30 (or rather... 29) Days of RP - A short look into Adelaide (AOKP)

1) Describe your character’s relationship with their mother or father, or both.

Adelaide gets along well with both of her parents. She was a middle child, second youngest in a family with five children (three older brothers, one older sister, herself, and a younger sister). Because of this, she is sometimes overlooked and passed over, but she tries to not let it get to her. This is easier said than done, though, so she is occasionally irritated at her parents for that. Now that she is out of the house and off in another land, she makes sure to write her parents fairly frequently so that she knows what’s going on back home.

2.) What are your characters most prominent physical features?

Sadly, since it is a LARP character, her most prominent feature in reality is probably also mine, and this I don’t know. I would joke about it being my size, but I honestly have no clue what my most prominent physical feature is.

In my mind’s eye, however, Adelaide looks different, and that version has a sharp, angular face. She has fairly round eyes and a fairly rounded off nose, which only serves to offset the sharp point of her chin. In addition, Adelaide is slight, almost wiry, and doesn’t have nearly as much girth as I do.

3.) Name one scar your character has, and tell us where it came from. If they don’t have any, is there a reason?

Adelaide has a scar on her ankle from a stray arrow. One of her older brothers was practicing his archery as darkness was falling, and she strayed a little too close to the field. The combination could have been deadly, and although she was young when it happened, it is a keen reminder of just how stupid and forgetful she could be.

4.) How vain is your character? Do they find themselves attractive?

Adelaide isn’t vain as much as cocky. She doesn’t find herself super physically attractive. It’s highly doubtful that she even thinks of it. She grew up around boys, and had all older brothers, and had only one sister who was younger than her. As such, she doesn’t really consider herself visually pleasing by any means.

5.) What’s your character’s ranking on the Kinsey Scale?

Something like a three? She’s not averse to relationships with the same gender and even participates with her brothers when they talk about girls, but she doesn’t lean one way or another. As of right now, she’s not looking for anything, romantic or otherwise, so it doesn’t really matter to her.

6.) Describe your character’s happiest memory.

Adelaide has two happiest memories. One is before she joined the Court, during a Yule celebration. It was supposed to be a grand event with all of the family, but before the night arrived, news came saying that most of her family wouldn’t be able to celebrate with her. This saddened her, and she soon resigned herself to spending Yule with her parents alone. Fate decided to work in her favor though, and the day before the celebration her siblings all arrived, extended family in tow. It was one of the best Yule celebrations she could remember, and although she would leave her home soon after, she keeps close to her heart.

The second memory that comes to mind is joining the Court of Light, or rather, soon after that. Although Adelaide had been sent to Caledonia to spy, it was this moment that started the spiral of doubt and hesitation to do the very thing she had been “hired” to do. Court had happened a mere day before, and she had declared that she wished for Eowyn to be her elder. It made sense for many reasons, not the least of which being the fact that Adelaide did also live in Caer Leon. The two of them were out not even a few days later, wandering the market, when a pretty trinket, an amulet that went around one’s neck, caught her eye. She described the symbolism behind the carvings on the amulet, enjoying the meaning as well as the craftsmanship. Adelaide had always been fascinated by hand crafted things, mostly because she had no such talent. No, Adelaide change and manipulate things given to her, but she couldn’t create amazing things out of raw material. She walked away from the necklace with a slight smile and a tiny bit of sorrow. It had been something that Adelaide would have worn, should she have been able to get it. But her family was never the richest of families, and she had money for food and occasionally to fix clothes. The two continued to meander, and eventually went back to Cear Leon. It wasn’t until dinner was served and Adelaide was about to retire for bed that she saw the amulet from the marketplace sitting on her pillow. In her mind, that was when she was really accepted into the circle of companions, and, despite all the hardships that were to come, she was determined to be her best.  I strike this out not because it's no longer a happy memory, but because of retcon stuff. I do want to have it here, but the story behind her amulet is now different. It still marks one of the few memories that she cherishes, however. It was at the most recent Yule celebration (2011 so I know for future reference). The King mentioned something appearing on his desk and handed Adelaide a package. She took it and there was indeed her name on it, written in the flowing script she knew only too well. At first she was afraid to open it, and just looked between the King and the present. Upon being told that it is hers and that she probably should look inside eventually, however, she opened it. Inside was a beautiful necklace with a medallion at the end. Attached to it was a note signed with a simple "E". She stared at the necklace for a good few minutes, not daring to move or speak in case it was all just some sort of illusion. It wasn't, and she didn't hesitate to put it on upon realizing that the gift was, in fact, real. Casimir only confirmed the one thing she already knew: it was from Eowyn. The amulet never leaves her neck save when she sleeps, and even then it stays near her.

7.) Is there one event or happening your character would like to erase from their past? Why?

In all honesty, Adelaide wants to erase the moment she agreed to spy on Eowyn, but at the same time, knows that it would be a stupid idea. Some part of her wants to believe that if she hadn’t taken the job that her elder would be sitting pretty on the throne still, but she knows this isn’t the case. Quite frankly, the only part she really regrets is the fact that she had to report to Eowyn’s mother, but is otherwise quite glad she was there. She just wishes that things could have been different and that she could have been of use. She hates the fact that she can’t actually do anything yet, because she wants to be a guardian and protector and she feels she’s already failed in that.

8.) Day of Favorites! What’s your character’s favorite ice cream flavor? Color? Song? Flower?

Adelaide’s favorite ice cream flavor (if they actually had that in the setting) is vanilla. It’s plain, which is good for her. Her favorite color isn’t black, like she jokes sometimes, but actually deep red/scarlet. Maroon is up on her list too, and is even in her personal Coat of Arms. Her favorite song is actually one she doesn’t know the name of that Casimir has sung in court a few times. Her favorite flower is the Forget-Me-Not.

9.)  Who does your character trust?

In a sense, she trusts everyone in the court, and yet doesn’t trust any of them. Its multiple layers of trust, and although she is sure they would all have her back if needed, Adelaide doesn’t like relying on others. She wouldn’t tell any of them her secrets or anything, but would trust them to help her in battle and to help her learn the ways of Court. She’s slowly growing to trust them more, but for now she keeps herself fairly guarded. The closest thing she has to a confidant is her page sister Coriana and her elder, Eowyn. She’s warming up to Vaelyn as well because of recent events.

10.) Can you define a turning point in your character’s life? Multiples are acceptable.

The first turning point in Adelaide’s life was actually not something she did, but that happened in the family. Her eldest brother decided to join the army, and it was his job to run messages between encampments. It was this that got her interested in both information and the collection and distribution of said information. As she grew older, Adelaide found that although running information was nice, it was the collection of it that she enjoyed more.

The second is the moment Mother Willowstead decided to ask her to spy on Eowyn. Adelaide’s family had been working for the Willowstead family for a while, and (had Eowyn stayed), Adelaide probably would have been set to become the first in another generation of chamber maids for them. Instead, Mother Willowstead seemed to notice Adelaide’s interest in gathering information and decided to put that to good use. Before the New Year, she sent the young girl to Caledonia. This led to another turning point in Adelaide’s life: joining the court of Caledonia and becoming a Companion of the Light. This was something that she hadn’t expected to do, but she doesn’t ever regret it happening.

The last two turning points in her life happened fairly recently, and are not nearly as happy as the previous ones. The first of these is the death of Aeric, which hit the court like a sledgehammer. It was the first time something serious had really happened with her there, since she had to lay low for some time during the summer months, and although she had heard Aeric was sick, his death took the whole court by surprise. The mood was somber, and as Adelaide reflected upon her own emotions, she got the chance to see the moods of others. Others like Sir Vaelyn, who had been Aeric’s younger, or Moira, who had known Aeric for some time. But most importantly, others like her own elder, Queen Eowyn. It was in that moment, surrounded by people she considered friends who were all in various states of anger, sorrow, or a mixture of both, that the weight of her own ideals came crashing down on her. She wanted to protect others, but how do you protect someone from their emotions? How do you comfort someone when you don’t understand their suffering? It was a question she thought about as she attempted to help in some way. She watched as those she considered friends fell apart a little, only to build themselves back up in their own ways. It was insightful to say the least, but even this insight wasn’t enough to prepare her for the last (and most recent) turning point in her life.

Adelaide’s most recent turning point was the disappearance of Eowyn. Upon hearing that she had vanished while in the care of the Green Guard, she was furious. How could they have been so careless? So when she heard the other Companions were going to search, she knew what had to be done. She prepared for a journey, but the events that transpired were things that couldn’t have been prepared for. Eowyn was sleeping, guarded by the Fae themselves. It was certainly a sight to behold. Even speaking to the Queen (or… former Queen) herself was not enough to stop a few bitter thoughts from sneaking past her, although it certainly helped. It was a slight comfort, knowing that something was being done, that it was all for the best in the end. But still, it was a bitter sweet parting, leaving Adelaide feeling a bit sad knowing that her elder would always be just out of her reach, not dead but still not able to be interacted with.

11.) Is there an animal you equate with your character?

I think of a fox, although that’s because I think of a kitsune of Japanese lore. This doesn’t even make sense to me, but I just go with it. A ferret also comes to mind when I think of Adelaide, which does make more sense in my mind.

12.) How is your character with technology? Super savvy, or way behind the times? Letters or email?

Well, considering technology doesn’t really exist in this setting… she sucks with it! But she does like writing, and does know about the most up to date technology for warfare, which does count for something.

13.) What does your character’s bed look like when he/she wakes up? Are the covers off on one side of the bed, are they all curled around a pillow, sprawled everywhere? In what position might they sleep?

Adelaide is used to having a single bedroll to sleep on, usually side by side with quite a few siblings. As such, she is used to sleeping in a tight ball so she can save space. It also helps her keep warm, since whatever blankets she had were usually stolen by her brothers or sister.

14.)  How does your character react to temperature changes such as extreme heat and cold?

Very negatively in both cases, actually. Extreme anything is bad to her, because it requires a sort of finesse that regular weather doesn’t. Heat means sweat, which is never fun, especially growing up surrounded by boys with bad hygiene on the best days. Cold makes her life more difficult because she has to pile on layers, which makes it hard to move. She would rather brave the elements than have on four layers of thick clothing.

15.) Is your character an early morning bird or a night owl?

A little bit of both. The middle of the day is the worst time for Adelaide, and she much prefers the feeling of just waking up at dawn or being out to see all the stars. This is something she carried over from her time as a servant, since those were the two times she had any semblance of free time. The middle of the day was usually busy, full of mundane work.

16.) Are there any blood relatives that your character is particularly close with, besides the immediate ones? Cousins, Uncles, Grandfathers, Aunts, et cetera. Are there any others that your character practically considers a blood relative?

Adelaide always writes to her immediate family, but she has kept some contact with her cousins. They occasionally visit, and she believes that she has an aunt on her father’s side that lives in Warwick, but she isn’t quite sure. Although she isn’t really close to anyone at court yet, she picked Eowyn as her elder not only because of the contract with the Queen’s mother. She does find that she has a bit of similarities to the Queen, although she would never admit such things aloud.

17.) What’s your character’s desk/workspace look like? Are they neat or messy?

Adelaide’s desk is a sort of organized chaos, piles everywhere but each pile representing its own thing. She can navigate the stacks expertly, and always knows exactly where something goes. It’s a simple oak desk with two drawers: one she stores letters in and one that she keeps locked. That drawer has her keepsakes, such as the necklace she received at Yule (when it's not around her neck) and a hat from her oldest brother that she rarely wears. There are quite a few marks on the desktop from her daggers. Adelaide has a horrid habit of putting her dagger to the desk point down and twirling it.

18.) Is your character a good cook? What’s their favorite recipe, whether they’re good or not? (Microwave mac-and-cheese applies.)

Unfortunately, Adelaide is not a cook yet. However, she does aspire to become a knight of Lucen, so she shall learn to cook eventually!

19.) What’s your character’s preferred means of travel?

Horseback or, failing that, her own two feet. She doesn’t like having other people transport her, and ships make her seasick.

20.) Does your character have any irrational fears?

Adelaide fears being found useless. She is worried that if she can’t do anything, people will push her to the wayside, just as they have for so long. She was a middle child, and although she loves all her siblings, she does resent being constantly passed by. She also fears being left in the shadows, which is slightly ironic since her dream profession requires hiding. In her mind, there is a difference between blending into the shadows at will and being forced there because others constantly put you there.

21.) What would your character’s cutie mark be?

Right now, Adelaide would be a blank flank because she is a page. She is slowly growing into herself and learning about all her skills. That being said, she would probably have a black cloak or a chess piece or something in that vein.

22.) If your character could time travel, where would they go?

Adelaide would like to witness the killing of Malfitzroy, if only because she has heard many stories about his reign. She knows that he was a tyrant of the worst sorts, but there is some allure to seeing the actual triumph of the Light that she thinks would be fascinating.

23.) Is your character superstitious?

Somewhat. Having now been to Avalon herself, she thinks it’s partially justified. That being said, she doesn’t think something is disproved until there has been concrete evidence one way or another. It goes with the territory, and she has seen enough instances of hasty assumptions to know that it leads to no good.

24.) What might your character’s ideal romantic partner be?

She doesn’t really have one right now. Adelaide is more interested in getting through her page-ship and working on her knighthood requirements than she is with romance. If she had to say something, she’d say someone who could keep up with her in games, although it would mostly be a joke. She does want someone witty and smart, though, so that she can have interesting discussions.

25.) Describe your character’s hands. Are they small, long, calloused, smooth, stubby?

Unfortunately, because of the nature of LARP, Adelaide has my hands when she’s played out. Which is slightly sad, because my image of Adelaide looks somewhat like me but not at all like me at the same time. Her hands would ideally be slim and slender, with long fingers (what I refer to as “pianist’s fingers”). They’d be much more feminine than she would probably like. In reality, I have fairly short stubby hands, with fingers somewhere in-between stubby “gripping fingers” and average size.

26.) Second day of favorites! Favorite comfort food, favorite vice, favorite outfit, favorite hot drink, favorite time of year, and favorite holiday.

Adelaide’s favorite comfort food is actually fey chocolate. It’s a guilty pleasure, since she knows it probably isn’t good, and so she rarely eats it unless it is in court. Her favorite vice is gossip, because she can benefit from it. In terms of the Seven Deadly Sins, it would be pride or avarice, although for knowledge as opposed to gold. Adelaide doesn’t own many clothes, so her favorite outfit is her practical wear: a nice shirt and her brown skirt or pants. Her favorite hot drink is something she couldn’t place that the Caradocs served in Warwick. Her favorite time of year is autumn, and her favorite holiday is Yule because of the celebration and time spent with friends and family.

27.) Pick two songs that describe your character at two different points of their life, and explain why you chose them.

(Present Day) Fighting for Nothing –Meg & Dia

This song wasn’t even in my mind until it came on my shuffle. The lyrics are beautiful and really portray the feelings. The chorus is exactly what Adelaide needs to hear, and even already knows, but is too afraid to admit: “But these things take time, love. These things take backbone. And they’ll tell you what you want to hear ‘cause they think it’s better. But you better know how to point out the liars. You’ve got to weigh your wars, make sure you aren’t fighting for nothing.” Later, a bridge gets Adelaide’s personality spot on (ie pissed off Adelaide is dangerous): “I’ve got my words. I hope they hurt you. I hope they scar you. I hope they heal you. I hope they cut you open, make you see you’ve been warring for all the wrong reasons. Make you see that some things are worth bruising for. Make you see that your name is your honor code. Make you see that your hands are accounted for, pick and choose where your sweat and your blood will go. Make you see your life’s not to be lived alone. Run the spit through your hair you’re worth nothing. Nothing.” It’s actually a great sort of anthem for Adelaide.

(Past – death of Aeric & the appearance of Black Mask) Fix You (Glee version) – Coldplay

“Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones. And I will try to fix you.” This song represents a very specific moment in Adelaide’s life. They had just learned that Aeric was dead, and were all going through various degrees of shock and denial when a stranger appeared at court. A stranger that provoked them and prodded them, irritating old wounds and new ones to get a rise. And a rise is exactly what he got. Adelaide was thankful that she wasn’t as close to the situation as she could have been, and although she was at the ready, prepared to fight, she was able to observe as well. Observe things like the cold mask on Vaelyn’s face, or the pained movements of a wounded Casimir. Like the still blank expression on Moira’s face, and the look of pure and utter fury that graced Eowyn at that time. Even companions she didn’t know well, like Marduke and Jassuarnde, seemed to have their emotions on their sleeve this night, and seeing her new found acquaintances (and hopefully friends) like this left Adelaide with a bitter taste in her mouth. She wanted to be a guardian, a protector through means other than fighting, but this night held two of her first harsh lessons: you can’t protect everyone, and there are some things you can’t protect others against. So instead, she resigned to attempting to comfort those closest to her, trying to do some good. This song is the exact mood that went through court that night: somber and morose, with a tad bit of hope at the same time. “When you try your best, but you don’t succeed. When you get what you want but not what you need. When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep, stuck in reverse. And the tears come streaming down your face. When you lose something you can’t replace. When you love someone, but it goes to waste. Could it be worse?”

28.) If your character’s life was a genre, what would it be?

Historical Fiction? All joking aside, I feel like suspense actually would fit fairly well. She’s always on edge, waiting for that next “but” to be injected into a sentence or the next twist in the story. Comedy also works well if it’s somewhere between light hearted and dark. There are moments it takes a turn for the dark, but it always remains a comedy at the core… LOOK AT THE FUCKING CLOUDS!

29.) How does your character smell? Do they wear perfume or cologne?

Adelaide doesn't really smell... At least, I've never considered it. Because she's most likely to smell like me... I guess it would depend on what I'm wearing. No perfume though. I can't STAND the stuff, so she'd never wear it.