Title: Meredith Brighton
Meredith Brighton - January 24, 2007 03:02 AM (GMT)
OOC Information:
Preferred Form of Address on A&A: I’ll just go by Meredith, or any other form of the name :)
Preferred Contact Information: PM//Email/MSN – Pmed
How You Found A&A: Affiliate button
IC Information
Name: Brighton, Meredith Annelise
Avatar: Valentina Zelyaeva
Occupation: None, at the moment, but she’s an aspiring musician.
Age: 20 (though she is really 17)
Gender: Female
Appearance:
The first thing one would notice upon looking at Meredith would be the way she carries herself. She walks with a certain gracefulness, with a straight back produced from years of practicing good posture. But when she sits down, there’ll be a slight slouch to her shoulders, which might show that she isn’t all that prim and proper as the ladies were supposed to be. Her small frame and her overall look of fragility are easily surpassed by her determined facial expressions and her purposeful posture. Wavy locks that fall just past her shoulders frame the delicate bone structure of her face, and change from blonde to light brown with the seasons.
Meredith dislikes wearing it in a complete fancy up do on occasions she finds casual (teatime, for example), and therefore is often seen with her hair up very simply and covered. Though, if she had it her way, she’d rather not waste her time with putting her hair up at all and just let it run free. She doesn’t want to be thought of as a prostitute or anything of the like, however, so she doesn’t make a big deal about putting her hair up and covering it. When not in public, she does with her hair whatever she pleases – meaning she wears it down. Despite the fact that she liked (and still does, though she’s learned to control herself a bit more nowadays) to run around and dirty herself up, she does clean up well. Because of her upbringing, she will refuse to go out in public looking unpresentable, looking as if she had spent time on a pig farm and didn’t groom herself afterwards.
Standing at a good five feet and three inches tall, Meredith remains perfectly content with her height and weight (which happens to be about 115 pounds). Her body, though not completely toned, is not flab, what with being naturally thin and physically fit from running around all throughout her childhood and even afterwards. Her waist is a bit on the short side, though her long legs (as long as they can be for her height, anyways) make up for the lack of waist. It has to be admitted that she is not very curvaceous. Her hips aren't what one would exactly call wide, and her chest isn’t so big that males would ogle at them, but Meredith has nothing to be ashamed about. The tips of her long fingers reach to about mid-thigh length, though her thin arms give the illusion that they are actually longer than they are. But Meredith isn’t necessarily content with her entire physical form; she absolutely hates her knees, how they scrunch up when she stands and turn two shades darker. She also doesn’t like how her shoulders are a bit on the broad side, and it’s especially visible because of her straight posture.
Light skin, although not at all pale, doesn’t keep her from staying inside when the son is out. Meredith fears getting sunburn, but she’ll carry a parasol with her to help prevent it. With full lips and a nose that is small and pointed to perfection, her face is somewhat of a round shape, but there are really no defining features on it. Although she is very good about lying (because she practically lives in denial, although she would never admit it), her eyes are her silent way of expressing how she feels. In time, she had learned how to make her eyes correspond with how she says she feels, making herself a little more deceitful. She considers her eyes her best facial feature.
Personality:
Meredith doesn’t like to say what’s going on in her mind, unless provoked or asked. She is generally quiet around unfamiliar company though, if she’s up to it, she does try to make conversation with people before they actually approach her. When she is provoked, however, she won’t hesitate to speak her mind, letting her views be heard. This might make her a little rude at times, and she knows it perfectly well, but she can’t help but do so. She won’t drone on and on about something, however, since she likes to get straight to the point; long and drawn out conversations on one particular subject tend to bore her to the point where she starts to get frustrated. This may seem a little unladylike to the people around her, but Meredith isn’t easily bothered by what other people think of her.
Though she may seem quiet and sweet, the girl has a hot temper. She tries to have a lot of patience and is good at keeping her anger bottled up whenever she’s out in public, but when she’s taken to the brink, Meredith can get mean. She definitely won’t keep quiet if someone talks badly about someone she cares about, seeing as she is loyal to those she cares for and adores, and doesn’t necessarily like gossip. She has a bad habit of holding grudges, even when the person she holds a grudge against and herself have come to terms. She doesn’t put the past behind her easily, and dwells on it a lot. When Meredith is stressed out, she’ll tend to snap at everyone around her, despite her typically calm nature; and even though she is normally shy and timid around unfamiliar company, she’ll probably take a harsh tone with them, also, if they aggravate her. She’ll go up to someone and try to strike up a conversation if she feels like it, sure, but it isn’t necessarily easy to her. The ones who know her well and understand her, on the other hand, will stick with her, as she will with them.
Meredith’s trust is not at all easily gained, as she knows that she can’t be sure of someone’s true personality right off the bat. Once someone does happen to gain her trust, though, they can be sure that it had been well worth their time. She considers herself trustworthy, for she knows when to keep her mouth shut and is loyal to and respects those who have her trust. But this young lady is also competitive, which tend to taint her decisions a bit. As silly as it may have sounded at the time, she would’ve rather worked and earned the things she wants instead of having people just hand them over to her. She knows that there are people out there less fortunate than her, and so thinks that it’s unfair that they should have to work for things while she doesn’t.
Meredith tends to be a bit restless, from random finger exercises to stretching out her legs from under a desk. She paces and walks around a lot when in deep thought, for she finds that she can’t seem to think as well as when she’s sitting down. When reading, she’ll sometimes read out the words quietly to herself so that she can soak in all the information and really understand the content. The girl can’t stay cooped up in one place; she did it for most of her childhood, after all, and she learned that she didn’t like being sheltered.
In her spare time, Meredith enjoys reading (outdoors and perhaps under a tree, most likely. Again with the whole being cooped up thing) any book she can get her hands on – fiction, preferably, as she doesn’t necessarily enjoy reading her textbooks, considering the fact that she gets bored with them within the first couple of sentences. She also likes horseback riding, and does so whenever she gets the chance to. Generally, she likes the outdoors, minus all the bugs and crawly things; sometimes she’ll just feel like being outside (despite her fear of getting sunburn), and will walk around and enjoy the air.
She is easily spooked, by bugs and the like, although she will not show it on the outside. She considers it pointless and stupid to scream and run around at the mere sighting of something she is afraid of, although most of the time she will feel like doing so. But because of what happened with her parents, Meredith tends to be in denial. This probably also led to her being as stubborn as a mule, which was difficult for the people around her. She felt she had a reputation to uphold, a reputation for being stubborn. Whenever her parents made her practice the piano or the violin, she would put a pout on her face and refuse, but she would secretly be glad to do it. She had a great talent for playing the instruments, which would lead to her dreams of becoming a musician.
History:
Anyone would be jealous of the life that the Montgomery’s had. They had a large manor just outside of Dover, on the coast of Kent, and they were not ill talked about. They were not vain, nor were they proud and arrogant; as a matter of fact, they had a grand reputation, being the family of skilled socialists they were. They valued education and traditional ways, but one thing they valued most was something they could afford to wash down the drain - money.
It was only about twenty years earlier, when Patrick Montgomery had just gotten home from his university schooling. He was to be a lawyer, as his fathers before him had been. He had just wanted to concentrate on his career and be settled in it before marrying and starting a family. That is, of course, until he laid his eyes on one Annelise Beaumont, and just as she walked past him in the town! He didn’t know who she was or what her name was at that point in time, and so made it his business to go up and introduce himself. They made conversation, and there was really nothing that one disliked about the other. She wasn’t from here – she was from France, to be exact, and her father was in Dover on business until the month was done.
But before she could go back to France, Annelise took Patrick to see her parents. They were both nervous, to be sure, but she knew the boy had money, so it really wouldn’t be that big of a problem, would it? As to be expected, her parents drilled him and asked him what seemed to be every single question possible about his life. His father had died just three years ago; his mother was tending to the house…that was pretty much all there was to it. He never faltered; conversation and deceit were one of his talents, being a lawyer, and all. By the end of their meeting, Annelise’s parents saw what it was that their daughter liked so much in the man. A couple of months later, Patrick asked the girl’s parents to be allowed her hand in marriage. They didn’t hesitate to give him permission to do so.
Her parents stayed a while longer than expected, to get acquainted with Patrick’s mother. The Beaumonts, needless to say, would not return to France for the month before the wedding. They stayed in the Montgomery manor, planning out the whole wedding almost every day. After the event, Annelise’s parents moved back to their home in France, while she stayed back with Patrick. Seven months later, she had a daughter, named Marise. The girl grew up to be perfect in everyway possible; she was attentive, poise, and beautiful. She was also talented in embroidery and music. Patrick wanted a boy, though, and so a year later they had Derek, and he also grew up to be picture perfect - though, he did have a bit of an ego. The next year, they were surprised to find that again, Annelise was pregnant, though this girl was nothing like her older sister; at all. Her name was Meredith.
Born the sixth of April, Meredith had always felt a little out of place. Yes, she was obliging and polite with everything she did, and she tried to do her best at everything, but she felt like she was lying to herself. There had not been a hair out of place on her head since she had turned two, and she had not been allowed to run around the house or even the backyard once she turned four. Even though she knew that her parents were trying to do it for her own good, Meredith hated all the things she couldn’t do as a child. At some points in her early childhood, she even wished that she hadn’t been born into a rich family, so that she wouldn’t have to be all prim and proper as she was supposed to be.
At the age of five, she would want to run out and play with the boys. Instead, she had been forced to stay inside with her governess and practice embroidery and sewing. She got very good at it, too, admittedly, but only because after she was done for the day (meaning if she finished whatever she had to do with her stitches), she would be allowed to play with her dollhouse. No, she didn’t actually like playing with her dolls; in fact, she took the opportunity to sneak out of her second story window and climb down the lattice. She was soon found out, and her parents took down the thing, but that didn’t stop her from using rope she had crafted out of otherwise useless cloth. When she had been forced back inside, she wasn’t as disappointed as she might’ve been, because it was around the time she would go play the piano or the violin. It was her second favourite thing to do (her first being running around outside, of course).
Her parents really couldn’t understand why she loved to run around and get dirtied up so much, but they weren’t going to go as far as barring up her bedroom windows. Whenever they invited their friends with daughters about the same age as Meredith over, they treated her like she was some kind of freak. Meredith had always been nice to the girls that came over, though she had always thought they were a bit overdressed just for afternoon tea. Meredith would’ve been fine with just putting on a simple dress, though her mother practically forced her into one of the frilly ones she despised so much. Nevertheless, the little girl tried to make conversation as best she could, but the other girls simply did not try. They just wanted to get away from the girl who liked playing tag more than playing with dolls. The youngest of the servants the Montgomery’s had, however, was Meredith’s only childhood friend – the only person she could really confide in. At least she had that.
Annelise, her mother, had always been as kind as her temperament would allow her to do so, but she always nagged her youngest daughter about her behaviour. Eventually, the woman got fed up with doing just that, and one day told Meredith that she would need to go to finishing school in London. Meredith, of course, had not been happy to hear this, and didn’t agree at first. This reaction was to be expected, and so Annelise had no choice but to drag her up to London against her will. Meredith was fourteen at the time, and looking out the back of the carriage as it rolled away was probably the worst moment of her life. Up until then, anyway.
Meredith had learned to be grateful of the freedom she had had at home. Though it didn’t really seem like her parents gave her much freedom, it was better than anything she experienced at her finishing school. She had dressed nicely to make a good first impression, needless to say, but she had been somewhat recluse and unsocial her first few months. The other girls came up and talked to her after then, but it was the same as when the daughters of her mother’s friends came over for tea. They were all proper, their giggles being close-mouthed with the tips of their fingers over their mouths. Some had fans everywhere they went, along with gloves on their hands and ribbons in their hair. Meredith simply did not fit into the mold, and so she tried to do her best to hide who she really was. It drove her mad.
Well, not really, but she was having some real problems being indoors all the time. No, her brain was not going to explode, nor was she running around the place screaming at the top of her lungs. Meredith just simply hated having to lie about who she was, but she didn’t want to be treated like an outcast – she had learned she didn’t like it one bit, but she really had to ask herself one thing. Was it better not being who she was, hating every bit of who she was pretending to be, or was it better to act the way she wanted, while being avoided by everyone else? It was a tough decision, but she had come to the only conclusion she could think of.
At seventeen, Meredith packed her bags. She really could not be asked to stay in that stupid finishing school any longer, even if they did let her play her music. She had never been indoors or lied about something as big as whom she was for so long before in her life, and if she didn’t leave now, who knew what would happen to her. The people were suffocating; mean; arrogant; ignorant…the list could go on and on forever. Meredith only wrote one letter, to her only friend and confidante (the servant girl back home), the only person she could really trust to understand why she was doing what she was. The girl put it in the postbox (so the school could send it off; it was free that way, after all) and snuck out in the middle of the night. She dragged her single bag all the way to the train station (which was only a few miles off), her other bags left in her dorm room – the school would send it back to her parents.
No one could blame her for taking the necessary precautions, though. Meredith had enough money take a train to Dover, and she snuck into her house by way of window (she had learned all the entrances and exits in her home, after all) and took some money from her father's office - enough to find her a place to stay until she could get some sort of job. She also changed her last name from ‘Montgomery’ to ‘Brighton,’ and claimed that she was twenty years old instead of seventeen. She would not be caught and sent back to Kent, where she would most likely have no knowledge of what freedom was ever again. Once she reached the train station for the second time, she bought a ticket for the next train – the one that was off to a place called Lindebo. Never before had she heard of the place, but she knew it would be a chance for her to start over.
Strengths:
- She doesn’t let the rude things people say about her get her down. She believes in herself, and that’s what really counts, to her.
- She’s generally courteous to people.
- She is strong willed.
Weaknesses:
- The girl is competitive. If someone challenges her to most anything, she has a hard time turning down the offer.
- She is stubborn.
- Meredith doesn’t like to get too attached to anything, as she doesn’t want to be devastated, heart-broken, or disappointed if something happens.
- She usually had people do things for her, so she really doesn’t have much hands-on experience with most chores and the like.
- She tends to act on impulse, which pretty much explains why it would be listed under ‘weaknesses’ all on its own. ;)
- She can’t stand being cooped up or tied down, which would lead back to the fact that she doesn’t like to get too attached to anything.
- She has a fear of heights and bugs
Picture:
Preferred Form of Address on A&A: I’ll just go by Meredith, or any other form of the name :)
Preferred Contact Information: PM//Email/MSN – Pmed
How You Found A&A: Affiliate button
IC Information
Name: Brighton, Meredith Annelise
Avatar: Valentina Zelyaeva
Occupation: None, at the moment, but she’s an aspiring musician.
Age: 20 (though she is really 17)
Gender: Female
Appearance:
The first thing one would notice upon looking at Meredith would be the way she carries herself. She walks with a certain gracefulness, with a straight back produced from years of practicing good posture. But when she sits down, there’ll be a slight slouch to her shoulders, which might show that she isn’t all that prim and proper as the ladies were supposed to be. Her small frame and her overall look of fragility are easily surpassed by her determined facial expressions and her purposeful posture. Wavy locks that fall just past her shoulders frame the delicate bone structure of her face, and change from blonde to light brown with the seasons.
Meredith dislikes wearing it in a complete fancy up do on occasions she finds casual (teatime, for example), and therefore is often seen with her hair up very simply and covered. Though, if she had it her way, she’d rather not waste her time with putting her hair up at all and just let it run free. She doesn’t want to be thought of as a prostitute or anything of the like, however, so she doesn’t make a big deal about putting her hair up and covering it. When not in public, she does with her hair whatever she pleases – meaning she wears it down. Despite the fact that she liked (and still does, though she’s learned to control herself a bit more nowadays) to run around and dirty herself up, she does clean up well. Because of her upbringing, she will refuse to go out in public looking unpresentable, looking as if she had spent time on a pig farm and didn’t groom herself afterwards.
Standing at a good five feet and three inches tall, Meredith remains perfectly content with her height and weight (which happens to be about 115 pounds). Her body, though not completely toned, is not flab, what with being naturally thin and physically fit from running around all throughout her childhood and even afterwards. Her waist is a bit on the short side, though her long legs (as long as they can be for her height, anyways) make up for the lack of waist. It has to be admitted that she is not very curvaceous. Her hips aren't what one would exactly call wide, and her chest isn’t so big that males would ogle at them, but Meredith has nothing to be ashamed about. The tips of her long fingers reach to about mid-thigh length, though her thin arms give the illusion that they are actually longer than they are. But Meredith isn’t necessarily content with her entire physical form; she absolutely hates her knees, how they scrunch up when she stands and turn two shades darker. She also doesn’t like how her shoulders are a bit on the broad side, and it’s especially visible because of her straight posture.
Light skin, although not at all pale, doesn’t keep her from staying inside when the son is out. Meredith fears getting sunburn, but she’ll carry a parasol with her to help prevent it. With full lips and a nose that is small and pointed to perfection, her face is somewhat of a round shape, but there are really no defining features on it. Although she is very good about lying (because she practically lives in denial, although she would never admit it), her eyes are her silent way of expressing how she feels. In time, she had learned how to make her eyes correspond with how she says she feels, making herself a little more deceitful. She considers her eyes her best facial feature.
Personality:
Meredith doesn’t like to say what’s going on in her mind, unless provoked or asked. She is generally quiet around unfamiliar company though, if she’s up to it, she does try to make conversation with people before they actually approach her. When she is provoked, however, she won’t hesitate to speak her mind, letting her views be heard. This might make her a little rude at times, and she knows it perfectly well, but she can’t help but do so. She won’t drone on and on about something, however, since she likes to get straight to the point; long and drawn out conversations on one particular subject tend to bore her to the point where she starts to get frustrated. This may seem a little unladylike to the people around her, but Meredith isn’t easily bothered by what other people think of her.
Though she may seem quiet and sweet, the girl has a hot temper. She tries to have a lot of patience and is good at keeping her anger bottled up whenever she’s out in public, but when she’s taken to the brink, Meredith can get mean. She definitely won’t keep quiet if someone talks badly about someone she cares about, seeing as she is loyal to those she cares for and adores, and doesn’t necessarily like gossip. She has a bad habit of holding grudges, even when the person she holds a grudge against and herself have come to terms. She doesn’t put the past behind her easily, and dwells on it a lot. When Meredith is stressed out, she’ll tend to snap at everyone around her, despite her typically calm nature; and even though she is normally shy and timid around unfamiliar company, she’ll probably take a harsh tone with them, also, if they aggravate her. She’ll go up to someone and try to strike up a conversation if she feels like it, sure, but it isn’t necessarily easy to her. The ones who know her well and understand her, on the other hand, will stick with her, as she will with them.
Meredith’s trust is not at all easily gained, as she knows that she can’t be sure of someone’s true personality right off the bat. Once someone does happen to gain her trust, though, they can be sure that it had been well worth their time. She considers herself trustworthy, for she knows when to keep her mouth shut and is loyal to and respects those who have her trust. But this young lady is also competitive, which tend to taint her decisions a bit. As silly as it may have sounded at the time, she would’ve rather worked and earned the things she wants instead of having people just hand them over to her. She knows that there are people out there less fortunate than her, and so thinks that it’s unfair that they should have to work for things while she doesn’t.
Meredith tends to be a bit restless, from random finger exercises to stretching out her legs from under a desk. She paces and walks around a lot when in deep thought, for she finds that she can’t seem to think as well as when she’s sitting down. When reading, she’ll sometimes read out the words quietly to herself so that she can soak in all the information and really understand the content. The girl can’t stay cooped up in one place; she did it for most of her childhood, after all, and she learned that she didn’t like being sheltered.
In her spare time, Meredith enjoys reading (outdoors and perhaps under a tree, most likely. Again with the whole being cooped up thing) any book she can get her hands on – fiction, preferably, as she doesn’t necessarily enjoy reading her textbooks, considering the fact that she gets bored with them within the first couple of sentences. She also likes horseback riding, and does so whenever she gets the chance to. Generally, she likes the outdoors, minus all the bugs and crawly things; sometimes she’ll just feel like being outside (despite her fear of getting sunburn), and will walk around and enjoy the air.
She is easily spooked, by bugs and the like, although she will not show it on the outside. She considers it pointless and stupid to scream and run around at the mere sighting of something she is afraid of, although most of the time she will feel like doing so. But because of what happened with her parents, Meredith tends to be in denial. This probably also led to her being as stubborn as a mule, which was difficult for the people around her. She felt she had a reputation to uphold, a reputation for being stubborn. Whenever her parents made her practice the piano or the violin, she would put a pout on her face and refuse, but she would secretly be glad to do it. She had a great talent for playing the instruments, which would lead to her dreams of becoming a musician.
History:
Anyone would be jealous of the life that the Montgomery’s had. They had a large manor just outside of Dover, on the coast of Kent, and they were not ill talked about. They were not vain, nor were they proud and arrogant; as a matter of fact, they had a grand reputation, being the family of skilled socialists they were. They valued education and traditional ways, but one thing they valued most was something they could afford to wash down the drain - money.
It was only about twenty years earlier, when Patrick Montgomery had just gotten home from his university schooling. He was to be a lawyer, as his fathers before him had been. He had just wanted to concentrate on his career and be settled in it before marrying and starting a family. That is, of course, until he laid his eyes on one Annelise Beaumont, and just as she walked past him in the town! He didn’t know who she was or what her name was at that point in time, and so made it his business to go up and introduce himself. They made conversation, and there was really nothing that one disliked about the other. She wasn’t from here – she was from France, to be exact, and her father was in Dover on business until the month was done.
But before she could go back to France, Annelise took Patrick to see her parents. They were both nervous, to be sure, but she knew the boy had money, so it really wouldn’t be that big of a problem, would it? As to be expected, her parents drilled him and asked him what seemed to be every single question possible about his life. His father had died just three years ago; his mother was tending to the house…that was pretty much all there was to it. He never faltered; conversation and deceit were one of his talents, being a lawyer, and all. By the end of their meeting, Annelise’s parents saw what it was that their daughter liked so much in the man. A couple of months later, Patrick asked the girl’s parents to be allowed her hand in marriage. They didn’t hesitate to give him permission to do so.
Her parents stayed a while longer than expected, to get acquainted with Patrick’s mother. The Beaumonts, needless to say, would not return to France for the month before the wedding. They stayed in the Montgomery manor, planning out the whole wedding almost every day. After the event, Annelise’s parents moved back to their home in France, while she stayed back with Patrick. Seven months later, she had a daughter, named Marise. The girl grew up to be perfect in everyway possible; she was attentive, poise, and beautiful. She was also talented in embroidery and music. Patrick wanted a boy, though, and so a year later they had Derek, and he also grew up to be picture perfect - though, he did have a bit of an ego. The next year, they were surprised to find that again, Annelise was pregnant, though this girl was nothing like her older sister; at all. Her name was Meredith.
Born the sixth of April, Meredith had always felt a little out of place. Yes, she was obliging and polite with everything she did, and she tried to do her best at everything, but she felt like she was lying to herself. There had not been a hair out of place on her head since she had turned two, and she had not been allowed to run around the house or even the backyard once she turned four. Even though she knew that her parents were trying to do it for her own good, Meredith hated all the things she couldn’t do as a child. At some points in her early childhood, she even wished that she hadn’t been born into a rich family, so that she wouldn’t have to be all prim and proper as she was supposed to be.
At the age of five, she would want to run out and play with the boys. Instead, she had been forced to stay inside with her governess and practice embroidery and sewing. She got very good at it, too, admittedly, but only because after she was done for the day (meaning if she finished whatever she had to do with her stitches), she would be allowed to play with her dollhouse. No, she didn’t actually like playing with her dolls; in fact, she took the opportunity to sneak out of her second story window and climb down the lattice. She was soon found out, and her parents took down the thing, but that didn’t stop her from using rope she had crafted out of otherwise useless cloth. When she had been forced back inside, she wasn’t as disappointed as she might’ve been, because it was around the time she would go play the piano or the violin. It was her second favourite thing to do (her first being running around outside, of course).
Her parents really couldn’t understand why she loved to run around and get dirtied up so much, but they weren’t going to go as far as barring up her bedroom windows. Whenever they invited their friends with daughters about the same age as Meredith over, they treated her like she was some kind of freak. Meredith had always been nice to the girls that came over, though she had always thought they were a bit overdressed just for afternoon tea. Meredith would’ve been fine with just putting on a simple dress, though her mother practically forced her into one of the frilly ones she despised so much. Nevertheless, the little girl tried to make conversation as best she could, but the other girls simply did not try. They just wanted to get away from the girl who liked playing tag more than playing with dolls. The youngest of the servants the Montgomery’s had, however, was Meredith’s only childhood friend – the only person she could really confide in. At least she had that.
Annelise, her mother, had always been as kind as her temperament would allow her to do so, but she always nagged her youngest daughter about her behaviour. Eventually, the woman got fed up with doing just that, and one day told Meredith that she would need to go to finishing school in London. Meredith, of course, had not been happy to hear this, and didn’t agree at first. This reaction was to be expected, and so Annelise had no choice but to drag her up to London against her will. Meredith was fourteen at the time, and looking out the back of the carriage as it rolled away was probably the worst moment of her life. Up until then, anyway.
Meredith had learned to be grateful of the freedom she had had at home. Though it didn’t really seem like her parents gave her much freedom, it was better than anything she experienced at her finishing school. She had dressed nicely to make a good first impression, needless to say, but she had been somewhat recluse and unsocial her first few months. The other girls came up and talked to her after then, but it was the same as when the daughters of her mother’s friends came over for tea. They were all proper, their giggles being close-mouthed with the tips of their fingers over their mouths. Some had fans everywhere they went, along with gloves on their hands and ribbons in their hair. Meredith simply did not fit into the mold, and so she tried to do her best to hide who she really was. It drove her mad.
Well, not really, but she was having some real problems being indoors all the time. No, her brain was not going to explode, nor was she running around the place screaming at the top of her lungs. Meredith just simply hated having to lie about who she was, but she didn’t want to be treated like an outcast – she had learned she didn’t like it one bit, but she really had to ask herself one thing. Was it better not being who she was, hating every bit of who she was pretending to be, or was it better to act the way she wanted, while being avoided by everyone else? It was a tough decision, but she had come to the only conclusion she could think of.
At seventeen, Meredith packed her bags. She really could not be asked to stay in that stupid finishing school any longer, even if they did let her play her music. She had never been indoors or lied about something as big as whom she was for so long before in her life, and if she didn’t leave now, who knew what would happen to her. The people were suffocating; mean; arrogant; ignorant…the list could go on and on forever. Meredith only wrote one letter, to her only friend and confidante (the servant girl back home), the only person she could really trust to understand why she was doing what she was. The girl put it in the postbox (so the school could send it off; it was free that way, after all) and snuck out in the middle of the night. She dragged her single bag all the way to the train station (which was only a few miles off), her other bags left in her dorm room – the school would send it back to her parents.
No one could blame her for taking the necessary precautions, though. Meredith had enough money take a train to Dover, and she snuck into her house by way of window (she had learned all the entrances and exits in her home, after all) and took some money from her father's office - enough to find her a place to stay until she could get some sort of job. She also changed her last name from ‘Montgomery’ to ‘Brighton,’ and claimed that she was twenty years old instead of seventeen. She would not be caught and sent back to Kent, where she would most likely have no knowledge of what freedom was ever again. Once she reached the train station for the second time, she bought a ticket for the next train – the one that was off to a place called Lindebo. Never before had she heard of the place, but she knew it would be a chance for her to start over.
Strengths:
- She doesn’t let the rude things people say about her get her down. She believes in herself, and that’s what really counts, to her.
- She’s generally courteous to people.
- She is strong willed.
Weaknesses:
- The girl is competitive. If someone challenges her to most anything, she has a hard time turning down the offer.
- She is stubborn.
- Meredith doesn’t like to get too attached to anything, as she doesn’t want to be devastated, heart-broken, or disappointed if something happens.
- She usually had people do things for her, so she really doesn’t have much hands-on experience with most chores and the like.
- She tends to act on impulse, which pretty much explains why it would be listed under ‘weaknesses’ all on its own. ;)
- She can’t stand being cooped up or tied down, which would lead back to the fact that she doesn’t like to get too attached to anything.
- She has a fear of heights and bugs
Picture:
Mjinga - January 24, 2007 03:19 AM (GMT)
You will need to PM your contact information to either Kris (Etcetera) or I. :)
Looking over the app, I'll have a review up shortly.
Looking over the app, I'll have a review up shortly.
Mjinga - January 24, 2007 03:59 AM (GMT)
And now here's the review! But first: Hey hey! Welcome to A&A! I’m glad you decided to make a character, and I’m sure she’ll be approved in no time. There are, however, just a few things that will need to be changed. :) We do this to everyone, so don’t worry.
| QUOTE |
| Side swept bangs and wavy locks that fall just past her shoulders frame the delicate bone structure of her face… She doesn’t have a problem with putting it up, be it tight or loosely, when necessary, however. |
Actually, bangs were not a style that existed back then, and it was always necessary to have your hair up, and covered with a hat. However, I will let you have them, and the loose hair, provided that you note that it’s a style that is worn only by you, and that you will be thought to be a prostitute because of it. (Only whores wore their hair loose and uncovered in public)
From the appearance:
From the appearance:
| QUOTE |
| though her thin arms give the illusion… |
From the strengths:
| QUOTE |
| As a matter of fact, she is perfectly capable of doing a man’s work. |
With her at 5’3”, with thin arms, I’m not quite seeing how she’s capable of doing a man’s work. Also remember that as coming from an upper-class family she’d be wasp-waisted from corset wear, which would drastically reduce her functionality.
As a note, she’ll be wearing skirts so long and bushy that no one will ever see her knees.
From the personality:
As a note, she’ll be wearing skirts so long and bushy that no one will ever see her knees.
From the personality:
| QUOTE |
| The choices she has to make are generally wise |
From the personality:
| QUOTE |
| Her idealistic views and semi-constant daydreams have some people telling her to get a grip and snap back to reality, but she just can’t seem to do that. |
And from the weaknesses:
| QUOTE |
| She is a bit naïve |
The first seems a bit contradictory to the last two.
| QUOTE |
| since she is used to earning the things she wants. |
If the Montgomery’s lived in a manor house, this would not be the case. She would not earn anything, she would have them by entitlement. She would not be expected to work for anything, except perhaps to appear accomplished at an instrument.
I’m very sorry to say it, but the beginning of your history would not happen. The parents of the girl would make inquiries of friends and family about the fellow’s status, and when they got nothing but “never heard of him before” they would be so suspicious that they would spend time investigating deeply into the matter. She would never be given in marriage to him.
However, he could elope with her. But, if he did that, then she would bear the shame of having eloped, and it’s likely that her family would throw her out on her ear. Also, the parents would know from the beginning that she was seeing a man, because he would have to call on her house to meet her, unless he somehow managed to obtain invitations to all the high social functions she was going to.
As for the money issue, it would be very unlikely they would will it to someone like that. Their fortune would have been left to the nearest male relative if for some reason they didn’t want to will in to Annelise.
Then, I have some problems with the connecter between the great-grandmother’s story and Meridith’s, but I’ll hold off on those since they might change when you revise the Annelise part.
I’m very sorry to say it, but the beginning of your history would not happen. The parents of the girl would make inquiries of friends and family about the fellow’s status, and when they got nothing but “never heard of him before” they would be so suspicious that they would spend time investigating deeply into the matter. She would never be given in marriage to him.
However, he could elope with her. But, if he did that, then she would bear the shame of having eloped, and it’s likely that her family would throw her out on her ear. Also, the parents would know from the beginning that she was seeing a man, because he would have to call on her house to meet her, unless he somehow managed to obtain invitations to all the high social functions she was going to.
As for the money issue, it would be very unlikely they would will it to someone like that. Their fortune would have been left to the nearest male relative if for some reason they didn’t want to will in to Annelise.
Then, I have some problems with the connecter between the great-grandmother’s story and Meridith’s, but I’ll hold off on those since they might change when you revise the Annelise part.
| QUOTE |
| Meredith just put on a simple dress, despite her mother’s wishes, and tried to make conversation as best she could, but the other girls simply did not try. |
Unless her mother and governess are particularly weak-willed for the times, this will not be a choice of Meredith’s. She would be forced into appropriate wear, or she would not be allowed into the presence of company.
Then, what money do you have? Where did you get it from? Where is she planning to stay in Lindebo? How is she planning to support herself? I’ll need to know those things before I can approve the character.
Then, what money do you have? Where did you get it from? Where is she planning to stay in Lindebo? How is she planning to support herself? I’ll need to know those things before I can approve the character.
Meredith Brighton - January 25, 2007 02:05 AM (GMT)
Ooy. That makes tons of sense.
I'll let you know when I edit ^^
I'll let you know when I edit ^^
Meredith Brighton - February 23, 2007 05:16 PM (GMT)
Gah, sorry it took me so long. A month, to be exact. ><; Don't smite me!
But I've edited, if you'll still have me. (:
Oh, and:
+She does have some money that she's saved up, and she snuck back into her house and took some more.
+I actually don't know where she'd stay. I figured there'd be an inn for her to stay at for the time being.
+She'd probably end up playing music on the street, as she does have a violin with her, or she could come to work as a seamstress.
But I've edited, if you'll still have me. (:
Oh, and:
+She does have some money that she's saved up, and she snuck back into her house and took some more.
+I actually don't know where she'd stay. I figured there'd be an inn for her to stay at for the time being.
+She'd probably end up playing music on the street, as she does have a violin with her, or she could come to work as a seamstress.
Etcetera - February 23, 2007 05:59 PM (GMT)
Well, hellu there! Welcome back!
Yesyes, this definitely looks nice and improved. :) I only have a few things to be annoying about:
The first two paragraphs of your personality seems to me a tad ambivalent. It looks like you want her to be quiet and timid, but at the same time extrovert and self-assured, and patient but at the same time have a bit of a temper. Maybe you could rephrase and say she tries to have patience? Is she only quiet and timid around unfamiliar company (and if they don't irk her)? Maybe I'm just being dim here (I am tired), and find it unclear for no reason. If I am, then I guess Mjinga will correct me.
Yesyes, this definitely looks nice and improved. :) I only have a few things to be annoying about:
The first two paragraphs of your personality seems to me a tad ambivalent. It looks like you want her to be quiet and timid, but at the same time extrovert and self-assured, and patient but at the same time have a bit of a temper. Maybe you could rephrase and say she tries to have patience? Is she only quiet and timid around unfamiliar company (and if they don't irk her)? Maybe I'm just being dim here (I am tired), and find it unclear for no reason. If I am, then I guess Mjinga will correct me.
| QUOTE |
| Ever since she learned about her past ancestors (namely, her great-grandfather Patrick), she’s known she can’t be sure of someone’s true personality right off the bat. She thinks that what her great-grandfather did was horrible, and doesn’t ever want to be trapped in Annelise’s position [read history for more info on this]. |
You don't seem to need this anymore, now, do you? ;)
Hmmm... Can't think of anything else. For now, anyway.
Hmmm... Can't think of anything else. For now, anyway.
Meredith Brighton - February 23, 2007 06:25 PM (GMT)
Bleh...That's what I meant ^^; But I agree, because I reread it and it did seem a little two-sided.
Anyway, hope it's clearer now.
Anyway, hope it's clearer now.
Etcetera - February 23, 2007 06:40 PM (GMT)
Approved :banana:
You only need one more approval and you're good to go.
You only need one more approval and you're good to go.
Mjinga - February 24, 2007 03:17 AM (GMT)
Way cool! I like her so much better now! Only a few weeny prollems that I picked out. :) I always do, you know.
| QUOTE |
| Standing at a good five feet and three inches tall, Meredith remains perfectly content with her height and weight (which happens to be 105 pounds). Her body is perfectly toned, muscles coming from over a decade of ballet. |
This is almost ten pounds underweight even for a small-framed woman. You can be that weight, of course, but not with toned muscles. Also as the daughter of a rich Victorian lady and gentleman you would more likely go to ballets than be taught ballet.
| QUOTE |
| A week later, Patrick asked the girl’s parents to be allowed her hand in marriage. They didn’t hesitate to give him permission to do so. |
Did you mean to write one week?
| QUOTE |
| Seven months later, she had a daughter, named Marise. |
Did you mean to write seven months?
| QUOTE |
| The girl was perfect in everyway possible; she was attentive, poise, and beautiful. She was also talented in embroidery and music. Patrick wanted a boy, though, and so a year later they had Derek, and he was also picture perfect - though, he did have a bit of an ego. |
Ehehehe, that sounds like they were like that from the time they were babies. ;)
And the money she took; how much money are we talking? I have a very good idea of what class she used to be, but not so much what class she is now. Did she take enough to support her in her current lifestyle, or a reduced one? If reduced, how much reduced?
But I will so totally approve her once you clear up these things. :)
And the money she took; how much money are we talking? I have a very good idea of what class she used to be, but not so much what class she is now. Did she take enough to support her in her current lifestyle, or a reduced one? If reduced, how much reduced?
But I will so totally approve her once you clear up these things. :)
Meredith Brighton - February 24, 2007 06:58 PM (GMT)
I didn't mean to write one week, but I did mean to write seven months - if you know what I mean. :P I hope that works, because I figured if they were in love, they wouldn't just exchange glances, hold hands and etc. I'll change it if it doesn't, though. [shrug]
As for her class now - definitely reduced. She has a large suitcase full of clothes, which would of course be decent, so she probably wouldn't need to go out and buy more. She has enough money for a place to stay and food, so she definitely wouldn't be living out on the streets. Sort of a...borderline low-middle class type? Hope that makes sense ><;
As for her class now - definitely reduced. She has a large suitcase full of clothes, which would of course be decent, so she probably wouldn't need to go out and buy more. She has enough money for a place to stay and food, so she definitely wouldn't be living out on the streets. Sort of a...borderline low-middle class type? Hope that makes sense ><;
Mjinga - February 24, 2007 08:23 PM (GMT)
Hehe, well if they snuck out and suchlike, it's possible. Annelise's parents were lax in their duties though, they were supposed to keep such things from happening. *loves hypocrisy of mother*
Hmm... one month is still an unrealistically fast courtship (parents would never agree). I could work with three, though, what with the pregnancy. Shotgun wedding. :)
The above is my last pick. You're almost approved.
OOh and if that's her class (and of course you have to stick to it) the most perfectest place for her to stay is the Townsend Boarding-house! Katherine Townsend runs it, and you'd have a lot of fellow-tenants (I'm thinking this will give you a way to meet people right off the bat).
Hmm... one month is still an unrealistically fast courtship (parents would never agree). I could work with three, though, what with the pregnancy. Shotgun wedding. :)
The above is my last pick. You're almost approved.
OOh and if that's her class (and of course you have to stick to it) the most perfectest place for her to stay is the Townsend Boarding-house! Katherine Townsend runs it, and you'd have a lot of fellow-tenants (I'm thinking this will give you a way to meet people right off the bat).
Meredith Brighton - February 24, 2007 08:41 PM (GMT)
Instead of putting an exact number, I said "A couple of months." Should work, right? ^^
As for the boarding house - That's wonderfully fantastic idea. I think I'll actually have her stay there, then. (:
As for the boarding house - That's wonderfully fantastic idea. I think I'll actually have her stay there, then. (:
Mjinga - February 24, 2007 10:19 PM (GMT)
Works for me. :mjinga:
I'm sure you probably already know this, but you can post in one thread at a time only, except that the Easter Ball thread is multi-post. Since you decided to live at the Townsend Boarding-house, you can say that you were part of Alastair's party, if you want to be in the Ball thread. We'll just assume that you know Alastair, at least; the other charries can either have not met you in depth before or you can work out an assumed relationship with them via PMs until we can establish it IC. You can invent a male NPC from the boarding-house as your escort. :)
And you've been moved and listed and yadda yadda, you're good to go.
EDIT: This charry could technically break our Rich Beautiful Heiresses disallowing policy, so I'll just add the caveat that she's approved on the basis that her family and especially their money do not become available to her for quite some time, if ever.
I'm sure you probably already know this, but you can post in one thread at a time only, except that the Easter Ball thread is multi-post. Since you decided to live at the Townsend Boarding-house, you can say that you were part of Alastair's party, if you want to be in the Ball thread. We'll just assume that you know Alastair, at least; the other charries can either have not met you in depth before or you can work out an assumed relationship with them via PMs until we can establish it IC. You can invent a male NPC from the boarding-house as your escort. :)
And you've been moved and listed and yadda yadda, you're good to go.
EDIT: This charry could technically break our Rich Beautiful Heiresses disallowing policy, so I'll just add the caveat that she's approved on the basis that her family and especially their money do not become available to her for quite some time, if ever.