Deanne Wayland

Backstory

Xe is an orphaned child, who was raised by a paid caretaker, and after barely finishing high school, xe was not interested in continuing with education, and planned on pursuing a creative career, while having a hobby of substituting for local Sunfall teams while they trained.

Xe was noticed by a trainer, a well known too hard on their students coach who could not keep a team that would satisfy them, known to everyone only as the Mentor, took a notice in xem, at age 22. Fairly late to start a carreer, but Mentor believed xe was talented enough.

At the time, Deanne lived in a one room apartment, had a lot of friends attending colleges, and while hanging out with them, often met up and had one night stands with the jocks. (not the best reasons for it either, xe could see they were closeted enough to not talk about xyr slutiness to xyr friends) One of these friends in a vaguely familial friend group brought in their friend, Nathan. The two became closer, and Deanne would often invite Nathan to their current team's training or local small tournaments.

The team at the time consisted of Kaleb, Adam, Deanne, Jack and Milan, people plucked out by the Mentor. They named the team Azure Flare.
Jack, their flamewarden, found more and more excuses to not make it to team training, and Mentor suggested for Nate to try, he's watched enough to understand the basics, and talent can only be discovered when you try it. Jack was eventually asked to leave the team, which was a relief to him seeing as he did not find enjoyment in Sunfall.
Mentor was borderline obsessed with Deanne, seeing xem as a prodigy and as their star child, posing as parent figure and manipulating xem into trusting them whenever xe would doubt their decisions. They dubbed Deanne team captain, as their Elementalist.

After Nate joined the team, team got better, and started to dominate local tournaments. Winning 8 out of 10 matches, they got into minor league, and started being more and more recognized and seen.

Mentor's health declined, and Deanne was sent to confront them to leave them coachless, an independent team with only the captain leading. Mentor did not take it well, and left them in grudge, saying they would find out the mistake they've done and come crawling to them. In the end even accusing Deanne of not being capable enough to be an independent captain.

Deanne, while somewhat hurt and disturbed by Mentor's remark, was humble and self aware enough to pass the torch of being the captain to the Lightweaver, Adam, as they are known to be the strategists and planners of teams. Adam was talented and naturally grew into respected leader. Their new team name would be Azure Phoenix.

Nate became regular Flamewarden, and his feelings with Deanne deepened, and they made their relationship official.

After Milan's accident, they needed a new Sentinel. Adam had a friend who knew a friend, and through connections, Stephanie was recruited. She joined the team as a try-out, and her synergy with Adam and Deanne was evident, and her joining was smooth and natural. Deanne remarked xe must've met her before, as she attended and graduated with impressive medals from the fitness university where lot of star Sunfall players attend, and where Deanne would date around a lot, and have friend groups in.

Azure Phoenix took every tournament, climbing faster than ever seen, almost surpassing the skill and visibility of Mentor, crawling away from their label as Mentor's team, into their own unique style. Dean, despite not being captain anymore, was the face and representative of the team, often invited to interviews, meetings, events, sometimes alongside Adam, sometimes alone or with Nate (though only as partner, not recognized for his own part in the team as significant enough)

Kaleb eventually got sick of it, and showed his true feelings to the team, jealous and deeply resentful of Deanne and xyr popularity, all the way since xe was favoured by Mentor. He left the team, at their height.

New Guardian needed to be recruited, and they did not know a single one that was not in a team yet, as one of the most vital team members who require synergy with entire team, they did not sub often.

Ciarán was absent for a lot of time when graduates are recruited, due to their surgery and general complications with either health, or their autism and mannerisms which turned off many people.

Adam and Deanne, the scouts for new party member, in equal parts not that turned off by their personality as other seemed to be, but also very desperate for new team member, invited Ciarán to a training session.

He was extremely talented, a new star in the making, and got signed immediately. Soon they would find out, they'd need way more training to adjust their playstyles.

Events of the Story

Deanne is 26 during the worst tournament season of xyr career.