Calliope Alvara

27 / she/her / former model / Cal

History

A young girl fresh into adulthood, having no apparent family and nothing to her name other than the clothes on her back, somehow caught the eye of a high brand designer and rose to fame almost overnight through the natural talent she displayed. Despite the sudden fame however, the girl remained diligent and humble, never forgetting where she came from. The gratitude and loyalty towards her benefactor, velda glaus , and the subsequent public appearances and charities she attends to help raise more funds aids in maintaining a good public figure, and the masses love her for it.

Always striving to do better, Calliope managed to juggle a hectic work life, pokémon training, and her private life without ever mingling them; as such, few people knew of what she did in private if she didn't want them to know. One such examples being her love life; and the woman of her dreams that the world had no idea about existed. Her girlfriend was an up-and-coming lawyer in Unova, and was intending to fly her over to Hoenn once they were ready to announce their love to the public. That time would never come however; late 2019 an emergency phone call from her girlfriend prompted Calliope to depart for Unova within a heartbeat, and aside from a handful of people knowing her whereabouts, she disappeared.

For three years the world would have no idea where Calliope Alvara had gone, leaving a void many decided to fill with rumours. Rumours that spun out of control, but those who knew were forced to let them be upon Cal's request. December 2022 Cal suddenly returns, entirely unannounced, taking the catwalk by storm during one of House of Glaus' fashion shows, announcing to the world she's back once more. And how she did; picking up the threads of her life as if she'd never left, never discerning any details about her disappearance other than the telltale 'needed a hard-earned break away from the spotlight'. Soon enough the rumours would die down, none the wiser, but all too happy to see 'The Caldera of House of Glaus' back in action.



Calliope would never tell the world what had transpired those three years. How she'd arrived in Unova late at night, frantically trying to get her girlfriend Emma on the phone. How the line had been cut dead at the very moment Emma had said she didn't feel safe after the discovery she'd made. About the panic she felt as she raced back to their apartment, and the uncontrolable anguish, when she found her girlfriend's lifeless body -murdered- inside.

Had the Unovan police -in their inability to find any trace of the perpetrator- not ruled it a robbery with homicide, Calliope would've never done what she had. If they weren't going to find Emma's murderer, she would. In those years she was gone, Calliope exerted every of her legal options to hunt the culprit down, eventually pinpointing their location in Kanto, and their potential ties to Hoenn's League. Not knowing how far, or true, the culprit's ties ran, she sees no other option; in order to get her revenge she settles for a daring plan and makes preparations to catch Team Rocket's attention. All involving an underground fighting ring, espionage, and the self-destructive will to put anything on the line for her vengeance.

Starting with her return to Hoenn.

The Past Unspoken

Calliope's memories are a blur before her 6th birthday. She does not remember a father, nor a mother, no brothers or sisters to call her own. No friends. All she remembers are the streets; some say she hails from Kanto, others from Galar, and that her 'life' truly begun when Rocket took her off said streets and into their embrace. One cannot blame a child for taking any kind of attention as kindness when it knew nothing of affection. She seemed set for a better life with Rocket; a roof over her head, fed and clothed, actual human interaction that did not look at her like she was filth.

Back then she did not know that the look they gave her was not kindness, but amusement. Amusement at the obliviousness of the toy they'd picked up. Calliope would realise when the first experiments started that Dmitri Volkov's 'affection' had only been a ruse. Years and years she'd be subjected to his scrutiny and experimentations, each one more inhumane than the last. Unlucky enough to survive every single one of them and come out on top. His favorite toy had been poison and ink, exposed to it to such an extent that her body would grow accustomed to it. Until it craved for it.

It was his way to control her. When she came of age to be properly useful she was drafted into Rocket, a minor still, but so riddled with fear that she did not dare step out of line. Until he let go of her. His attention waned, and with adulthood nearing she took her chance and broke her chains, leaving Rocket behind in the dead of night. No-one hunted her down. Weeks, months, and eventually years passed, but none came to reclaim her, nor to punish her for her defiance. Calliope thought herself free from her shackles at long last; not knowing Dmitri had just let her.

Because it was more fun to crush someone full of hope, rather than a boring fearful child too scared to disobey.

Dmitri Volkov was all but finished toying with her.

Personality

Calliope used to be a kind and gentle soul, caring, hard-working, and never taking anything for granted. Although she's secretive about her past, she's all the more outgoing about her present life, and loves to chat up with anyone. She has an extreme sense of loyalty and will not soon forget a favor done to her, always repaying them in full as soon as she is able. Cal's never forgets her humble origins, and is very supportive to those who need it. To many she may appear happy-go-lucky, always wearing a chipper smile on her face. But that is nothing more than the perfect mask she wears, for the grief and anger she feels aren't allowed to see the light of day. Not now. And maybe not ever.

Update: Her mask has fallen off entirely. Although she mostly remains stoic, the moments she remains chipper and happy-go-lucky are exceedingly rare. When sober, Calliope is an agreeable person to be around; albeit the occasional snide comment, she might actually seem to care when you aren't looking or paying attention. She just doesn't share. When having ingested poison, Calliope falls into a drunken-like state; her emotions are heightened and she falls victim to them more often than not, both the good and the bad seem to reign, and she can jump from one emotion to another almost instantly. The more poison or toxins she's ingested, the more unstable she gets, which may cause rather problematic moments.

Currently only exhibited during the Battle of Sootopolis, when having severely overdosed Calliope falls into a state of ataraxia; the worries of the world slink away and what's left is an eerie calm bereft of mortal misery. What remains is the perfect killing mode.

Misc. Information

✵ Fairly little is known about Cal's past, and she likes to leave it that way
✵ Has a secret talent for music and singing
✵ Is an avid pole-dancer, uses it to keep in her body in top shape, and posts how-to, tutorial, and routine videos on her social media about it
✵ Was jokingly nicknamed 'The Caldera' in the fashion world, but somehow the name stuck and became her monniker
✵ USed to attend charities, mostly to help them net in more funds
✵ The Gossifleur & Snom in her team are her late lover's
✵ Her tattoos were made with toxic ink, giving her a decent immunity to most poisons
✵ Used to have an underground fighting ring, but has passed it down to focus on her Rocket training
✵ Has developed a love for Shadow pokémon
✵ Her current addiction to poison and toxins has become increasingly problematic (will be solidified post-war)

Plot Hooks

Bloodied Avenger
She’s dead-set on finding her lover’s killer, and will do anything to get her revenge, becoming judge, jury, and executioner, since the local authorities ruled it a robbery with homicide and closed the case, much to her disdain. The true culprit is already predetermined (jayden cross 's father Dmitri Volkov, with permission), but she is entirely unaware of this. Her ties to Rocket have been cemented by her loyalty to Cillian Quinn and jayden cross , but I'd like for her to bond with more people. People that could potentially aid her in her search for vengeance, or help her become stronger and more ruthless.


Researching the Toxic Chain Phenomenon
Since the surfacing of Toxic Chain pokémon, and the stories of those that returned from the Prismatic Prison Incident, Calliope has grown increasingly interested in the phenomenon, and more specifically, the type of poison coming from the toxic chain. Although her interest blooms from selfishness, Calliope is trying to understand the effects Toxic Chains and prolonged exposure could have on pokémon, but mostly humans. Her true goal; to harness and extract the poison from the Toxic Chain and use it for herself.


Familiar Taste of Poison
This contains two segments; a part that helps build and encourage her addiction, and a part that stands with her when she finally tries to fight it and break free from its chains.

Currently, and in the forseeable future, Calliope's plot and story will be heavily dictated by her poison addiction. Willfully experimenting on herself, or subjecting herself to those of others to fulfill her cravings. Threads digging into the mindset she develops while under its influence, and the consequences when she goes too far and loses control.

But also to establish ties, friendships, and relationships that will help her through her darkest days when she hits rock bottom, during her moments of clarity when her actions come back to haunt her. When she finally decides to fight back against the cravings that have been plaguing her and goes into rehab.


Closure
Although the death of her girlfriend is still one of her biggest drives, Calliope has finally reached a point where her grief no longer encompasses her entire life. Looking for someone she can confide in; for flings as she treads romantic waters again, or a budding romance, where she learns to open herself up again after having lost that one good thing that kept her from falling apart.