Character Building: Eloise

 As part of a writing exercise on HabitRPG (posts here and here) I've spent the last month answering questions about two of my characters.  This is Eloise's questionnaire.

For background; Eloise Richards, is fifteen-years-old and lives with her Aunt Portia. Her life is reasonably idyllic, apart from a few things. She is home-schooled due to her issues with ADD and recurring nightmares, which prevent her from sleeping. She is also saddened by being separated from her parents; she was born as the result of an affair, and each of her parents has another, legitimate, daughter. Eloise was sent away in order to uncomplicate

Eloise lives in a universe very like ours, apart from the fact that certain people have special powers, including Eloise herself. If it sounds like X-Men, that's because I loved them when I was thirteen and first invented the character!

Character Building: Eloise

My Parents

- By Eloise Richards

My father, James, was poor and handsome. He lived in the icy and distant land of Nova Scotia, in a small wooden shack with his mother.

One day, Morgan, the daughter of the richest family in the small town fell in love with him. She married him, even though he didn’t love her. As long as he married her, his mother was safe and warm, and since he was a good man, that was the most important thing.

Then he fell in love with my mother, Violet. Violet was the daughter of the local mob-boss, my grandfather, Vincent. Vincent had promised her to his lackey, Terry the Weasel. But, love would find and way, and Violet and James ran away together. They had a daughter, me, who they loved madly. But then, Morgan and Vincent found them, and made them go back home. I was given to Portia, James’ sister, to raise.

I haven’t seen my parents since I was three years old, but I know they love me. They risked everything to be together and have me. It’s not their fault they couldn’t make it work. Sometimes people just aren’t that strong. I’ve forgiven them.

My Most Prominent Physical Features

Oh my god, are you serious? I have two bright green streaks in my hair! Plus my nails, are, like, green and silver? So three on one hand are green, and two on the other hand, and all the other ones are silver.

It’s to do with my mutation. See, in my blood, I have two additional substances, a venom and an elixir. The venom is what makes my nails green, and the elixir is what makes them silver. When I stab someone with one of my nail, I can inject them with whatever’s in that nail. The venom makes people woozy and sick, the elixir makes them feel great!

Normally, they balance out in me. If I venom someone, I’ll get the great elixir feelings, and if I elixir them, my venom will hurt me, until my body makes more and they balance out. My hair will also change colour slightly if I use one or the other. The colour in it is made up of both.

Scars

I have a scar along the side of my foot. I was playing outside, and I’d taken my shoes off because, you know, I was four. There was an old tin on the ground, with a sharp lid. Portia took me to A&E, though she didn’t really need to, I just frightened and bloody.

There’s a scar just below my knee from where I cut myself shaving when I was about thirteen. Another scar on my left hand, in the webby bit between index finger and thumb, where I stabbed myself with a pair of scissors when I was eight.

Vanity

I’m really pretty! My eyes are violet, which is really unusual, and my hair is so dark and glossy. I use honey on my skin, like Portia taught me, so it pretty much stays clear. I do an adorable little blinkyblinky thing when I’m trying to be cute!

Sometimes, I worry that I’m fat, but I try not to dwell on it.

Kinsey Scale

I’m straight, I think. Some girls are really cute, but I don’t like them like I like guys. Especially Sven. Sven is so cool. He’s really smart, and he has these cute little glasses, and I have this dream, of like, sitting on his lap and hugging him while he wheels us around. He has really muscley arms, and green eyes, and just a little bit of stubble.

Happiest Memory

Last week, Sven smiled at me, and I kept catching him looking at me, and we were kind of talking, and I said he should come visit me, and he said only if I buy him dinner, and I went all blushy and giggly, and does he want to go out to dinner with me, like a date?! Oh my god!

Also, last summer, when Portia and I spent every day out crafting in the garden, and every day was lazy and sunny and luxurious. And one day it was so hot that we put on swimsuits and danced under the sprinklers, and the cold water felt awesome!

Events to Erase

Oh my god, I really don’t know. Maybe the nightmares, do they count? I’ve had nightmares for the past few years, you see. That was part of the reason why Portia started homeschooling me, because I was having so much trouble sleeping. They’re kind of fun, sometimes though.

Maybe I could delete one of my sisters? That seems mean. Maybe Megan. I think Megan. Or Kathy. Does it have to be one?

Favourites

My favourite ice cream was black cherry, but someone just told me that Turkish Delight ice cream exists, so now I’m not sure. Portia said she’d get me some to try. With, like, chocolate ice cream and sprinkles. Yum!

My favourite colour is green. My favourite flowers are daisies.

Trust

I don’t really get this question. It’s a bit like when you’re reading a book, and someone gives you a funny look and asks if you believe everything you read. It’s hard to explain how you can know something isn’t literally true and yet still suspend your disbelief for the sake of enjoyment (when I mentioned these thoughts to Portia, she made me write an essay on the subject!).

I trust most people. I think most people don’t actively try to hurt each other and thus won’t try to hurt me. I don’t think I have any enemies. Maybe my sisters, but they’re not a big part of my life really.

Turning Points

When my parents had to give me up, because they loved me. That was a big turning point in my life. That and the dreams and being homeschooled. I don’t think I’m old enough to have any turning points from internal realisations yet.

Animal

If I were an animal I’d be something cute but poisonous. Like a scorpion! Or a snake! Except, not, because those are creepy. What’s cute and poisonous? A frog? I’d be a frog. A sweet little green frog.

Computer Savvy?

If I had to fix a computer, I could maybe figure it out with some help. I know the obvious stuff, like email and facebook, of course! And I can follow directions. Portia once got an old one, and made me take it apart and put it back together, but I was completely amazed when it actually worked!

My Bed

One time, I woke up upside down. I’m not quite certain how that happened. Generally, I wake up with one pillow on the floor, and the duvet like, sprawled everywhere.

Hot or cold?

I haaaaaaaaaaate hot! I hate when I get all sweaty and gross! But I don’t like being cold either, like when it’s all frosty and you can’t feel your fingers. I like when it’s like brisk and sunny, or when it’s like warm and I can sunbathe, but not when I have to walk around and stuff.

Night or Morning?

I’m a morning person! I love mornings; the sun’s shining, and it’s time to start the day! If only I didn’t feel so tired all the time; still, going to bed early helps a little with that.

Blood Relative?

I guess I know aunt Portia best. I live with her, after all! I know my parents love me; that’s why they gave me up. It was so hard for them. They both miss me everyday, and my mother lights a candle on my birthday, but it’s okay, because I know that Megan’s mom and my granddad forced them apart.

I’m not really close to my sisters, especially not Megan. Kathy and I see each other occasionally, but she’s mean and weird.

My Desk

My desk is pretty! I have a pink laptop all covered with purple and silver sticks, and a fluffy pink pen! I got some glittery pink trim, and it’s all around the edges, and I laid it with a purple tablecloth! And there are silvery jangly bells on the drawers! Portia says it’s too messy, but I can find everything, and it has silver tinsel! My desk is awesome!

Cook?

I’m a pretty good cook, I guess. I make a great apple pie. We have a tree in the garden, so it’s real easy. And one time I made acorn pancakes, and they came out really good. I’m good at soups and casseroles. I’m a vegetarian, so I can’t cook meat. I never learned.

Travelling

I like cycling! I love my bike! It’s pink, and Portia and I painted daisies on it with nail varnish. It has white handlebars, and trim, and four speeds, and I’ve just mastered 90rpm, so I can keep that going for ages! I thought of doing duathlons or something, but I don’t like swimming!

Irrational Fears?

I'm frightened of falling asleep. That's silly right? It's just, I had such terrible dreams when I was younger. Really weird and frightening. Like, I'd be strapped to a chair, being eaten alive by rats. Or I'd be chased over rooftops, or drowning. I go better at escaping though, as I got older. Like, when I had the same dream a few times in a row, I'd be a little bit better at climbing or untying myself. Or I'd somehow find a bike and escape that way.

What's your cutie mark?

I don't know what a cutie mark is, sorry. Do you mean the thing that makes me adorable? I crinkle my nose in a cute way, and when I'm confused I tip my head to the side. I know I'm doing it so it's more like a parody than actually being sickening. I have really big eyes, so when I wear make-up I accentuate those. They're violet, which is unusual! And they look so striking against my dark hair.

If you could timetravel?

I'd go back in time and see my parents, when they were young and in love. Maybe I could keep them together, if I were older, and not just a baby.

Are you superstitious?

No, of course not! I mean, I have my lucky charm bracelet, and I occasionally make deals with god, but that's not really superstition, is it? Just, you know, habit.

Your ideal romantic partner?

Ooooh. Hm. He'd be tall. Handsome, of course. Maybe, like, blond with blue eyes, or dark-haired. Or blond with brown-eyes! That'd be nice! And maybe he'd be in a wheelchair. Wheelchairs are awesome. My friend Sven – I've mentioned Sven, right? - has one called a dragon, which goes up and down in a really cool way! I could, like, sit on his lap and we'd go zooming around. Not on Sven's lap, of course! Just...someone like Sven. And maybe he'd have, like, Sven's eyes? Sven has pretty eyes, all greeny. And he has really strong arms from wheeling himself about in his old chair. And a nice smile.

Your Hands

Five of my nails are green and five are silver. The thumb, middle and little finger of my left hand are green, and the same fingers are silver on my right hand. The other nails on each hand are the other colour.

If I stab people with those nails they're injected with one of two substances that live in my blood stream. The silver nails inject people with a substance we call elixir, while the green ones inject them with venom. My venom makes people feel sick and weak; if I get them with all five, they can barely move. The elixir heals the venom. If someone just has the elixir without the venom, they feel great!

I'm generally on an even keel because I have equal amounts of both. It's only when I start losing one or the other that it all goes a bit weird. If I lose my elixir, I get my venom poisoning, and if I lose my venom, I get the boost from my elixir. It has to go into a living creature too, I checked. Plants don't work. If they did, I'd just drip all my venom into a tree everyday and walk around on an elixir high.

More Favourites

I like valentines day, and spring! I like cycling around and feeling the sun on my skin, but not when it's too hot. And I like hot chocolate, and bourbon biscuits, and tea. My favourite colour is pinky purple and silver. My favourite outfit is light green, but with like a silver scarf and some pinky purple bits on it and stuff. It's pretty!

If your life was a genre...

It'd be an indie film, like Happy-Go-Lucky! Or like a super hero movie? Or gritty teenage fiction! With lots of sunshine and pretty colours and music!

Smell?

I really like trying out new stuff, so I smell like whatever I try that week! This week I have a really nice strawberries and cream shower gel! And my shampoo has australian paw paw flower in it, and it smells amazing! And I have this really nice vanilla bean hand cream, and some passion flower perfume!

Two Songs

Oh gosh, two songs that describe me? Oh wow, what to choose! Maybe, like, What Makes You Beautiful? Hee! Or There She Goes?

Maybe Go the Distance from Hercules? That was such a good movie! But yeah...I've often dreamed of a far off place, where a great warm welcome would be waiting for me. It's about travelling, and searching for your real parents, and wanting them to love you when you get there.

And I Think I Love You for...oh, no I can't say. It's a secret!