jonathan Rousseau-Smith (older brother)
Issues: EDNOS, very religious and homophobic father

Detailed information

Favourite music: The Wombats, The Strokes, The Bravery
Favourite movies: The Incredibles, Léon: The Professional, North by Northwest
Favourite TV series: Chernobyl, Breaking Bad, Blue Planet II
Favourite foods: Coq au vin, fried rice, turkey
Hobby: Cheerleading, chess

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #034: Jannis Pomeroy

Name: Jannis Alexander Pomeroy (based on Jannis Pohjantähti, an old character)
Date of birth: 15 February 1998
Age: 21
Height: 188cm
Nationality: Norwegian-English
Hometown: Oslo, Norway (moved to Burford, Oxfordshire, England when 5)
Languages: English, Norwegian
Eye colour: Green
Hair colour: Brown
Skin colour: Light
Distinctive features: Thick-framed glasses
Personality in a few words: A well-meaning but easily led boy who tries not to be a pushover.
Family: Kristine Pomeroy (mother), Dennis Pomeroy (father)
Issues: Primary hypersomnia

Detailed information

Favourite music: Perfume, Arashi, Babymetal
Favourite movies: Rain Man, The Hangover, Iron Man
Favourite TV series: Planet Earth II, Planet Earth, Band of Brothers
Favourite foods: Meatballs, chocolate mousse, chocolate cake
Hobby: Pool, snooker

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #033: Nemo Sanchéz

Name: Nemo Fernando Sanchéz (based on Sasu Rautio, an old character)
Date of birth: 28 August 1998
Age: 20
Height: 178cm
Nationality: Spanish-English
Hometown: Barcelona, Spain (moved to Winchester, Hampshire, England when 3)
Languages: English, Spanish
Eye colour: Light blue
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Pale (on the tan side)
Distinctive features: A tattoo of a rose on right ankle
Personality in a few words: An outwardly mean and antisocial boy with a secretly passionate soul.
Family: Peter Higgins (foster father), Denise Higgins (foster mother), Sharon Higgins (older foster sister)
Issues: Depersonalisation disorder

Detailed information

Favourite music: LCD Soundsystem, Two Door Cinema Club, The National
Favourite movies: Airplane!, Cast Away, Gran Torino
Favourite TV series: Portlandia, Golden Girls, Oz
Favourite foods: Gazpacho, chocolate eclairs, sweet corn
Hobby: Billiard, bowling

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #032: Ano Murdock

Name: Ano Oliver Murdock (Multamäki) (based on Ano Murhametsä, an old character)
Date of birth: 7 May 1998
Age: 21
Height: 188cm
Nationality: Finnish-English
Hometown: Helsinki, Finland (moved to Ludlow, Shropshire, England when 13)
Languages: English, Finnish
Eye colour: Dark green
Hair colour: Dark blond
Skin colour: Tan
Distinctive features: Dark eyebrows, stretched lobes
Personality in a few words: An obnoxious ball of hyperactive energy and a sensitive side.
Family: Emilia Multamäki (mother)
Issues: Histrionic personality disorder

Detailed information

Favourite music: Halsey, Bruno Mars, The xx
Favourite movies: Casino, Ben-Hur, Wall-E
Favourite TV series: Jeopardy!, Key and Peele, Gunsmoke
Favourite foods: Karelian pasties, scrambled eggs, mozzarella
Hobby: Badminton, gymnastics

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #031: Robin Lambert

Name: Robin Alexei Lambert (Berkowitz) (based on Robin Lappi, an old character)
Date of birth: 12 June 1998
Age: 21
Height: 181cm
Nationality: Israeli-Russian
Hometown: Tel Aviv, Israel (moved to Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England when 9)
Languages: English, Russian, Modern Hebrew
Eye colour: Dark brown
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Tan/olive
Distinctive features: -
Personality in a few words: A spiritual and slightly naive boy with a loud voice.
Family: Mihail Berkowitz (father), Fatima Ziv (mother)
Issues: Victim of racial bullying, dissociative identity disorder

Detailed information

Favourite music: The Cars, New Order, Tears for Fears
Favourite movies: Memento, Grease, 300
Favourite TV series: Broad City, American Idol, Mystery Science Theater 3000
Favourite foods: Borscht, salmon, honey
Hobby: Modelling, metal detecting

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #030: Lucas Glass

Name: Lucas Justice Glass (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 20 March 1997
Age: 22
Height: 170cm
Nationality: Welsh
Hometown: Llandudno, Wales, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Dark brown
Hair colour: Dyed silver
Skin colour: Fair
Distinctive features: A helix piercing
Personality in a few words: An independent but troubled boy who is bad at timekeeping.
Family: Troy Glass (father)
Issues: PTSD, night terrors

Detailed information

Favourite music: Modest Mouse, The Killers, The Kooks
Favourite movies: The Graduate, Seven Samurai, Finding Nemo
Favourite TV series: Party Down, Homeland, Dick Van Dyke
Favourite foods: Cawl, carrot cake, chocolate pudding
Hobby: Rowing, coin collecting

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #029: James Meadows

Name: James Milan Meadows (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 6 December 1998
Age: 20
Height: 176cm
Nationality: Scottish
Hometown: Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Green
Hair colour: Blond with pink (dyed)
Skin colour: Light
Distinctive features: A small tribal tattoo on right shoulder
Personality in a few words: A kind and caring boy who isn't afraid to voice his opinions.
Family: Shawn Meadows (father), Heather Meadows (mother)
Issues: Was previously bullied, is in recovery from an accident

Detailed information

Favourite music: Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Damien Rice
Favourite movies: Apollo 13, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Unforgiven
Favourite TV series: The Real World, Good Times, Doctor Who
Favourite foods: Cullen skink, mozzarella sticks, crisps and salsa
Hobby: Sailing, tai chi

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #028: Jack Valencia

Name: Jack Andrew Valencia (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 27 July 1998
Age: 21
Height: 176cm
Nationality: Irish
Hometown: Derry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Dark brown
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Pale
Distinctive features: Multiple scars around body, a tattoo of a dog's paw print on back
Personality in a few words: A quiet and rather antisocial boy who is seemingly very cold-hearted.
Family: Linda Valencia (mother; deceased), Craig Valencia (father; deceased), Larry Valencia (older brother; deceased)
Issues: Antisocial personality disorder

Detailed information

Favourite music: Johnny Cash, My Chemical Romance, The White Stripes
Favourite movies: The Breakfast Club, To Kill a Mockingbird, Chinatown
Favourite TV series: The Jeffersons, House of Cards, Real Time with Bill Maher
Favourite foods: Stew, fish and chips, vanilla ice cream
Hobby: Roller skating, mountain biking

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #027: Oliver Delacruz

Name: Oliver Leslie Delacruz (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 1 October 1998
Age: 20
Height: 165cm
Nationality: New Zealander
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
Languages: English
Eye colour: Blue
Hair colour: Blond
Skin colour: Tan
Distinctive features: A scar (not very visible) on left cheek
Personality in a few words: A loud and proud hyperactive boy who is very social and never gives up.
Family: Teresa Delacruz (mother; deceased), George Delacruz (father; deceased)
Issues: ADD, agoraphobia

Detailed information

Favourite music: The Beatles, Fall Out Boy, The Rolling Stones
Favourite movies: Catch Me If You Can, The Sound of Music, Batman Begins
Favourite TV series: In Living Color, The Fugitive, Dallas
Favourite foods: Fish and chips, raspberries, crepes
Hobby: Jogging, ice skating

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #026: Cornelia Shah

Name: Cornelia Ophelie Shah (based on Cordelia Velazquez, an old character)
Date of birth: 4 January 1998
Age: 21
Height: 168cm
Nationality: Canadian-Indian
Hometown: Pondicherry, India (moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada when 12)
Languages: English, Tamil
Eye colour: Dark brown
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Dark tan
Distinctive features: -
Personality in a few words: A kind and rebellious girl who tells it like it is.
Family: Keith Shah (father), Saanvi Shah (mother), Sean Shah (older brother)
Issues: Early-set MS, very sensitive skin

Detailed information

Favourite music: Yes, Genesis, King Crimson
Favourite movies: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Dr. Strangelove, Ghostbusters
Favourite TV series: Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Walking Dead, Thirtysomething
Favourite foods: Butter chicken, pistachios, tiramisu
Hobby: Bungee jumping, kayaking

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #025: Celestine ''Cel'' Waylon

Name: Celestine Luciana Waylon ''Cel'' (based on Celestine Wayfinder, an old character)
Date of birth: 20 January 1997
Age: 22
Height: 180cm
Nationality: Scottish
Hometown: Skye, Scotland, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Dark blue
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Fair
Distinctive features: -
Personality in a few words: A tough and laid-back girl who wants to keep life stress-free.
Family: Shannon Waylon (mother; divorced), Gary Hardin (father; divorced)
Issues: Divorced parents

Detailed information

Favourite music: Kings of Leon, Queen, My Chemical Romance
Favourite movies: Raging Bull, Groundhog Day, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Favourite TV series: Transparent, The Ren & Stimpy Show, American Crime Story
Favourite foods: Clotted cream, roast beef, cashews
Hobby: Cycling, paragliding

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #024: Apple Trotter

Name: Apple Millefiori Trotter (based on Apple Trotwood, an old character)
Date of birth: 5 December 1998
Age: 20
Height: 161cm
Nationality: English
Hometown: Whitby, North Yorkshire, England
Languages: English
Eye colour: Bright green
Hair colour: Ginger
Skin colour: Tanish
Distinctive features: Freckles
Personality in a few words: A girly and cute girl who is very independent.
Family: Douglas Trotter (father), Andrew Trotter (twin brother)
Issues: Fear of illnesses

Detailed information

Favourite music: Hozier, Arcade Fire, Sia
Favourite movies: Kill Bill Volume 1, Inglourious Basterds, American History X
Favourite TV series: Roseanne, Mr. Show with Bob and David, Girls
Favourite foods: Yorkshire pudding, caramel, apple pie
Hobby: Beekeeping, wakeboarding

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #023: Luna Nolan

Name: Luna Eleanora Nolan (based on Luna Nophalis, an old character)
Date of birth: 17 March 1998
Age: 21
Height: 176cm
Nationality: Irish
Hometown: Galway, Ireland
Languages: English
Eye colour: Blue
Hair colour: Dyed white
Skin colour: Pale
Distinctive features: A lightning bolt tattoo on lower back, always wears red lipstick
Personality in a few words: A dreamy and wise astronomer with a kind heart.
Family: Patrick Nolan (father), Michele Nolan (mother), Edward Nolan (older brother)
Issues: Past bullying victim

Detailed information

Favourite music: Clean Bandit, U2, The 1975
Favourite movies: The Princess Bride, Lawrence of Arabia, The Sixth Sense
Favourite TV series: The Odd Couple, The State, Toast of the Town
Favourite foods: Eton mess, bananas, peaches
Hobby: Canoeing, white water rafting

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #022: Mercedes ''Mercy'' Fallon

Name: Mercedes Laurel Fallon ''Mercy'' (based on Mercedes Fallowry, an old character)
Date of birth: 8 July 1997
Age: 22
Height: 173cm
Nationality: English-Scottish
Hometown: Beverley, East Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom (born in Inverness, Scotland)
Languages: English
Eye colour: Brown
Hair colour: Brown
Skin colour: Olive
Distinctive features: Freckles
Personality in a few words: A seemingly shallow fashion lover who is actually very intelligent.
Family: Donald Fallon (father), Rebecca Fallon (stepmother), Wendy Fallon (younger sister)
Issues: Commitment issues

Detailed information

Favourite music: Lana Del Rey, 6ix9ine, The Clash
Favourite movies: Aliens, American Beauty, Good Will Hunting
Favourite TV series: Chappelle's Show, Happy Days, Downton Abbey
Favourite foods: Sunday roast, blueberry muffins, bread
Hobby: Golf, cricket

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #021: Pandora ''Panda'' Valentine

Name: Pandora Emmeline Valentine ''Panda'' (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 16 May 1998
Age: 21
Height: 169cm
Nationality: Welsh
Hometown: Presteigne, Powys, Wales, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Dark brown
Hair colour: Light blond
Skin colour: Pale
Distinctive features: A small moon tattoo on neck
Personality in a few words: A colourful and talkative dreamer with fiery emotions.
Family: Stephen Valentine (adoptive father), Deborah Valentine (adoptive mother), Todd Valentine (adoptive older brother), Ronald Valentine (adoptive younger brother)
Issues: Diabetes

Detailed information

Favourite music: Camila Cabello, The Neighbourhood, The White Stripes
Favourite movies: Scarface, Rear Window, Vertigo
Favourite TV series: Your Show of Shows, Sex and the City, The Wonder Years
Favourite foods: Scotch eggs, lobster, oranges
Hobby: Taxidermy, basketball

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #020: Seraphina ''Serah'' Allen

Name: Seraphina Annabelle Allen ''Serah'' (based on Seraphina Arcana, an old character)
Date of birth: 2 October 1998
Age: 20
Height: 164cm
Nationality: English
Hometown: Framlingham, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Blue
Hair colour: Dyed pink
Skin colour: Light
Distinctive features: A small music note tattoo behind right ear, pink-framed glasses
Personality in a few words: A shy and quiet empath who feels a lot and fears arguments.
Family: Donna Allen (mother); Gregory Allen (father; deceased)
Issues: Fear of loud sounds and arguing, irregular panic attacks

Detailed information

Favourite music: The Chainsmokers, George Ezra, Mac DeMarco
Favourite movies: Avatar, Fargo, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Favourite TV series: Hill Street Blues, Roots, Beavis & Butt-Head
Favourite foods: Scones, chocolate milkshake, ice cream cake
Hobby: Pottery, scrapbooking

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #019: Dorian Macmillan

Name: Dorian Aloysius Macmillan (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 3 July 1997
Age: 22
Height: 188cm
Nationality: Scottish
Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Amber
Hair colour: Dyed half black, half blond
Skin colour: Paleish
Distinctive features: Sharp canines, ears pierced all over, canine bites, arms and back covered in tattoos
Personality in a few words: A confident and flirty bad boy with a troubled past.
Family: Cynthia Macmillan (mother), Jason Macmillan (father), Pamela Macmillan (older sister), Sandra Macmillan (older sister)
Issues: Raped at 13, narcissistic personality disorder, substance abuse

Detailed information

Favourite music: Boards of Canada, Sigur Rós, God Is An Astronaut
Favourite movies: Gone with the Wind, The Lion King, Slumdog Millionaire
Favourite TV series: Six Feet Under, 24, Fawlty Towers
Favourite foods: Steak kidney pie, pancakes, potatoes
Hobby: Playing the guitar, origami

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #018: Mirata Glassford

Name: Mirata Hope Glassford (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 9 November 1998
Age: 20
Height: 171cm
Nationality: English-Italian
Hometown: Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom (born in Rome, Italy)
Languages: English, Italian
Eye colour: Light blue
Hair colour: Red
Skin colour: Tan
Distinctive features: Freckles, thick-framed glasses
Personality in a few words: A loud and hyperactive enthusiast who never stays in one place.
Family: Tina Glassford (mother), Giovanni Glassford (father)
Issues: ADD

Detailed information

Favourite music: Joy Division, The Cure, Talking Heads
Favourite movies: The Green Mile, A Clockwork Orange, No Country for Old Men
Favourite TV series: The Colbert Report, The Bob Newhart Show, The Muppet Show
Favourite foods: Caprese salad, burritos, grapes
Hobby: Fishing, embroidery

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #017: Neville Lockett

Name: Nopparat ''Neville'' Lockett (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 30 January 1998
Age: 21
Height: 178cm
Nationality: English-Thai
Hometown: Gillingham, Dorset, England, United Kingdom (lived in Bangkok, Thailand until 8)
Languages: English, Thai
Eye colour: Dark brown
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Pale
Distinctive features: A tribal tattoo around left bicep
Personality in a few words: A clumsy and awkward swimmer with a warm heart.
Family: Matthew Lockett (father), Dawn Lockett (mother)
Issues: Commitment issues, past abusive relationship, PTSD

Detailed information

Favourite music: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart
Favourite movies: Reservoir Dogs, Toy Story, The Big Lebowski
Favourite TV series: Taxi, ER, Fargo
Favourite foods: Salmon, hot wings, ice cream sundaes
Hobby: Writing, drawing

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #016: Lachlan ''Lucky'' Tanner

Name: Lachlan Sebastian Tanner ''Lucky'' (based on Ronni Tammiruusu, an old character)
Date of birth: 10 July 1998
Age: 21
Height: 170cm
Nationality: English
Hometown: Oxford, England, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Dark brown (left eye slightly greyish)
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Pale
Distinctive features: Angel bites, a back-covering wolf tattoo
Personality in a few words: A distant and quiet loner who values both solitude and his friends.
Family: Lori Tanner (mother; estranged), Kenneth Tanner (father; estranged)
Issues: Depression, insomnia, is half-blind

Detailed information

Favourite music: Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Cream
Favourite movies: 12 Angry Men, The Departed, The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers
Favourite TV series: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Rockford Files, The Office (US)
Favourite foods: Bannocks, pineapple, mangoes
Hobby: Painting, sculpting

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #015: Jonathan ''Johnny'' Keller

Name: Jonathan Walter Keller ''Johnny'' (based on Japi Kettunen, an old character)
Date of birth: 30 May 1998
Age: 21
Height: 178cm
Nationality: Irish
Hometown: Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Dark blue
Hair colour: Dark brown
Skin colour: Fair
Distinctive features: A septum, arms covered in scars and burns, a small tattoo of a sun on wrist
Personality in a few words: A seemingly tough but secretly tough former gang member who is relatively unstable.
Family: Paul Keller (father), Patricia Keller (mother), Stephanie Keller (older sister)
Issues: Borderline personality disorder, past self-harm

Detailed information

Favourite music: Queen, The Who, The Beatles
Favourite movies: Die Hard, It's a Wonderful Life, The Wizard of Oz
Favourite TV series: The Americans, Columbo, Battlestar Galactica
Favourite foods: Beef, cake, grilled meat
Hobby: Ballet (formerly), crocheting

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #014: Newton ''Newt'' Armitage

Name: Newton Leonard Armitage ''Newt'' (based on Nuutti Aro, an old character)
Date of birth: 2 August 1998
Age: 21
Height: 174cm
Nationality: English-French
Hometown: Bristol, England (born in Paris, France)
Languages: English, French, fluent in Spanish and Italian
Eye colour: Dark brown
Hair colour: Black with dyed blonde tips
Skin colour: Light
Distinctive features: A dimple on left cheek
Personality in a few words: A sweet but clingy boy who is very intelligent but troubled.
Family: Anthony Armitage (father), Elizabeth Armitage (mother), Tracy Armitage (younger sister), Eric Armitage (younger brother)
Issues: Drug addiction, paranoid schizophrenia

Detailed information

Favourite music: Depeche Mode, The Human League, Duran Duran
Favourite movies: Full Metal Jacket, The Usual Suspects, Taxi Driver
Favourite TV series: The Shield, The Honeymooners, NYPD Blue
Favourite foods: Pork pie, cinnamon rolls, waffles
Hobby: Watching movies, baton twirling

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #013: Christian Pollard

Name: Christian Percival Pollard (based on Kristian Pohjola, an old character)
Date of birth: 14 February 1997
Age: 22
Height: 180cm
Nationality: English of Polish descent
Hometown: London, England (born in Krakow, Poland)
Languages: English, Polish
Eye colour: Blue
Hair colour: Dark blond
Skin colour: Fair
Distinctive features: Lots of scars on back, a mole under left eye
Personality in a few words: A lovable and caring star runner who is always there for his friends.
Family: Daniel Pollard (father), Charlie Pollard (older brother); Kelly Pollard (mother; divorced)
Issues: Severe apple allergy, mixed anxiety/depression disorder, body dysmorphic disorder/anorexia

Detailed information

Favourite music: Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Clash
Favourite movies: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Psycho, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Favourite TV series: Orange Is the New Black, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost
Favourite foods: Chicken tikka masala, nachos, sushi
Hobby: Gaming, reading

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

Christian, who was originally a Finnish teenager called Kristian Pohjola, belonged to the same universe as Renny, Newt, Johnny and Lachlan; Inside These Walls. Now, I can't remember exactly what his crime was - I have an inkling it was something related to possessing drugs or dealing them. But don't quote me on that, because I'm not at all sure. He was definitely guilty of his crime, though, and was rightfully doing community service for it. That short-lived, underdeveloped universe of mine apparently had some very questionable laws, so maybe it's a good thing that it never actually went anywhere. Obviously, the first version of Christian was a part of the Neljän seinän sisällä-universe. He wasn't a particularly memorable character, though; Kristian was a slightly loud but lovable fool and his main storylines dealt with his allergy of apples and his relationship.
   Christian's personality itself didn't actually change that much in the remaking process. He became a bit more shy and caring, but the fact that he's always there ready to stand up for his friends has always remained the same. I've always imagined him as a gentle giant, if you will. He's always been someone who's almost exhaustingly kind, and the first version of him was someone who wasn't good at showing it. However, I realised that I had one too many guys who had issues with displaying their true feelings, so I decided to change Christian a bit. He became someone who easily lets people know that he cares, and I imagine him as someone you'd definitely want in your corner. Best friend goals, perhaps.
   The biggest change in Christian's appearance was probably his eyes, as they were blue/green before. That, and the fact that he had a few piercings, but I didn't feel like they fit him, so I got rid of them and gave a mole instead. As I mentioned before, he's always been tall; I think he's one of the tallest out of all my children, even in his early stages. I like to self-insert my shortness into my characters, but for some reason I never felt like Christian would be short. He always felt like a tall person. If I close my eyes and imagine him as a real person, I see this really tall, lanky guy with blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. The scars on his back are something he's also always had. The reason for them is his allergy, which has caused him to scratch at his back (often unknowingly, or, you know, unconsciously) so much that scarring has occurred.
   Now, as I mentioned above, the first version of Christian didn't really have much going for him. I kept his allergy because it's something I can't imagine him without, but it isn't that big of a storyline for him these days. When we reinvented the old Neljän seinän sisällä-universe, I came up with the idea of him wanting to become a professional athlete. In particular, a runner. In itself it felt like a really plain storyline, so that's where I got the idea for his eating disorder, mixed in with an (un)healthy dose of body dysmorphia. The way it goes for him is that at some point his coach tells him to lose a little bit of weight in order to improve his speed (don't look at me like that, I don't have a clue how these things work in real life), which causes him to think that he's not muscular enough (this is where the dysmorphia kicks in) and eventually it develops into an eating disorder.
   In the original universe, Kristian was dating a boy named Onni. I don't remember whether their story actually progressed anywhere or if we ever even got to a point where they became an item, so it's quite possible that their relationship was only planned, but never actually managed to happen. In Sunset Bay, I initially thought about pairing him up with Renny, but then I got a better idea. Back in the OG universe days, I had sneakily thought about pairing Kristian up with one of my other characters, Japi. Obviously that never happened, but seeing as Japi is the character who eventually became Johnny, it gave me the idea to put them together. I haven't yet come up with an actual ''timeline'' for their relationship, but it's a big storyline for both of them, seeing as they both have their own issues and in a fashion true to almost all of my children, they're never upfront about their problems until they almost literally explode in their hands. I don't know where they get that from...

FILE #012: Reinhold ''Renny'' Blum

Name: Reinhold Wilhelm Blum ''Renny'' (based on Rekku Blomqvist, an old character)
Date of birth: 12 January 1998
Age: 21
Height: 174cm
Nationality: English-German
Hometown: Liverpool, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom (born in Berlin, Germany)
Languages: English, German
Eye colour: Brown
Hair colour: Brown
Skin colour: Tan
Distinctive features: 4 studs in each ear, very sharp canines
Personality in a few words: A hyperactive loudmouth who is very social and loves dogs and food.
Family: Timothy Blum (father), Karen Blum (mother), Christine Blum (younger sister)
Issues: Bulimia, ADHD

Detailed information

Favourite music: R.E.M., The Smiths, The Byrds
Favourite movies: Alien, Blade Runner, Rocky
Favourite TV series: 30 Rock, My So-Called Life, Law & Order
Favourite foods: Double french onion burger, lasagne, watermelon
Hobby: Knitting, blogging

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

I know, I know, I haven't written this segment for Mary or Nettie yet, but I wanted to move to a different universe and I've always felt more natural writing male characters, for some reason. Don't ask me why. Okay, onto Renny. He's based on a character called Reko ''Rekku'' Blomqvist (his nickname is a word Finnish people sometime use to refer to dogs and it's a very basic dog name as well), who was a part of a universe called Neljän seinän sisällä (which roughly translates to Inside Four Walls). It was the second universe we created and the name came from the fact that the characters attended a boarding school and lived in a dormitory together, despite being around 14-15 at the time. Back when Sunset Bay was still Sky Open Wide, the characters of Renny, Christian, Newt, Johnny and Lachlan had their own concept, which was very originally and creatively called Inside These Walls. It was slightly inspired by Misfits, and featured the guys attending a boarding school of sorts (as a nod to the original universe) while on community service for different crimes they'd committed. Don't ask me how that's possible, my universes sometimes work in magical ways above all laws of physics and whatnots. In this universe, Renny had been falsely accused of manslaughter, even though he had nothing to do with it. I think he might've been the only character who actually was innocent, while the others were guilty of their crimes. Oh, also, the first remade version of him was actually named Rex. I changed it to Renny because I preferred the way it sounded.
   I think out of all my characters, Renny is the one who truly hasn't changed at all. And I created him when I was something close to 14. He's always been the same loud, hyperactive and talkative guy who's overly sunny and scaring introverts away with his super social disposition. I've also always imagined him having a slightly perverted sense of humour. Where that came from, I'm afraid I cannot say. It's just always been that way. He's definitely kind of tactless and might come across as slightly insensitive, but not in a malicious way. If he does something that's uncool (for the lack of a better word), it's not because he means to be a dick, it's just him being himself. He's always been a very dog-like person. I've always seen him as someone who, if they were a dog, would always be wagging his tail.
   Renny has always also looked the same. Kinda down to earth, with brown hair and brown eyes, with very sharp canines in a true dog-style manner. This is probably the reason why I don't have a lot to say about his appearance, it's always been the same. I guess he's probably one of the most basic-looking children of mine, but that's just the way I've always seen him. For some reason, despite his hyperactive personality, the mysterious scars and markings have completely avoided him. When I think of Renny, and what he'd look like if he was a real person, I see this mischievous-looking teenager with a messy mop of hair and a slightly crooked smile, a certain special kind of sparkle in his eyes. The only thing that changed about his appearance (is height even considered to be a part of someone's appearance?) is his height. He used to be shorter, but for some reason I've imagined him as being taller and lankier much more than shorter. That is if you consider 174cm to be tall, as someone of my height would.
   Renny's had ADHD the moment he was created. It suited him, but it never served as his main storyline. It's just something that he's always had, but it's never taken centre stage with him. I guess it's because for him, it isn't that big of a deal, so as his mother and creator I don't feel like it's such a big deal for him either. I'd toyed with the idea of him being bulimic back when he was first created, but that thought only became a reality once I remade him. You see, he's always been like a dog in the sense that he loves food (it was a running gag in the original storyline that he sometimes ate dog food if there was nothing else left). I felt like that as a trait was good, but it needed something to make it deeper. For Renny, his ED doesn't really stem from any desire to be thin or to lose weight; it's a way to deal with stress for him, because he's not really the kind of person to talk about his worries and he'd rather brush them off than confront them (again with the self-inserts...). Renny's storyline differs from the other eating disorder storylines in the sense that in the beginning of the Sunset Bay-canon, he's mostly recovered, but he suffers from several relapses over the course of the story. I almost just now wrote series, and damn if it wouldn't be absolutely amazing to see the whole Sunset Bay-concept as a TV show.
   One of the biggest changes Renny had was his romantic relationships. In the original Neljän seinän sisällä-universe, he was dating a boy called Matias, who was a vegetarian swimmer, which created a nice little contrast in their... well, maybe not personalities, but lifestyles. I don't remember how they came to be a couple, but I remember liking their dynamic. It's a shame we never really got far enough in the universe to properly develop any of the couples to whatever heights they deserved to be developed to. When I remade him, I was initially going to create a very minor character as his love interest (simply because with Zach and Ernie both dating Justin, there wasn't any guys left over and by now you should've already realised that none of my children are straight. Actually, I should've mentioned this in Max's own post, but in the beginning of Sunset Bay, he had a girlfriend.), but I quickly gave up on that. What happened instead was Renny becoming aromantic. It's been quite interesting to write him, since I don't have any personal experience on that (I might've mentioned this in Zach's post, but the reason he became asexual was the fact that I myself am ace). I didn't have a character who was a player-type, sleeping around and stuff. Now, I realise that this is not what being aro is, but for him, with all the romantic relationships happening around him and him realising he's never going to feel that for anyone, it's kind of a way to compensate with the lack of romantic feelings. Trust me on this one; he's definitely done stuff with most of the other Sunset Bay-characters, before their respective relationships, of course. Also, I always imagined him having had a soft of a 'summer fling' with Christian, but ending it upon realising that Christian might've been starting to develop feelings. It's been a while since I've done this, which is probably why this became so long. And here I was thinking I probably wouldn't have much to say about Renny.

FILE #011: Nettie Silverman

Name: Nettie Leanna Silverman (based on Netta Sinivuori, an old character)
Date of birth: 25 August 1998
Age: 21
Height: 170cm
Nationality: Scottish
Hometown: Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Languages: English, Scottish Gaelic
Eye colour: Light green
Hair colour: Dark red
Skin colour: Tan
Distinctive features: Wears thick-framed glasses, gauges
Personality in a few words: A laid-back and relaxed humourist who believes in equal rights and isn't afraid to express her opinions.
Family: Julie Silverman (mother), Kevin Silverman (father)
Issues: Cystic fibrosis

Detailed information

Favourite music: deadmau5, Linkin Park, Amon Amarath
Favourite movies: Seven, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Terminator
Favourite TV series: Sesame Street, I Love Lucy, South Park
Favourite foods: Cullen skink, barbecue, pasta
Hobby: Horse riding, diving

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #010: Mary Yamazaki

Name: Mary Peterson (Yamazaki) / Michiko Yamazaki (based on Mari Kontiokorpi, an old character)
Date of birth: 13 May 1998
Age: 21
Height: 166cm
Nationality: Australian-Japanese
Hometown: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia (born in Tokyo, Japan)
Languages: English, Japanese
Eye colour: Brown
Hair colour: Black, dyed platinum blonde
Skin colour: Light
Distinctive features: Beauty spot near left eye
Personality in a few words: A kind and helpful optimist who is always smiling but might get violent if angered.
Family: Joseph Peterson (adoptive father), Laura Peterson (adoptive mother), Susan Peterson (adoptive older sister)
Issues: Anger management issues, violent outbursts

Detailed information

Favourite music: Buono!, Ayabie, Gacharic Spin
Favourite movies: Jurassic Park, Inception, The Good The Bad & The Ugly
Favourite TV series: The X-Files, Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Favourite foods: Sushi, mashed potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches
Hobby: Croquet, polo

Character history

COMING SOON

FILE #009: Ernest ''Ernie'' Singleton

Name: Ernest William Singleton ''Ernie'' (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 1 September 1997
Age: 22
Height: 183cm
Nationality: English
Hometown: Looe, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom
Languages: English, French
Eye colour: Light blue
Hair colour: Blond
Skin colour: Fair
Distinctive features: Large scar on lower back
Personality in a few words: A serious and rather pompous overachiever who is overly polite and slightly stoic.
Family: Thomas Singleton (grandfather), Mary Singleton (grandmother); Tammy Pennington (mother), Steven Pennington (father)
Issues: Anorexia, obsessive compulsive disorder, emetophobia

Detailed information

Favourite music: Ludovico Einaudi, Enya, Hauschka
Favourite movies: The Shining, Apocalypse Now, Jaws
Favourite TV series: Veep, Friends, Arrested Development
Favourite foods: St Clement's pie, doughnuts, garlic bread
Hobby: Karate, yoga

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

The first version of Ernie existed back in the original Lapin tähdet. He was originally called Luke and served no other purpose whatsoever than just being a part of Nathan's old group of friends he left behind when he moved from the UK to Finland. Luke had no personality and I'm not sure if I ever even properly wrote him. In the most recent version of that universe, he had received a new name and became an actual character. The most developed version of him belonged to the Hopeakukat-universe, in which he was one of the ''normies''. He was also a part of the original Sunset Bay-concept (I don't think I've mentioned this before because I simply forgot, but the first version of Sunset Bay was actually called Sky Open Wide and it was largely inspired by Heroes and Life Is Strange, to name a few. It became Sunset Bay when I dropped the powers and included the rest of the characters) and his power was something related to shapeshifting or transformation, but I can't for the life of me recall the exact one.
   Ernie's personality is somewhat based on his namesake from Harry Potter. He's very pompous, but for some reason I find him very difficult to write, even though I know exactly how I want him to be. He's always been one of the most difficult characters for me. With Zach being the angry one and Justin the naive one, it was clear that Ernie was going to be the 'voice of reason' one. He's definitely one of the most intelligent of my children and possibly the most formal one as well. One of the reasons why I'm so attached to this trio is that their personalities complement each other, but they also clash, which makes their relationships and interactions all the more interesting.
   As well as their personalities, I wanted their heights to clash as well (I'm always a slut for height differences, me). Early on it was clear to me that Zach would be the middle one, Justin the shortest and Ernie the tallest. Ernie's appearance is very much the opposite of Justin's (well, their skin colours aren't that different, Justin is slightly paler), with his blonde hair and light blue eyes. The way he looks is mostly based on how I imagined Ernie Macmillan when I was reading Harry Potter, and it seemed to suit my Ernie as well, so that's what he came to look like in the end. Apparently I like giving my children scars with no proper explanations on where they actually came from. I might need to work on that.
   I spent a lot of time shaping all the eating disorder-storylines so that they would all be different: Ronnie's is the most long-lasting, Renny deals with relapsing a lot, Noel's doesn't really suit the descriptions of the most common ones and Ernie is a representation of the ones who beat their disorders and continue living completely normal lives without them. His ED doesn't last that long, but it's definitely impactful. It felt natural giving Ernie an ED-storyline, mostly due to his perfectionist nature. I also felt like it would feel slightly out of place with him, which is also why he ended up having it. It's not also his most prominent storyline, whereas with Ronnie, for example, a lot of things seem to come back to that in the end.
   I had some issues with the romantic relationships between the trio in the beginning. As I mentioned somewhere (maybe in Zach's segment?), in the most recent version of Lapin tähdet, Zach was aromantic. Justin and Ernie weren't, strictly speaking, a thing yet, but there was something (I recall planning Justin having a one-sided crush on Ernie, though). It was actually Zach who became Justin's love interest at first, but Ernie soon followed. I like the conflict that this situation brings to their lives, and there's a lot of struggling with feelings. I've always imagined the situation going like this: Ernie noticing Zach has feelings for Justin before he does, while he's together with Justin. Then he notices that the feelings are mutual, but he doesn't doubt Justin's feelings for him either (this is something I always imagined, it's Zach who has trouble accepting the fact that Justin has feelings for them both). It's kind of a polyamorous relationship, but there's nothing romantic between Zach and Ernie. No, instead, I imagine their friendship becomes stronger than ever (I mean, they are united by their love and exasperation for Justin).

FILE #008: Justin Collier

Name: Justin Michael Collier (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 12 June 1998
Age: 21
Height: 165cm
Nationality: English
Hometown: Deal, Kent, England, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Dark brown
Hair colour: Dark brown
Skin colour: Pale
Distinctive features: Eyebrow piercing, a star tattoo on neck, burns on hands
Personality in a few words: A naive and kind dreamer who doesn't judge but might sometimes sound a bit loony.
Family: Angela Collier (mother), Brian Collier (father), Richard Collier (older brother), Jeffrey Collier (older brother), Scott Collier (younger brother)
Issues: Ganser syndrome

Detailed information

Favourite music: The xx, MGMT, Belle & Sebastian
Favourite movies: Citizen Kane, Braveheart, Titanic
Favourite TV series: Louie, Deadwood, Friday Night Lights
Favourite foods: Summer pudding, bacon, chocolate brownies
Hobby: Snowboarding, race car driving

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

In Zach's segment, I wrote about how the Zach/Justin/Ernie trio came to be, so I'd rather not repeat myself again here. I have to say that Justin is my favourite out of the three, even though I personally probably relate to Zach the most (what can I say, I was an angry teenager) and he's the easiest to write. The first version of Justin in the original Lapin tähdet was called Zeke and he... had no personality whatsoever. He was created for the sole purpose of being a member of Nathan's old gang of misfits back in the UK. In one of the spin-offs we had, Zeke came to Finland as an exchange student.
   Where Zach's core personality is somewhat based on his namesake from Harry Potter, Justin's mostly isn't. When I started thinking about the trio and how I could make their personalities both clash and complement each other, it became clear to me that one of them needed to be slightly naive, very kind and a bit dreamy. Since Zach became the angry sceptic and Ernie the calm intellectual, it only felt natural to put Justin in the remaining role. And to be honest, I can't even imagine him with a different personality. He's another one of those characters who I know exactly what they'd be like if they were real people.
   I knew from the start that Justin would be the shortest out of the three. That mostly stemmed from the image of him clinging on to Ernie (and Zach, but to a lesser extent) all the time and just from the fact that I imagine him being really adorable. His appearance is somewhat the opposite of Ernie, with his dark eyes and dark hair, but I always knew he'd look like that. I also imagine him looking slightly younger than he is (I do love a good self-insert), with a slightly rounder face than his friends. Also, I know I wrote above that he has an eyebrow piercing, but I don't know where that came from. I'm not sure I can see him with it, so it's a mystery for now. I might keep it, but I might get rid of it. Decisions, decisions... Also, he's always had those burns on his hands, but as of now, I still don't have a proper explanation for them. Oh well.
   At this point you're probably wondering what the hell is Ganser syndrome and how I came up with it. According to the internet, Ganser syndrome is ''a rare dissociative disorder characterised by nonsensical or wrong answers to questions and other dissociative symptoms such as fugue, amnesia or conversion disorder, often with visual pseudohallucinations and a decreased state of consciousness''. We had a universe focusing on a psychiatric institution with a friend of mine and one of my characters had Ganser syndrome; I spent hours doing research about mental illnesses and when I came across this particular syndrome, I was really fascinated by it. When I was remaking Justin and writing his personality, it came back to me and I felt like it sort of fit his personality traits in a weird way.
   The first version of Justin somewhat existed in Lapin tähdet. In the most recent version of that universe, he was mostly the character he is now, and then I remade him into the first version of Sunset Bay. Justin's power was... Oh, fuck, I can't remember what his power was. No, wait, I do. He was practically immortal, as in he could regenerate from any wound (except, you know, if you chop is head off). I developed him further when he became a part of the Hopeakukat-universe with Zach and Ernie. He was a ''normie'' as well. That's really when Zach, Justin and Ernie became a trio of their own, instead of being just background characters in Nathan's group of friends.
   So the trio has been best friends for most of their lives. I had fleeting thoughts of relationships between them possibly ruining their friendship, but I really wanted some romantic drama between the three (I do love a good ol' friends to lovers-trope). At first, it was just Zach who became Justin's love interest, but later on Ernie became one too and Justin sort of evolved into a polyamorous character. It's an interesting storyline to write and develop; when writing from Justin's point of view, especially in the beginning it's mostly his inner struggles with his feelings, with him questioning if it's possible to love more than one person at a time.

FILE #007: Zacharias ''Zach'' Summers

Name: Zacharias James Summers ''Zach'' (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 1 March 1998
Age: 21
Height: 175cm
Nationality: English of Dutch descent
Hometown: Bibury, Gloucestershire, England (born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Languages: English, Dutch
Eye colour: Dark green
Hair colour: Dark blond
Skin colour: Slightly tan
Distinctive features: Two tragus piercings, a dark scar from shoulder to elbow
Personality in a few words: A lazy and annoying skeptic who likes picking fights but is actually a good friend.
Family: Deceased (lives in an orphanage)
Issues: Paranoia, anger management issues, psychosis

Detailed information

Favourite music: Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots
Favourite movies: Casablanca, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring
Favourite TV series: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Cheers, The Office
Favourite foods: Pork pies, strawberries, cheesecake
Hobby: Rugby, tennis

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

The idea of the Zach/Justin/Ernie trio was a mix of two things: firstly, they were part of Nathan's friend group (although Justin was originally Zeke and Ernie was Luke) in the original Lapin tähdet and they were kind of left out when Dani and Max became more important as characters. Secondly, after I finished reading Harry Potter, I had completely fallen in love with the minor Hufflepuffs and liked the idea of Zacharias Summers, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie Macmillan being a tight-knit trio. That's where their new names came from, if it wasn't obvious already.
   As for Zach, his core personality is somewhat based on whatever little we saw of Zacharias Smith in Harry Potter. Because his first version didn't have a personality at all, it was simultaneously difficult and easy to start building up his character. Difficult in the sense that there was nothing to go on with, but easy in the sense that everything could be made from scratch. I always imagined him as the lazy one of the three, the one who's just annoying and a stone cold sceptic. He picks fights easily and doesn't really let his feelings show and he's easily triggered, angry even.
   Zach's appearance is based a lot on how I imagined him after I came up with his personality traits. Height-wise, he's the middle one of the group; I wanted them all to be distinctively different in terms of height. I also imagine he'd be the most muscular one of the three, but not overly so. I've always seen him with dark (dirty?) blonde hair, slightly tan skin and dark green eyes. He's definitely the kind of person who makes a messy hair look like it's messy on purpose.
   A lot of Zach's issues stem from the fact that he doesn't have parents; they died in a car crash when he was younger, so he doesn't really even remember them anymore. He's lived in an orphanage for most of his life, which makes him all the more on edge and kind of unsure, since his situation is so different. I've always seen him as a very angry person, so him having anger management issues made perfect sense. He's definitely paranoid as well. As for the psychosis-storyline, I'm not entirely sure how to incorporate that into the story, but I have an idea that involves a gun (yes, I just wrote that).
   Before I talk more about the trio and their relationships, there's something else I want to say about Zach before I forget. So, the first version of him was created for Lapin tähdet, as I mentioned before. I then remade him into the first version of Sunset Bay, where he had the power of phasing (maybe, I just started thinking about that and suddenly I'm not sure about this at all). But the most developed version of him (if excluding the most recent version) came to life in another universe called Hopeakukat (Silver Flowers, basically), in which the main focus was a school where normal humans and supernatural creatures went together. Zach was one of the so-called ''normies''.
   Okay, before this drags on for another three years, I'll take a look at the trio. They're best friends for life, but obviously there's more there than just that. I've always imagined Zach as asexual (self-insert, much?) and the first more developed version of him was actually aromantic as well. However, I desperately wanted to give him a love interest, so naturally Justin became it. I love the idea of Zach having a crush on Justin but hiding it until he just... can't anymore. And Ernie would absolutely notice it way before either of them. Fun fact is that Justin was Zach's love interest first and Ernie's later. I kind of see Justin as being the only person Zach's ever had real romantic feelings for, so I'm thinking he might be demiromantic.

FILE #006: Maximilian ''Max'' Finch-Millan

Name: Maximilian Nicholas Harold Finch-Millan ''Max'' (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 12 December 1998
Age: 20
Height: 165cm
Nationality: Welsh
Hometown: Criccieth, Gwynedd, Wales, United Kingdom
Languages: English, Cymraeg
Eye colour: Light blue and dark brown (heterochromia)
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Pale
Distinctive features: Labret piercing, heterochromia
Personality in a few words: An enthusiastic and loving nerd who feels a lot.
Family: Melissa Finch (mother), Christopher Millan (father), Mark Finch-Millan (younger brother), Amy Finch-Millan (younger sister)
Issues: Pyromania, lung tumour

Detailed information

Favourite music: Edwin Wendler, Dominic Lewis, Tom Salta
Favourite movies: Fight Club, Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King, The Silence of the Lambs
Favourite TV series: M*A*S*H, Twin Peaks, Star Trek
Favourite foods: Scrambled eggs, cheese, macaroni and cheese
Hobby: Swimming, singing

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

Due to the fact that the old character Max is based on was very minor and had basically no distinctive personality traits, I mostly began with an empty canvas when I imported him over to the most recent version of the original universe. That's why he hasn't changed that much between that and the whole remaking process. I'm still kind of conflicted whether I want him to be a real enthusiast and a proper nerd, or a more subdued kind of person, which is why it feels like every time I write him, he has a different personality. Eh... I'll decide it someday.
   Max's pyromania is most definitely a self-insert. I felt an immense need to project that aspect of me onto a character in order to deal with it better and Max didn't really have anything going for him. No, it's true; he didn't have any real storylines planned and I was kind of at a loss with him. In the original universe, I began to flesh him out more when he was supposed to become Roni's love interest (which never actually managed to happen). And when I remade him into Sunset Bay, I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do with him. At that point, he was just Dani's best friend, but they had a very different relationship than Jake and Nathan, another best friend-duo. One possible storyline I had planned for Max was him having a fling with Dani, in present time, but I couldn't find a good way to incorporate that into the story, so it became a thing of the past that's referenced sometimes.
   I have to admit, his lung tumour (no cancer here, just a benign one) was heavily inspired by an episode or two of Holby City, where there was a teenage boy who had a tumour in his lungs that made him cough up blood. Seeing as I had mostly burdened my children with mental issues, I decided to give Max a major physical health issue. It's one of those very slow burn storylines, where he hides the truth for as long as he possibly can, until it's just a matter of time until someone finds out. There are a few of those, which stretch across multiple months in the sense of the timeline. Even years in some cases.
   As I mentioned before, the first version of Max was such a minor character that I never spent any time thinking about what he'd look like. He was just another one of Nate's rich friends (I mean, Max, Zach, Zeke (Justin) and Luke (Ernie) didn't even have personalities) so I never went very deep with him. So when the time to update him came, I kinda went all out. I did imagine him as being the shortest of the group, so he became very short. The other things just... came to me, when I started thinking about what Max would look like if he was real.
   In Rich's segment I mentioned that Max became his love interest mostly by process of elimination. However, the more time I spend thinking about them and their relationship, the deeper I fall in love with it. I think they work well together, especially after they get over the whole Max liking Ronnie and then thinking he's having an affair with Rich-thing. I should really write them more, I really enjoy their dynamic as a couple. I mean, they're my children after all.

FILE #005: Daniel ''Dani'' McGinley

Name: Daniel Ambrose McGinley ''Dani'' (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 3 January 1997
Age: 22
Height: 184cm
Nationality: Irish
Hometown: Carlingford, Leinster, Ireland
Languages: English, Irish Gaelic
Eye colour: Hazel
Hair colour: Dark brown with blond highlights
Skin colour: Fair
Distinctive features: Braces
Personality in a few words: An outwardly tough individual who hides behind a mean exterior.
Family: William McGinley (father), Kimberly McGinley (mother)
Issues: Drug addiction, deceased ex-boyfriend

Detailed information

Favourite music: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Coldplay
Favourite movies: Gladiator, Back to the Future, Saving Private Ryan
Favourite TV series: Late Show with David Letterman, The Larry Sanders Show, West Wing
Favourite foods: Corned beef, spaghetti, tacos
Hobby: Skiing, dancing

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

Despite the fact that Dani is based on an old character with the same name, they're actually two completely different characters. The first version of him, who was a recurring character in Lapin tähdet, went by Daniel and was Nate's best friend and a member of their old group, which also included Max and the first versions of Zach, Justin and Ernie (the latter two were originally called Zeke and Luke). He was a very kind, kind of nerdy and very rich. But Dani 2.0 is very different; he's a more tough guy, who could be called a bully at his worst. They both like gardening, though. I think that and their name and appearance is probably the only thing that they have in common.
   The first version of Dani was kind of one-dimensional. He was mostly created to be one of Nathan's old friends and a love interest for Antti (my friend's character) and we never got far enough to properly develop Dani as a character. The idea for him having a dead ex-boyfriend was something that just came to me when we were thinking of possible storylines for him and Antti. That's also where the idea for his drug addiction came from; in the original drafts he was supposed to mistake Antti for his ex while on drugs, which would've led to him telling Antti everything.
   Dani is actually another character who I never really had a clear image of. He's always had the blonde highlights in his hair, but that's about it. Oh, and he's always had braces. I realised at some point that hey, none of my characters have braces, which is stupid. So I gave them to him. Of course there are others now, but he was the pioneer. I've always imagined Dani to be quite tall. His first version was kinda lanky as I imagined him, but the present version would be a bit more... I wouldn't say exactly buff, but a bit more muscled, definitely.
   One of the reasons why I decided to have Nathan as Dani's love interest was the fact that their personalities contrast each other a lot. Ever since I created Sunset Bay, I've had a clear image of how their relationship starts. As I mentioned before, Dani could be a bit of a bully, and I imagine that's exactly what he is, until he meets Nathan. He's quickly attracted to him and wants to impress him, slowly beginning to improve his behaviour when he realises that the more he retreats back to his old ways, the further away he pushes Nathan. A turning point would be Dani discovering that Nathan is being bullied and realising that he has been doing exactly the same to other people (don't ask me why, but when I started thinking about Robin's storylines and came up with the racial bullying plot, I immediately thought that Dani would be his biggest bully, until he grows a pair and actually apologises).
   Dani is... a complicated character for sure. He's tough, at least on the outside. But he's also kind and gentle, even if he can be very inconsiderate and, well, a straight up asshole. There's definitely the will to change for the better there, he just needs a little push.

FILE #004: Richard ''Rich'' Jones

Name: Richard Julius Jones ''Rich'' (based on Riku Jokilahti, an old character)
Date of birth: 20 July 1998
Age: 21
Height: 170cm
Nationality: American-Native American
Hometown: Stowe, Vermont, United States
Languages: English
Eye colour: Grey
Hair colour: Dark brown
Skin colour: Tan
Distinctive features: Freckles, stud piercing on left eyebrow
Personality in a few words: A scared and skeptical introvert with self-destructive habits and a dark past.
Family: Robert Jones (father; missing), Michelle Jones (mother; in prison)
Issues: Severe depression, sexual abuse, self-harm, multiple suicide attempts in the past

Detailed information

Favourite music: Blink-182, Green Day, Fall Out Boy
Favourite movies: Schindler's List, The Godfather Part II, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Favourite TV series: The Daily Show, Freaks and Geeks, Game of Thrones
Favourite foods: Key lime pie, chocolate chip cookies, cheeseburger
Hobby: Football, hiking

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process (TRIGGER WARNING!)

Rich (or Riku, as his original name is) existed very early on as a sort of a never-seen character, because when I was creating Ronnie/Roni, I needed an unique family situation. So I came up with a cousin for him to live with and that's how Rich was born. I can't remember what the initial reason for him to be staying with his cousin was, but it wasn't anything complicated. There was no history of abuse. It might have been just his parents being too busy and thus sending him to live with his cousin. At some point I figured he probably needed a real reason, and that's how the situation came to be. His father being missing for years and his mother in prison for sexually abusing him. It's heavy stuff, but it also kinda worked as a trigger for his depression, self-harm and some of the suicide attempts.
   So Rich and Ronnie have always been cousins, but when I remade them for the first version of Sunset Bay (with superpowers; Rich had telekinesis), they didn't know each other. In the final version, they end up studying at the same school (Crescent Moon Academy, which is the school that all of the characters in Sunset Bay attend) without knowing they're related at first. They become very good friends and at some point they find out that they're cousins, which only brings them closer together. This is where Max comes in, because the way I see this whole situation is like this: firstly, Max has a crush on Ronnie, who eventually enters a relationship with him because he's falling for Jake and he tries to get over him (unsuccessfully). Rich likes Max, but doesn't actually realise it for the longest of times. When Ronnie and Rich start spending more time together (when they find out they're related), Max thinks they're having an affair and becomes jealous. Obviously they then tell him that they're cousins and eventually Ronnie breaks up with Max. Uh, this was not supposed to be a miles long explanation about this. Sorry, back to our scheduled programming now.
   Rich has always been a very quiet, very shy and very withdrawn person. In the original version, he wasn't actually part of the story for years; he really became a part of the squad in the more recent versions. It takes him time to get to know people, which is probably why it took him so long to really become a part of the group. Actually, he doesn't play a major part in Sunset Bay at first either; it's mostly after his suicide attempt that his role is expanded.
   It's weird, but I've never actually had a clear image of what Rich looks like. I mean, he's always been kinda pale, with dark brown hair, grey eyes and freckles, but since I remade him and eventually decided to make him part Native American, I've been seeing him with a tanner skin (maybe just slightly lighter than Ronnie) and generally darker features. I've never thought about it too much, but I feel like it would suit him.
   I feel like I keep talking about different things in these little segments; I wanted to keep them similar for each character, but I guess some characters make me think of different things related to their creation. When it comes to Rich's love interest, Max became it by process of elimination, mostly. I mean, Ronnie and Jake were always going to be together. I also decided on Nathan and Dani very quickly (a fleeting thought I had was that Dani and Max would be together, which would've left Nathan and Rich together; this is not a bad idea at all and I can sort of see it happening). That really only left Rich, Max, Zach, Justin and Ernie; the latter three are a story of their own, so it felt logical to have Rich and Max end up together. Despite them being a fairly random pairing, I've actually grown very fond of them and I have tons of ideas for their development as a couple (and as individual characters, of course).

FILE #003: Nathan ''Nate'' Cooper

Name: Nathan Peregrine Cooper ''Nate'' (based on an old character with the same name)
Date of birth: 26 April 1998
Age: 21
Height: 175cm
Nationality: English
Hometown: Painswick, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Greenish blue
Hair colour: Blond
Skin colour: Fairly light
Distinctive features: One piercing in right ear, a visible scar on left cheek
Personality in a few words: An anxious but friendly intellect who might hold a grudge.
Family: David Cooper (father), John Black (stepfather), Danielle Cooper (younger sister); Lisa Cooper (mother; deceased)
Issues: Anxiety disorder, victim of homophobic bullying, acid reflux

Detailed information

Favourite music: Blur, Oasis, The Verve
Favourite movies: GoodFellas, The Matrix, Star Wars: Episode IV - The Empire Strikes Back
Favourite TV series: The Twilight Zone, Saturday Night Live, All in the Family
Favourite foods: Yorkshire pudding, steak, crispy fried chicken
Hobby: Stamp collecting, bird watching

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

Out of the first three characters I ever created, Nathan was the last one. He's also probably the one who has changed the most, comparing to the first version of him. The reason for that is probably the fact that as time went on, I became more and more unsatisfied with the way he was shaping up to be. I felt like he was kind of boring and that he really had no interesting issues to deal with. Initially, in their original universe, he was an English boy who moved to Finland at the age of 7, because of his father's boyfriend. He became friends with the others belonging to the same universe and eventually learned to speak Finnish fluently. His initial character was someone who was more often than not seen as a lot more stupid than he actually was. I actually got the idea to make him very intelligent much later on, because I got annoyed at the fact that he was constantly treated like an idiot by the other characters (and me, his creator). I wanted better for him, as a proper mother should for her son.
   Most of his issues and stuff I came up with only after I remade him. I mean, in the earliest stages of Sunset Bay (right after I decided to get rid of the superpowers I had so generously granted my children with; Nathan's power was teleportation if I'm not entirely mistaken), Nathan was basically just Jake's best friend and his conscience, for the lack of a better word. It wasn't until Dani came along as his love interest that he really started developing as his own person. His family situation stayed pretty much the same, with his two fathers, younger sister and a mother who died when he was very young.
 The first thing I came up with was his anxiety. I've always imagined him as the ''voice of sanity'', which probably contributed a lot to the fact that he's always been very secretive about this particular issue of his. He feels like he has to be the one who has his shit together, when the people closes to him (Jake and Dani, mostly) really don't. So he tries to hide it, but obviously at some point it comes out. Also, he's had two dads since he was created, but when I remade him, I added the whole bullying-storyline. It was mostly because he didn't really have anything concrete to deal with, other than Jake's shit, and even though it was a very different kind of bullying, it's something I've been through and it's always important to talk about. His issues with acid reflux were definitely a self-insert, I'm not going to lie about that.
   Along with Jake, Nathan's appearance hasn't changed much. The biggest things that did change were probably his height (he used to be the shortest of the three, but the more Jake became a self-insert, the shorter I wanted him to be) and his hair, which used to be a lot longer. I mean like down to his back long. That idea was short-lived, though, because I couldn't imagine him wearing it down or in a ponytail either. So I scrapped it. Actually, to be entirely honest, I still don't know how he wears his hair exactly. All I know is that it's blonde and that's about it. The scar on his cheek is also something he's always had; the story for that is that he ran into a glass door as a kid.
   In their original universe, Nathan's initial love interest was Niko (my friend's character), who ended up cheating on him with Jake (this is definitely nothing spectacularly scandalous in this universe, because at some point everyone was cheating on everyone and the relationships between the characters were a hot mess). After that, Nathan stayed single. For one of the most recent versions, a possible love interest (Pyry, my friend's character) was created, but seeing as that version didn't live for long, they never actually got together. In the most recent version, though, he was together with Antti, who had a crush on him when they were younger (another running gag in the original one was that everyone knew Antti liked him except for Nathan). His present, remade self, has a love interest in Dani, which... was the most logical thing to do. They were best friends initially anyway and I kind of always imagined that maybe there'd been something more. I also liked the kind of contrast between their characters and the fact that Jake doesn't approve of Dani at all, which kind of creates a conflicting situation for Nathan, who's put in between his lover and his best friend.

FILE #002: Jacob ''Jake'' Arnold

Name: Jacob Zachary Arnold ''Jake'' (based on Jake Arosanervo, an old character)
Date of birth: 10 September 1998
Age: 21
Height: 168cm
Nationality: English
Hometown: London, England, United Kingdom
Languages: English
Eye colour: Black
Hair colour: Black
Skin colour: Very pale
Distinctive features: Snakebites (horseshoes)
Personality in a few words: A quiet but very kind and caring boy with an unique insight in life.
Family: Jennifer Arnold (mother), James Arnold (father), Joey Arnold (older brother), Jules Arnold (younger brother)
Issues: Bipolar disorder, alcoholism, abusive father

Detailed information

Favourite music: The Amity Affliction, The Agonist, God Forbid
Favourite movies: The Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Knight, Forrest Gump
Favourite TV series: Mad Men, Seinfeld, The Simpsons
Favourite foods: Fish and chips with mushy peas, chocolate, chips
Hobby: Cooking, gardening

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

Ah, Jake. My favourite child. No, for real, he's definitely my favourite out of all the characters I've ever created. He wasn't the most important one to me in the beginning, but as I gradually started developing him, I quickly became very fond of him. Maybe it's because he resembles me a lot - Ronnie started out as a shameless self-insert, but as years went on, I began to realise that maybe Jake was the true self-insert character after all. Jake was the second character I ever created, which also makes him very dear to me. I think at this point it goes without saying that he belongs to the Lapin tähdet-universe, originally. Oh, a fun fact about the first version of Sunset Bay with the superpowers; Jake's power was enhanced senses. I have no idea why.
   Jake has... remained the same, mostly. I mean, comparing to Ronnie, for example, who has changed quite a lot during these years, Jake really has not. He's always been a kind of an enigma, who always has some weird shamanic shit to say about whatever issue he's presented with. He definitely has his own share of issues, I think even in the beginning he was the one who was dealing with the most out of the core gang of my characters. At first, his issues with his family weren't that present and it was mostly his parents being very busy with their jobs and being really absent in both his and his brothers' lives. Then at some point I came up with the idea of his father being physically abusive. That might have even been before I remade him.
   As for his other issues... Seeing as I was 12 years old when I created him and definitely did not have any clue as to what mental illnesses really were, he wasn't bipolar to begin with. That was also something that just came to me at a later time and I went with it, because it felt like a good direction to take this character to (fuck, that sounds horrible when I put it like that). I've always imagined Jake as the type of person who's quick to leave his medication and start drinking instead. In the most recent version of the original universe, it was actually a running gag in the story that Jake very much has a drinking problem but he kind of chooses not to acknowledge it in any form.
   When it comes to his appearance, Jake has always stayed the same. I'm not joking about that, he's literally been the same black-eyed emo child for as long as he's been around, really. I made him that way because at that strange age of 12 I was for some godforsaken reason obsessed with the emo culture, and it made perfect sense for someone to be a striking image of a 2010s Internet Emo Boy. I kind of knew it would be Jake, to be honest, he just appeared in my head looking like that. You'd think he'd grow out of it, but as for now, he hasn't. Maybe he never will. I also have no idea where the idea of him having black eyes came from, but it's always been a part of his character. I mean, Jake wouldn't be Jake if he'd be something different than an eternal emo teenager.
   Ronnie and Jake are the one couple who will always find each other no matter what. They're soulmates, and I did create them for each other; I always meant for them to be together. As I mentioned before, somewhere (I'm sure of it), it was an on-going theme in the original version that Ronnie and Jake liked each other and everyone else knew that. They did end up together, yes, but also broke up and as of the most recent version of this universe, they are not together. But if we jump into their present, remade selves and the universe of Sunset Bay, they are definitely together. When I write little short stories, Ronnie and Jake are my go-to couple. I find them really easy to write about, as their relationship feels quite real to me.
   I don't know what else to say, really. Jake is so important to me that it feels kind of stupid, because he's not a real person. He's entirely a figment of my imagination, but I actually prefer it that way; I can do whatever I want with him. He's grown up with me, that's for sure. I don't know what's going to happen with him in the future, but I know he's always going to be there, somehow. Whatever I do, he's there. Out of all the characters I've ever created, Jake is probably the one who is already a part of me, in a weird way.

FILE #001: Ronald ''Ronnie'' Taylor

Name: Ronald Ezekiel Taylor ''Ronnie'' (based on Roni Tarukannel, an old character)
Date of birth: 13 July 1998
Age: 21
Height: 173cm
Nationality: Canadian-Catalan
Hometown: Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada
Languages: English, Catalan, French
Eye colour: Dark brown
Hair colour: Brown
Skin colour: Tan
Distinctive features: A lot of moles on face, a stud piercing on nose
Personality in a few words: A laid-back realist with a sense of justice and fierce loyalty.
Family: Jonathan ''Jonah'' Taylor (older brother), Michael ''Mike'' Taylor (father); Maria Taylor (mother; deceased)
Issues: Eating disorder, smoking

Detailed information

Favourite music: Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Arcade Fire
Favourite movies: The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, Star Wars
Favourite TV series: The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad
Favourite foods: Poutine, pizza, ice cream
Hobby: Photography, baking

Character history

COMING SOON

The creative process

The character Ronnie is based on, Roni Tarukannel, was basically my first ever proper character that I actually spent time on. He was created for a role play I had with my friend when we were 12, which means that I've basically had him around for 8 years or so. The first version of him was a sarcastic pre-teen who had a knack for technology and a bad memory. He ended up changing a lot; over the years, he became a realist who has a fierce sense of social justice and who is very loyal to his friends. He's always been laid-back, though. It's just the way I see him in my head. Appearance-wise, he's actually always been the same. Well, in the beginning his hair colour was a mix of light and dark brown and he was paler, but especially after I remade him, he became tanner. Bit by bit his storyline started forming and I knew what I wanted to do with him. He's always been one of my favourites out of all my characters, I know exactly what he'd be like if he was a real person.
   In his original universe (which includes the characters that Jake, Nathan, Rich, Dani, Max, Mary and Nettie are based on, as well as several others created by the friend I mentioned earlier) he was a part of a friend group consisting of 10 people. They were about 13 when we first started playing, and I think the last time I role played with him, he was 17 or 18. So he's basically grown up with me. Actually, I've always kept him and the others around, one way or another. The storyline of the original universe wasn't that complicated in the beginning; it was just a group of friends who went to school and dealt with things that kids that age normally deal with. If I remember correctly, his ''main'' storyline in the original universe was that he had a crush on Jake and everyone else knew that and his inability to act on his feelings was practically a running gag in the story.
    Later on, when Ronnie became more complex, I added things like the eating disorder (that was actually something that I somehow always envisioned) and the death of his mother. At this point, in the original universe, he had a complicated love life; he was together with Jake, who had been sleeping with Ronnie's best friend while Ronnie himself had something going on with a mutual friend. Yes, I know; the romances of the original universe got quite complicated at some point and we had to make them simpler because basically everyone was just cheating on each other. The last time we role played, Ronnie had broken up with Jake and Max was actually created as a love interest for him (he was already a part of Nathan's old group of friends to begin with, but I think he had a different name). Since I remade him to a different universe, he's ''back'' together with Jake, but out of respect for a rather strange storyline, I kept a short-lived relationship between Ronnie and Max.
   The idea of remaking my old characters actually stemmed from Ronnie and his gang of friends. Initially, I remade him, Jake, Nathan, Rich, Dani, Max, Zach, Justin, Ernie, Mary and Nettie for a universe where the characters had superpowers (the idea for that came after I finished playing Life Is Strange). Ronnie's power was time travelling. That was also where the concept of Sunset Bay started. In this universe, the characters one by one realised that they had superpowers and then eventually met up. At some point I gave up the powers and made them regular teenagers, combining many universes together and creating the final concept of Sunset Bay.
   Ronnie has been the way he is now for about 5 or 4 years, I think. The last time we role played with these characters he was already quite different from the first version and very close to the so called latest version that he is now. I've somehow always found him hard to explain, in a way. Maybe it's because I have such a clear image of what he'd be like that I can't put it into words. I might add something to this later on, possibly when I'm writing his character history, but for now, this shall be the end of it.