dicreasy2: (Marielle worried)
[personal profile] dicreasy2
At last, here's Marielle.

Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
She’s tall, very tall, not only for her era, but for today too: she’s 6’ exactly in her stocking feet. She further emphasises her height by wearing her hair piled on top of her head and wearing heeled shoes. She has the tendency to look unhealthily thin. She was pretty malnourished as a child, and doesn’t care much for food as an adult, but more on that later.

2. How old is she?
Currently in game she’s 43, in story she’s 42. I’m ignoring the fact that she was an unaging townie for the time being.

3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch?
She has a very proud bearing. She holds herself ramrod straight and when she was younger, she seemed to walk about with her nose in the air. That has lessened somewhat, but she still holds herself as straight as ever.

4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Surprisingly good given her start in life. Colds have a tendency to go to her chest, and turn into chest infections, but she’s generally a fairly healthy person. She’s fitter now than she used to be; all that gardening has been good for something after all. In her twenties, she did nothing and got really out of shape. In her teens and as a child, she was as fit as she could have been, given her limited diet.

5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
She moves as if she is holding herself with perfect control, which she is. As such, she’s not clumsy, but she’s certainly not naturally graceful, nor is she fluid. Tense is a good way to describe how she moves.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror?
She’s extraordinarily beautiful and she knows it.

7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Tanned and clear, although she is getting a few wrinkles which she really is not happy about.

8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
Reddy brown and fairly thick. She wears it in an eleaborate knot on top of her head.

9. What color are her eyes?
A drak steely grey and very striking.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
No.

11. What are her chief tension centers?
She suffers headaches when stressed.

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit?
Last time we saw her in story, it was very utilitarian and down at heel. She’d done the best with what she could afford, and her limited sewing skills. At the moment, she’s getting an allowance (because her ex-husband is a huge softy), and she’s managing to sell the excess vegetables she grows, so her wardrobe is starting to look less shabby, if not as nice as she would ideally like.

13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
She can no longer afford to have her clothes made for her, so she buys either ready cut patterns, or cloth and patterns to make her own. Her bodices are cut by a seamstress still (a Victorian bodice was very difficult to cut and make to the right measurements so tended to be made by a professional seamstress or dressmaker, and the skirt then made by the lady herself), and then finished by her. As such, her clothes never quite fit her properly.

14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences?
She might dress in her older clothes to tend the garden, but that’s the only real difference.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Depends what she can afford. Drawers and chemise, or combinations are her usual.



Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
I’ve always imagined her as having a husky, strained sounding voice.

2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
Evenly, and slowly, enunciating clearly.

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
She has taught herself to speak with a home counties middle class accent. However, her native accent is broad cockney.

4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
Only simlish.

5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
When stressed or upset, her accent tends to slip to her native cockney.

6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
She has to think about her words. Her emotions get the better of her otherwise.

7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Eloquent, apart from when stressed and when she slips back into her native accent.



Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
Well, she’s not dumb. She can be short sighted and naïve in some ways, but she’s not unintelligent. She has street smarts in spades. She had to learn in order to survive in the alleyways of the Nickle.

2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
She thinks on her feet, when she should perhaps deliberate.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
I’ve decided that I don’t like this question all that much, since I think it depends on the situation and as such most of my characters can be all of these at some point in their lives.

Overall, Marielle uses her own brand of logic, and can be idealistic. However, she is practical, especially when it comes to problem solving.

4. What kind of education has the character had?
None. Her mother couldn’t even afford a Dame School. Next question.

5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
Survival.

6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
Extrovert.

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Prone to mood swings and melancholy. Also, incredibly driven.

8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
She’s very suspicious of new people, and especially when she was younger, would always be trying to work out just what they could do for her.

9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
Act.

10. Which is her default: fight or flight?
Fight, unless she knows she’s beaten, in which case it’s flight. Like I say above, she is extremely good at surviving, and in order to do that, you have to know when to retreat.

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
She doesn’t have a sense of humour that I can tell.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
Hmm. I don’t think so. She had a bit of a breakdown when Eddie threw her out, and her very volatile temperament could be indicative of something more, but I’ve not explored that avenue and have no intention of doing so.

13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person?
Being born in the slums. A trip to a nicer part of Simdon when she was about 4 or 5. Realising what her mother did to put food on the table. Her mother getting sick. Her mother dying. Realising that she had enough money to rent a place outside of the Nickel. Several things that happen between her leaving the slums and meeting Henry that I don’t really want to get in to. Meeting Henry Legacy. Henry being arrested. Meeting Stanley Legacy and consequently Eddie Legacy. Marrying Eddie and realising what being Legacy Spouse meant. Being divorced by Eddie. Being committed to the asylum. Some stuff to happen in the future.

14. What does she fear?
Ending up like her mother.

15. What are her hopes or aspirations?
She has always wanted to elevate herself above her birth and current position.

16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her?
That she has feelings.



Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents.
Oh god. I could write an entire essay on this, but I’m not going to. Her father died before she was a year old, and as such she never knew him. That doesn’t stop her from feeling some resentment towards him for abandoning her and her mother and essentially forcing her mother into the life she chose.
As for her mother, she had a very poor relationship with her. She never realised the sacrifices Mary made for her, nor how she didn’t want to do what she did, but she felt she had no choice in order to keep Marielle fed and a roof over their heads. She resented Mary for how she lived and felt huge contempt for her too. Once Mary became too ill to look after herself, that resentment only grew, until she could barely stand her when she died.

From Mary’s view, she did everything she could to keep her daughter safe and well and she felt sad that Marielle never realised that. She wasn’t the most demonstrative of parents, but that was a lot to do with everything she had going on in her mind, and how scared she was, every minute of every day that she would fail to keep her daughter alive and with her.

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
No siblings.

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand?
No.

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them?
No.

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
She doesn’t have one.

6. Does she have other close friends?
Nope.

7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people?
She doesn’t make friends unless she feels the other person will be of advantage to her. She doesn’t rely on anyone. She is the only person she needs.

8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends?
Neither matter to her and both friends and family have let her down in the past.

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once?
Divorced, and unless something major happens, I can’t see her marrying again.

10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
No.

11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest?
I’m not sure that she’s ever had a crush.

12. What does she look for in a romantic partner?
The same thing that she looks for in anyone: what they can do for her.

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any?
Two children, Bertie and Stuart and she will have grandchildren.
She doesn’t relate to them. For the longest time she was indifferent to them.

14. Does she have any rivals or enemies?
Not really.

15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale?
She’s straight.

16. How does she feel about sex? How important is it to her?
Because of what her mum did and the disease she contracted, Marielle has a very poor opinion of sex. She doesn’t enjoy it, and of course it leads to children and she really hated being pregnant.

17. What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Again, I don’t think that many things turn her on. She finds men attractive, but like I say above, she’s not very sex orientated.



Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type?
She’s an Aries, which yeah. Some of those qualities do fit with her character/

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life?
She’s CofE equivalent, but she’s not very spiritual. She has little use for anything that isn’t practical and can do something for her. Praying never made her family rich. Praying never made her mother change her profession. Praying never made her mother better. Praying never did anything to help her.

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Surprisingly, yes. I mean she’s very selfish and was completely horrible to Eddie and Beth, but she does have a personal code of morals. It may seem like she would do anything to get what she wants, but there are things she won’t do.
She also has very strong views on prostitution and the men who use them. You would think that she would have sympathy for prostitutes given the fact her mother had no other choice, but she hates them with a passion, and thinks that there is no excuse. As for the men that use them, you don’t want to know her contempt and hatred for them.

4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from hers? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
She’s indifferent really.

5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them?
Like I say above, she’s very prejudiced against prostitutes and the men who use them.



Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
At the moment, she’s poor but not as dirt poor as she has been in her past.

2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her?
At the moment, she’s working class. Before Eddie kicked her out, she was middle class, but she grew up as the lowest of the working class.

3. Where does she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is her home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does she share it with others?
She’s living in a tiny cottage on the edge of a farm.

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on?
She doesn’t really have any spare money at the moment.

5. What does she do for a living? Is she good at it? Does she enjoy it, or would she rather be doing something else?
She doesn’t work as such, but she does spend a lot of time in her garden, growing food to feed herself. Anything left over, she sells.

6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time?
She used to like playing the piano, but doesn’t have one anymore. She paints if she can, which isn’t often. She doesn’t have all that much free time truth be told.

7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
She actually doesn’t care much for food. Part of this is to do with how she doesn’t like preparing it, but part is because she got use to being hungry when she was young. She gorged when she was first introduced to plentiful food, and made herself very sick.



Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is her favorite:

1. Color? Plum
2. Smell? Don’t have one.
3. Time of day? mid morning
4. Season? Autumn
5. Book? Again, I don’t have one.
6. Music? Hmm, something dark and sad.
7. Place? The slums. She never escaped them, she’s always there in her head.
8. Substance? Ash
9. Plant? Hah!
10. Animal? Fox.


END
{{ Get the HTML here so you can do it yourself. }}

Date: 2012-06-13 07:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lauriempress.livejournal.com
You do realize reading this I want to somehow send her a little extra pocket money. Thanks for sharing some more about her.

Date: 2012-06-19 12:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dicreasy.livejournal.com
:D I've done something a bit right then. Although, she'd hate the pity and charity. What can I say? She's complicated.

No problem!

Date: 2012-06-13 08:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] smoothiegarten.livejournal.com
While I don't condone Marielle hurting Eddie, I do have some sympathy for where she came from and the effort she's put in to bettering herself. So it's nice to see she's not doing too badly right now.

Date: 2012-06-19 12:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dicreasy.livejournal.com
*nodnod* I'm really happy that people are feeling sympathetic towards her. One thing I wish I'd done differently when I was writing her in the legacy, is to get more of her background in, and show more of her motivations. It's nice to be able to share more now.

Date: 2012-06-14 04:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] biglenny.livejournal.com
I really love this. Despite the bad things Marielle did to Beth and Eddie, there are some qualities that make me sympathize with her to a certain extent, but definitely not a lot.

Date: 2012-06-19 12:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dicreasy.livejournal.com
I'm glad you can sympathise with her more. She's very complex, and even I don't know exactly how I feel about her. I'm happy that people are sympathitic, but also that they don't forget what she did, and don't forgive that.

Date: 2012-06-14 07:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] katrisims.livejournal.com
This does make me feel some sympathy for Marielle. Her background doesn't excuse what she's done, but it's more understandable.

Date: 2012-06-19 12:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dicreasy.livejournal.com
Exactly, and that's one reason why I want to share that background, and also why I feel I failed a bit when writing her. I didn't get her motivation and her reasons behind into the story as much as I should have done.

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