Casandra Rosaline della Rovere



"In many ways, at many times, she keeps me sane..." - Anneliese Vancil

Casandra "Cassie" Rosaline della Rovere is a North American citizen of Italian ancestry and the friend, business partner and occasional lover of Anneliese Vancil. Like Anneliese, she is an immortal, although the nature of her immortality is not as well understood.

History
Not much is known of Cassie's early history, as she has no memory of it. She woke up one day in the general hospital of St. Catherines, Ontario, Federation of North America, in the year 1983. Her only clue to her past is a tattoo on the small of her back reading "空想家", which is Kanji [and also Chinese Hanzi] for "Daydreamer" or "Visionary".

She was eventually able to figure out her name and family history through F.N.A. records. However, she has no living relatives - as far as she has been able to discern - and the only thing legally under her name was a bank account containing approximately $2,000,000.

Although she has the appearance of a woman in her early twenties, her legal birthdate is listed as 1921, which would make her 62 years old at the time she woke up in the hospital and 98 in the present day. In 1985, while working as a police officer in Ottawa, a horrific car accident shattered her spine. She made a complete recovery within about six months, to the total amazement of her physicians. A few years after this incident, she realized she was not aging, while her body healed minor scrapes and bruises at a rapid rate (although not as quickly as in Anneliese's case, and they stil left scars).

It was at this point that Cassie decided to figure out what had happened to her. Through much searching all over the Federation of North America, she eventually found the phone number of another woman with similar abilities to recover from injuries: Anneliese Vancil. Although Anneliese was unable to help Casandra shed anymore light on her past, they would forge an unbreakable bond of friendship and trust that has lasted to the present day.

Skills & Abilities
Unlike Anneliese, Cassie has only very limited knowledge in the practical application of Thaumaturgy. Academically, however, her understanding of the Art is quite extensive. She is an expert in the use of computers and electronics in general. She is also responsible for keeping her & Anneliese's automobile in working condition (a rather difficult task, considering the trouble the two of them tend to find themselves in).

Cassie is an expert in hand-to-hand combat, particularly Sambo: her and Anneliese spar almost daily. She lacks her partner's extremely quick reflexes and ability to rapidly process information, but is considerably stronger and more muscular (although both of them are in quite good physical condition). Perhaps her greatest contribution, however, is her skill in managing finances - something which Anneliese rather lacks.

She is, like Anneliese, immortal, though whether she has the ability to actually recover from death is unknown.

Personality, Beliefs & Relationship with Anneliese
Cassie has a bright, approachable and empathetic personality - in sharp contrast to Anneliese's aloof, broody, distant outward mannerisms. She is deeply loyal to her friend, demonstrating remarkable patience and an ability to take Anneliese's fits of melancholy in stride.

Where Anneliese is prone to procrastination and pursuing a personal agenda over their work, Cassie is always trying to keep her focused on the task at hand. However, she is otherwise generally content to take a back seat behind her partner's sometimes-overbearing stubbornness. On multiple occasions, she has demonstrated a deep abiding concern for Anneliese's well-being - both mental as well as physical. She fears the possibility that her friend's recklessness might one day pit her against something powerful enough to do permanent harm to her, possibly even kill her outright.

She is very protective of Anneliese and enjoys her tendancy to treat her like a younger sibling. Their relationship alternates between romantic and sisterly, sometimes appearing rather similar to a marriage. They live, work and do almost everything together. The intensity of the romanitc / sexual part of their friendship, however, seems to fluctuate, largely depending on Anneliese's moods.

Cassie also disapproves of Anneliese's indulgences, most specifically in cigarettes and opium, although she herself drinks and occasionally smokes Cannabis: the former with somewhat more frequency than Anneliese and the latter with rather less.

Characteristics & Appearance
Cassie is rather short, about 5'1" / 155 cm tall, but muscularly-built, with blonde hair and luminous, expressive green eyes. Where Anneliese is pale and dour, Casandra is tanned and cheerful: her smile bright and frequently displayed. She is perpetually well-dressed in the latest fashions and her nails are painted in a rainbow of colors, causing her to frequently lament her friend's sombrely formal, out-of-date attire.

Overview
Birth Name: Casandra Rosaline della Rovere

Legal Name: same as birth name

Nicknames: Born: July 19th, 1921
 * Cassie (used by almost everyone, including herself)

Occupation(s): Alma Mater: Unknown
 * Current: Private Investigator, Police Consultant
 * Former: Police Officer

Political Affiliation: none (not registered to vote)

Languages: English

Nationality: North American

Race: Caucasian [Italian ancestry]

Eye Color: Green

Hair Color: Blonde

Height: 5'1" / 155 cm

Weight: ~45 kg / 100 pounds

Measurements: 32-27-32

Bra size: 32B

Author's Notes

 * Casandra was a prophetess of Greek mythology blessed with foresight but cursed never to be believed by others, a rather fitting description of the character's relationship to Anneliese


 * the della Rovere family was a noble family of Italy prominent in Renaissance & Early Modern era politics. There were several della Rovere Popes. However, Cassie bears only very, very distant relationship to these people, if any at all.


 * "della Rovere" means "of the Oak Tree", which fits with the character's stalwart & faithful personality


 * Her middle name just means "Rose" or "Gentle Horse" depending on which language you take its origin from.
 * Cassie's favorite color is purple
 * Cassie is capable of learning practical Thaumaturgy (as is anyone with the mind to comprehend its rather complex mechanics) but, apart from the basics, she prefers to leave that door un-opened.