Soot

Soot is one of the mechanics of The Midnight Valiant, portrayed by [https://www.tiktok.com/@thatonebexter? Bexter].

Bio
Soot is a impulsive, brave and incredibly selfless young woman. Almost got an obsession to fix things; mechanics and people alike. Practically inclined and problem-solving oriented, without a healthy danger-sense which have led to many accidents.

Soot's Tiktok intro

Appearance
Soot usually wears a red, oversized flannel jacket with a belt topped of with a beige hat and googles. Underneath the flannel she wears a grey T-shirt and black, patched pants. Black boots and black fingerless gloves - seldom without a wrench in hand and covered in soot and grime. Her hair is braided into two long braids.

When she worked as a factory worker she wore grey T-shirt, black pants, and a black hat. When outside she wore a dark grey denim jacket. Her hair, being shorter back then, she kept in a ponytail.

Early Life
Born into a poor family practically living inside a factory to pay of the late fathers debt. Being the youngest child of a factory family she was put to work at the age of 8. She was never given the opportunity to attend proper schooling, and instead she grew up within the factory among machinery and soot. At the age of 10 she was already a full-time employee at the factory. Even though she wasn't the best worker she sure was the most persistent - if she could fix something she would not give up until it was fixed. As a result she quickly developed the habit of working around the clock to live up to her family's expectations.

Though, she often dreamed of being free and exploring the world beyond the factory. Feeling trapped inside the mundane environment and workplace. She longed for adventure and to "fix" herself. Even though she didn't dislike her work or family she never felt content, never complete - she must be broken.

The Accident
When Soot was 14 the factory's furnace malfunctioned due to years of neglect and outdated machinery. The factory was forced to evacuate while the mechanics tried to remedy the issue - to no avail. The workers fled once they realised but not Soot. She was determined to fix it and was practically dragged out of the factory by her brother just before the furnace exploded. It ended with an inferno that burnt for days on end.

Once the inferno was dealt with the blame for the accident was put on Soot - being the youngest worker she was an easy target. When she was accused her family didn't stand by her and instead let the other workers and management have at her. The betrayal by both co-workers and family left a sour aftertaste. Even though Soot tried to fix her relationship with her workplace and family the damage simply couldn't be undone.

Becoming Soot
When Soot was 17 she was quite overworked and decided to leave the factory for an afterwork-drink. At the pub she met a ship-mechanic named Lucca, who used to purchase parts from her factory, and after a couple of drinks Lucca offered her an apprenticeship. Sick and tired of the mistreatment in the factory she accepted and didn't even return to pack her things. She woke up, hungover, on an unknown airship already far from port. Well, too late for her to change her mind - and for the first time she felt free.

At 19 she fell in love with a young man, Michael, and took service on the same ship, the Peaking Pidgeon, as him, thus leaving The Emerald Greenling for good. Unknowingly choosing the pirate life. This crew treated her well but the relationship grew sour with her partner, who struggled with alcoholism and drugs. Soot tried to be his saviour but to no avail. Things ended badly but she stayed with the Peaking Pigeon despite the breakup. Eventually the airguard caught up to the crew. Soot managed to escape but was now a pirate mechanic without a crew.

Finding the Valiant
As she struggled to find work she got news about a pilot-captain with a ship in a horrible condition. Curious about this strange pilot she sought out The Midnight Valiant. Instantly falling in love with the vessel - this was a problem she could fix. She convinced the crew to let her in and never felt more at home.

Shipping
On the discord-server and via Tiktok collaborations Soot's part of several ships:


 * Scoot - Scarlette Cross and Soot
 * Root - Rose Cormac and Soot