Anemone "Nemo" Webb

[Nemo Webb]

.:Name of Character:. Anemone “Anna” Webb
.:Nick Name:. Nemo, Nana (family)
.:Age:. 21 (born July 1992)

.:Physical Appearance:.

Of average build and small height, often burying herself in baggy clothes and ginormous coats, Nemo easily blends in with Starling’s daily crowd. Which could sound pretty unlikely to her direct entourage, given the fact that said girl isn’t exactly one to follow the latest fashion or care, for that matter, but it doesn’t make it less true: small, tired-looking, Caucasian brunette girls are legion in Starling. Even the ones with a funky ear piercing.

So what does characterize Nemo? Her most striking feature would doubtlessly have to be her eyes: her very light, kinda round, often judgmental grey eyes. Though what truly sets her oval face apart could also be the width of her front teeth, which sometimes makes her resemble a grumpy bunny. From afar, one could also recognize her by her very particular way of slouching, with her head slightly forward and her hands in her pockets. 

Generally speaking, Nemo could very well seem average if it wasn’t for the details. Her eyes. Her teeth. Her piercings. Her attitude. The little wrong note that goes out of tune, but makes the melody suddenly interesting. Which, funnily enough, could very well be said of Nemo herself, as she dresses and holds herself as someone who’ll be there whether wanted or not.

.:Height:. 5”2’ (158 cm)
.:Portrayed by:. Jane Levy

.:Personality:.

In a story, Nemo would be the exasperated sidekick. And she’s quite proud of it, too. Insolent, sarcastic and often jaded, Nemo feels quite comfortable as the critical observer. Quick-witted but harsh, she will often bluntly say out loud what others are already thinking. True, it might sting a little, but as people come to expect it of her, she no longer hesitates to do so. Besides, this unnerving trait comes with other, sweeter qualities, such as loyalty, genuine benevolence, and the ability to grudgingly apologize.

Indeed, even if Nemo can seem a bit unapproachable (mostly because of tendency to say totally inappropriate things), she also turns out to be very reliable to her few friends. Of course, she will cringe the whole time, complain more than a bit and make them feel guilty for making her lazy bum actually walk to the fridge, but will always do it without fail, and make up excuses when asked why. And remind said friend that their ex kinda smelled like feet anyway.

Speaking about, her humor: it’s pretty clear that she hides behind her jokes, but they are not all that she is. She can be serious, stern even, but just generally chooses not to, as she always prefers to take a bit of distance towards things rather than facing them head on.

Nemo also has a bit of a temper. A cold, I-hope-my-deadly-stare-burns-out-your-face kind of temper, but a temper nonetheless, which mainly manifests itself in passive-aggressive sulking. Falsely resentful, she will also remember everything people have done wrong; not that much out of actual spite as a way of putting things in perspective. This particular tendency also applies to everything she does wrong herself, with guilt and remorse on top of it. 

While completely lacking in ambition, or confidence in what she could achieve for that matter, Nemo still believes in a few core values, and admires people who embody them, such as The Vigilante, Sebastian Blood, or even fictional characters. Still very shocked by the Undertaking, she also openly hates on Moira Queen.

.:Strenghts:.

• Smart Cookie :
  
  Despite not necessarily being the most learned young woman in Starling City, having quit school when her brother died, Nemo is still gifted with a clever mind. She learns fast, analyzes situations quickly and has a knack for sharp comebacks. 
  
  
• Resourceful:
  Now that she’s survived the turmoil of her own mind, Nemo doesn’t give up easy. When in danger or any difficult circumstances, you can rest assured she will find a solution on the go, whether it consists of brute force or dirty tricks. Stabbing someone with a pen? Hitting the evil machine of doom until it fumes? Picking a car’s lock? All is fair in love and saving your ass. 
  
  
• Heart of Gold
  
  As much of a shocker as that may seem, Nemo cares for people. Nemo cares a lot. Nemo is what some call a compassionate jerk: although she criticizes everything and everyone, she often does so with a dose of affection, and will still do as much good as she can.
  
  
• Relentless Sense of Humor :
  
  No matter how grime or inappropriate the circumstances, Nemo will always be able to crack sarcastic jokes. This is basically a law of nature. Note that the butt of the joke is often herself.
  
  
  

.:Weaknesses:.

• Mental Unbalance: 
  
  Though it’s better than before, one can’t just shake off psychological problems, dangerous tendencies and addictions. There will always be cracks, temptations, and a very strong urge to deny reality sometimes. Not to mention the fact that looking down on the law is not the brightest of habits.
  
  
• Self-deprecation / Attention-seeker :
  
  Growing up with demanding parents has its perks, but loving yourself isn’t one of them. Sarcasm is only a symptom of this: ambitionless and often feeling inferior to others, Nemo compensates by seeking attention. This trait could probably dim down if someone was to truly care for her (and show it). 
  
  
• Self-preserving Coward :
  Nemo is no hero. Though she may have her moments if she doesn’t have a choice, and tries not to be an asshole about it, most of the time she’ll save her own skin. 
  
  
• Tactlessness:
  
  Curiously enough, not everyone likes being told their every flaw or acidly mocked by a tiny woman. Nemo tries her best to gauge people and be a little subtler, but it doesn’t always work out.
  
  
• Puny Bunny :
  
  This might not make the news, but when you’re a frail, untrained young woman of 5”2’ and barely 110 pounds, chances are you just won’t win against skilled fighters, no matter how dirty you fight. Especially when they can you lift you up and throw you on their shoulder like you weigh nothing.
  
  
  

.:Special Skills:.

• Piano (strong notions) - started at a very young age, abandoned then taken up again recently.

• Picking locks - from hanging out with a bad crowd and misplaced curiosity.

• Small-scaled Prestidigitation (card tricks, sleight of hands, palming coins) – a hobby she picked up when she was young.

• Snarkiness – a natural ability.

• Stealing things – a very bad habit.

.:Birthplace:. Central City
.:Family:. Parents (both alive), brother (presumed dead)
.:Occupation:. Works in a records shop
.:Current Location of Residence:. Starling City (Adam Heights)

.:History:.

Born to a middle-class family in one of Central City’s suburbs, Anemone Webb could very well have had a peaceful childhood. Not that it started out that badly: two parents, a loud big brother, a dog. Pack all that into a typical little white house and you’ve got the picket-fence fantasy land in which our girl started out in life. Sadly, the specific two individuals who combined forces to plop two beautiful children also came with their own issues and transmitted them like a persistent disease, all in the form of one word that was to rule over those poor mongrels’ lives: expectations. Indeed, the Webbs weren’t the cuddliest of parents. Their only way of showing their love seeming to be wanting the best for and out of their children, Sara and Neil proceeded to educate the hell out of them.

It wasn’t that bad a plan. Samuel turned out brilliant, both at achieving his academic goals and balancing them with just the right dose of rebelliousness that keeps handsome teens from turning completely crazy. Anna – Anemone, she felt from the very first day of school, just had to go – on the other hand… Paradoxically, Anna thought way too much. Anna would work until her head boiled with masticated trivia, yes. Anna would play the piano until her fingers turned into weary sausages, yes. Anna was clever, hardworking and tough. But Anna certainly didn’t feel like it. And since nobody ever told her either, she kept her precarious, uncertain pace until her mind felt on the brink of imploding. 

There still were moments of happiness amidst the pressure. Anna’s parents weren’t heartless bastards, merely anxious bees, and school didn’t prove to be the battlefield they made it out to be. Sometimes, she would even enjoy it. She had friends, took up a dozen of bizarre hobbies such as prestidigitation and caring for cacti, and terrified other students by starting absurd stories about ghosts living in the broom closet. Still… A bit more attention from her family wouldn’t hurt, she would bitterly think.

Perhaps surprisingly, adolescent angst didn’t explode in her parents’ face like it seemed so likely to. Instead, she found new, slier ways of getting people’s attention: it appeared that she didn’t need to get louder to be heard if she used the right words. She grew insolent, snarky; started doing the least she could get away with. And enjoyed it too, though there would still be a part of her that wished she could be what her parents wanted her to be, and still worked hard at it. If only she had her brother’s talent for everything, life would be easier. But she didn’t. She was still too soft, too transparent.

Samuel and Anna weren’t close. Not in the conventional sense. They rarely talked, least of all hugged, never really shared secrets or complained about the strict parenting policy they were under together. And, to all, besides the usual verbal jousting and harsh comebacks, it seemed like the siblings couldn’t care less about each other. Of course, all were wrong. Anna idolized her brother just as much as she envied him. And, although it was a very quiet one, they had a strong bond. The kind that would only show in moments of silence. It floated in the air when Samuel joined one of his sister’s piano sessions, as rivalry turned into harmony. It dragged a few honest words at the breakfast table, wrapped around Anna’s neck as she tucked the pendant he had gotten her from a random trip inside her shirt, drew a smile on his face when the nasty remark she had just hissed at him hid a compliment. It was just there. It didn’t need any sound to thrive.

- I didn’t ask you.

- You didn’t have to.

Maybe that’s the reason why silence fell on the house when Samuel died. They gave some bullshit excuse, some lame reason why he had stopped existing. They explained tons of meaningless things, signed tons of papers and shed thousands of tears while Anna just sat there. And then something broke. Suddenly there was no more meaning. No interest in anything. She held on to the pendant as she would a life preserver keeping her afloat - it didn’t – and hopelessly tried to find what she was meant to do now that the prodigal son was gone…and that the only thing remaining to this family was an old dog and a tiny, tiny, terrified little woman – she didn’t. She skipped the empty coffin burial.

Anna finally let go of any expectations that had been laid on her, and focused on the business of escaping reality. She turned the metal music up, buried herself in books and drained her body by exercising to exhaustion. Anything that could save her from having to face the truth, or worse, the future. Comics, card tricks, botany, work, music. Sadly, it soon became clear that it wasn’t enough to repair whatever was broken. Depression showed its ugly face, quickly accompanied by destructive behavior. One time it was aggressing the wall, another taking inappropriate meds, another writing insults to herself on the bathroom mirror... There were even a few illegal substances, passed along at school, tested in the sanctuary of her room. Thankfully, it didn’t stick, but knowing that a little sugar cube soaked with acid could enable her to see her brother definitely didn’t do her mind any good.

- I don’t feel anything! I don’t! I just want … I just want to know that there’s still something there!

Even though it couldn’t be said that the Webbs, still not over having to bury their only son, realized the scale of Anna’s problem, they still tried their best. They worked hard not to let their grief overshadow their still-alive daughter, even if they didn’t have the slightest idea on how to help her through the void eating her mind. They tried talking it out, which resulted in silence. They tried hugging it out, which was mostly awkward. Then they also tried psychiatrists. That … Didn’t work out well. (The fact that Anna was a fan of the movie Good Will Hunting likely didn’t help.)

- Are you not going to say anything, Anna?

- Nnnope. 

- Anna, you’ve got to come to terms with what happened to your brother… 

- Seriously? I could have told you that. (sigh) Shrink school, such a useless investment.

Instead of proving to her that her parents cared, the treatments just made Anna want to escape. Sure, she was a nutjob, but was it a reason enough to change her into a lab monkey? A spark of exasperation and anger made the lab monkey want to move again, and it decided to flee. A wind of hope and freedom blew the day Anna decided to leave a note and escape to Starling City. 

Sadly, everything doesn’t always turn out according to plan. Anna was still weak of mind, and even after managing to find a place to crash, still felt completely lost and purposeless. For a while, she even contemplated suicide again. After all, if even a new start in a new city didn’t work, was there any hope anywhere?

Then, there was the Undertaking. 

She had never lived something this surreal, and probably never would again. One minute, you’re there, staring at the rotting walls of this slum you live in, the next there are sirens, and fire, and screams, and people grab you and tell you to run for your life… And then you do it. You requisition all the cells that were asleep in your brain, you stop thinking, and your animal instinct kicks in. Somewhere inside a damaged brunette, something clicked into place.

- Well, you surprised me. You really want to live, don’t cha?

That’s what she was to say to her own reflection in the hospital bathroom, while a smile stretched her fashionably bruised face. Okay, enough. Enough self-pity and denial. She finally admitted to herself that her brother would never come back, cried a lot, and started afresh. No more living in the Glades (obviously). No more loitering around or minor delinquency. 

Finally starting her life the way it deserved to be lived, Anna changed her nickname to Nemo – the one her brother would call her. She found herself a job in a records shop, became the third roommate of a third-floor apartment in Adam Heights, reconciled with her parents and finally, finally felt like she belonged somewhere. 

Not that she had stopped being an obnoxious little brat, though. Some things never change.

Some other person might have found this boring to tears. And sure, being stuck in an empty shop for four more hours might not be the most fun a girl could have. But Nemo still enjoyed it. There was somewhat of a profound satisfaction in having absolutely nothing to do to the sound of good music, and the office chair that she was supposed to stick her butt to had the grace to include wheels. As graceful as a hippo, still sitting in her makeshift vehicle, she waddled to the funk aisle, kinda wondering if she was allowed to eat on the job. Maybe not, but she would do it anyway. Having grabbed the record she was to put aside for someone, she slid back to her original spot behind the counter. What was that guy thinking when he hired her, anyway? Did he have a thing for attitude? Not that she was complaining, it just seemed kind of destructive to entrust a business to someone as lazy and incompetent as she was, didn’t it? 

Well, after all it wasn’t that big a shop. Maybe he was going for the hipster-ish crowd which would be emboldened by her smug nonchalance and her grunge-like fashion sense. Or maybe musical knowledge was enough to get a job. That was a comforting thought, she concluded while mouthing the lyrics to the funky ballad that was currently resonating against the walls. 

Then the miracle happened. It took the form of a guy. One that seemed pretty unsure what he was doing here in the first place. … Okay, fine. Maybe the check at the end of each month came with a little bit of actual working too. 

- Hey, dude. Can I help you? 

That made him hesitate. Well, what was he expecting her to say, “Welcome to hell”?

- Judging by the context, I’m going with you need some kind of record or vinyl? Cause, you know. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re in a records shop.

There was no aggression in her voice. Stating the obvious was more of way to loosen him up. And of justifying her paycheck too, but she wasn’t gonna tell him that.

[Arrow]