About Braythorne

(Facts)

**Braythorne is the fictional setting in which the main protagonist, Serenity (Serena) Jack has lived for most of her life until Darien Column and the Will's appearance.

**The people of Braythorne form a close-knit community in this rural town dominated by farming, and almost everyone knows the other's business.

**Braythorne has one high school – Braythorne High – as well as a middle school, elementary and small kindergarten.

**The closest school out of town is precisely 100 miles away, causing most parents to stick to the facilities closest to them.

**The town newspaper, the Kettle Corn, catches all the happenings that occur; ranging in anything from gossip to farming tips. They, will keep you informed!

Original Characters (O.C's)

Mr. Lewis: A portly, kind, but often overeager middle-aged man is Braythorne High's head principal. With a burning passion for his profession and students, he adores his students and niece, Hanna.

Professor Hopkins: Serenity's history professor takes education very seriously and is strict in disciplining his students. We don't see him much after Chapter 5.

Mrs. Hampton: Serenity's English teacher abhors it when students nod off or so much as fall into dazes and is impassioned about her profession, convinced that knowledge is key. She often gave Serenity a hard time, but only because she wanted her to succeed. Remember her from Chapter 5?

Hanna Lawrence: Has red hair too, and is Mr. Lewis's niece. Hanna is probably the most influential of the three girls who take up bullying Serenity, but with no real backbone necessary to stand up to Trisha she becomes a minion instead of anything more. She thinks more for herself than Darcie, but is a whiner whenever she doesn't get her way. Having the principle for an uncle exempts her from serving most of her punishments, but she isn't much deeper than an inflatable pool personality wise.

Trisha: Has long red hair, and is definitely the self-appointed leader of the Three Flaming Reds as I have taken to calling them! Trisha has lived in Braythorne all of her life and is a spiteful, shallow and easily envious eighteen year old who incites Raye into going after Darien and wining him back, not because the two are good friends or even remotely close, but rather because Trisha enjoys playing up the drama. She has a crush on Darien and when Serenity marries him she reverts to elementary mean-girl antics. Wherever there is drama expect this character to be somewhere close if not behind it all.

Darcie Utilie: With coppery red hair much like her friends, she is more of a follower and with no real mind of her own. Darcie worships the ground Trisha walks and would do anything to stay in her graces. The appearance of this character will be limited.

Prince: Is a Romanian cook working at Column Estate and very loyal to his benefactors. Prince offers comedic relief in times of thick tension, a portly man always with a ready smile and delicious dishes. He is kind to Serenity and makes her more at home in the estate, teaching and offering advice about her mysterious new home.

Mara Daye: An original character and one of Serena's oldest and closer friends. Mara is a sensitive girl very much in love with poetry, her large brown eyes that take up most of her face often found reading volumes of good literary for hours, brown hair falling just a few inches past the shoulder covering most of her small face as she loses herself in the words of books. Mara is tentative in her decisions, intelligent and council president; the book worm among her friends she is always ready to offer advice through the use of quirky and famous quotes. In the beginning of Bliss she and Serena are close, but after her marriage to Darien the two drift apart.

Recall her from chapter four when O.C's: Trisha, Hanna Lawrence and Darcie Utilie bullied Serena about her impending marriage to Darien. Unsure of what to do at the time and hurt that her friend hadn't let her in on the news first, Mara simply stood back, leaving Serena to fend for herself. The status of their friendship is still unknown as during the following days Serena was married and then whisked away to Column Estate, hundreds of miles from Braythorne, before anything could be resolved. Stay tuned for a future appearance from this character!

Chris Jack (grandfather): Is a lively old man very much in love with his family. Chris's medical problems prevent him from working the farm like he used to so the majority of the time he spends gardening and tending to the animals with his granddaughter, Serenity or playing sports with his grandson, Sammy. He believes strongly in honouring promises and ends up helping Darien see how important savouring moments in life are. Chris is also the one who ultimately convinces Serenity that there is more to the Column's than meets the eye and to accept the proposal. To protect his granddaughter, he would give anything.

Timothy Column (deceased): Similarly to his friend, Chris, Timothy believed in carrying out promises to the full and was a strong man, true to his word until the end of his days. He and Chris promise their grandchildren to one another and Timothy sees that this promise is kept through the aid of his Will. A loving man, his death is still remembered and greatly mourned.

Shelly Column: Aiden's wife and the first Column bride; beautiful and kind, she is determined to uphold the reputation of her family no matter the cost, and is willing to accept no less from her daughter-in-law. She ensures that Serenity is trained and groomed into the poised woman she later becomes.

Shelly is somewhat a confidant to Serenity, but she never truly lets her guard down around anyone and can be described as a pessimist, always expecting the very worst and planning ahead to meet trouble she believes is always impending.

Aiden Column: Is the main reason his son is so cold. The man is characteristically unemotional and very aloof, never making much time from his family and always focussed on advancing the Column business. He can be harsh and brooding, but overall proves to harbour good intentions; the reason behind his aloofness will be revealed in upcoming chapters. Stay patient!

Jed Column (deceased): Was the prior Director of Operations before Aidan, and was an extremely driven man much like his brother. Jed died prematurely of a car accident.

Little known fact: Jed never let go of what he wanted and took Jessica as his wife, despite knowing of her relationship with his brother and used his higher position as well as Jessica's weakness for power to lure her to his side. It is not wrongly assumed that his cunning is passed on to his son, Link.

Link Diamond: The foil to Yul's character in the manhwa and Prince Diamond from the Sailor Moon series. Remember Prince Diamond, (Prince Demando), from the Black moon? Yeah, think way crazier than that! Link is in love with Serenity even originally supposed to be engaged to her; however with the passing of his father, he was denied that right along with his title. Initially he is uninterested in his cousin's bride or the family name and what it endows, but after meeting her and further coaxing from his mother, Jessica, he decides to take back what was once his.

Jessica Column Diamond: Speaking of villainous...Jessica Diamond is the late wife of Jed Column and is a scheming and often selfish woman, her only loves being her son and the coveted head position at Column industries. She is furious that her son's heritage was snatched from him, constantly scheming and stopping at nothing to regain it no matter whom she hurts. Jessica is determined to take back what was once hers.

With a penchant for all things Chanel and Gucci, it is a wonder that her expenditures have not run both her and Link into destitution.

Familiar Characters

(From the Manga and Anime)

Serenity Jack (Ren, Serena): Has grown up living on her grandfather's farm all of her life. She is a spunky, bubbly and strong-willed seventeen year old deeply in love with her parents, grandfather (Chris Jack), brother and friends. Serenity is described by most as a tomboy with delightfully girlish quirks. Growing up on the Jack farm has made her tougher than most her age, but at the end of the day she is still a girl with very little experience with boys or strange people she hasn't grown up with. At times Serenity can be bold and outspoken, but experiences often moments of reflection during which she can be insecure, or self-conscious. Her character is unpredictable and at times she can be brash, only considering the full effect of her actions only after they have been committed.

With a keen interest in fashion design and an avid love of food and all things culinary, Serena focused most of her energy in these subjects before her marriage to Darien Column, later sacrificing that part of her life in order to marry him and pull her family from drowning in debt.

Darien challenges everything she has ever known, pushing her to be the very best she can be and holding her to the highest possible standard. Serena is also known as Usagi Tsukino from the manga and anime, so think of her and expect the characters to be extremely alike; however I did mention my right to be creative with these characters is reserved, so also expect a little difference!

Sammy Jack (Tsukino Shingo): Serenity's younger brother, Sammy is mischievous as he is handsome. He loves his sister immensely and is in his second year of high school. Later, Sammy falls for Raye, who unbeknownst to him is using their relationship to ruin that of Serenity and Darien's.

Sammy is suspicious of Darien because he believes that no one but he can take care of his sister the way she truly deserves, and the two do not become close until later in the story.

Tracy Jack (Serena's mother, Tsukino Ikuko): Is a part-time stay at home mom and mother to both Serena and Sammy, fiercely protective of both her children. She is a strict and beautiful woman who pushes Serena to try her best and to always try her best under every circumstance. Tracy is a kindergarten teacher and works at the local school.

Dwayne Jack (Serena's father, Tsukino Kenji): Serenity's father is a very giving man, but with few resources and means. He runs his father's farm, but does not earn nearly as much income as he once did before the majority of the town industrialized. In effort to support his family he borrows money from the local loan Sharks and quickly falls into debt. Part of the reason he agrees with his daughter's marriage is because the union will undoubtedly offer monetary relief. He isn't proud of his past decisions or the fact that he is at fault for his daughter's early marriage, but would do anything in an instant to support his loved ones.

Andrew Jonah (Furuhata Motoki): Darien's best and only friend, and yet to be introduced, Andrew owns a restaurant/café which Darien visits often; think of the Crown Game Centre from the anime/manga, but with a more refined Seattle touch. Friendly and down to earth, he is almost the exact opposite of his friend and that is possibly why they manage to get along so well. He easily takes to Serena and the two become quick friends; Andrew often will play devil's advocate with Darien and push his friend to see past his regimented ideals for money and power.

Darien Column (Chiba Mamoru): A cold and business-oriented man, Darien sees life as one big opportunity…to succeed. Strikingly handsome, he believes his money and looks will get him where he wants to go in life, and that is the very top. He often looks down on people lesser than himself and when his middle-class girlfriend, Raye Helm refuses to marry him, he is left shattered and even colder than before. The marriage he proposes to Serenity is solely for revenge-purposes, but slowly he sees that maybe there is more to the Odango girl than he first assumed, and possibly following the Will's orders may not be so horrible after all.

Amy Conroy (Mizuno Ami): As secretary to Darien, Amy makes certain everything is in check and in working order. She keeps him up-to-date on the company business, strategizing, offering advice on business ventures, and eventually even lending a hand in bringing him and Serenity together. Amy is literally the brains of Column Industries.

Raye Helm (Hino Rei): A complicated and opaque character, she initially refuses Darien`s proposal because of her feelings of inferiority, but later when she sees him together and happy with Serenity she becomes jealous and vengeful. Raye has dreams of becoming a famous singer/dancer one day and is an extremely drive, intellectual eighteen year old. She also joins hands with Link later to separate the two, takes advantage of Serena's brother, Sammy, and proves herself to be the cause of many differences between the newly married couple.


Gotta make it Bliss…

A.N: So there it is guys, the world of Bliss as we know it (so far)! Be expectant of more characters in store, but their names will appear at the top of upcoming chapters and in the Character Spotlight. Hope this helped, mYtORnsaNDaLs and anyone else who had those wonderful queries! If there are still any questions feel free to message me, I'm here for you, let me help. Love y'all…

Xoxo, Analynn