24 years old.
5'6
120 pounds
Model, fit frame
Piercing blue eyes
Rena was the youngest in a family of outsiders. Romani, so, of course they were looked down on as shiftless thieves and troublemakers across Europe. Traveling so often didn't didn't help either. There were others they came across, but clan and family alliances and heirarchies kept them from any real connections.
Well that and one thing that made them even more alone in the world. Mom and dad's dumb stories about the Atharim whatevers, with their supposed job to hunt down boogeymen. It was not something they were to talk to anyone about, even if her parents didn't really seem to be big believers. They just wanted to avoid standing out.
And Rena knew none of it was real anyway.
What was real was being poor. Was being picked on and made fun of. Was always looking from the darkness into a world that had said you didnt belong. That you had no place.
And Rena wanted to belong. She'd beg, steal or borrow enough money to find the shoes or skirt or blouse the cool girls had. Or just steal them outright, if she could.
But it never seemed to work. She'd be wearing her outfit, proud after checking herself in the mirror. And then she'd catch a sideways glance, or maybe a sneer. Or find that the style had changed.
And so there she'd be. Always too late to the party. Always not enough.
Outside. Always outside.
But Mom and Dad loved her. She knew that. And she did love them even if she resented them. And her big sister Nina. The perfect daughter, who she loved and hated, envied and wanted to be.
At last, though, they settled down in Moscow and Rena felt like maybe she could be normal. The neighboorhood was poor, but that just meant everyone else was too. None of them could afford things.. So that eased some of the pressure.
And the boys were so cute. So tough and raw, rough stubble on their chin. She was only 14 but already she had noticed them all standing- or squating- in their tracksuits, badass and cool. The girls who ran with them were just as cool.
And she was dreamy eyed. Especially for one. Ahh, he was something. She thought about him every night, hoping he'd notice her, even though he was older. He was funny and always so sweet and friendly with them all. She'd see him at school and evemtually he let her tag along with his buddies. Poor dumb Rena. Head always in the clouds. She didn't even see until it was too late.
Her stupid sister had stolen him. She was already in her 20s!! And he was only 18. Why did Nina have to get everything?! She had cried when she saw them kissing in the abandoned lot, her on his lap, the fire in the drum giving off heat- not to warm themselves. Heat to drive her away. Nina!!
And then Mom and Dad died and she was devastated. It wasn't that she and mom had long talks or that she was daddy's girl. They were far too busy just trying to make a living.
But they still had been her parents. And she missed them. And it didn't help that Nina suddenly started like SHE was mom! And now she had to see Bas there all the time.
But no....she did love Nina. She wasn't blind. She might get up for drink of water in the middle of the night and there she'd be, studying. Or going over bills. Or just sitting there, staring off into space, looking exhausted. That happened a lot especially after she and Bas broke up. Rena never really understood why.
By then, she had moved on from him too. Plenty of other boys who liked her. But Nina'd look so tiny and weak sitting despite her height and the tattoos. And Rena would come up and hug her, give her the glass and hold her hand for a little while.
She did love her sister. She just...she just wanted her own life. It made her crazy.
And the gopniks began to hold less interest for her anyway. There were others in the neighborhood. Soon Rena found her own clique of friends. She'd sneak out late at night only to find Nina, face angry, to yell at her when she'd come home. Didn't mean she'd stop though.
Occasionally, she'd head to the markets. No, Romani weren't taught to steal from childhood like peope always said. It was just that she had learned to blend in. And her hands were quick. Or maybe a boy was watching the store. She was 17. She knew the effect her smile had on them, how to look at them just the right way, to touch her lips with her tongue- the list went on and on, all the easy ways to distract, to steal or to get something for free. And maybe, if they were cute they'd get a kiss too. No sense in not having a bit of fun.
Occasionally it backfired. And when it did, it was bad. Nina tried to smooth things over. And maybe some of Rena's gopnik friends might help make the problem go away.
One time, a woman caught her and had called the police. It was too late for Rena to get help or escape. The woman's sister and daughter held her. In that moment something happened. She felt light headed and warm, the women's voices fading in her mind. "Please, just let me go," she had said.
And they did! They just did. Her heart had been pounding as she ran home. The next few days she tried to be really good. And somehow got sick. Enough the Nina took time from work to care for her.
She didn't really remember much of it, but the one thing that stuck out was Nina wiping her forehead with a damp cloth like Mom used to.
So yeah, Nina. She loved her.
She got better and things got back to normal. Except for one thing. She noticed that at times she could make people do things. It was funny. She got two girls she hated to kiss these incredibly ugly guys in front of everyone at school. Everyone laughed.
She also noticed there were times she could actually move things with her mind. That came later. You can believe she had fun with that! Distractions at the store came easy then.
She didn't know why she could do these things....nor did she care. Nina told her to hide it, when she found it. To be careful. She had been freaked. And she did try, honest.
It was just so easy tho.
Still time went by. At 18 someone stopped her in a cafe she was waitressing at. A scouter. And thus, she found herself introduced to the world of modelling.
She started at the bottom. All new girls did. But she had drive and ambition. And her tricks came in handy to often give her an edge.
At times, looking at the shots, seeing a campaign with her in it, she smiled triumphantly. Who was the outsider now?
5'6
120 pounds
Model, fit frame
Piercing blue eyes
Rena was the youngest in a family of outsiders. Romani, so, of course they were looked down on as shiftless thieves and troublemakers across Europe. Traveling so often didn't didn't help either. There were others they came across, but clan and family alliances and heirarchies kept them from any real connections.
Well that and one thing that made them even more alone in the world. Mom and dad's dumb stories about the Atharim whatevers, with their supposed job to hunt down boogeymen. It was not something they were to talk to anyone about, even if her parents didn't really seem to be big believers. They just wanted to avoid standing out.
And Rena knew none of it was real anyway.
What was real was being poor. Was being picked on and made fun of. Was always looking from the darkness into a world that had said you didnt belong. That you had no place.
And Rena wanted to belong. She'd beg, steal or borrow enough money to find the shoes or skirt or blouse the cool girls had. Or just steal them outright, if she could.
But it never seemed to work. She'd be wearing her outfit, proud after checking herself in the mirror. And then she'd catch a sideways glance, or maybe a sneer. Or find that the style had changed.
And so there she'd be. Always too late to the party. Always not enough.
Outside. Always outside.
But Mom and Dad loved her. She knew that. And she did love them even if she resented them. And her big sister Nina. The perfect daughter, who she loved and hated, envied and wanted to be.
At last, though, they settled down in Moscow and Rena felt like maybe she could be normal. The neighboorhood was poor, but that just meant everyone else was too. None of them could afford things.. So that eased some of the pressure.
And the boys were so cute. So tough and raw, rough stubble on their chin. She was only 14 but already she had noticed them all standing- or squating- in their tracksuits, badass and cool. The girls who ran with them were just as cool.
And she was dreamy eyed. Especially for one. Ahh, he was something. She thought about him every night, hoping he'd notice her, even though he was older. He was funny and always so sweet and friendly with them all. She'd see him at school and evemtually he let her tag along with his buddies. Poor dumb Rena. Head always in the clouds. She didn't even see until it was too late.
Her stupid sister had stolen him. She was already in her 20s!! And he was only 18. Why did Nina have to get everything?! She had cried when she saw them kissing in the abandoned lot, her on his lap, the fire in the drum giving off heat- not to warm themselves. Heat to drive her away. Nina!!
And then Mom and Dad died and she was devastated. It wasn't that she and mom had long talks or that she was daddy's girl. They were far too busy just trying to make a living.
But they still had been her parents. And she missed them. And it didn't help that Nina suddenly started like SHE was mom! And now she had to see Bas there all the time.
But no....she did love Nina. She wasn't blind. She might get up for drink of water in the middle of the night and there she'd be, studying. Or going over bills. Or just sitting there, staring off into space, looking exhausted. That happened a lot especially after she and Bas broke up. Rena never really understood why.
By then, she had moved on from him too. Plenty of other boys who liked her. But Nina'd look so tiny and weak sitting despite her height and the tattoos. And Rena would come up and hug her, give her the glass and hold her hand for a little while.
She did love her sister. She just...she just wanted her own life. It made her crazy.
And the gopniks began to hold less interest for her anyway. There were others in the neighborhood. Soon Rena found her own clique of friends. She'd sneak out late at night only to find Nina, face angry, to yell at her when she'd come home. Didn't mean she'd stop though.
Occasionally, she'd head to the markets. No, Romani weren't taught to steal from childhood like peope always said. It was just that she had learned to blend in. And her hands were quick. Or maybe a boy was watching the store. She was 17. She knew the effect her smile had on them, how to look at them just the right way, to touch her lips with her tongue- the list went on and on, all the easy ways to distract, to steal or to get something for free. And maybe, if they were cute they'd get a kiss too. No sense in not having a bit of fun.
Occasionally it backfired. And when it did, it was bad. Nina tried to smooth things over. And maybe some of Rena's gopnik friends might help make the problem go away.
One time, a woman caught her and had called the police. It was too late for Rena to get help or escape. The woman's sister and daughter held her. In that moment something happened. She felt light headed and warm, the women's voices fading in her mind. "Please, just let me go," she had said.
And they did! They just did. Her heart had been pounding as she ran home. The next few days she tried to be really good. And somehow got sick. Enough the Nina took time from work to care for her.
She didn't really remember much of it, but the one thing that stuck out was Nina wiping her forehead with a damp cloth like Mom used to.
So yeah, Nina. She loved her.
She got better and things got back to normal. Except for one thing. She noticed that at times she could make people do things. It was funny. She got two girls she hated to kiss these incredibly ugly guys in front of everyone at school. Everyone laughed.
She also noticed there were times she could actually move things with her mind. That came later. You can believe she had fun with that! Distractions at the store came easy then.
She didn't know why she could do these things....nor did she care. Nina told her to hide it, when she found it. To be careful. She had been freaked. And she did try, honest.
It was just so easy tho.
Still time went by. At 18 someone stopped her in a cafe she was waitressing at. A scouter. And thus, she found herself introduced to the world of modelling.
She started at the bottom. All new girls did. But she had drive and ambition. And her tricks came in handy to often give her an edge.
At times, looking at the shots, seeing a campaign with her in it, she smiled triumphantly. Who was the outsider now?