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Family:
Father: Hyun "Joe" Yong - Deceased
Mother: Caron Yong - Deceased
Brother: Dewydd "Dai" Yong - Alive, at DCU

Personal History:
Born on April Fool's day, her parents often told her this had been a sign from the gods she was a curse on them. After all, she was supposed to have been a boy, the son they so desperately wanted. They took care of her, making sure her needs were met, but that was it. They called her "Jeoju," a word meaning 'curse', instead of her name. She was unnecessary, unwanted, and she was well aware of it very early on. She always tried, very hard, to make her parents see that she was a good girl, and would make them proud. It never worked, and when she was five, her mother got pregnant again. When the child was born, it was the son they had desperately wanted. They named him Dewydd, to show how loved he was, or Dai for short. They kept him in their room at first, but when it was time for him to have his own, Seren was kicked out of hers.

The only space available for her was in a place full of terror for her, the basement. It was one of those basements that, no matter how many lights you put in, never seemed to get fully lit. It always had a creepily dark corner or two, with shadows that seemed to be watching deep inside them. Her parents informed her she was being a useless baby, and too her things down there, and locked her with them. She was told she was not allowed to come up for dinner until her room was neat. She spent hours trying to get everything organized, and place the ugly, cheap lamps they had given her, so as to maximize lighting in her new room.

She spent the next 10 years working hard at school, still trying desperately to show her parents she was good enough for them. It never worked, because all they cared about was Dai. Dai, strangely enough, adored his sister. He always tried to play with her, or spend time with her, which irritated their parents to no end. The only good they saw of this was that Seren made a good babysitter... Her brother generally was very well behaved for her. As he got older, and noticed how they treated her, however, he tried to get them to include her... So when he was 8, they started pushing her to spend more time in her basement room. They even paid to add on a bathroom and small kitchenette in there, so she could cook and clean, without having to bother the rest of them, more then absolutely necessary... And a door out, so she could go to school without Dai seeing her.

Another, unfortunate thing began within a few months of her brother's birth. She became blamed for most things that went wrong. The first time it occurred, it was because her brother had developed croup. She was summarily summoned to the living room, and forced to endure a belt beating to her bare back. This continued until a later event changed things. She bears scars on her back, many of them, from the abuse.

On her fifteenth birthday, her parents 'celebrated' by explaining to her that A. she'd best keep up the good grades, because there was no way THEY were going to pay for her to go to college, and B. that she needed to get a part time job, because they wanted to cut back on the cost of feeding her. She ended up working part time at a local fast food, and it was there she met Terri and Mical. The two of them were dating, and often came to her restaurant. It turned out they went to high school together, but had never had any of the same classes. They spent a ton of time together, and the relationship evolved, becoming something between all three of them. On her sixteenth birthday, after having dinner and cake at work, and spending time with her partners, Mical walked Seren home, as it was later then normal.

Seren was very surprised to see her father standing on the porch, glaring in anger and waiting for her. He yelled at her about being out too late, and how DARE she be dating at her age? She might get pregnant, and then THEY would have another useless mouth to feed! Seren, finally, snapped. She yelled back "WELL Since you don't NEED me, why do you care what I do? As long as I'm feeding myself and not getting pregnant, it's not your business if I date Mical OR some one else... Maybe even a woman, like OUR girlfriend Terri!" She leaned over, kissed Mical to prove her point, and fled with him to his house. His parents, as well as Terri's, loved her and were more then happy to let her crash there for the night, on the couch. The next day, she went home after school and found that her key no longer unlocked the front door. She was about to ring the bell when she saw a note taped to the mailbox with her name on it.

Her fingers trembled as she took it down, and read it. "Seren, you are no longer a child of ours. We will continue to allow you to use the basement, until you are 18, as we do not want to deal with CPS, but don't even TRY to get into the main house. We've boarded the door shut. You are forbidden from trying to contact Dai, or us. You will get exactly $50 a month to spend on food and other necessities from us, so better be careful with your paycheck! Here's a signed form to take the Early High School Exit Exam, so you can focus on working." Seren broke down crying, and spent the rest of the evening in a puddle of misery. Luckily she didn't have to work, bt the next few days were hell for her. She managed to get herself signed up for the Exam, however, and passed it with ease.

Over the next 6 months, she got herself another 2 part time jobs, and basically spent every moment working, fitting in time with Terri and Mical when she could. Unfortunately, they couldn't take it anymore, and both of them showed up one day, after her last shift of the day, and told her they were breaking up with her. Terri said "If you manage to find time for us again, maybe come look us up and we'll try it again... But only if you're serious!" Once again, Seren spent a night in tears, her heart torn in two by the only people who'd ever made her feel she truly was wanted and needed. She spent the next year and a half working her a** off, saving every penny she could.

2 weeks and a day before her 18th birthday, she gave all of her jobs a 2 week notice, and began selling off anything she owned that she couldn't easily carry in a suitcase and a backpack. She bought a train ticket to the East Coast, a smaller town in New Jersey, and began packing. The day came, and as she was hauling her things out of the basement, feeling sick but grateful she'd never have to live in that hellhole again, she found, to her shock, Mical and Terri waiting for her, looking hopeful, and holding a present... and then surprised. "Where are you GOING?" Terri cried. Seren glared and said "Why? You kicked me out of your lives... I'm leaving this place, and never coming back." Mical handed her the present, and whispered "We didn't mean it like that... we wanted you to realize you were pushing us out, and killing yourself while doing it..." Seren couldn't take it, and fled, her face crumpling as she ran for the train station.

She never heard her brother crying her name behind her, begging her to come back, and that he missed her. She didn't hear Mical or Terri begging her not to leave, because they loved her. She didn't even hear her parents yelling "GOOD RIDDANCE." All she could hear was the pain in her heart. As she boarded the train, she shoved the present into her luggage, where it barely fit, and refused to look back as the train pulled out of the station. It was a long, long trip to the East Coast. On the way, she opened the package, and found a pair of necklaces and some hair clips, along with a photo album.

When she arrived, she managed to find a place to stay, thanks to AirBnB. She got lucky... Her hosts owned a small bookshop with a studio upstairs that had previously been used by the manager. When they found out what she was up to, they hired her to work at the shop, and deducted a portion of her income to allow her to rent the studio. She got settled in, found the local community college and enrolled, while working at the bookstore. Once she finished her general ed requirements, she began to apply to various colleges, and tried for scholarships too. She got lucky, once again, because Destiny City U offered her a full ride scholarship. Now, she lives in an apartment near campus, studying, and tutoring to pay all the things that the scholarship doesn't. She managed, between the bookstore and the tutoring, to have enough set aside that she has begun work on a tattoo on her back, to cover the scars. Currently, the top portion is filled in, so that she can wear normal t-shirts and the like without worry.