NAME
Zimal Syed

NICKNAME(S)
Zee
(by everyone)

Zimi
(by best friend)

AGE
16

FACE CLAIM
Duaa Karim

GENDER/PRONOUNS
Female
She/Her

SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC ORIENTATION
Heterosexual
Heteroromantic

PERSONALITY
Zalim is very quiet and reserved, but don't get confused—she is confident.
She has a good head on her shoulders and knows when to stick up for herself.
She is very cheeky and can be quite playful.
She is much more of an observer, but will speak up when she needs to.
She is very sure of herself.
She is very intelligent and street smart.
Although she doesn't have many friends, the one's she does have are always looked after.
When she really cares about something, she can get a little hot-headed and her passion can turn into anger, but if left alone she'll calm down relatively quickly.
She might seem like she doesn't care about anyone, but she actually has a huge capacity for love, she just doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve.

BACKSTORY
Zalim was born in Moorside, to a Pakistani couple.
She was quite a quiet kid, choosing to spend more time with her older sister Nazrat, than with her peers.
Her sister encouraged her to make friends, and her confidence grew quickly.
When she was 11, her 16 year old sister decided to join the army.
Zalim felt betrayed, and she felt as if her whole world was crumbling before her eyes.
Her father's health had deteriorated after an accident he had at work a couple years prior, so Zalim's parents decided to move to Marleyport so her mother could accept a job offer she had received there.
An 11 year old Zalim had to leave her friends behind, and was so busy looking after her parents, that she never had the time to socialise outside of school.
This meant that she became quite withdrawn, and was seen as a mysterious person by her peers.
In an effort to feel valuable, she started to collect information on fellow students, such as gossip.
She never shared her findings with anyone, she just wanted them as a way to make sure no one could cross her.
An accident on the way to a family gathering left Zalim's parents severely injured, and Zalim had to care for both of them.
A neighbour suspected she was looking after her parents, and offered to call someone to help, but Zalim feared she'd get social services involved and she'd have to be put in care.
Needing money, Zalim decided to offer up her services to fellow students that needed information.
Needed to know which teachers to avoid?
Or who was failing which class?
Zalim was your girl.
Despite having a lot of information on other students and teachers, Zalim actually hates drama and is very mature for her age.
Zalim has built her reputation as someone you don't mess with, but she still lacks that closeness with others that she secretly wants.

FAMILY
Tariq Syed
(father)

Hanifa Syed
(mother)

Nazrat Syed
(older sister)

HOW LONG THEY'VE LIVED IN MARLEYPORT
Since she was 11

HOBBIES
Reading, writing, creating comic books and screenplays, making short films, stargazing, dancing in the rain, visiting the florist's, cooking, playing the piano.

WHAT DO THEY WANT TO BE WHEN THEY'RE OLDER?
She wants to work in a care home, as caring for older people is something she has become used to.

LOVE INTEREST?
Undecided

ANY PAST RELATIONSHIPS?
No

OTHER
—She knows sign language because her best friend's older sister is deaf.

—She visits the cemetery every weekend to put flowers on as many of the graves as she can.
She prioritises the ones that people don't visit.

—She has severe trust issues.

—She used to dream of working in the film industry, but gave up on that.

—Dancing in the rain is something she used to do with her sister, and is also part of a Marleyport tradition
(more on that later.)