Hester, Clara, Siegfried

15-year-old Hester met 15-year-old Clara at an abandoned storage facility- dubbed "WareHaus"- in the Fabrykia Industrial Park next to Galen. She was DJ Schnee for the twice-monthly rave and showcasing her new WareHaus album. She wants to be a real DJ at an actual club someday, and has made original music and mixes that have made her a nice bit of money and fame- but her Polar friend Fuyu is the face since (she feels) it's easier to get gigs and such when you're a middle-class person. Hester came to the WareHaus to try and figure out Galen's culture (where better than a nearby industrial storage rave) and because he heard with his Power that his favorite musician, DJ Schnee, was performing there. 16-year-old Siegfried ("Sigi" to his friends) is part of the "volunteer security" that ensures the adults and teens that attend don't mix in unsavory ways (sex, drugs, etc) and such, as well as just protecting kids in the neighborhood in general (helps to have the Guardian). He didn't trust Hester at first, especially when he introduced himself as "Mauch" and lied- not a good start for "understanding a place". Hester also explained he wanted to talk to DJ Schnee- not that Seigfried would easily let him. "Mauch" and Siegfried went back and forth the latter's growl rising with the former's irritation (both of them trying to use their Power to gain more info on the other while hiding their own) until Clara came in to separate them.
Hester (properly reintroduced) danced with Clara- to Siegfried's worry- getting more into the music and having fun with everyone, even having a snack. After an hour, Hester realized something: Siegfried is the intro and deep voice for DJ Schnee's music (Hester has perfect pitch that goes with violin training), Fuyu is not DJ Schnee but a facade, and Clara is the real DJ Schnee- a snowflake-shaped spot on her shoulder confirms it (she has few spots overall, none on her head). Hester explained he wants to invest in her music so she can grow. Clara is a bit skeptical, saying that he thinks Hester just wants to own her- Seigfried told her and he admitted he's an Olinov.
Hester understands the doubt, but he genuinely wants to see her create more awesome music that makes people unafraid to express themselves- it makes him feel much better than what he learned to perform. Clara asks, and Hester says he performs violin with perfect pitch. Clara offers 10% in any songs she makes with his recitation, Hester says 20%, and they shake on 15%. After she gets "saved from the boys" by her girlfriends, Seigfried makes known he thinks Hester is exploiting her. Hester retorts saying he could've done 40% but didn't (Merchant's Charisma), to which Seigfried says he wouldn't have let him (Willpower Protection).
Seigfried then senses someone spiking the punch bowl and sends a Tiger to escort them. Hester realizes Seigfried holds some of the Guardian's power, and in return tells him he's the Heir to the Merchant. When Seigfried snaps at him, Hester asks why he's so against him, and it's because of Stepan, and others who promised to revitalize places like Galen but didn't- he doesn't trust the affluent. Hester flips this and says Galen doesn't like it when Maristol judges them, so why would Seigfried? He thinks they both got off on the wrong foot, but Hester wants to see this place truly do better.
Seigfried challenges him to revitalize a children's park in Galen and expect nothing in return. Within a month, the park looks great and stays well-maintained thanks to Hester's own money and employing Galen residents, making the land near it more valuable. Hester continues afterward to make Galen a little better, cleaning and revitalizing areas while investing and performing for Clara- they grow close. Hester and Sigi become good friends and eventually FWB(Sigi loves that Hester made Clara so happy). And yes, the trio did do it. The community likes Hester for the most part, especially when he hangs out there for the sake of it. But sometimes, Hester doesn't feel too appreciative, and feels Galen could be putting in more effort- it's like they somewhat don't want things to get better sometimes with their resistance to his changes.
The first time Hester played for one of Clara's songs (with Seigfried observing), he had difficulty merging his part with the rest of the composition- it felt out of place. After a few days, Clara rips the part apart and tells Hester to play what he thinks would work- he knows more about the acoustics of a genuine violin than she ever will (she only practiced with digital instruments and Fuyu's apprentice trumpet). He plays from the heart, pouring out how bored he feels with his rich life, hates the people of the higher class, loves Galen and their genuine attitude, is overwhelmed with the expectations on him as Heir, loathes having to keep a status quo that doesn't benefit everyone, and most of all wants to really make a difference in the world and help everyone! It turns out someone put a vault around his power to dampen him, and now it's starting to crack. He sheds tears as he lets it out in his playing, and both Clara and Sigi (it resonates with his desire to protect people) feel it. Clara sets aside her initial idea and gives Hester the chance to compose a whole song, leading Clara to create an "Unwanted Roles" mini-album.
The more Hester works with the community and becomes his genuine self- much to the disdain of the Olinovs (especially his mother and head of the family Tora Olinov) and the ostracization of some of his "peers"- the more this mysterious vault breaks and the more powerful he becomes.
During a dance/gathering held by the Bakovs (a Lop family who make their fortune through middle/upper-class hospitality), Hester is asked to grace the Bakovs with a few pieces. Hester is a bit more genuinely happy to do so since Erik Bakov (an accompanying pianist) is one of the few affluent people Hester can consider a friend, especially since he donates most of his money to charities. During practice, Erik notices that Hester changed: looks genuinely happy, has fun, is bolder/crasser, etc. Hester explains Galen, Schnee and Clara (as two separate people). With Erik's excitement (he likes Schnee's music), Hester gets Clara, Sigi, Fuyu, and others with Erik to crash the Bakovs' dance as a flash mob called Ecliptica led by Schnee (Fuyu), Frost (Clara), and Raider (Sigi), using some of the pieces Hester performs in one large remix as different performers say their part. Hester finishes with a mini-speech to close the song, making a bold statement as Tora looks at him with disappointment and a hint of joy that her son looks so fulfilled- then fear when Esther shows through for a moment. Most of the parents and seniors at the dance didn't like the mob (sparing Erik's father), but almost all of the young adults and younger seriously enjoyed it.
This mob continues to do things around Sinofur, first filled with teens and young adults from Galen, then gaining people in both age and place around the city and surrounding areas. Ecliptica simply aims to bring awareness to the plights of the poor and bring a bit of fun to the park.
The one that dampens Ecliptica's efforts is when a mob at Hoshi Plaza ends in multiple injuries for both mob and civilians, arrests, and Hester being shot in the neck by a trigger-happy policeman. The only reason he lived is that he Liquidated and burned off his Personal Valuation into his life-force, resulting in having almost no cash, little Power, and the dilapidation of most of Galen and other areas since he literally "put his life into it"- something an Olinov and their assets rarely survive. The reclamation effort is slow going, especially with Tora putting restrictions on his financial activities.
After a couple of years since they met, Clara's mother dies in a work accident at Faust Lumber and there's no compensation. Sigi wants to burn them down, but Hester stops him as it would just hurt all the other employees. They get a bit mad but stay at peace for Clara's sake. He then invests in Faust, hoping to turn it around from the inside. Some at Galen feel betrayed, thinking Hester is purposefully investing in a bad company, but Sigi explains to them. He buys shares in different companies that are in the industrial park and attempts to push for better working conditions- but he's having to work more than he thought, thinking it's just him not being powerful enough (not realizing Tora is purposefully dampening his efforts in anything to make Galen better.)
Things hit a head when improper regulations at Faust cause the deaths and injuries of multiple workers in a different area, spurring people to destroy part of the plant near them. Hester goes off on Sigi for destroying his efforts to make things better for all workers. They fight over that- Hester calling Sigi ignorant and impulsive, Sigi calling Hester passive and greedy. After a fight that sends Hester out a window, Hester withdraws all his efforts from Galen (except for DJ Schnee) and focuses on Faust. Clara stays away from Sigi as a result, who joins the military not long after. Sigi and the rest of Galen view Hester as the embodiment of rich folk taking advantage of the poor, while Hester views them as people who don't want to get better and enjoy complaining about their poor state- Clara corrects this latter view. She reproaches Galen and especially Sigi for what they did, as Hester was the good thing they had and they ruined it. The vault breaks even more.
Hester later asks to marry Clara, who accepts, but Tora forbids him from marrying "that noisy bitch from the slums", controlling more of his funds, especially since he "wasted" them on Galen. This goes on for a few months as bad things keep happening at Faust, with Hester and his family continuing to be at odds as he does things to help other people (Tora slowly losing control of her son). Hester- and the vault- reach a breaking point when he hears through Clara that Fuyu died at Faust, something he as an Olinov should have prevented. Realizing Tora put the vault in him because she feared the inexplicable surge of Power in him [Esther reaching out to him], he uses his Power to destroy the company he invested in (and a couple of others that are screwing over people) via Hostile Takeover and Liquidation. He then gives the ring to his brother Kaiser to make him Heir, securely housing the liquidated money and running away with Clara to live a good life.
He soon buys the abandoned storage facility and turns it into an inexpensive (for Galen) nightclub called WareHaus, where Clara slowly reveals herself as DJ Schnee. Clara eventually creates her "Identity" album (more vocals and lyrics than normal, shows aspects of her life) to make it official, with an "In Memoriam" song in honor of Fuyu (which included a kind of "confession" from Fuyu). She becomes a favorite across all socioeconomic classes, especially her own and younger generations. Hester, meanwhile, takes Clara's name and reinvents himself as Mauch Novarak, someone who uses the stock market to make money and has both classes and a stock broker company to make the stock market more accessible. Mauch also has certain companies under his name and others under Hester to separate the different aspects of his life. He, under Hester,
Hester doesn't keep in contact much with his family, but he does assist Kaiser occasionally when things are going wrong (Kaiser was "raised to serve the Heir's will", not be the Heir). Kaiser told Hester that Tora is actually a bit fearful of Hester and what is inside him, afraid that he could singlehandedly upset the world economy should he grow powerful enough. Hester says that he's simply doing what the Olinovs failed to do for a while now- hold corporations accountable and have the economy grow in favor of everyone. He also waits for Tora's apology for limiting his true potential, but he doesn't expect it to ever come.
Clara has Alice several years later when Hester is 28 (a potential sister was stillborn), but his public name is Daniel for protection's sake (he realizes his heritage pretty fast). Sigi and Petra meet in the military, marry, and have Otto (only child) around the time Petra is injured in combat (Sigi is 28).