( ataraxion application )

[tectus]

P L A Y E R   I N F O R M A T I O N
Your Name: Marie
OOC Journal: loftarasa
Under 18? If yes, what is your age?: Nope, 22
Email + IM: forgetwhatyouknow @ aim / hollowwithyou [at] gmail [dot] com
Characters Played at Ataraxion: N/A, but applying River Tam (perceptum) this round also.

C H A R A C T E R   I N F O R M A T I O N
Name: Octavia Blake
Canon: The 100
Original or Alternate Universe: OU
Canon Point: Post-mid season finale (2.08)
Number: RNG me!

Setting: radiation fuelled madness with a little bit of space / with a series summary / and a handy character specific link, too
History:

On the Ark there is a one child rule. It makes sense: oxygen is limited, supplies are tight, and they can't afford an overpopulation problem. As such, the breaking of this law (as with the breaking of all laws) is punishable by death, and the officials take it very, very seriously. Between random checks and ID cards, no one manages to keep these things under wraps for very long. In 2133 CE, Ark Year 81, Octavia Blake was born. She was Aurora Blake's second child. When the discovery of your existence means death for the woman who brought you into this world, it follows suit that your life would be spent largely shrouded in secrecy. Octavia literally lived under the floor, for the inspections at least, and for the first sixteen years she literally only interacted with her mother and older brother. Rough. Still, even if the teen years made that isolation a little more difficult to swallow, at least she was alive. More than anything she wanted to see the outside of the small quarters that the Blake family lived in. With her brother landing a job as part of the guard, that opportunity finally came shortly before her sixteenth birthday.

Every year the ark would hold a 'Unity Day celebration' commemorating the day where the 12 space stations joined together to make one ship, and the youth were allowed to hold a themed dance. In Ark Year 96 this dance was a masquerade theme, and with Bellamy's position on the guard they finally thought Octavia could have an evening to be around people her own age. The masks would come off at midnight, but she would be home by then. For a while it worked out too, she got to dance and laugh like a real kid. For a while everything was just like she'd dreamed - and then an unplanned solar flare changes things. The lights went on and the masks came off, and the guard caught her. Bellamy lost his job, Octavia was sent to prison, and their mother was floated for her crime. They lasted almost sixteen years - it was nearly a record.

After a year spent in juvenile lock up Octavia became part of the 100 sent to the Earth to see if it was inhabitable for human life once more. After finding out her brother snuck his way onto the Exodus ship, Octavia became the first Ark inhabitant to step foot on the ground - and was understandably ecstatic. A few of them set out towards Mount Weather - the place where their supplies are supposed to be - and Octavia goes along. After almost seventeen years held captive in one way or another, her chance to do something with her life was finally here. It backfired a little when she decided to be the first to take a little swim though, when some kind of giant snake-like creature promptly attacked her and meant she had to be saved by the other people on the mission. It wasn't enough to deter her, and she kept moving forward with them. Unfortunately that just meant she was there when the surviving inhabitants of the Earth that they'd previously thought non-existent attacked a member of the group for crossing the river. Jasper took a spear to the chest, and Octavia and the others had no choice but to make a break for it.

Left behind to recover from her wounds from the serpent while a group go out in search of Jasper, her brother left behind strict instructions to make sure Octavia couldn't a) leave the camp or b) get close to anyone ("Anyone who touches her answers to me"). Naturally that meant she did everything in her power to do both, finding a field of butterflies not too far from their camp. When another of the 100 discovered her there, she began to flirt with and eventually kissed him - just in time for her brother to catch them. He punished Atom for breaking his rules by tying him up in a tree for hours on end, and put an end to any budding relationship quickly. When a member of their group was killed, Octavia and Jasper were the ones who discovered the body. Octavia was one of the ones who aggravated the situation when they believed it was John Murphy (a particularly unpleasant delinquent), but later faltered along with many others when the real killer, a young girl, was discovered.

Tensions between her and her brother hit a new high when an emergency ship was sent from the Ark along with Raven Reyes, a mechanic working with a doctor and mother of one of the 100's leaders (Clarke Griffin) to find out if the Earth really was inhabitable. Bellamy snuck out to destroy any hope of communication, but Octavia followed him and during an argument found out he shot the Ark's Chancellor as way of paying for his spot on the ship. Furious, she stormed off, but on her way back to camp she stumbled and fell, knocking herself unconscious. When she awoke hours later, there was one of the Earth's natives, a Grounder, who brought her back to a cave to heal her wounds. Scared for her life, Octavia made a break for it the moment she can, but while the chaos of the Grounders fighting the group of 100 sent out to find her slowed her down, the Grounder who tried to help her initially caught up with her and took her back. Chained up, the camp members who found her (including her brother) reacted badly and tried to attack the Grounder, who retaliated by stabbing one and almost killing her brother too. They brought him back to the camp and began interrogating him to try and discover the antidote for the poisoned blade he used, but nothing worked until Octavia used the blade on herself to force him into revealing the antidote. She had to be the one to treat the Grounder's wound, which was when he revealed his name, Lincoln, to her.

Octavia let him go, and the two began a relationship of sorts. It was supposed to be a secret, but when one of the other campers discovered them their relationship was used to begin negotiations between the 100 and the Grounders. The plan was to send in just Clarke and the leader of the Grounders, a woman called Anya, but things didn't end up working out when both parties took more armed backup. The negotiations resulted in a firefight, and shortly after the Grounders began retaliation by sending in a banished member of their camp infected with a debilitating disease. Octavia was one of the people resistant to the strain, and Clarke took advantage of her relationship with Lincoln by sending Octavia to ask him for a cure. He asked her to run away with him instead - and she almost did - but when her brother came down with the same disease she decided to stay and broke off things with Lincoln, devastating them both. In a battle between the Grounders and the 100 Octavia fought with her people, but when she was hit by a poisoned arrow Lincoln took him with her instead, with Bellamy's blessing. He wanted to take her to the ocean, but the infection and spread of the poison in the wound worked too fast for him, forcing him instead to try to sneak into his old camp. Lincoln ended up being caught, and Octavia was forced to take a hostage to get him back. That plan backfired when Reapers, some of the other 'people' living on the Earth, kidnapped a handful of the Grounders, including Lincoln, but Octavia agreed to play bait to try and lure them back.

It didn't work, but Octavia seemed to have earned the grudging respect of some of the Grounders for the part she played in the recovery of some of their people, and Octavia was allowed to walk free. She found her people again, protecting her brother from an attack that came while they looked for signs of some of their missing friends. While she had been with the Grounders, the 100 had won the war, but a good portion of them had been kidnapped by the 'Mountain Men' (as called by the Grounders) and the ark had successfully landed on the surface of the Earth, reuniting them with the old population. After Clarke made it back from the mountain and told them that the Reapers were actually Grounders who had been experimented on in Mount Weather Octavia went with the group to try and recover Lincoln, who had already gone too far down the treatment.

She was there when they tried to bring him off of the drugs given to turn people into crazed killers, and stayed while Clarke went to use this possibility of treatment into brokering a final truce with the Grounders. Although Lincoln died for a few moments, they brought him back with a shock to the heart. It wasn't enough to make a total peace with the Grounders though, and they demand Finn, one of the 100, be brought to their camp for execution (While Clarke had been missing, he massacred 18 of their people hunting for her, including some Grounders that had become Octavia's friends). Octavia was one of the many watching at the fence as Clarke went in for a last attempt at saving Finn's life, and she watched as Clarke made the decision to give Finn a quick and painless death, It's at that point that Octavia is pulled to the Tranquility.

Personality:

❝ how is someone raised beneath the floor not a total basket case? ❞

All things considered, Octavia Blake has grown up remarkably well adjusted. Given that her only human interaction for almost sixteen years came from her mother and brother, it would be expected for her to be far more issue-ridden than she presents. Of course, that isn't to say that it's clear sailing for Octavia either. If there's anything that makes her less-than-normal formative years obvious it's her childish need to rebel. While this is something she begins to grow out of as the series progresses and circumstances necessitate it, the early days of her freedom are almost defined by this naive need to act out. She goes off on a dangerous mission just because she can, wanders out of camp to explore despite seeing someone get speared only days earlier, even deliberately trying to provoke arguments with her brother in retaliation for his attempts to curb her behaviour. The petty desire to define herself comes in large parts from the utter lack of definition throughout her childhood - after all, it's pretty hard to develop any personal sense of self when anything that can define you is removed from your environment. Without any external influences prior to being part of the 100 delinquents sent from the Ark, the freedom that Earth offers proves far too much for her to resist.

As a youth of less than seventeen as of her arrival time, it is also fair to assume that this natural tendency to rebel can be chalked up simply to age - given that she does seem to mostly grow out of it over the course of the season - especially considering this is the first time her rebellion hasn't carried a life sentence with it (or mostly, anyway). What teenager wouldn't push back against the rigid rules of an overprotective brother and overly cautious co-leader? For the first time in her life Octavia Blake has the chance to live, and God does she grab that chance with both hands.

❝ we're back, bitches! ❞

With that rebellion comes a naivety. With sixteen years under the floor and an additional year in prison, Octavia hasn't seen a lot of anything, and though all of the 100 are naturally amazed by the new environment of Earth, everything is new to Octavia. It isn't hard to see why she is the one to wander off despite the obvious dangers their new home presents, and the look of pure wonder on her face as she finds herself surrounded by the wildlife (the butterflies, not the deadly serpents that bit her) are a stark reminder of that innocence she still possesses. It is a quality often forgotten in Octavia, one she tries to disguise with overly flirty mannerisms and a short temper (mostly when concerning her brother), but even as things get progressively worse for the 100 she retains this. Where in the early days her innocence presents itself as a wonder and amazement of the world around them, it later shines through in her trust and belief in the good in people.

❝ ai laik okteivia kom skaikru. ❞

Her relationship with the Grounder, Lincoln, is a perfect example of this. When they first meet she is understandably desperate to escape, assuming the worst after the rocky start her people have had with his. Despite this, she is quick to change her mind as she starts to understand that he is helping her, and by the time the group sent out to find her reach Lincoln's hide out she is already quick to defend him and his actions. Even when the life of one of the 100 is on the line Octavia is one of the only one to remain staunchly against torturing Lincoln, and after she uses their connection to save Finn's life she releases him in secret - directly going against her brother's very clear wishes for the sake of returning Lincoln's kindness.

Octavia is the first (and so far only) of the 100 to enter a relationship with one of the Grounders, and through her connection to Lincoln she ends up interacting with more of them on a far deeper level than any of her other people. When he is kidnapped Octavia enters the camp to try and negotiate a trade, and though they do not condone her actions it is clear that the Grounders come to respect her bravery - particularly the way she steps up and saves their leader while on the path of searching for Lincoln. It is Octavia who seems most affected by the massacre of the Grounders, moved to tears over one of the bodies, and if the new hairstyle she sports upon reunion with her brother is anything to go by, they've passed a couple of trade (or style) secrets onto her by the time she leaves them.

❝ you always want to play the big brother, huh? ❞

Ultimately the most important relationship in her life will always be her brother, though. Even though she has proven a willingness to go against his requests and wishes when she truly believes he is wrong, their life has all but revolved around one another. While this makes for a rather unhealthy co-dependency that leaves them both vulnerable to poor decision making and irrationality at times, it is noted several times throughout the series that several other characters are envious of the kind of bond that Bellamy and Octavia share. No one else from the Ark has siblings, and the Blake's share a relationship unique solely to them. it is shown time and time again that they would do just about anything for one another, risking life and limb to keep the other safe. While Bellamy tends to lock down into overprotective mode the moment he perceives a threat (read as: anyone within 10 feet of his sister) and Octavia practically jumps at the chance to push those boundaries he tries to set for her, it is very clear that deep down they love each other unconditionally, and nothing is too much to break their bond. After all, they've both made some pretty unpleasant choices since arriving on Earth.

That isn't to say that they always get along. in fact they can be outright vicious towards one another when rubbed the wrong way. Their particular brand of short-temperedness manifests itself in insults thrown far too fast that are nearly impossible to take back, and at one point they even both go as far as to blame their mother's death on one another, a fight that clearly takes an emotional toll on both of them. Some things just shouldn't be said, even when angry, and that is a line that really, never should have been crossed. Rough as it is, they do make up with time, heartfelt apologies ("I told you my life ended the day you were born, the truth is, it didn't start until then") and the inconvenient circumstance of being forced in each other's space every day, because it's a little hard to ignore someone who lives only a few feet from you. It does happen though, and eventually their relationship falls back into it's usual rhythm - i.e. Octavia doing everything in her power to do what she wants and her brother's exasperated attempts to try and keep her under control and alive.

❝ sometimes i wish i was never even born. ❞

Perhaps the reason why that fight is so tough on them both though, is because deep down both of the Blake siblings feel that the death of their mother falls squarely on their own shoulders. For Bellamy, it was his job to keep his sister secret and safe and he can't help but feel he has failed, and for Octavia...well, Octavia was born. Her whole time in prison was spent acutely aware of the fact that her mother was executed for making the choice to keep her, and she knows all too well that were it not for her existence her mother would still be alive. Self loathing is practically the Blake way, and Octavia is no exception - though her tendencies are far less destructive than her brother's, and ultimately she can see past the loss of her mother. Perhaps part of that is due to her tendency to avoid issues in favour of helping the people around her and focusing on just about anything else, but for whatever reason she is far better at coping with self-hatred than her older brother.

Octavia Blake is a complicated one, alright. In some ways she very much acts her age; this sheltered, naive little teenager that's barely begun to grow into herself, and then at other times she seems smarter than half the people around her. She's barely had a chance to interact with humans her whole life, and yet the moment she is presented with an opportunity to show compassion it is remarkable how large her heart can be. Since arriving on Earth her life has been nothing but one trial after the other, one tragic circumstance to follow the next, and yet she still manages to find it in her heart to believe in the best of people. For a lifetime shrouded in secrecy and constant proven cruelty, she is remarkably prone to showing mercy when others might not. Octavia Blake isn't a basket case, she's brave and stupid, irrational and intelligent, and she'll be damned if she lets whatever curveballs life throws at her take any of that away.

❝ and bravery is always rewarded. ❞

Abilities, Weaknesses and Power Limitations:

For all intents and purposes Octavia is a regular human being. Being born and brought up in space, her resistance to radiation is significantly higher than your average person, but beyond that there isn't any significant biological differences. While on the ground Octavia has picked up some important survival and basic first aid skills, including some hand to hand and weapon-based fighting skills that has made her able to stand her own in the tough terrain on Earth. (Also, she's well on her way to becoming bilingual?)

Inventory:

➡ one (1) machete
➡ this outfit (not pictured: tough guy boots)
➡ one of the (now useless) wristbands that the 100 were given to track their vitals on earth (pictured here

Appearance:

Played by Marie Avgeropoulos, Octavia is for all intents and purposes your 'average' TV teen - thin, pretty, with long brown hair and light green eyes. She stands around a similar height as the other girls she was sent to Earth with, 5'5", and has started to wear her hair in an intricate braided fashion that is, honestly, pretty similar looking to Legolas in the Lord of the Rings films. (I don't think they have those in space, but who knows). Given the nature of their life, she's always more than a little grimy and bloody these days, and has very quickly stopped being so concerned with her personal appearance as a result. Don't expect that to last with the introduction of running water and hot showers, though.

(seriously though it's ridiculous)

Age: 17

S A M P L E S
Log Sample:

She feels terrible.

The place they've ended up is crazy, Octavia would be the first to admit that. It seems almost cruel to dump a handful of the 100 back in space when they've fought so hard for their little patch of land on earth, but sometimes when it's quiet and she has time to think - really think - about what they've gone through there...this ship doesn't seem all that bad. People die back home, people get forced into making terrible decisions they've never wanted to make. At least on the Tranquility she's never had to watch someone mercy kill someone they loved.

She should want to go home. They aren't all up here, there's still people on the ground who need their help, and even if this theory falls true about them 'returning to the exact same time they left' or whatever, the thought of the survivors at home living without Bellamy to lead, Clarke to fix things, it's a grim image. So she's selfish, yes, but can anyone really blame her? This place isn't like the Ark, there's gardens. There's oxygen, real oxygen and not that poor, stale imitation of air. There's space like she couldn't have dreamed of on the Ark, and more importantly - she's free, without restraints. It's selfish, but after all they've been through, haven't they earned the right to be a little selfish? Don't they deserve some time to be able to breathe freely, without running for their lives. The Tranquility isn't perfect by any means, but it feels easier right now.

A noise jumps Octavia out of her train of thought though, and when her brother asks what's on her mind she just swallows thickly and gives a little smile.

"Nothing, just...thinking about home."

He doesn't need to know. He doesn't need to find out that she's dreading the thought of being sent back. He doesn't need to know just how selfish his little sister has become.

Comms Sample:

So, listen.

[ octavia loves the network a little too much, it has to be said, but she isn't really one for making announcements of her own. part of that is not having anything to say, part of that is trying to subtly use it as a way of getting a read on other people - and in turn not revealing too much about herself. enough time has passed though, and she has a plan for getting to know a little more dirt on the people she's stuck with up here in space, and she's done a lot of prep work for her first transmission.

she's prettied herself up, no sign of the girl that had tumbled out of the grav pod hyperventilating. all that was left to resemble that girl was the scars across her cheek and slightly split lip. she's all smiles as the video switches on, and she starts the feed with a little wave. ]

I've been here for what- [ she pauses briefly as though counting on her fingers before shrugging casually and continuing ] some time now, and I've just realised I've never had a really good chance to get to know any of you. Ridiculous, right? So I was thinking, let's play a little game. Truth, truth, lie, you've probably heard of it. It'll be fun, right?

[ she pauses to dig into her bag and pull out an unmarked bottle, and she shakes it a little before directing her attention back to the feed. ]

If you need a little encouragement, I've got a little of Monty's moonshine to loosen people's tongue. Come see what us Sky People drink to have fun.

[ with a cheeky little grin, and a calculated wink that suggested just the right amount of flirty, she signs off. ]