Tell about a memory from childhood your character clings to. It doesn’t have to be a happy memory, but one that they seem to always remember or think about. Why do(es) your character(s) cling to it so much?
Raziel
He vividly remembers the night he left his home country. He and his brother were still young at the time (eight years old), and it had been a difficult decision for both of his parents. His father had insisted that he needed to stay, but would meet with the rest of his family later (but would never end up doing so, for reasons still unknown to Raziel), and his mother was torn between not wanting to leave him there alone and not wanting to keep their children in danger. At the time, nobody had explained the details of the situation to Raziel (both were activists and Assyrian, which gave them two reasons to be some of the first scapegoats when the threat of attacks from western countries began), so he mostly remembers the confusion of everything. It’s still such a vivid memory due to being both the first time he’d see his parents fight and the last time he’d see his father. He still sometimes hopes the promise of reuniting the family will come true, but also suspects that his father may not be alive anymore.
Serena
She’ll never forget when she met her first girlfriend. It was somewhat of a generic high school romance sort of deal; they hadn’t met before, but they were partners for a class project. She doesn’t remember anything about the project itself, but she vividly remembers Lilla’s smile and talking for hours about everything but the project, until they pulled together something passable at the last minute. It’s significant to her because, previous to their meeting, she’d never met someone who she’d been able to see herself in a romantic relationship, but she’s been a hopeless romantic ever since.
Do(es) your character(s) have any health problems, physical and/or mental? What do(es) your character(s) have to do to get treated if they’re getting treatment at all? How do(es) your character(s) deal with these problems?
Raziel
He has borderline personality disorder, but has been getting help for it. It took him a while to find adequate treatment since, despite having been hospitalized multiple times (almost always following a suicide attempt), due to having previously been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. The misdiagnosis (and subsequent trouble getting help) is partially because his actual disorder is heavily stigmatized, as well as considered rare among men (though lower diagnosis rates are due largely to men being discouraged from seeking help in the first place), but also because good therapists in general are hard to find. He’s been dealing with it relatively well, as far as increased self-awareness, managing his own symptoms, and setting and accepting interpersonal boundaries is concerned, but he has yet to accept that his symptoms aren’t going to go away entirely.
Serena
She’s healthy aside from the paralysis/neurological disorder she was born with. That’s being treated with nanomachines, as well as a medication that helps maintain them and regular checkups to make sure they’re still working properly. She doesn’t work out as often as her physical therapist recommends though, so she’s still more physically frail than the average person. Still, she’s living a full life despite her medical condition giving her occasional trouble.