Character sheet: Leo

Today I wanna introduce the second protagonist of Shallow Sleep, Leo.

I don't have much to add to his character sheet, it's pretty much all there already but I can tell you that in previous iterations of the story, he used to be very different.

In the first version of Shallow Sleep he was dead right as the story began, I'm hazy on the details but I think he wasn't even aware of it at the time, however, he was subconsciously trying to find his way out and back to the world of the living.

A later version of SS had him also die right at the start, but his soul getting lost, Charon finding him and helping him settle in, and in the process they'd fall in love, which was very much forbidden and ended in tragedy with both of them locked up until Leo's soul would cease to exist, and only Charon would remain, alone forever.

In another version there was a bigger cast of characters, the story played on a small island city and Leo was an art student. Charon joined the school too, as undercover reaper on a mission to learn about humanity and to reap the soul of a young boy, which would create a lot of conflict between him and Leo, once the latter found out.

And now, he's a young man, trying to live his life while carrying trauma, with a mysterious connection to the afterlife.

Over the years, Shallow Sleep has always transformed into what I needed the story to be at the time, none of the versions would have ever worked out for an audience, but it was enough for me. I think what I have now is finally ready to be shared.

Shallow Sleep is very close to my heart, and has been since 2003, and I think I'm ready to try and communicate these feelings with people now. Possibly in a not very straightforward way, but I think it'll be enough for everyone to come to their own conclusions and reading of the story :)

What I can tell you about Leo right now is still not a lot but I'm excited for everyone to get to know him on a deeper level very soon!