Application for demeleier
Player Name: Mizu
Player LJ: dissonancies
Contact: AIM: m1zure | cohboyland@gmail.com
Character Number: First
Name: Marnie Holt
Source: Original. It's basically modern-day Earth...sort of.
Appearance: Marnie is about 15 years old, 5'5", with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She inherited her mother's good looks but hasn't quite grown into them yet; still, she has gentle, delicate features that place her firmly on the side of "pretty." This gives you a very general idea. However, she has two very important features that aren't in that image. Firstly: although she appears mostly human, she has the tail of a cow. Yes. Secondly, part of her back is an empty hollow lined with bark, like an old tree (don't ask me how the biology works, there. It's magic.). This is because Marnie is a huldra, a forest spirit from Scandinavian folklore.
For clothing, she is strongly attached to neutrals and earth tones. She doesn't go out in public often; whenever she needs to, she wears long skirts to hide her tail. She's more casual about showing it when at home, and still prefers skirts because they are simply easier to deal with. However, she is incredibly sensitive about her back and always has it covered up unless it is absolutely impossible.
Personality: Most people, when meeting Marnie for the first time, might mistakenly describe her as "timid" or "shy". This impression of her is...a bit skewed, to say the least. Marnie is not really either of these things - what she is is quiet. It's a conditioned habit from years and years of living almost exclusively in a house by herself. Because she so rarely has a chance to talk to anyone, Marnie is quite comfortable with not conversing at all, and she never feels the need to talk to fill up the silence. If she ever had the chance to be around people for extended periods of time, depending on how interesting she found them, she would quickly open up and become more talkative. Up until now, though, that's a side of her few people have had the chance to see.
If she ever has something to say, however, she's going to say it without holding back. This causes her to come across as honest and blunt at best, abrasive and tactless at worst. But Marnie isn't thoughtless or cruel- she just doesn't really know any better. The only major connection she's had in her life is with her father, and due to the secretive life they share, there was hardly ever a compelling need to lie to each other. They're usually very upfront with each other, and this behavior spills into Marnie's other relationships. Simply put, Marnie interacts with everyone as though she were speaking to her father, purely out of habit. But "being honest" doesn't mean she'll say something if she knows it's going to hurt or offend someone - she just doesn't always realize that what she's saying could be hurtful or offensive.
It's a bit ironic, then, that the one thing Marnie cannot stand is flat-out rudeness. Be disrespectful to her at your own risk; huldra often possessed inhuman strength and fiery tempers, a dangerous combination. Luckily, Marnie isn't nearly as touchy as her heritage might suggest. She's fairly easy going and doesn't get angry at a lot of things. But if she ever feels like she's being truly insulted, watch out. Being rude about her appearance (especially her tail) is the sure button to push if you want to have something heavy thrown at your head.
Despite her temper and her poor socialization, Marnie can be a very sweet girl when she feels like it. Because of her parentage, she's had an affinity with nature since birth, and she spends as much time as she can outside. Roaming through the countryside or the woods is her idea of a perfect day- she is a forest spirit, after all. She loves animals and plants of every kind, and they respond to her in kind. On many occasions, her father would come home to find her playing with or nursing some stray animal she'd taken in. Aside from her natural abilities, she's studied a lot in her (copious) spare time and has learned how to take care of practically any living creature to some degree. In her more fanciful moments, she dreams of living a normal life, settling down, becoming a vet or a zookeeper. A slightly boring dream, but one in sharp contrast with her bizarre existence. Marnie may not be insecure about herself so much as she is frustrated, but if asked, she would still get embarrassed and deny these fantasies of normalcy.
Most of the time Marnie projects a sort of quiet intensity, whatever she's feeling, because she isn't used to showing emotions to others. She comes across as slightly out of it, a very quiet and mellow person, but honestly she's just not accustomed to outwardly expressing herself. She might even blend into the background a bit, silently observing a situation while others talk- then she cuts into the conversation with a straightforward comment that seems to come out of left field just because no one was expecting her to say anything.
But there is also a lot to her that she simply hasn't had the opportunity to explore yet. In better circumstances, when she can get to know someone and really make friends, polite bluntness can quickly give way to fun-loving gentleness. The flighty part of her personality means that she could get upset over the smallest thing and sulkily call off a friendship, only to completely forgive and forget within minutes like a young child. It might be hard to extract true loyalty from her, but she always keeps her word when she gives it. She would fall all over herself to please those on her good side, but she can just as easily become mean and underhanded to get back at someone who wronged her. She pretends to be mature and sensible, but she really acts a lot younger than she is. All in all, Marnie has a lot of growing up to do and, up until now, nowhere to do it.
History: Perhaps the most important part of Marnie's history happened before she was born. Samuel Holt met Marnie's mother when he was in Norway on a year-long business trip. The attraction was instant- the woman had the looks of a supermodel, she was seductive and charming, and she seemed to be incredibly into him. At the time, Sam thought he was the luckiest man in the world, and the two spent every spare moment together. Soon enough, however, they were spending every moment together- almost literally. Sam began to ignore his work and wouldn't respond to calls or letters from family or friends. His bosses were on the verge of firing him and everyone who knew him was rapidly growing concerned. Then, suddenly, the couple broke their silence to announce that the woman was pregnant, and they were going to be married. Everyone who knew Sam agreed that this was insane; it was completely out of character for him to do something so wild. In fact, the entire affair had been out of character. But the man was totally enraptured and wouldn't listen to reason. Within weeks, the two were married in a proper little church ceremony, and they couldn't have been happier together.
At least, that's how it appeared for a while. They were all over each other for the next several months; ignoring everyone else, acting lovey-dovey and planning their future together. This abruptly ended when the baby was born. Marnie's mother walked out of the hospital without telling anyone the minute she was able, never to be heard from again. Behind her, she left a lost and dazed Sam with their newborn child- a healthy, beautiful little girl with an animal's tail and a hole in her back.
In truth, the woman Sam had married was a huldra- a monster of the forest similar to a faerie or troll, native to Scandinavia. There are many legends surrounding the creatures; born with the tail of a cow and back that is hollow like a rotting tree trunk, huldra wander the woods terrorizing or blessing those who enter their domain. Sometimes huldra will trick men into marrying them, for only marriage to a Christian man can free them of their inhuman aspects. The entire relationship had been just such a trick; a trick that Sam, bewitched by her fae powers and her glamour, had completely fallen for. The only reason the woman had even bothered staying as long as she did was so she could have her child and then abandon it. She'd gotten what she wanted- a fully human form, and the freedom that came with it. Why should she remain tied to a family she never cared about?
Sam was left at a complete loss. He could barely remember anything about the time he had spent with his bride- the past year was all a blur now that the glamour had been lifted. His relationships with friends and family were a strained mess, his career was practically ruined, and now he had a distinctly non-human newborn to take care of. What was he supposed to do now?
Well, he did what he could. Through bribery, begging or threatening, he did his best to keep his daughter's condition quiet and returned with her to the U.S. A bit of research helped him figure out what his ex-wife had been and what she had done to him. A bit of drinking helped him accept it. He managed to salvage enough of his career to get by, and he made attempts to mend some of his relationships. But he could never do more than try to carry on and pick up the pieces of his shattered worldview. After all, his daughter was a fairy tale monster, and no one could ever know. How could anyone hope to go back to a normal life after discovering the reality of the supernatural? He was reduced to stumbling through a reclusive life out in the country just to protect them both. But if nothing else, he was determined to do just that.
This is the home that Marnie grew up in. A house without any neighbors; close enough to a town where her father could work, but far enough out in a rural area that she didn't need to be locked inside 24/7. Knowing only her father for many years, she didn't even leave her house until she was almost seven years old, and then only for very short times and with the aid of long skirts to hide her tail. Despite the surreal circumstances they had to live with, things were never that bad. Her father made a modest living, but it was enough to provide her with the things she needed. She was homeschooled out of necessity and she learned quickly to entertain and care for herself. She spent most of her time studying, almost as a hobby, or exploring the wooded area around her house (but never wandering as far as she would have liked). Gradually, Marnie grew into a poorly socialized but otherwise fairly normal young woman.
Sure, it wasn't perfect. Her father was far from affectionate, though he tried very hard to love his daughter. He also had a tendency to be overprotective, though who exactly he was trying to protect was up for debate. Mostly, there was a simple tension that colored their relationship. He never consciously blamed the girl for the way his life had gone, but Marnie thought she understood anyway. Still, while there was little warmth between them, Marnie was always very close to her father- mostly for lack of other options, but also because their personalities simply went together well. It wasn't perfect, but so far they've made it work, somehow.
It might be a stretch to say that life for Marnie was normal, but it was about as normal as it could be, considering. So she wasn't human and had to spend the vast majority of her life as a hermit in order to ensure that she wouldn't be found out. Eh, big deal. Life goes on.
Specific Abilities: As a half-huldra, Marnie has inherited the associated powers, though she is not nearly as powerful as her mothers or other full-bloods. She has a natural glamour that can charm and a song that can bewitch people to an extent. She also has superhuman strength ("the strength of ten men", as the stories go), and the power to grant luck or take it away (for example, blessing a hunter's rifle to never miss a shot, or the opposite). In addition, she has a natural affinity with the forest and wildlife, so that animals may be soothed by her presence and plants will grow well when she tends to them.
Inventory: The clothes that she was wearing at home, as seen in the picture above. This outfit includes a light cardigan (to fully cover her back), and a short skirt that exposes her tail, which will cause her no end of trouble when she first arrives. Am I mean? A little bit.
Additional Information: The version of the huldra used for this original world and character doesn't exactly match the most common legends. In some parts I have chosen what suits the character, and I have adopted a few minor details from other, similar creatures. However, since these legends vary quite a bit anyway, depending on place and time period, it should still be recognizable for what it is.
Sample Journal Post: [The first part of the broadcast is a typed series of numbers- a phone number, for those familiar with them. It's followed by the voice of a teenage girl. She sounds a bit nervous and uncomfortable, but not terribly distressed.] Um. Um, Dad? Are you there? Does this thing even work? I'm, I'm lost, I think. I'm not scared, but come and find me, please.
[After a long, awkward pause, the numbers "911" appear on the screen. Her voice this time is flat and sarcastic.] Hello, I want to talk to the police. I've been kidnapped. Help. Please. Save me.
...dumb. There's no way this is a real phone.
Sample Post : Summer vacation was the worst.
The term itself meant little to her. After all, every day was much the same as the last around the Holt household, and she had never traveled. So her ideas about vacations were almost directly opposite that of most people. To most people - regular people, normal people, people without anything to hide - a vacation was a time to relax and do whatever they wanted, a time without worries or cares. To Marnie, "vacation" meant that people could, and did, pass the house at any old time of day they felt like. There was no reliability to be found in the usual school or work hours, so every year she had to waste the majority of the lovely, lovely summer weather cooped up in the house. "Just to be on the safe side," her father repeated every year around this time.
The safe side, Marnie had long ago decided, was the unbearably boring side.
So here she was. Another day, another lunch hour spent waiting by the bedroom window. Marnie readjusted herself on the wide ledge, pressing her hands to the glass and staring intently down at the road below, mentally keeping track of the time. Any minute now they would come by; the same group of rambunctious teenagers who would ride their bikes past her house at lunch time almost every day during the summer months, laughing and shouting to each other as they went. They made so much noise that she could hear them all the way up here, on the second floor, and it made it seem a little like she was standing next to them.
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a blur of motion down the road and held her breath. Here they came, streaks of colorful clothing and black tires, carrying a buzz of joyful noise along with them. Marnie stared, her forehead and palms pressed to the glass like she wanted to push right through it. The bikers seemed to be moving so fast that she could barely keep up, and all too quickly they were gone, zipping right by her without a backward glance. Every day they rode past, and every day for a few moments her world was reduced to the size of the window where she could see them. And they didn't even know she was there.
She had the distinct idea that she ought to go lay on her bed and cry or something. That was what a normal girl might do. Instead, she continued staring out the window after they were out of sight, feeling...nothing, really.
Sometimes, just sometimes, she entertained the thought of going outside when they came by- just being there on the porch, waiting for them. The thought gave her a little thrill. What would happen then? She wondered if they would stop and say hi if she did it. She wondered if they would invite her to come along with them. She wondered if they could possibly be as loud and happy in person as they seemed from her silent bedroom.