Post by Magdalen Verena on Aug 10, 2009 22:43:01 GMT -6
Magdalen Verena
vitals
nick names = She detests them, and much prefers when people address her by her proper first name.
gender = Female
age = 24
race = Human
homeworld = Terra, spent two years exiled in Antheia.
areas of skill = Diplomacy, domestic chores and linguist.
preferred profession = Unemployed, hoping to keep a low-profile until she sets her priorities in order.
Former courtesan and entertainer, criminal by association.
starting location = Terra[/size][/ul]
visuals
hair = Copper-coloured, often worn long and loose or done up in a messy, half-hearted twist. She hasn't
yet had the opportunity to cut it though she often considers it would the most practical thing to do.
eyes = Gray blue and almond-shaped. Appear silvery at a distance.
distinguishing features = She has a small, barely noticeable beauty mark upon the outside corner of
her left eye. She also bears remnants of a scar along the length of her ribcage from where she was pierced
by a warped piece of metal during the crash landing on Antheia.[/size][/ul]
personality
dislikes = Loneliness, ignorance, her mounting paranoia and politicians.
strengths = Resilient and hopeful.
weaknesses = Emotional and opinionated.
describe full personality =
The unfortunate course of events indirectly resulting in Magdalen’s current predicament
have forced her to adopt a headstrong and wilful demeanour. As a child she had been
characteristically timid and obedient, but has since evolved by necessity to accommodate
her new lifestyle. Despite being firm and direct, she handles confrontation with a cool head
and surprisingly eloquent manner of speech. Unfortunately past incidents have instilled a
deeply-rooted distrustfulness and paranoia within the young woman, which keep her from
forming significant friendships and allies. With a soft spot in her heart reserved for small
children, she often catches herself daydreaming about someday having a family of her own
to dote on.
Her high level of intellect is demonstrated by the mature and demure way in which she
approaches things. She would much rather die than allow anyone to witness her in a state of
vulnerability and emotional turmoil, and she is known to be extremely narrow-minded.
Once made up, the task of swaying her opinion is a near impossible one. She seems to pick up
on things quickly, possibly making her the perfect candidate for an apprenticeship. However she
has no interest in that sort of thing and stores this wealth of knowledge away for future use
when needed.
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so the story begins...
Magdalen Amelia Verena, born September 14th 2406.
She’d been a relatively healthy baby, at least by the standards considered norm for those whom resided within the InBetween. She had also gone on to lead a rather uninteresting, albeit fulfilling childhood. Ignorant as to the way the government and its politics operated as well as of the chaos and destruction that lay beneath their peaceful plateau, she went about her business with high hopes, chasing frivolous fantasies and daydreaming about ventures into space. Although she had no education to pursue, she seemed to absorb information effortlessly and always seemed to be asking questions. No one tired of her inquisitive nature however, if only because she was – otherwise – a very quiet and restful young girl. Hoarding whatever books she was able to lay her hands on, she spent much of her time reading and assisting her mother about their apartment. Her father, as she recalled, worked long hours in a mechanic’s and spare parts shop. It was a decent living. The smell of grease and oil lingered upon his clothes, and there was always a demand for instalments and repairs. Unfortunately this left him little time to spend with his family.
Regan, her younger and far more rambunctious brother, was not as affected by their father’s absence if only because Sebastian Verena insisted that his son accompany him to the shop in an effort to get an early start on his learning’s. After all, Regan would someday end up filling the position after their father’s retirement. It would only benefit him to get his foot in the door as soon as possible. Because of this way of thinking, Magdalen and her mother were one another’s most frequent company which neither of them particularly minded. Sometimes Magdalen wonders whether things would be different had she been given the opportunity to solidify a stronger bond with her sibling … that perhaps he would have been more inclined to listen to her when it counted most. Unfortunately one cannot alter the past.
In the end, Regan would not take over his father’s station and continue providing for his family. In fact he completely strayed from the path his parents had carefully guided him to. It all began when he started to pick meaningless fights with other children, then transitioned to sneaking into the Below. Pick pocketing was apparently easier and more convenient than earning an honest living. Much of this went on without her mother and father’s knowledge, steadily progressing until he was defying their wishes outright and threatened to leave home. Helpless to his aggressive and selfish behaviour, Magdalen made to distract herself by finding work in an inconspicuous little bakery. The goods sold there had a strong reputation that reached even the ears of those privileged few in the Top. Coincidentally enough, a wealthy young man whom had been visiting the InBetween on a bit of a supervision order stopped by to quell his hunger. Spotting her, he treated Magdalen to a slow smile and asked for her name. Relived early from her shift, she was accompanied back to her house with the same man on her arm and had a long discussion with her mother. She wasn’t permitted to listen but all of the details would later be unveiled regardless.
With a hesitant expression, her mother and father sat her down to admit that they’d been asked for her to consider employment in the Top. When pressed for what the expectations were, they exchanged concerned glances. Her father had even stood up to leave the room, mussing her hair gently as he did. This was a cause for alarm, setting off warning bells in the back of her mind. She would act as a consort, or courtesan of sorts to whichever upstanding man paid for it. She would have her share of the profit of course but the duties associated with such an unsavoury profession frightened her. Ultimately it was her choice and noting the destructive and irresponsible behaviour of her brother, Magdalen grudgingly accepted. It was her turn to make a positive contribution to their family. Whether that meant forsaking her own set of morals or otherwise. It was the right thing to do and the deteriorating state of circumstances they’d been dealt as of yet only served to further encourage her final decision.
For approximately three years she continued to grace various social soirees, hanging quietly off of the arm of both old and youthful politicians and socialites alike. Some were immersed in the military, while others had simply been born into the lap of luxury. The income she raked in was outstanding and did in fact help better the Verena’s lifestyle. They ended up moving into a large house in a nicer area of the district, her mother’s cooking improved and her father could finally afford to take some days off. Regan was not as impressed, leaving home for days at a time and accusing Magdalen of being nothing more than a petty whore. She tried to explain to him why she’d done what she had, why they’d had to resort to that kind of work … but it was no use. He’d shunned them all and eventually departed for good. Her mother was heartbroken at first, but slowly adapted to her son’s abandonment. Magdalen continued to work at the Top, managing to pick up and become fluent in several languages as she was constantly subjected to them. One ‘client’ in particular took a serious interest in her and paid to be in her company almost every night she was available. It extended to beyond nothing but pleasant conversation which she thoroughly enjoyed, even coming to develop a strong affection for him. He was older than her by quite a few years, but that didn’t seem to matter. There was a chemistry there that neither could deny and after a few month’s period, they became engaged. Things couldn’t have been better. Because she’s made such a positive reputation for herself, she was immediately welcomed and accepted by the Top’s civilians. Unfortunately, happy endings are few and far between.
The night before she was due to move in with her fiancé, Regan returned. With her parents sleeping soundly in the next room, he snuck into hers. She woke to find him shaking her shoulder frantically, sweating and panicked. Demanding what was wrong, she was somewhat shocked and concerned to hear that he owed quite a lot of people large sums of money, the wrong people and in fact – even if they sold their home and added Magdalen’s newfound fortune – it still wouldn’t have been enough to cover her brother’s accumulated debt. He’d been accused of fraud, assault with a weapon causing bodily harm to a member of the Council, burglary and uttering threats. Of course these were all exaggerated to better convenience the man Regan had attacked. With the power and influence coveted by a member of Council, the assault became attempted murder and a bounty had been placed on Regan’s head. Harbouring a criminal was in and of itself a crime, but she couldn’t bring herself to forsake her brother and hand him over to the ‘authorities’ only for him to be beaten and killed. She knew exactly what would happen, having been exposed for so long to the cruelties and harsh reality that came with living in the Top. It wasn’t as picturesque as one might imagine and was not free from lies, scandal or corruption.
He was not allowed to stay during the afternoon, but she supplied him with money and kept him in her room at night. When he did eventually pay off his debt, he promised he would leave her be and take the next passenger vessel away from Terra. Much to Magdalen’s dismay, he wouldn’t get a chance to even do that. Someone had been tipped off as to Regan’s whereabouts and he was accosted at their apartment due to his carelessness. Magdalen herself was interrogated and just before they were to be arrested, Regan made a break for it. Being the bigger culprit of the two, the officers that had surrounded them went straight after her brother. A gunshot echoed throughout the street and her heart jumped into her throat. Something inside of her forced her to turn on her escort and she ran off in search of her sibling, praying that he hadn’t been the recipient of the gunfire. He was not. Instead the officers that had been chasing him were sprawled across the ground in a puddle of their own blood. Her mind was racing and before she could think to do anything else, Magdalen was being placed at the scene of a murder. A murder she had apparently committed. Torn between giving herself up and fleeing, the young and terrified woman acted on her instincts, running off and boarding the first ship she could find as a stowaway.
It took her to Antheia which reassured her somehow. At least she knew she wouldn’t be turned away there. However there were still more obstacles she would need to face before reaching safety. The vessel had malfunctioned and crashed deep within the forests of the lush, green planet. Magdalen herself was quite injured in the catastrophe, suffering from a stab wound from a torn piece of metal and falling unconscious after hitting her head. When she came to, she had absolutely no idea where she was or why she was there to begin with. The wreckage scared her and she stumbled weakly through the surrounding foliage before growing dizzy from the loss of blood. She would be taken in by a group of kindly Elves and then adopted by an old but lovely farming couple. The following two years would be the most peaceful of her hectic life, but as she slowly began to regain her memory she found she could no longer bear to forget and ignore her past. Where was her brother? Was she still wanted for acting as an accomplice to a murder? Whatever the circumstances she’d left behind, she needed to clear her name. If not for her than for her parents’ peace of mind.
Her intentions had always been good, but without courage these intentions had been tramped over and abused. There were wrongs that needed to be brought to justice, and there was only one way she’d be able to accomplish that. Equipped with the tools and knowledge she’d acquired during her employment at the Top would make that easier, but would she be successful?
role play example =
Terra, It looked exactly the same as she remembered it. Bustling with activity and filled with a variety of scents that one couldn’t quite put a name to, it was every bit the central hub expected of such a great city. Raucous laughter erupted from a trio of men standing idle by a display window, causing the young woman to jump and hug herself; an instinctive gesture that infuriated her. Exhaling, Magdalen proceeded to remind herself that such behaviour would only cause her to look more suspicious than she probably already did. After all, she was unkempt in comparison to even those who resided within the Bottom; hair long and unruly hair with clothing befitted for the Antheian wilderness. At the very least, no one would be able to guess she’d once been considered a treasure amongst the Top’s most esteemed citizens. With newfound confidence, she made to weave her way through the throng of commoners, smiling where it was due and pausing to look at whatever caught her eye first. It was almost nostalgic, passing through the narrow alleys … especially when she spotted the mechanic shop her father used to work for.
Part of her didn’t want to see what awaited her around the corner from her parents’ apartment. Would the building have been demolished? Would she find nothing but ruin? Such images flashed before her eyes as she considered the worst, associating it with the awful turn of events that had occurred years prior, as though she was convinced that her abandonment would have caused destruction and unhappiness for as those she had cared for. However the apartments she and her family had occupied still stood as proudly as ever, the stone wearing somewhat with age. The doors opened and shut with the coming and going of residents but she couldn’t quite bring herself to slip inside just yet. The emotions that pulled at her heart were overwhelming and she had to step back and prop herself against a nearby wall as she willed herself to keep from crying.
It had been far too long. Would they take her in without question? What story had the authorities fed them? And would they believe her? Nothing was certain at this point. It was doubtful Sebastian and Melania and even remained in their home. After all, how would they have been able to afford the taxes? It had been Magdalen’s money that had paid for it. Of course she’d left them as much of her small fortune as she’d had on her, but would that have lasted the span of years she’d been missing? Taking a deep, steadying breath, the young woman ducked her head and approached the entrance to the building. Her feet felt heavy, but the desire to see her parents was enough to spur her on without any more hesitation.
She’d missed them dearly. She only hoped it would be reciprocated.
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the real you
age = Twenty-one
how did you find us? = Random surfing, I honestly can't remember.
any last words? = My thanks to Sarah for her input and warm welcome![/size][/ul][/font]
