Thacia Dalton

Name: Thacia Dalton
Nickname: The nickname used depends on how long someone has known her. For most people, she is known by her name or “Thace”. To others, she is “Michael Dalton’s daughter,” and to those who have known her forever, know her father calls her his “Penny” (because of her redhair when she was little).
Age: 23
Class: Illustrian
Character Visual: Karen Gillan
Theme song: (Optional)   Pilgrims
Appearance/Distinguishing Features: Thacia Dalton is a replica of her mother, which is both a blessing and a curse to her father. Her skin is smooth and blemish-free, two signs of her Illustrian class. Usually, her skin is pale (the only physical thing she inherited from her father), but it tells when she has been to her favorite place (the beach) because the pallor will paint the perfect hue after it has been kissed by the sun’s rays.

Her hair, which is a beautiful red (very rare for the citizens of Valport), is often pulled up in a messy bun that precariously sits on top of her head, but when she lets it down, the thick strands fall in waves around her face and end a few inches below her shoulders. The dark color contrasts perfectly with her deep, doe-colored eyes. People tend to notice the former because, over the years, the color of red hair in the population has dwindled. Because of this, her hair is often the first thing people notice and typically ask her if the color is natural (and usually don’t believe her when she says yes).

Another thing she received from her mother was average height. Her father stands almost 6 feet 5 inches, but that was not something she was blessed with. Instead, her last growth spurt in her teenage years brought her to 5 feet 6 inches. Her frame is not typical for Illustrian class women, who often strive for perfection in area outward area – it is hard to focus on your appearance when you are spending hours studying for medical school. She has not ‘let herself go’ by any means, but she doubts she will ever be concerned about a size 0 waist.

Her outfits vary from nursing scrubs to Gala-worthy dresses, but she is most comfortable in a pair of cotton shorts and oversized t-shirts. She prefers flip-flops if she must wear shoes, but her uniforms call for ballet flats (which is better than the plastic shoes with the holes most nurses wore once upon a time).

The curve of her ears is decorated with three different piercings each (lobe, upper lobe, and the daith). She does have one tattoo – a small arrow with Keep Moving Forward written above it—wise words from her father that came after her mother’s death and followed her through medical school.

Lastly, another noticeable feature is Thacia’s infectious smile, which brightens her entire face, a gesture that crinkles the edges of her eyes and reflects in their very depths.

Personality: There are some things about Thacia Dalton that scream ‘Illustrian’, such as her well-manicured nails and frequent vacations to the coast. When it comes to personality, she is quite different.

Most (not all) of the women in her class are selfish primadona’s that thrive on gossip.  Thacia has always been attentive to the needs of others, which is one thing that led her into the medical field. She wanted to help people in their weakest moments, either by helping restore their health or comforting them during their final moments.

Kindheartedness runs on the Dalton side of the family, and she inherited it, which leads her to sit with patients that don’t have any family to visit, read books to pediatric patients, or spend extra time comforting those during their time of loss.

But, my friends, do not mistake kindness for weakness because her mother’s fiery blood prevails within her.

From the Straven part of the family, she received her quick tongue, which she can wield like a sword if she needs to, along with her stubbornness – the latter often comes with a tilt upward of her head and a leveling of her shoulders. These traits have come in handy when dealing with difficult patients (looking at you Conquerors) or difficult family members. It also helped her through the more difficult adolescent periods when her peers would remind her of the Ignoble blood she shared (she did break a girls nose when she was 12 over this, but that is neither here nor there.)

Over the years, she has learned patience, but even her patience has a limit, and woe to those that push her past that. Her voice often gets higher during those times, and her emotions are always seen in the depths of her brown eyes.

Occupation: Nurse at Valport General – Selected to be a Contestant in the Fruition Games

Special Talents: She may not have received any of her father’s outward appearance, but she sure as hell received his ‘healing touch.’ Like her father before her, Thacia is drawn to the medical field and, as soon as she could read, was interested in journals, medical books, etc.

She is an avid swimmer and has been since she was a child. Her father owns a modest home by the coast, and that is where they spend their summers and have every year since she was two. Because of that, her father paid for the best instructor to teach her how to swim.  This is still her favorite thing to do for exercise, and she usually spends time in the pool to decompress after stressful shifts.

She likes to draw and is pretty good at it, too.

Family:

Michael Dalton – Father (52) – CEO of Valport General and Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Aliah Straven-Dalton – Mother – Deceased (Died during childbirth)

Likes: All things to do with the medical field. Coffee – black coffee, froo-froo coffee, any kind of coffee, as long as it isn’t decaf. Helping people - Thacia has always been attentive to the needs of others (which is something she did NOT get from her mother). Quiet - after long shifts at the hospital, she prefers to sit by the pool (or beach) and read a book. Anything to do with the Ocean: deep-sea diving, snorkeling, paddleboarding, etc.

Dislikes:  Gossip - the desire to speak incessantly about people behind their backs was never something she picked up, even though people expected it because of her class. In her school years, she was never huddled in the corners talking about who was dating, sleeping with the teacher, etc. This is something she carried with her into adulthood. She does not read the gossip magazines or know much about the elite except for what she can't escape and overhears at parties.

Crowds - She knows that this 'dislike' stems from her childhood when she got separated from her nanny at a fair in Valport. The crowds were overwhelming, and it took hours for them to locate her.  She has overcome it as a 'fear,' but it still makes her uncomfortable.

She also hates spending much time in front of the television, celery, bad music, and motorcycles.

Worst Fears: Heights – Thacia is terrified of heights and always has been. It is so bad that she can’t even look out the windows past the third floor. So, while she can dive beneath the ocean depths without batting an eye, she does not partake in things like rock climbing, parasailing, and she hates to fly in an airplane (but she does when she must).

Drowning – She is a great swimmer and loves to dive into the depths of the water, whether it is the pool or the ocean. But, she also respects the waters and knows Mother Nature’s strength with the waves.

Losing her father – She has always been a daddy’s girl, and the idea of losing him is almost too much to bear.

History:

The Dalton family is prominent in Valport, with Illustrian blood that goes back for generations. It has produced many that pursued notable careers and had dealings that furthered their society throughout the decades. Michael Dalton is no exception. He did not follow in his father’s footsteps to become a lawyer; he was too meek for that. Instead, the kind heart he inherited from his mother drove him to the medical field, where he quickly became the top of his class.

Thacia’s mother, on the other hand, was born the lowest of the low – Ignoble. The woman knew what it was like to sleep with roaches crawling over, to feel her stomach hollow without knowing where their next meal would come from, and to see friends and family die of preventable illnesses at early ages. The life of an Ignoble is not for the faint of heart, and it bred in her a stubbornness that she held on until the day she took her last breath. The fiery portion of her personality drew Michael Dalton to Aliah Draven.

They met during their last year of school when Michael was on a historical tour of Valport with his class (mando-fun). She was working a second shift as a custodian in one of the museums when she ran over his foot, scuffing his expensive shoes with her cleaning cart. Before she could apologize, the teacher intervened and spewed a few degrading comments. This wiped the apology off her tongue, and she refused to utter a word to him. The defiance and stubbornness cost her employment, but Michael was smitten by her oval face and attitude.

After the tour, he saw her getting on the bus, so he snuck away from his school group and took the spot next to her – that was not the last time Michael snuck away to be with her. Their Romeo and Juliet romance stayed hidden until they were both old enough to wed legally. Michael’s family was shocked when he told them he was engaged to an Ignoble, but Aliah’s parents were thrilled (very few in their class marry up). Their wedding was looked down upon, and comments about tainted bloodline would follow them into their marriage.

Aliah was his biggest supporter during Michael’s years in medical school. She never allowed the prejudice from others in the Illustrian class to get to her; instead, she held her head up high (stubbornly) and did her best to fit in so that it would be easier on her husband. Once he graduated, the desire to start a family grew within them. Unfortunately, after years of trying naturally, they discovered that it was difficult for her to get pregnant. Adoption was an option, but Michael asked for them to try one last medical procedure that would help them carry a biological child. Aliah agreed, and the procedure was successful! The pregnancy was not easy – she stayed sick, and several times she was admitted to the hospital.

Aliah went into labor at 36 weeks and was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, during the birth, Aliah suffered from an amniotic fluid embolism and died before she even got the chance to hold her child. To this day, Michael blames himself for his wife’s death.

Michael never remarried and has raised Thacia to the best of his ability as a single father. Because of this, they have formed a close-knit relationship that they continue to cultivate. Michael’s initial desire was to keep her tied to both Ignoble and Illustrian families, but after the death of Aliah’s parents (before Thacia turned two) they had no reason to visit. Deep down, this thrilled Michael’s Illustrian blooded relatives. His mother and father doted on their first granddaughter and pretended that her blood was not tainted. Michael did try not to spoil her, knowing that is not what Aliah would have wanted, but she was the only child to a wealthy father and that allotted her some privileges.

Thacia attended the best primary school that Valport had to offer. She worked hard to obtain good grades because even in her adolescence she was drawn to the medical field. Some believed it was because of who her father was, and perhaps that played a small role, but she has fond memories hanging out at the nurses station and drawing while her father worked. As soon as she was old enough, she started to help where she could. There were times when she was found in a patient’s room talking to them when they had no one else.  This environment sparked a love for medicine that never faded.

She worked hard to graduate at the top of her class so she could get into nursing school, which she did without a recommendation from her father. She wanted her acceptance to be from her own work and not because of his success. Her dedication paid off and she took to nursing like a fish to water, graduating with high honors from her instructors.

Her father has been encouraging her to move forward with her degree and become a doctor and she has considered it, but the prestige and the money has not won over the fast-paced, patient-oriented atmosphere of nursing.

Thacia has everything she could ever want: a loving father that has worked hard to give her everything she has ever desired, her dream job, and even a doting boyfriend (that is gossip for another day). So, it was a surprise to those around her when her name was selected for the Fruition Trials. It was also a surprise to her considering she did not volunteer for the selection.