Description 

Evaline Sanderson is short, that much is undeniable. Though it seems to be rather common in this state, so it's also not very remarkable. She keeps her long, dark hair tied up, either in a braid or a bun, at most times, though on rare occasions she can be spotted with it down around her shoulders. She's of a larger build, though this hasn't always been the case, it's just slowly developed as she became more comfortable with her life here in general, starting to echo that of her mother - a strong, beautiful woman who continues to remain youthful, even at 70 years of age.

Evaline's fashion sense has evolved over the time that she's been in state. Originally dressing a stuffy shirt with a high neck, and pants with gold trim, in an attempt to look somewhat refined while still being more mobile than a skirt would allow, she's relaxed quite a bit, going from wearing grays and blues when Chance was around, to any color other than gray or black when he left, and now to beiges and browns as Apollo has deemed himself to be her own personal stylist.

She has no visible scars, unless her sleeves are pushed back, showing bite marks from the numerous times that wolves have decided she would make a good snack, though a number of scars litter her body in places that most never see.

She can generally be seen with a soft smile on her face, though it is often very tired looking. Her friends will joke about her pinching the bridge of her nose when she's stressed - which she has definitely been known to do, though not as much anymore, mostly due to the teasing.

Early Life 

Childhood

Evaline was born in LaGrange, Indiana, to Joel and Mary Ann Sanderson. She grew up as part of a large family - a middle child with three brothers and four sisters - on a small corn farm just outside of the small town.

Farm life was tough, but rewarding, and the house was always full of love and laughter. It was a simple life, with not much money, so Evaline learned to do as many did at the time - make do and mend. She learned needlework, knitting, mending, and even herbology from her mother. Her father taught her and her siblings to farm and care for the many animals they kept for food, as pets, and as working beasts.

First Love

When Evaline was 19 years old, she met her first love, Constance Jones.

Connie and Evaline were inseparable from the moment they met, running around and making mischief of all forms, just barely managing to escape getting in trouble at times. The women spent three blissful years together, never really settling down even though they were never seen apart from each other. In 1890, however, Constance started to fall in with some shady people. Cracks began to show, with Evaline trying to keep her close, but the new "friends" constantly tugging Connie away.

In September of 1890, mere days after Evaline's 22nd birthday, everything came crashing down. Connie's friends got into trouble, and the woman had a change of heart, deciding to give them away instead of keeping her mouth shut.

Constance Jones died on September 17, 1890. Evaline held her as she died, Connie's body riddled with bullet holes, the surviving woman swearing to end each and every person that had taken her dearest love away from her.

Leaving Home

Evaline left Indiana in 1894, after her grandparents tried to marry her off to a neighbor boy, Aaron Parham. Aaron was nice enough, and she believed him to be a great option for marriage - for anyone but her. She didn't want to get married, especially to him, and his absolute devotion to her was suffocating. She left in the dead of night, loading up her horse, Cricket, with her father's blessing and help, and went off to find her own way.

She started in Kentucky, settling in for about a year before Aaron found her, coming to collect her and take her home so he could marry her and they could start a family. Instead of going back with her, she ran, finding her way to Ohio, and then Virginia when he found her in Ohio. Virginia lasted longer, and she had just taken a job as a school teacher when Aaron showed up again in early 1901, sending her running once again.

Lucky to have been given a decent education, Evaline developed a love of books as a child that only grew was she became an adult. Word spread throughout the family, and a distant aunt in England willed all of her extensive library to the younger woman. The man handling the transaction, Everett, was also a book lover, and they connected via letters, becoming fast friends as the wrote back and forth about books, and life in general.

Evaline's friend, Everett, had recently settled into New Alexandria, and she decided that it was a great reason to make the journey out west - to see her friend, and to escape Aaron, hopefully once and for all. He wasn't likely to be able to survive the wilderness without help, while she was well versed in living off the land and fending for herself.

Present Life 

The Commune

Evaline's time with The Commune was rocky.

She came to state to connect with Everett Dufresne (now Enderby), who she had considered to be her best friend, having corresponded via letters for years. When she arrived to state, she found that Everett had recently been kidnapped and tortured by a man who went by the name "Orange Fish," and that he had found a love interest in one Ellison Enderby.

Evaline soon came to realize that she was in love with Everett, which posed a problem, as he was already taken and very clearly not interested in her - in fact, her presence seemed to strain their relationship in ways that their correspondence had not, mostly due to the nature of her relationship with Everett's friend, Harry Morgan. Evaline chose to take a back seat, instead encouraging and doing what she could to strengthen what Everett and Ellison had.

Evaline's relationship with Harry Morgan was turbulent at best. From Evaline's first day in state, the two were at odds, with Harry having tried to convince Everett to help rob a store and Evaline, who had no idea how the state worked, trying to convince Harry and her friend, Wyatt Connors, to... Not. Evaline's first night in state found her alone on a cliff on the edge of New Austin, without weapons, her horse, or even her shoes.

Things only got worse from there, with Harry and Evaline butting heads at every turn. Evaline saw Harry as chaotic and reckless - dangerous, even, especially after a gang rode on their home in the aftermath of something that Harry and Wyatt had done. Evaline took the other side, leading to fractures in The Commune that only grew when Evaline continued to try to find the middle ground in situations that, to some other Commune members, were clear cut.

On June 9, Evaline had her first encounter with a woman named Miriam Hautlingen, who would later prove to be both one of the most important people in Evaline's life, and one of the catalysts for the dissolution of The Commune. On June 12, the second encounter was much more unnerving, with Miriam stalking the trio that was Everett, Ellison, and Evaline through the Heartlands and down to Rhodes. The encounter ended with Miriam being shot but, the following day, she approached Evaline outside of Flatneck Station. Evaline, being one to at least attempt to listen to both sides of a story before making judgments, decided to ride off on the back of Miriam's horse and give her a chance to speak. Their conversations that day and again a few days later gave her a new perspective on the woman, but came at a price - her willingness to ride off with a woman who was seen by The Commune as "dangerous" put her loyalty and trustworthiness in question. If questioned, Evaline will state that she believes this was the point of no return with both The Commune and with Everett.

Evaline found love, eventually, with another Commune member - Chance Dawson. Everett had mentioned him in a letter to her, stating he thought they would be good together, though Evaline did not initially have any attraction to the man. However, through deep conversations they had, she slowly fell for him and, when he decided to leave his then-girlfriend, Katarina Kane, they both expressed their feelings for one another.

Chance was close with Cosmo Kray, who he considered to be his brother at the time, though conversations and events later on would change the name, but not content, of their relationship. Evaline's relationship with Cosmo himself was rocky, as the boy grew jealous of her relationship with his "brother" and attempted to manipulate the two, and come between them, in an attempt to keep hold of the relationship with Chance.

On June 29, 1901, Harry Morgan put two bullets in the head of Cricket, the horse Evaline had raised from the day she was born. This led to a number of incidents that caused further rifts between Evaline and her former friend, Everett, as well as other members of the commune. Tensions were high, trust was lost, and no matter how anyone tried to mend the rifts, it just wasn't enough.

On July 3, 1901, Everett and Ellison left the commune. It was at this point that The Commune essentially ceased to exist. There were survivors - a smaller group that continued to stay strong together, but the damage was done.

The Aftermath

A new group formed in the aftermath of The Commune. Smaller, closer. Without a name or overall goal, just a family of close friends that stayed together. Some were members of The Commune - Apollo Alovich, Chance Dawson, John Galows, and Evaline. One wasn't - Cosmo Cotton (at that point, Cosmo Dawson.)

Evaline grew close to all of them, considering them her New Alexandria family, eventually becoming engaged to Chance. Cosmo wormed his way into her heart as well, first as Chance's little brother, but after a realization shared by all three of them, he earned his spot as her future stepson.

There were trials and tribulations through all of this. Good things came out of it - Evaline's role as a pharmacist and training toward the role of field medic, for instance. Their eventual friendship with Agwe Dunsha and Florence Blackwood. Not so great things as well - Cosmo being kidnapped and tortured, Chance's jealousy - especially of Miriam, among other things.

Evaline's relationship with Miriam was strained at this point, not due to any issues between them, but due to Chance's toxic jealousy. He could not handle Evaline seeing her good friend, knowing that there could have been something between them, and so she stopped seeing Miriam, though she made it a point to try to keep an eye on her from a distance, leaving trinkets by her tent overlooking Blackwater and, after Miriam fainted in front of Evaline due to starvation, broth and food to help her recover.

It was during this period that Cosmo eventually decided that he no longer wanted to be a Dawson and joined The Krays. Evaline and Chance feared both for him, but also for themselves, and chose to distance themselves from the situation, spending large amounts of time out of state, though planning for the wedding continued, with the date set as October 1, 1901.

It was during one of these trips out of state that they went to Chicago, where Evaline had an undisclosed major surgery that left her needing to recover. Chance and Evaline spent a few days in Chicago, with him telling her on her recovery bed in the hospital that he would never leave her. He'd made that promise before. "I will always come back for you. Always." She believed him, had no reason not to.

On the night of September 25, 1901, they traveled from Chicago to LaGrange, to spend a few more days at her parents' house as she recovered. When she woke up the next morning, Chance - and all of his things - were gone. No note, no nothing.

Starting Over

Evaline returned to New Alexandria, alone, on September 30, 1901. She spent the next few weeks wandering aimlessly, trying to find where she fit in now that the life she had planned had been shattered. She met new people - Frank Landmark and the rest of King's Cross. Tried to find a place where she fit in with them, but ultimately failed.

As time went on, she found herself spending more and more time with Apollo, especially after he had a heart attack and eventually split with his partner. They grew close, and eventually became inseparable. She started working as his assistant, joining him in surgeries as needed, learning as she went.

In November of 1901, she applied to join the Department of Prisons, after hearing Apollo and Agwe speak about their jobs there, and how it was a respite from the chaos that was New Alexandria. Her application was accepted, and she started around midnight on the morning of December 1, just as the snow was starting to fall.

She reconnected with Miriam, staying with her for quite some time, first above the saloon in Blackwater, and then at The Vault in Tall Trees, after Miriam became the caretaker. Their friendship blossomed in ways it had been unable to with Chance around, and they became close, though Evaline was hesitant to go much further, as she felt that Miriam deserved be better than second choice.

Apollo eventually invited her to help with the fighting tournaments at The Vault, and she accepted, mostly doing things like collecting money from fighters and figuring out the brackets while Apollo was the face of the fights, with his charismatic nature and loud voice making it the perfect fit for him.

In January of 1902, Apollo and Evaline were formally invited to join King's Cross as field medics and educators. After some deliberation, they accepted the positions. Evaline eventually managed to get her certification as a field medic, and on July 25, 1902, received her doctorate.

Assistant Warden

In March of 1902, Evaline was promoted to the position of Assistant Warden. She is devoted to maintaining the image of the Department of Prisons, and trying to convince the criminals that come through to make the decision to stop coming back. She has actively worked with the prison's rehabilitation program, trying to increase the interaction with local Businesses and those who which to turn their lives around.

On the night of April 11, 1902, Evaline took two inmates out of the prison on a work detail. She intended to give Dell Hallock a short break from the prison walls, after an incredibly rough day. Unbeknownst to Evaline, Dell had informed her group that she would be going on a work detail, and they approached the group as the inmates were cleaning up litter at Copperhead Landing. One of the members of the approaching crew refused to listen to Evaline and Jason Kings - another watchman - and made their way past to try to get to Dell. The watchmen opened fire, and were shot down, leaving the inmates to stay or flee at their convenience. Evaline was badly hurt, with the shotgun blast to her shoulder managing to nick an artery and injure her muscle. She spent the next 1 1/2 days in a coma, and is still recovering close to two months later. She has regained most of the movement in her shoulder, but is still unable to use her bow or sawn-off shotgun.

Evaline continues to focus on rehabilitation and ethics, with the view that, while they may have done monstrous deeds, all of the inmates are human. She makes it a point to listen to their stories and their reasons for doing what they do, and to try to guide them down a path that will lead to them making a positive change, whether it's in their own lives or in the lives of others.

Affiliations 

The Commune (Formerly)
Evaline was a member of The Commune from her arrival in state on May 31, 1901 until it was formally dissolved in July of 1901.

Ironwood Medical Company (Formerly)
Evaline began training with Ironwood on July 4, 1901, after apprenticing under Apollo Alovich for some time. She was invited to join as a pharmacist trainee, and eventually became a licensed pharmacist - and Ironwood's Head of Pharmaceuticals on July 27, 1901. She remained with the company until it closed in October of 1901, despite taking a leave of absence in August due to personal reasons.

Department of Prisons - Sisika Penitentiary
Evaline joined the Department of Prisons in December of 1901, after speaking with two of her best friends, Agwe Dunsha and Apollo Alovich. She found the job to be both enjoyable and rewarding, even if it was a bit stressful at times. She was promoted to Senior Watchman on January 18, 1902, and Watch Captain on February 17, 1902. It was on March 19, 1902 that Evaline was promoted again to her current position of Assistant Warden.

King's Cross General Practice (Formerly)
Evaline joined King's Cross as a field medic on January 15, 1902, along with her long time friend and co-worker, Apollo Alovich. They joined mainly to assist with education and training after the untimely death of the much-beloved manager of education, Inya Nordskov.

Quotes 

"There is no justice in this state."
"There are two sides to every story. The truth always lies somewhere in the middle. Always."
"Fuck around and find out goes both ways."
"We're all human."

Trivia 

• Evaline is the 6th of the 8 Sanderson siblings.
• "Alma" is her middle name, given to her by Apollo - she was not given one as a child.
• Evaline has a pet maggot named "Stu" that lives in her safety deposit box. Stu was given to her by Luna Ashford.
• Horses:
  • Evaline's first horse, named Cricket, was born the year Evaline turned 20, and was with her up until Cricket's death.
  • Her former horse, Turkey, was given that name just to spite Chance after he abandoned her - he refused to let her name a horse "Turkey" and she wanted to go around calling out "Turkey, Turkey, Turkey!" He was gifted to a person new to the state who needed a horse.
  • Pepper was the first horse that Evaline purchased after the death of Cricket. She was a feisty one that took a while for Evaline to learn to work with. She preferred playing games to riding, and was so smart that she learned to let herself out of her stall at the stable, no matter how hard the stable keepers tried to keep her in. She eventually was taken to Evaline's family in Indiana when she got pregnant, and enjoys her life in the pastures there.
  • Evaline purchased Ladybug from her good friend, Anna Brown. Ladybug was her main horse for quite a while. She's a sweet horse that hates the cold weather.
  • Evaline's horse, Max, was given to her by Cosmo Kray Sonny Harris. Max formerly belonged to her ex-fiancé, Chance Dawson. Max lives in the barn on Sisika, where he is spoiled rotten in his retirement.
  • Kiln was gifted to Evaline by Mato Kawewe, with the knowledge that Evaline loves Bretons (she really does.) Kiln is a prime example of a horse reflecting its (prior) owner - she is rambunctious and loves to get into trouble, but only in the most endearing ways possible.
  • Blue is her favorite horse, acquired after the death of his previous owner, Danny Lynch, where the animal was left to starve and/or freeze to death in Colter. Evaline formed a special bond with Blue during his healing, as they had both lost someone dear to them at the time.
  • Felina previously belonged to Evaline's close friend, Agwe Dunsha, before his death on June 2, 1902. Felina was left to Evaline, who holds the horse dear and makes sure she is well taken care of.
  • Piggy is the son of Pepper and Evaline's ex's horse, Dusk. She loves to tell the story of how he got his name, and she babies the young horse immensely.
  • Evaline bought Insignia on a whim. She and Apollo had seen the horse outside of the St. Denis telegram station, and Apollo complimented the owner, Ash Larsen. Ash mentioned that she had been trying to sell the horse, and Evaline jumped on the chance, quickly adding yet another Hungarian Halfbred to her stable.
  • Brush belonged to Evaline's ex-fiancé, Chance Dawson. Evaline rescued her from the stables after Chance had disappeared, abandoning not just her and their friends, but his animals, too. Brush is the same horse that kicked Evaline in July of 1901, breaking her ribs. Evaline holds no hard feelings toward her, and makes sure she's well taken care of.
  • Doc is Evaline's "injury horse." He is trained to kneel down to let her up, and is very gentle, albeit slow. Doc is an older horse, half-blind due to cataracts, with a peculiar mustache and a greying coat. Where he got his name from is entirely a mystery.
  • Maple was a gift from Apollo in January of 1902. Evaline had wanted to buy him a horse, but he refused until she offered an exchange - she would buy him a horse, and he would buy her one. Maple is slow but loyal, and Evaline treasures her as she was a gift from her partner.
  • Magnolia (aka "Maggie") is one of the rare horses that Evaline doesn't have much personal ties to, but Evaline fell in love with her when she saw her in the stables. She's a sweet horse, and Evaline enjoys having her around.
  • Lump was named that because he's slow and not too smart. Evaline loves to talk about "her Lump" around Apollo because it annoys him, and she enjoys watching the steam pour out of his ears when she does so.