West of Mercy Interest Check [Western, Supernatural, Horror]

[Amaris]

”Welcome to Revel, friend. Now, I know, you must be thinkin’ all the stories and gossip you’ve been hearin’ in Mercy about Abaddon County can’t be true. Demons and ghosts, the undead wanderin’ around, and the devil himself havin’ a stake in the future of these parts. Well, surprise surprise, the rumors don’t tell half the story.

Here is what we do know: there is a gate to Hell, yes the Hell with a capital H, in the heart of Abaddon County, here just west of Mercy. That gate is broken and is in need of mendin’. The problem is we ain’t got the tools to fix it, hell, we don’t even know what the tools we need is. This gate, it’s been lettin’ through all kinds of nasty critters, and corruptin’ the ones that were already here.

First, you got the Hollowed. Those are souls that went to Hell to pay for their misdeeds, ya see. Some of’m though, they found that broken gate and made their way out to Abaddon County. They don’t have bodies of their own, no, they gotta steal one. Lotta good folk ‘round here in Revel, that’s the town you lost your way into, friend, up and disappeared. They became someone else overnight. Lots of kinds of Hollowed, too. The Seven Deadly Sins the Padres go on about? Yeah, there’s somethin’ to that. Envy, Wrath, Pride….Lust, hell, they seem to define the Hollowed.

Then, ya got the real demons. Those blasted son’of’bitches are big, mean, and will frighten the piss right down your leg. Those Seven Deadlies I was talkin’ about? Yep, these unholy monsters embody them through-and-through. You run into one of’m, you run and pray to whatever gods you can that someone slowerin’ you is nearby. Or if you got them balls o’ steel, make a deal!

Abaddon County, the land itself, ain’t escaped the touch of the damned either. Earthworms the size of a train car’ll swallow ya right up, we found bones of cattle stripped clean after one of’m wandered into Wither’s Bluff. The sap of some o’ the trees runs red as blood, and more than one of the ranchers claimed they seen coyotes with too-long legs and too-big jaws walkin’ upright. Bears with spines stickin’ out their backs drippin’ somethin’ awful.

Hell, I bet if you looked hard enough, you’d find ole Big Foot wanderin’ ‘round too.

The Hollowed, Demons, and aberrations ain’t the only thing to worry ‘bout ‘round here either. Us regular folk? Those Hollowed, and even the big demon bastards, love to make deals. They’ll trade ya a bit of their power for some services rendered. Suddenly, we got witches and warlocks ramblin’ ‘bout the place like prairie dogs. You stupid enough to want some of that eldritch power for yourself? Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when you find yourself eternally damned to unmentionable things. Ya hear?

Now, Revel herself is startin’ to see a bit of a boom. Why? Wish I knew. Makes keepin’ the peace ‘round here more difficult by the day. The Revelry here, in case you didn’t read the sign on your way in, is the local saloon. You can get a drink or a room here. My wife runs the local brothel. Before you think it, I’ve heard it before, no need to go sullyin’ her good name or losin’ one o’ your teeth to my boot.

Plenty o’ real estate if your lookin’ to move in more permanent like.

We could use just about one of everythin’. Need us a bank, as travelin’ to Mercy to get dollars is a pain in the ass and I’m tired o’ ridin’ shotgun just to make sure the outlaws don’t steal from ya. The Revelry could use employees, same for my wife’s place just down the street. Need more ranchers and cowpokes up on Wither’s Bluff, and if your feelin’ real brave you could try minin’ at Devil’s Peak. It’s that big ass butte stickin’ straight outta the ground like Satan’s cock.

Either way, we’re happy to have ya here, partner. Just don’t go makin’ trouble in my county.”

This story is a blend of classic western, supernatural, and a pinch of horror. It takes place in a completely fictional town called Revel in 1872. This town is in Abaddon County, just west of Mercy. Mercy sits just outside the county lines, It’s the kind of town maps are made around. For anything fancy, be it clothes, supplies, or one of those deluxe brothels with the workers that don’t talk back, that’s the place to go.

But not just anyone can go to Mercy. The Hollowed can not leave the county lines.

Long before our story begins, there was a demon. Not one of the Hollowed. One of the Primoridals. How it left its fiery home is unknown, but it was clear that the goal was destruction. For years and years it was a blight upon the lands, leaving destruction in its wake. Deals people struck only allowed him to grow in strength. It was looking impossible until Calisandre. The demon huntress spent years trying to kill this creature, nearly dying on multiple occasions. It was her that finally thought outside the box. Some say she became Oathbound. A deal struck with a Hollowed in order to gain power enough to take on the Primordial. Others say it was pure cleverness, and there are even rumors that it was gifts given by the heavens that eventually allowed her to be successful.

Whether it came from within or from a bargain, Calisandre realized that trying to kill the ancient beast was useless. So, she sought instead to trap it.

How did she get this mirror that could bind such a power? Once again, the legends all tell a different story, but they are all very clear that this huntress managed to trap the demon’s essence inside a mirror. What looked to be just a mundane, everyday, mirror. Once the beast was trapped, she travelled as far as she could into lands uncharted. Deep into a cave beneath a mountain was where she spent the rest of her days. Making sure that the mirror stayed safe and unbroken until her dying breath.

There it remained hidden, buried by the earth’s changes over the years, still keeping that essence locked inside.

Until the accident.

The discovery of gold in the desert areas of the United States had begun an age of mining. Digging under old mountains for their chance at wealth and prosperity. Many knew of the dangers. The accidents that could happen while underground. So, the collapse of the western tunnel, although devastating, was not unusual for the times.

It was that standard run-of-the-mill danger that had caused a disaster that went beyond this world. That collapse caused the hidden mirror to shatter, and with that - Abaddon’s essence.

No one survived in the mine that day. The deaths were declared as some sort of freak accident, but those in Abaddon County? They know there was no accident about it.

Still, the disaster was not as catastrophic as it could have been. Or maybe it was far more cataclysmic, depending on how you looked at it.

When the mirror shattered, it released the essence trapped within, and with it, tore open a rift between the realm of the living and the damned. Through that tear, spirits and souls clawed their way from hell to earth.
Yet the broken glass still held sway over the essence. Its power remained tethered to the mirror, its influence radiating outward only so far.

That reach, the cursed radius of its grip, became known as Abaddon County.

Nothing that is released from that rift can cross over that boundary. If one of the Primordial or Hollowed is pulled beyond those borders, their spirit will immediately be pulled from the vessel it inhabits and pulled back to the pits of Hell.

The rumors go that Revel was a ghost town before the Hollowed slipped through the rift, and what seemed like almost overnight, it was brought back to life.

For decades, the Hollowed stayed hidden. Hiding behind the flesh they occupied, making hidden deals, and underground bargains. Then an emergency at a town fair drug them from the shadows of secrecy. A teenage girl was having a seizure during a local festival. Their doctor had just passed away, meaning that it would take too long for one to arrive in time to do anything for the poor girl. One of the town council, an old woman always dressed in black, put her hand on the girl’s chest, and shadows began to twist around her arm. The seizing stopped, and the girl's eyes fluttered open.

Everyone saw the truth.

After that, people began to come forward, claiming bargains had been made that gave them access to powers. Plenty had stories of supernatural happenings that they had spotted or felt. Some were true, some were not. In the end, an agreement was made. The mundane and supernatural would co-exist within Abaddon County, with a binding contract that the Hollowed were made to sign forbidding them from holding power over land, law, or people. Only humans are deemed capable of making unbiased decisions without hidden motives or supernatural influence.

It’s been thirteen years since the contract was signed and the first Sheriff who knew of both worlds was elected. Gideon Whitlock was voted in by Hollowed and Human alike. He was known to be a fair man who seemed to be open to both the living and the damned. An interest in justice over all. Gideon, his wife, and their young daughter were well-loved before the exposure of the Hollowed, which made it all the more devastating when his beloved passed away unexpectedly.

Many rumors still run rampant about his later connection with a Hollowed Skinweaver. She began as someone who took care of certain needs, then it grew into a romance, and eventually into marriage. There are many ideas and plenty of gossip that have erupted from this union, but Gideon will not entertain any of it. Is he bewitched? Has he made a deal? Is it true love? Maybe even Gideon doesn’t know!

Still, beyond his Hollowed marriage, he has not faltered in his integrity and sticks to the law. Sometimes, to the human’s dismay, given that he does not stand for discrimination.

Just within the last five years, the Hollowed have fought for the right to vote, and even then, Gideon still won the election for Sheriff.

So, that’s the shape of things in Abaddon County.

A place where the dead don’t stay buried, the devils wear friendly faces, and the lawman’s badge weighs heavier than a soul on judgment day.

What started as a rift only grows more with time, and one day it might just open wide enough for the Primordials to walk through. Whole and hungry. Or maybe they already have?


You will be playing as either Human, Hollowed,  Oathbound, or Halfdamned. Humans are your everyday folk, the standard, run-of-the-mill people of the mortal plane that are caught up in the strange and horrible effects of Abaddon County. Hollowed are souls that have suffered in Hell for the sins of their past. They possess some of the powers of the primordial, but mere shards of it. Oathbound are Humans who have made a deal with the Hollowed, granted some of the Hollowed’s power in exchange for services rendered, usually damning deeds. Finally, there are the children born in Abaddon County since the accident at Devil’s Peak: the Halfdamned. Containing some of the abilities of the Hollowed while also the mortal convictions of their Human soul, the fate of the Halfdamned remains to be seen.

Skinweavers(Lust)

Always beautiful, never quite right. They wear faces like dresses, stitched perfectly…until they smile too wide.
They promise love, desire, and touch. They make you irresistible. When they are near lovers vanish. Marriages sour overnight. Brothels turn to altars with customers spilling out the door.

"Don’t look when they hum—your clothes will fall off.”

Hollowed Skinweavers: Powers have to do with sex and desire. Their deals can cause obsession, attraction, and an irresistible craving. Unrequited lust? They can make you so compelling that your target wouldn’t dare say no. Their presence can cause those committed to cheat, those who were previously celibate to crave touch. Those who already craved passion to go mad with need. Beyond their deals and natural presence, they can have magic that relates to the sin of Lust.

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Pitbellies (Gluttony)

Bloated things with too many mouths and too many hands. They eat joy, meat, and dreams. Some wear preacher’s robes and talk sweetly. They offer a full belly, endless drink, or a night without pain. Signs of their presence are famine on fertile land. People digging up graves for supper. Overindulgence and a starvation that cannot be appeased are to be expected.

"Some hunger comes from the belly. Pitbellies? They’re starved in the soul."

Hollowed Pitbellies: They are all about overdoing it. Whether it’s food, drink, sex, drugs, punishment, or love. Deals can have to do with refillable drinks, plates that are never empty, they can also provide penance or punishment where this gluttony is used on a target, causing them to drink or eat too much. Want too much. Their natural presence will cause bellies to growl or mouths to go dry. They cause people to cook feasts or to drink until they end up having to see a doctor. Those who smoke will light one after another. Beyond their deals and natural presence, they can have magic that relates to the sin of Greed.

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Gildrot(Greed)

Glimmering with gold-dust skin, their smiles are all teeth and no warmth. They carry ledgers bound in flesh, and their fingers drip with melted coin. They deal in land, riches, oil, silver veins in dead hills, but it always costs more than money. They herald their arrival with sudden prosperity, where neighbors poison wells to get ahead. Where friends will betray each other for wealth, or feign love for financial gain.

“The rich don’t burn, they melt.”

Hollowed Gildrots: They are all about money, wealth, abundance, or anything in excess. Why not indulge yourself? If something is good or beneficial, you should always want more. Their bargains can be financial, or material, but also really anything in excess. Already have a lot of money? They can help you take over that company that has turned you down time and time again. They are there to offer more until you’re drowning in prosperity. Natural presence will cause selfishness, a desperate need to keep getting more. Those around them become stingy and frugal, not caring about those who have nothing, even if they have excess. Beyond their deals and natural presence, they can have magic that relates to the sin of Greed.

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Somniax(Sloth)

Pale, still as corpses, eyes lidded like they’re dreaming. Time stops around them. Flies crawl slowly in their presence. They promise peace. No guilt. No effort. Just stillness. They can be found in towns where folks sit down and never get up again. Crops rot on the vine. Time seems to go at a slower pace. People are late for meetings, oversleep, complain of exhaustion, and plan around when they can go lie down again.

“Lay down too long, and you’ll never rise.”

Hollowed Somniax: There is never a hurry when it comes to these hollowed. Time is just a construct, and they are all about providing relaxation, rest, and permission to not leave your home. Deals can often do with providing peace, or giving rest to those who struggle to calm down, an escape from anxiety and responsibility. This can also be used on others to cause them to be sluggish and slow, and therefore allowing others to get ahead or take advantage of this lack of care and exhaustion that has been brought down upon them. Their natural presence will cause drowsiness, a lack of ambition, and people doze off or they choose to blow off previous plans. Beyond their deals and natural presence, they can have magic that relates to the sin of Sloth.

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Vehementh(Wrath)

Towering and scorched, with eyes like forge fires and whips made of barbed chain. They ride flame-eyed stallions and laugh like cracking bones. Bargains with these can give you strength, speed, and fury enough to kill every man who wronged you. Around them, everything turns to ash. Smoking ruins, gunfights over spilled coffee, and women weeping over men with red-stained hands are left in their wake.

"You’ll feel ‘em in your fists before you hear their name."
Hollowed Vehementh: Their powers have to do with vengeance and anger. Their deals can promise revenge, strength, retribution, or the confidence to set your ex’s house on fire. Their presence causes irritability. Arguments may break out between friends and lovers alike. Fights between rivals can become dangerous.  Beyond their deals and natural presence, they can have magic that relates to the sin of Wrath.

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Glassmouths(Envy)

Dressed in the faces of others, eyes pitch-black and starless. They speak in your voice, better than you ever could. Their deals will make you more skilled, more liked, more powerful. Someone worth being. When they are near, jealousy turns to murder. Friends turn on each other. People hate their own skin.

"A Glassmouth won't kill you quick. It'll compliment you first."

Hollowed Glassmouths: Their magic has to do with jealousy and insecurity. Deals they offer can make you more successful. They can help you steal someone else's job, or take someone else's partner. They give the ability to take what other’s have. Their natural presence will leave people insecure. Finding those around them prettier, more successful, stronger than you. It will cause an urge to bring them down or use them to help you get higher. Beyond their deals and natural presence, they can have magic that relates to the sin of Envy.

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Crownshard(Pride)

A six-winged being of light. Their face is ever-changing, always taking the form of the viewer’s own ideal self. Crowns bloom like tumors from their shoulders. Their voice is layered: your voice, a lover’s voice, a god’s voice, all echoing at once. They can bring you Power. Worship. Legacy. When one has crossed onto the mortal plane you will see an increase of cults and monuments along with devotion twisting into rivalry and obsession.

“You won’t see them take the throne. You’ll give it to them, smiling.”

Hollowed Crownshard: Their powers have to do with Pride. The deals they make bring them power, their bargains bring adoration. Their natural presence will turn heads, either in respect and adoration or irritation at their arrogance. Beyond their deals and natural presence, they have magic that relates to the sin of Pride.

Only Humans can go beyond the county lines unscathed. The Halfdamned can cross, but their energy will drain for the duration of their time beyond the edge. Prolonged time spent outside the perimeter can cause weakness, dizziness, fainting, or eventually death.

At the moment, we are capping the different demons at three per sin. This is to hopefully provide balance in the game and will be increased over time. We will update this thread if all of the slots get taken for a certain type.

If you have a really good idea for something, but aren’t sure if it fits, shoot it our way. We encourage creativity! We would love to build this world with you all! We also want to make sure that things make sense for the world we created.

We know this is a lot of information. There is likely something that we accidentally left out. If you don’t know, ask. If you’re confused, don’t be afraid to poke for clarification. We make mistakes and are open to ideas, so please be patient with us, and we will always strive to show you that same patience.

• The GMs are Wulfspire &  Amaris
• Follow E's rules. Whether it’s here or on the Discord server we will be making.
• Stirring OOC drama or showing toxic behaviors will get you removed. We know that any time people come together, differences can arise, and that’s okay. What matters is how we handle them. Assume positive intent. We ask that everyone lead with respect, maturity, and kindness. Possessive behavior or any form of aggression, subtle or not, won’t be welcomed here.
• Please keep political, overly negative, or overly sexual/flirtatious talk out of the OOC.
• The group will be placed in Extreme. This means that players can choose to go rather dark with the subject matter. It is crucial that a player's offs need to be respected at all times.
• A post header will be provided in every IC thread. It should be used in your post. When a post contains sexual content, excessive violence, or anything that may be triggering or uncomfortable, a warning needs to be included.
• Understand the difference between IC and OOC. Understand the difference between player and character.
• No controlling or killing a player's character without their permission.
• If a player drops out or becomes inactive, the GMs reserve the right to do anything to the player's character that is deemed necessary for the continuity of the game. This may include killing them or converting them into an NPC.
• Communication is key, guys. We can’t fix what we don’t know is happening. There are no solutions to problems left unspoken. Both of us pride ourselves on being open to respectful conversation, even if the subject matter is difficult. You can expect patience, honesty, and consideration from us. That doesn’t mean we will always give you answers you want to hear. It does mean that we will convey it in a way that will be firm and unyielding but also filled with grace and respect.

The GMs will be playing the Sheriff and his Hollowed wife. The daughter from the sheriff’s previous marriage has already been taken as well. We will be providing set GM NPCs that will be used within the game and also be available for plotting or plots. As always, we do encourage you all to create plots together rather than to plot only with us. These characters will be more for furthering or supporting plots or for causing necessary dramatic tension. If you have any suggestions as to who or what you’d like to see created as an NPC’s don’t be afraid to let us know.

Only Humans can hold an office of power. This means like deputies, judges, jury, mayor, etc.

We wanted to provide some ideas and plot hooks to get involved with the world. Taking one of these is not required; these are just suggestions to help.

• Every Sheriff needs a deputy
• Own a bath house,  saloon, casino, or other business!
• Work at the local brothel, or a player-owned business!
• Join (or LEAD) a cult dedicated to Abaddon, or The Huntress, or something else entirely
• Start a ranch at Wither’s Bluff
• Become the local Pastor of the Church
• Join the Covenant of the Crimson Cross and seek to open the rift entirely.
• Maybe your character is a victim of a deal gone bad
• Perhaps you’re one of the Hollowed who has been attacked by an extremist who believes that all of the damned should be eradicated.

Please send your character sheets via PM! You can post them here after approval!

Code Select Expand

[center][size=5][b]NAME[/b][/size][/center]

[float=right max=45%][img height=450]PICTURE URL[/img][/float]

[b]Pronouns:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b] Must be at least 18+. 25 or under if Halfdamned. For The Hollowed please write the apparent age.
[b]Job:[/b]
[b]Type:[/b] {Human, Hollowed, Oathbound}
[b]Sexuality:[/b]
[b]Face Claim:[/b]

[b]Personality:[/b] At least 5 traits, [u]including at least 3 flaws[/u].

[b]History:[/b] Hollowed: Remember to include the sin that sent you to Hell.

[b]Additional info:[/b] Any particular skills or thing you want known here.

[b]Powers:[/b] Please list any powers that your Hollowed or Oathbound has here. If your character is Human, please remove this line.

[b]Connections:[/b] If the character has a relationship with another character, please include it here!

[b]Ons & Offs:[/b] You can either link to your own or list out the character’s.

[center]
[img height=200]PICTURE URL[/img] [img height=200]PICTURE URL[/img] [img height=200]PICTURE URL[/img] [img height=200]PICTURE URL[/img] [img height=200]PICTURE URL[/img]

[b]**Along with your character sheet, please give us at least three plot ideas that you would like to explore with your character throughout the game.**[/b]

[Amaris]

✓ Anson Mount
✓ Abigail Cowen
✓ Madalina Ghenea
✓ Katheryn Winnick
✓ Emily Blunt
✓ Ben Barnes
✓ Tom Hardy
✓ Miss Deadly Red
Jeffery Dean Morgan
Travis Fimmel
✓ Timothy Olyphant
Keifer Sutherland
✓ Clara Paget
✓ Eva De Dominici
Jon Bernthal
Jessica Chastain
✓ Idris Elba
✓ Varada Sethu
✓ Nina Dobrev
Tim Mcgraw
✓ Scott Eastwood
✓ Quannah Chasinghorse
✓ Andrew Scott
✓ Helen Mirren
✓ Robert Duvall
✓ Guy Pearce
✓ Thandiwe Newton
✓ The Avett Brothers
✓ Lucy Boynton
✓ Mackenzie Davis
✓ Michael Madsen
Eva Green
✓ Orla Brady

[Hellion]

Oh, this is giving me Deadlands vibes. I love it and definitely interested.

I will most likely go with a human, because I might be a glutton for punishment...but also I just tend to enjoy playing a mortal in a supernatural storyline. I do like the idea of perhaps owning a business as well. A smithy, or some craftsman trade.

[Wulfspire]

We (re: me) may have been greatly inspired by Deadlands. 

Would love to have you along, Hellion!

[Amaris]

Oh, this is giving me Deadlands vibes. I love it and definitely interested.

I will most likely go with a human, because I might be a glutton for punishment...but also I just tend to enjoy playing a mortal in a supernatural storyline. I do like the idea of perhaps owning a business as well. A smithy, or some craftsman trade.

These are awesome ideas! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

[Hellion]

We (re: me) may have been greatly inspired by Deadlands.

I won't tell :)

But srsly, the books were a fun read, and the whole Savage Worlds system is pretty cool in general. Although I've never actually played any of the TTRPGs I've read through, I still enjoy the lore.

[Hellion]

These are awesome ideas! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

So many directions to go, but I'm excited to see where it all leads.

[Sofia Grace]

Planting a flag of interest! 👀

[Amaris]

Planting a flag of interest! 👀

Happy to have you!

[impishcharm]

Also planting a flag.

[Blythe]

I’m tentatively interested. Maybe a Somniax. Can demons own a business? If so I’d be very interested in playing one as a saloon owner, but if they can’t be that’s ok, I’m still interested regardless! :)

[ArtemisHighmore]

Follows Imp in. Hmmm, intriguing.

[Amaris]

Also planting a flag.

Yay!

I’m tentatively interested. Maybe a Somniax. Can demons own a business? If so I’d be very interested in playing one as a saloon owner, but if they can’t be that’s ok, I’m still interested regardless! :)

Yes they can! I'm playing a Skinweaver that owns a Brothel!

[Blythe]

Can I please reserve Jenna Ortega as a face claim?

[Hellion]

So, I think I might go with a "blacksmith" archetype for my character, and I was curious if there was a type of "magic" that exists that perhaps could be imbued in items.

I am thinking of something like an Artifice class in D&D, but a blacksmith/craftsman type character who can perhaps prepare items to be imbued by a Hollowed. Unless maybe there is a way for a human to tap into this "magic" in order to imbue it themselves.

Just a thought :)

[Amaris]

Follows Imp in. Hmmm, intriguing.

Hello!

Can I please reserve Jenna Ortega as a face claim?

Done!

[Sofia Grace]

Considering a Skinweaver because I'm predictable. 

[Clio]

While I want to get my muse back up and running before joining, I am also planting a flag of interest! I'll have to look over the character options later.

[TheFluffyOne]

Stabs a flag in

Declaring interest!!

[Amaris]

Considering a Skinweaver because I'm predictable. 

lol! Don't worry, me too!

While I want to get my muse back up and running before joining, I am also planting a flag of interest! I'll have to look over the character options later.

Sounds good!

Stabs a flag in

Declaring interest!!

Glad to have you!

[Wulfspire]

Very excited to have so many fine folks!

Sofia, will be lovely to see what delicious fun you bring!

So pumped to have you along, Impy!

Really looking forward to writing with you Blythe!

Hope your muse brings you along soon, Clio!

And, can’t forget about Fluffy! Seriously, I can’t, she might kill me…


This is going to be great!

@Hellion - Please feel free to shoot Amaris and myself a PM regarding this magic item idea. We would love to see how to make that work for you.

[Blythe]

Ah, apologies, I need to change my FC reservation. No longer need Jenna Ortega, I'll be going with Lauren Jennifer instead. : )

[Amaris]

Ah, apologies, I need to change my FC reservation. No longer need Jenna Ortega, I'll be going with Lauren Jennifer instead. : )

Updated!

[Sofia Grace]

Can I tentatively claim Madalina Ghenea and Katheryn Winnick?

[Amaris]

Got it!