Post by Elodie Durig on Apr 9, 2010 21:55:54 GMT
Accepted
Account E-Mail: steel.blue@live.com
Name:Elodie Brantley Durig
Nationality: Swiss
Character History:
Elodie Brantley Durig was born on a Tuesday night, slipping more or less quietly into the world an hour before the sun would rise above hills just visible through the window in her mother’s hospital room. There was a pause as the doctor examined her, everyone holding their breath as they waited for some noise to come from the child. Elodie, just a moment late on the uptake, took a hiccupping breath and then screamed with gusto. The trend started for the child that night would follow her for the rest of her life—not slow, per say, but unprepared for every situation thrown at her. To balance this, even as a babe she seemed to put her full effort into every project.
The only child of moderately wealthy parents, Elodie did not have to be a quick thinker as a young girl. Coddled and spoiled by her doting parents, she was given almost anything she wanted, including a piano at the age of ten and a spirited riding horse at twelve. Nurturing by nature, the girl never quite managed to gain the cold superiority complex many well-off children adopted in their young years. Instead of trying her hand at upper class politics, Elodie would most days be found out at the stables playing with some animal she had managed to raise from a babe or rescued from the neighborhood boys, or else practicing some ditty or other in the parlor. Friends of the family joked that the girl would be more at home living on a farm somewhere than on the family’s manicured grounds, but her parents, ever doting, simply laughed politely and let Elodie do as she pleased, as long as her hobbies remained so harmless.
At fourteen, Elodie became fascinated with foreign countries, asking fervently for permission to travel abroad. Her parents once again obliged, agreeing that the educational opportunities presented by such a trip could only benefit their beloved daughter. Grateful, Elodie took the first of many holidays away from home to see the world around her. These trips proved relatively uneventful until an excursion made without her family at eighteen. While on holiday in the Balkans, Elodie met another woman whose friendship proved disastrous to the naive Durig girl. Upon her return, Elsbeth and Mathias Durig noticed their daughter had become withdrawn and unhappy, but were unable to pry from the girl just what had affected this change. In the hopes that it might help, they put a stop to her travels and prayed that spending an extended time at home would cure her. For the most part, Elodie seemed to come back to her old self, which was a delight to her parents. Only she knew, however, that no matter how much she might try to forget her time in the Balkans, the shadow of the experience would hang over her friendships until she drifted away from all but the most stalwart of her childhood companions.
Not wanting to revert what recovery their daughter had made, Elsbeth and Mathias tried to ignore the implications of Elodie’s antisocial behavior and treat her as they always had. Elsbeth eventually began setting up appointments with suitors for Elodie to meet, but after several meetings yielded no results, the Durig daughter asked her mother to put a stop to the search for a suitable husband. At twenty Elodie asked for money to travel abroad, and, though they had reservations about the trip, her parents gave her the money she wanted regardless. Spending a short time traveling, Elodie eventually bought herself a small flat in Paris and settled down to work as a secretary. Unfortunately, her timing was as off as ever, and war broke out only a year after she began her job at twenty-one years old. Unwilling and, as a female unable, to join the war on either side, Elodie quietly sympathized with the German plight, feeling as though France had contributed needlessly to their unfortunate difficulties. Currently she resides in occupied France, afraid of the brewing war but somehow unable to flee what may be the most important thing that will occur in the lives of all her city’s residents, if not the lives of everyone in the world.
Writing Sample:
Scenario: Its night time, and while walking home, you witness as brutal guerilla attack on the occupation forces main HQ in your town. As the occupation troops burst out to try and hunt down the attackers, you are caught up in the mess, and must flee. What does your character think, and how do they react?
Elodie listened to the sharp crack of gunfire with growing fear. What was happening? The night had been still and quiet only moments before, stars struggling to shine through the ever present industrial smog that seemed to pervade all civilized areas. She had been heading home from a late shift at work, had stopped at a friend’s flat for only a moment to check in on the girl who had been sick the previous day, then decided to take a shortcut near the edge of town to get home quickly. The air was turning just cold enough to make any civilian hustle for the indoors, and looking at the soldiers stationed at the occupied forces outpost she passed made her feel just a bit guilty for the warmth that awaited her. They had to stay out in this uncomfortable weather regardless of how it felt; someone should bring them a nice cup of tea, Elodie thought. Or, rather, had been thinking prior to the world exploding around her. Now there were shouts as people ran past, the yellow spark of someone’s weapon—she had not the slightest clue whose or what it might be—lit up the night. Standing frozen for a split second, Elodie pressed herself against the wall a moment later, sliding her way along it and into the alley she had exited moments before. Would the resistance force come this way? She doubted they would have time to check every alleyway but better to be safe than sorry, her mother always told her. Concealing herself behind a small pile of refuse, she watched the fighting and mentally cheered on the occupation forces.
Gunfire from the small outpost suppressed the attackers’ movement, and most of the small group slid back into the shadows before the Germans could catch them. Though the fighting died down only moments later, groups of soldiers patrolled the area with guns in hand and Elodie was glad they did not approach her particular thoroughfare. Granted, she had her papers in order, but even she knew that being found so near the fighting would raise suspicion. The soldiers had already found one cowering pedestrian and were handling him quite roughly from the look of it.
Shouts still arose from farther into the city, closer to the occupation forces’ main headquarters, and the Swiss secretary wondered with bewilderment what could be happening. Were people actually attacking the German soldiers? Heart racing, Elodie stepped farther down the alley, closer to the exit that would bring her nearer her flat but also nearer the fighting. She was unconcerned with her own safety; she was a civilian, and a well-off one at that. At worst, she might be detained momentarily on her way home; she could not conceive of anyone actually attempting to harm her. Besides, this opportunity might not come again, and all the fighting was terribly exciting.
Account E-Mail: steel.blue@live.com
Name:Elodie Brantley Durig
Nationality: Swiss
Character History:
Elodie Brantley Durig was born on a Tuesday night, slipping more or less quietly into the world an hour before the sun would rise above hills just visible through the window in her mother’s hospital room. There was a pause as the doctor examined her, everyone holding their breath as they waited for some noise to come from the child. Elodie, just a moment late on the uptake, took a hiccupping breath and then screamed with gusto. The trend started for the child that night would follow her for the rest of her life—not slow, per say, but unprepared for every situation thrown at her. To balance this, even as a babe she seemed to put her full effort into every project.
The only child of moderately wealthy parents, Elodie did not have to be a quick thinker as a young girl. Coddled and spoiled by her doting parents, she was given almost anything she wanted, including a piano at the age of ten and a spirited riding horse at twelve. Nurturing by nature, the girl never quite managed to gain the cold superiority complex many well-off children adopted in their young years. Instead of trying her hand at upper class politics, Elodie would most days be found out at the stables playing with some animal she had managed to raise from a babe or rescued from the neighborhood boys, or else practicing some ditty or other in the parlor. Friends of the family joked that the girl would be more at home living on a farm somewhere than on the family’s manicured grounds, but her parents, ever doting, simply laughed politely and let Elodie do as she pleased, as long as her hobbies remained so harmless.
At fourteen, Elodie became fascinated with foreign countries, asking fervently for permission to travel abroad. Her parents once again obliged, agreeing that the educational opportunities presented by such a trip could only benefit their beloved daughter. Grateful, Elodie took the first of many holidays away from home to see the world around her. These trips proved relatively uneventful until an excursion made without her family at eighteen. While on holiday in the Balkans, Elodie met another woman whose friendship proved disastrous to the naive Durig girl. Upon her return, Elsbeth and Mathias Durig noticed their daughter had become withdrawn and unhappy, but were unable to pry from the girl just what had affected this change. In the hopes that it might help, they put a stop to her travels and prayed that spending an extended time at home would cure her. For the most part, Elodie seemed to come back to her old self, which was a delight to her parents. Only she knew, however, that no matter how much she might try to forget her time in the Balkans, the shadow of the experience would hang over her friendships until she drifted away from all but the most stalwart of her childhood companions.
Not wanting to revert what recovery their daughter had made, Elsbeth and Mathias tried to ignore the implications of Elodie’s antisocial behavior and treat her as they always had. Elsbeth eventually began setting up appointments with suitors for Elodie to meet, but after several meetings yielded no results, the Durig daughter asked her mother to put a stop to the search for a suitable husband. At twenty Elodie asked for money to travel abroad, and, though they had reservations about the trip, her parents gave her the money she wanted regardless. Spending a short time traveling, Elodie eventually bought herself a small flat in Paris and settled down to work as a secretary. Unfortunately, her timing was as off as ever, and war broke out only a year after she began her job at twenty-one years old. Unwilling and, as a female unable, to join the war on either side, Elodie quietly sympathized with the German plight, feeling as though France had contributed needlessly to their unfortunate difficulties. Currently she resides in occupied France, afraid of the brewing war but somehow unable to flee what may be the most important thing that will occur in the lives of all her city’s residents, if not the lives of everyone in the world.
Writing Sample:
Scenario: Its night time, and while walking home, you witness as brutal guerilla attack on the occupation forces main HQ in your town. As the occupation troops burst out to try and hunt down the attackers, you are caught up in the mess, and must flee. What does your character think, and how do they react?
Elodie listened to the sharp crack of gunfire with growing fear. What was happening? The night had been still and quiet only moments before, stars struggling to shine through the ever present industrial smog that seemed to pervade all civilized areas. She had been heading home from a late shift at work, had stopped at a friend’s flat for only a moment to check in on the girl who had been sick the previous day, then decided to take a shortcut near the edge of town to get home quickly. The air was turning just cold enough to make any civilian hustle for the indoors, and looking at the soldiers stationed at the occupied forces outpost she passed made her feel just a bit guilty for the warmth that awaited her. They had to stay out in this uncomfortable weather regardless of how it felt; someone should bring them a nice cup of tea, Elodie thought. Or, rather, had been thinking prior to the world exploding around her. Now there were shouts as people ran past, the yellow spark of someone’s weapon—she had not the slightest clue whose or what it might be—lit up the night. Standing frozen for a split second, Elodie pressed herself against the wall a moment later, sliding her way along it and into the alley she had exited moments before. Would the resistance force come this way? She doubted they would have time to check every alleyway but better to be safe than sorry, her mother always told her. Concealing herself behind a small pile of refuse, she watched the fighting and mentally cheered on the occupation forces.
Gunfire from the small outpost suppressed the attackers’ movement, and most of the small group slid back into the shadows before the Germans could catch them. Though the fighting died down only moments later, groups of soldiers patrolled the area with guns in hand and Elodie was glad they did not approach her particular thoroughfare. Granted, she had her papers in order, but even she knew that being found so near the fighting would raise suspicion. The soldiers had already found one cowering pedestrian and were handling him quite roughly from the look of it.
Shouts still arose from farther into the city, closer to the occupation forces’ main headquarters, and the Swiss secretary wondered with bewilderment what could be happening. Were people actually attacking the German soldiers? Heart racing, Elodie stepped farther down the alley, closer to the exit that would bring her nearer her flat but also nearer the fighting. She was unconcerned with her own safety; she was a civilian, and a well-off one at that. At worst, she might be detained momentarily on her way home; she could not conceive of anyone actually attempting to harm her. Besides, this opportunity might not come again, and all the fighting was terribly exciting.