”Difficult Roads Lead to Beautiful Destinations”
~ General Information ~ || Char
|| 24
|| Female
|| Fashion Designer/Former Model
|| Bisexual
||~ Time of occupancy in Redwoods ~2 months
~ Appearance ~Straight cocoa brown hair falls just below her shoulders, brushing up against the caramel skin of her cheeks and gently framing a oval shaped face. Deep colored eye match the darkness of her hair, so much so that her pupil gets lost in the iris unless you are very close or in the right lighting. She stands at the height of 5’11 which comes mostly from her toned legs from years of ballet and morning runs.
She can mostly be found in sweaters or anything that is loose fitting that gives her a comfy feel when she is not out in public or in the office. It isn’t to say she always looks like she stepped of the runaway when going out but she likes to be stylish and enjoys trying out a wide range of fashion. It is hard to say what look she will sport on any given day. Charlotte prefers a more natural look to her make-up with nude tones if she has to wear it at all but she isn’t afraid to do pops of color or do the unexpected.
~ Personality ~|| Guarded
|| Passionate
|| Perfectionist
|| Optimistic
|| Collected
||Nothing is quite what it seems and that could be said about Charlotte. She has learned to wear a mask in the public eye and the flaws in it are not noticeable unless you are really looking. Even upon inspection it is hard to see where the acting starts and where her real personality begins. It might even be a mix of both at this point with no way for her to answer what is what. Everyone sees a smiling woman that has a winning positive attitude that is always optimistic. She is the shoulder to cry on and the one to always listen to your woes of life. The pillar to which you can lean on. She lends a hand to others without hesitation and barely ever says ‘no’. She is the one that others see as a leader. Sure, people see her flaws like those clumsy moments, the signs of a perfectionist when it comes to certain habits or the need to apologize in a fluster for things that are not her fault.
Her friends and those that know her personally get to see a little more of a different side of her. She doesn’t always smile and when she does, it isn’t a ‘model’ smile everyone else receives but one that actually reaches her eyes. She is far more quiet and reserved instead of the optimistic overachiever but that support and willingness to help others is ever present. She blurts out her thoughts around them as she isn’t afraid to be honest, well, as honest as she can be but it is better then the biting silence as she holds back words like she has to do most of the time to be professional or out of old habits from her past.
Charlotte is much more guarded around others that are strangers. She is careful on who she lets close and has trouble keeping those that want to be closer. She has scars on her soul from the past which makes it hard to share how she is feeling or at least what she thinks the other will view negatively which makes people believe she is cold, distant, and doesn’t believe in them. Add the fact Char does not really liking to be touched and you can see why relationships just don’t always last. She is extremely loyal and protective of those that have been let close to her and have stuck around for the long hall though none of them know much about her past. As far as they know, she is just far too busy with her passions of being a fashion designer to visit home or that she doesn’t want people to think she is spilling secrets to the rival company.
She has some confidence that is naturally her own, not just an act she puts on but it is no where close to where it should be. Char creates beauty and she always double checking if is acceptable instead of just owning it. It was one of the reasons she got out of modeling as fast as possible because she lacks the opinion of being good enough and sticking it to her family had also been a pleasurable bonus. She is cautious with how much she pokes that wasp nest as they still can get near her. Her brother, Matthew has been her weak point when it comes to family but if asked, he probably wouldn’t lie about them trying to figure out her business or how to worm her way back into her life. They technically already know where she works which is bad enough since her fear of her mother is still very much real when up close and personal.
Most might describe Charlotte as calm and collected. She is always the level headed one and plays peace keeper when conflict arises. Char makes sure to look at everything from all angles and comes up with compromises from both sides. This is mostly because she wants to help everyone get along but she also can’t stand yelling or fighting and would rather come up with a way to stop it. If the problem gets too out of hand, she will most likely back off and let other stronger personalities handle it since it shakes her to the core depending on the situation. She is most brilliantly alive when speaking of her future designs and it is one of the many times you see the bubbly and even childish side of her personality. It also shows up when she is excited and eager for something though that is much easier for her to stifle then when talking about her passions. She is kind of embarrassed by liking to do what is dubbed as “childish” by most but it wasn’t like she got to do a whole lot of that as a kid. It was always strict schedules and playing with her friends was most of her precious get away time. Free time at home just meant fine tuning other skills or being in trouble for practically nothing. There were times when her brother would play poker with her or make up silly games to entertain her but it wasn’t the same.
While it might be easier for Char to show more negative emotions or her true emotions then when she was younger, she still has trouble letting anyone see her cry or lean on them too much for help. Words mean little compared to actions in her book so she expresses things by showing. It isn’t to say she won’t say “sorry” or “I love you”, it is just harder for her to do so. She wishes she could be more confident and bold, let go of the past but it is easier said then done.
~ Habits ~- Char always seems to have a pencil somewhere on her person whether it is in her hair, behind her ear or in her purse. This is just in case inspiration hits or even if she just needs it, at least that is what she will tell you but truth is she usually forgot about it.
- She likes things to have a place and isn’t one to much for clutter so she finds herself cleaning up or taking care of things if she sees them needing to be done
- She tends to hum and sing when she is cooking, sometimes not even realize she
- Char loves the outdoors and usually takes morning runs/walks in the morning
- She has no sense of a sleep schedule. It is forever changing but she is always respectful not to keep anyone awake
~ Background ~They say, if you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough. This has never felt truer to Charlotte while thinking of the family she had to endure. Nothing ever being enough. She could say that money changed them but since Charlotte has dealt with the way they are for as long as she can remember, she is more inclined to believe that money just let them be their true selves.
Gabriel and Priscilla Thorne had started out with a comfortable life. He was fresh out of college and interning with one of the top designers in the county and she was the daughter of a high end lawyer which had given her all the time in the world to decide what she wanted to do. Both lives on different paths until he caught his big break, becoming part of the company officially for showing such promise and catching the eye of the head woman herself by putting on a charming display. She worked on getting him is own recognition and line which was lucky enough to snag Priscilla’s attention during one of the runways that she had been dragged to. It got him a commission to make a gown especially for her to attend an important charity event which made them grow closer since he wanted to do everything to create her exact vision and that meant a lot of time together to get it just right.
Each meeting began running later as they seemed to not want to stay out of each other’s company. They were both completely smitten and the charity event ending up being their very first date. It would not have been a couple most would bet on since most thought that Gabriel would end up with his boss as they had a close relationship but if anyone saw the way he looked at Priscilla, you would realize how wrong those people were for judging their differences as a couple compared to the logical choice that most wanted him to go with.
Years pasted, his connections and fame growing and Priscilla introducing him to many clients. They were both happy. The pregnancy had been a shock but the two were already ready for the next step so Gabriel proposed and they started their perfect family. Matthew Thorne was his mother’s pride and joy. She finally found what she wanted to do in life after bouncing from one to the next. She wanted to be there for her son so she stayed at home, planning on home schooling the boy and talked about a future where their child could take over for Gab once he was old enough or follow in his footsteps if Gabriel didn’t make it to his goals. Gabriel worked harder so he could support the two people he cared about most and make her proud of him.
The name Thorne grew, he was finally on equal grounds with his predecessor. The distance between his family and him growing as business trips came up more and he felt like he had already missed so much. It was like he was an outsider while he was there. Priscilla always seemed to want more and more plus Matthew looked at him like he was a stranger most of the time. He would have stayed home but he was finally where he wanted to be and with a little more work, he could own his own company and then he could have all the time in the world. It was what he told himself at least.
Gabriel had been easily tempted. The first time, he did feel guilt. He looked at his wife, wondering how he could have done this to her. He had doted her with affection and tried to make up for the sin he had committed. He knew he should have been happy. Matthew was turning into strapping young lad, earning his pride with good grades and always eagerly wanting to know more about his father or his work. He tried looking at Priscilla but when he saw her....it was like she wasn’t the person he fell in love with anymore or maybe he wasn’t the same anymore. They had nothing in common and her stories were a bore. He felt shut down whenever he tried to talk with her or bring back the spark. Gabriel was tired of giving and thinking it not enough so it happened again on a business trip. Each time it seemed more right then wrong and it couldn’t hurt if no one knew. He could still come out the good guy if he left after his son was at least past his teen years and he could say they had been estranged for awhile and just making it through for their kid. An easy break, both with their heads held high. No judgment from the community or Priscilla’s clubs.
Sadly, Charlotte had been a product of his guilt and the attentions he had thrown on his wife. He hadn’t minded leaving before but now he felt trapped. He couldn’t save face. That is when he started coming home less and when he was home, he was holed up in his office or sleeping away from her. It made Priscilla feel thrown away and she wondered what suddenly changed. Charlotte has been the only change and deep down, she blamed her. Gabriel had seemed odd since she told him the news and it only got worse after the girl was born. She barely saw him before but now it was like he was a ghost. He must have just not wanted another child but they couldn’t give her up for adoption. How would they look?
Priscilla decided that he would come around. She just had to show him that Charlotte would be a perfect angel. She could be like Matthew, no, better. They had more to love and if Char was good enough then everything would be how it was before. She made it her goal to convince Gab to make toddler outfits for Charlotte to model for Sabine’s company. Priscilla worked to set her up for the finest schools, well at least mapped out each school she would attend later in life. She made sure that she learn different languages as early as possible, instruments, and tried to get out any bad habits when Charlotte was home. Gab barely gave his opinion though or even paid much mind to the girl and had only rejected the finer schools since modeling should be a top priority if Char was serious which meant if she needed to be pulled out of class then why waste his money on finery. Priscilla has taken those words to heart and set her on a different path. It was actually the kindest thing her father had accidentally done for her since it had introduced her to people that actually cared for her.
Pricilla had always been harsh with her words, lashing out at Charlotte but it was for the best in her mind. She needed to be firm or she wouldn’t be taken seriously. Most of the time she just spanked the girl, a toddler wouldn’t understand an explanation but Char would stop doing it if punished though the girl continued to be far more stubborn then Matthew. It was the reason why Matthew was the only one that held his father’s attention or got to speak with him. It just had to be the reason so Priscilla worked harder to restrict that behavior and keep her busier. She needed Charlotte to fix this. Desperation and frustration growing with each time she was ignored by her husband and each time Charlotte would stay out late or show up a mess from playing with her friends. She couldn’t just tell the girl not to go though as her daughter had made friends with parents she knew.
Charlotte remembered the first time she was smacked roughly across the face instead of a swat to her behind by her mother.
She had been playing piano, her little hands not quite skilled yet to do swift note changes with the ivory keys so far apart and she had hit a wrong sour note. Char found herself on the hard glossy cherry wood floor with the bench toppled over before she could even understand what had happened. Her face bloomed in pain, tears gathering in her eyes which just caused another sting of pain across her other cheek as she barely see her attacker. Her mother looked to be in rage with a far away look in her eye as she held a bottle and screamed at how it was all Charlotte’s fault while still continuously smacking her with her free hand.
What had she done? What could she do to help her mom? Why didn’t her mom stop? It hurt. Why?
It was Matthew that stepped in between them. It was him who lifted her up, taking her away from mom. She could barely even register the cloth cooling her face. It was the first of many times to come where she would be abused and saved by her brother though her face would be spared in later years. Public schools had a way of changing that as she grew older since you couldn’t blame small bumps or bruises on children playing rough, make-up could only hide so much and multiple sick days/weeks would be too obvious.
It would be a long time later that she found out the truth about the start of her abuse. That was the day that her father had stopped trying to be as secretive about his activities. Lipstick on his collar. Gifts being sent to mistresses. You name it. It had all started downhill. Charlotte got the blame and her mom drowned herself in alcohol which only made her more violent. The women were quick flings and were all made to sign documents never to speak of there little affairs. Her mom only got worse but seemed happy self in public.
Charlotte watched as in public, everything was normal. You wouldn’t guess the family had even a little struggle. She was told to put on a smile and to keep her mouth shut or else. She had seen the result of asking ‘or else what?’. It had been a painful experience to be locked in the attic and not even her brother had come to save her. He had got less reliable as she got older. He got tired of being the adult, tired of the pressure to be perfect for his mother and the demand to be his fathers successor for the company. He turned to drugs, making sure to be cleaned up enough when in public that no one suspected a thing but mostly he just wanted to be numb. He didn’t want to think of this hell hole or what was happening to his little sister so he didn’t.
She kept being lashed at verbally though the physical had gotten more creative since her mother made her model, entered her in beauty pageants and anything else that her mother saw fit to enter her in. It wouldn’t do to not show up for those or already have makeup applied. Charlotte hated being home. It was her friends that were her true family. Their games and being at their homes were her only freedom and chance to be herself. She could be clumsy or shy. She could be loud or rebel a bit. She could be anything. It is why when she learned to ride a bike, she found herself sneaking out to see refuge at one of their homes. She moved out and went to the city the second she was old enough to be on her own so she could be hours away from them. She started going to school and worked hard to become a fashion designer at her father’s biggest rival company to his own. It had been completely satisfying to let them know the happy news over the phone. The modeling world had taught her a lot about what worked and what didn’t. A designer should also think of their models and she made sure to do so while being stylish. She finally felt like she could be creative and branch out. She worked hard to build a name for herself. Charlotte would not be remembered or acknowledged by her family name or be in that pigs shadow. She would stand up and shine on her own. She very recently moved to Silvervale, hoping to get further away from her families reach.
~ Extra ~- She can speak multiple languages
- She can play a variety of instruments but piano and violin are her favorites as well as the only ones she still plays
- She loves sweets and has no clue how she keeps up her shape with the way she craves sweet things. She chalks it up to exercise and fast metabolism.
- Charlotte has a weakness for her older brother. She wants to take care of him and help out. Some might say he uses that to his advantage but she knows what he has to deal with.
- She has scars on the bottom of her feet. It is not something she talks about and usually wears socks because of it.
- She can’t stand being praised and gets awkward when it happens or even if she is complimented
- She cannot flirt to save her soul. She once told someone that their shoes matched their eyes
- Don’t dare her because she will probably do it. She hates being told she can’t do something.
- Char loves the fall time of year. The colors of the leaves, the feel of the air, and the rainy/colder weather.
