ZU × ORI: Fact Sheet
Story Overview
Title: ZU × ORI
Creator: Sov
Logline: NYC high-schoolers Zu and Ori discover the trauma, drama, and karma of their past lives as Juliet and Romeo, defying a prophecy that threatens to repeat their tragic past.
Story Setting
Primary Location: New York City (Trinity Rose High School, Central Park, various city locations)
Secondary Locations: Verona, Italy & Revolutionary France (flashbacks to past lives and historical events)
Main Characters
Zu (Agnes Zhu)
Age: 16
Birthplace: Hong Kong
School: Trinity Rose, NYC
Backstory: Recently moved from Hong Kong. An imaginative teenager awakened to her past life as Juliet Capulet
Special Traits: Sketching, hyperosmia (exceptional sense of smell)
Relationships: Feels a strange connection to Ori, mentored by Professor Lauren
Past Life: Juliet Capulet
Ori (Orion Moore)
Age: 17
Birthplace: Los Angeles
School: Previously attended Trinity Rose, rumored to have dropped out
Backstory: Haunted by trauma from his past life as Romeo Montague. A gifted costume designer living with his parents in NYC’s Meatpacking District
Relationships: Immediately drawn to Zu, estranged from Lauren
Past Life: Romeo Montague
Hermes Wright
Age: Likely 17
Birthplace: NYC
School: Trinity Rose, son of entrepreneur Ford Wright, founder of the Wright Institute
Backstory: Casual genius and tech-savvy visionary. The reincarnated Mercutio and Delphine. Holographic wizard.
Relationships: Best friend to Ori
Past Life: Mercutio, later Delphine (in Revolutionary France)
Professor Lauren
Age: Late 20s / Early 30s
Birthplace: San Juan
Job: Theater history teacher at Trinity Rose
Backstory: Passionate about drama and mythology, deeply interested in Zu’s artistic talent
Relationships: Mentor to Zu, with past-life ties to both Zu and Ori
Past Life: Friar Lawrence
Tai Fang
Age: Early-mid 20s
Birthplace: Shanghai
Job: Creative Director of Capulet Perfumes
Backstory: Involved in developing memory (and oblivion) perfumes. Pet project is Nepenthe, an oblivion perfume
Relationships: Has a complicated connection to Zu, revealed to be Juliet's brother (Tybalt Capulet) in Verona
Past Life: Tybalt Capulet
Lucrezia de Rosa
Age: Early-mid 20s
Birthplace: Italy
Job: Scientist at Capulet Perfumes
Backstory: Researches past-life memory perfumes, in hopes of remembering her father who died in her infancy
Relationships: Works with Tai, feels an instant kinship with Zu
Past Life: friend of Juliet Capulet
Minor Characters
Kimmo: Zu’s best friend at Trinity Rose. Quirky, fun-loving, and smells like jasmine
Aisha and Jaden: Zu’s other friends at Trinity Rose
Landon: A senior at Trinity Rose who takes an interest in Zu and invites her to rehearse with him for The Lights
Santiaga: A powerful figure within the Montague Initiates, resistant to Nepenthe’s effects
Delphine: A past-life incarnation of Hermes (and Mercutio's next life) during the French Revolution. Initiated into the Montague stream, Delphine has many adventures with Tabithe
Tabithe: a Montague Initiate and Parisian store-owner on the eve of the French Revolution. She meets Delphine, a revolutionary zealot and street urchin, taking her as her pupil. Tabithe later reincarnates as Santiaga, a leader of the Montagues
RITA: An AI working for Capulet Perfumes, instrumental in creating Nepenthe with Tai
Supporting Characters & Groups
The House of Capulet (Modern Day): A perfume empire developing memory-related fragrances, branded simply as Capulet
The Montague Initiates: A hidden group in the service of humanity
The Lights: Trinity Rose’s annual performance event, serving as a pivotal moment in the story
The Wright Institute: A bioscience and AI research foundation created by Ford and Sabina Wright
The Zhu Family: An ancient Chinese family and purchaser of the House of Capulet
The Blue Light: A manifestation of un-incarnated Montague Initiates and non-physical beings
Major Themes
Reincarnation & Past Lives: Exploring how past traumas and connections shape present identities
Love & Destiny: The struggle between predetermined fate and free will
Memory & Identity: The impact of forgetting or remembering one’s past
Karma & Resolution: Addressing old conflicts and determining new outcomes
Key Story Elements
Zu’s Sketches: Mysterious drawings that depict figures from her past life
The White Dress: A haunting creation by Ori, tied to buried memories of Juliet's funeral dress
The Capulet Prophecy: The 500-year old prediction that Zu will returns to the Capulets; if not, history will repeat (Ori will die)
Nepenthe: The latest perfume by Capulet, a way to erase painful memories
Capulet Perfumes:
- Nepenthe (green): Blocks past-life memories
- Orpheus (blue): Triggers visions of possible futures
- The Red Perfume (M): An experimental perfume to access past-life memories
Anticipated Story Arcs
- Zu’s Awakening – Her memories begin resurfacing, drawing her toward Ori
- The Mystery of The Capulets – Tai’s motives and the true purpose of the perfumes
- Ori’s Struggle – Reconciling with his past self and confronting his future
- The Lights Event – A turning point where everything collides
- The Capulet Prophecy and Destiny – The ultimate choice between fate and freedom