Putting this here to work on later.
Name: Eliza Anne Herring
Appearance: Natural beauty runs in the Herring family. With her slim build, height (about 5' 9'') and long, wavy brown hair, Eliza's no exception. She knows it, too, and she knows how to carry herself to attract attention - or avoid it, as the situation demands. Usually, she's quiet and graceful, with a calm affect, a steady gaze, and a neutral expression or half-smile. Her voice is a quiet alto, and she's prone to speaking formally, making her sound cold and distant. If she's really happy, though, she'll get louder and give a real smile, a big one that reaches her eyes. She doesn't laugh often, but might allow herself a polite giggle. When she's out of uniform, she dresses very fashionably, but with less extravagance than many of her classmates. While she might be more willing to dress up than Acacia, she has a firm grasp on line between flattering and slutty, and she sticks to it.
Age: 18
Grade: Senior
Social Class: Wealthy (technically)
Social Class Explanation: The Herring family are heirs to a massive business conglomerate headed by Eliza's father, Christopher Herring. Herring Global is worth untold billions of dollars, much of which is still held by the family directly. Eliza is the middle child of (currently) six siblings, with more likely on the way. Though her family has exceptional wealth, and she herself has nearly unlimited financial resources, she doesn't parade that fact. She uses her wealth to accomplish her goals, certainly, and it isn't a secret - but she considers it to hold absolutely no intrinsic value. For this, Eliza might be more appropriately categorized as "wealthy," but her close relationship with Acacia places her firmly in the upper echelons of the school's social structure. Eliza protests to herself that she doesn't care about that sort of thing, anyway - an easy position to take about any game when you're the winner.
Personality: It's easy to mistake Eliza for just another follower, capitalizing on her family's wealth and Acacia Hawthorne's popularity to give her whatever she needs, academically or otherwise. She's quiet, she's polite yet cold, she's pretty and she knows it, so it's not as though she needs anything significant in terms of creativity, intellect, or identity. Her life is comfortable just as it is.
Eliza is fully aware of this perception, and in fact, she actively cultivates it. Much of her life is devoted to maintaining this false face - as a Herring, doing so comes quite naturally to her. And, to be fair, much of it is true: She
is gorgeous, she
is extremely close to Acacia, and she isn't very interested in most anyone else at Caelbury. All of that's absolutely correct. What people tend to misunderstand (mostly because she wants them to) are the reasons why she acts the way she does. Eliza's peaceful, perfect exterior is an immaculate veneer, hiding a woman filled with immense passion and intellect.
Eliza realized long ago that she was born into a world of extreme privilege, but that privilege carries its own price. She's watched friends and family - people she cared about, people better and smarter than she was - fall victim to their own wealth, never creating anything, never
meaning anything, and it terrifies her. And she's seen people like Acacia build themselves up, working incessantly to be as perfect as possible, only to come crumbling down again. Eliza lives in fear that she might lose herself in the good fortune life has given her, and never resurface. She's determined to become something more than another Herring child.
Luckily for her, she has all the tools she needs to do so: Money, time, and access to the best education those two things can buy. In the short term, Eliza's goal is simple: Get through school, graduate at or near the top of her class, and go to college. Everything else is optional. She doesn't know quite yet what she's going to do with her life after that, but whatever it is, it'll be significant somehow.
When confronted with a challenge, Eliza may make a strategic retreat, but she will never back down. She trusts her own instinct and intellect absolutely; people have failed her, but her mind hasn't. In fact, she makes a habit of distrusting nearly everybody and everything else, unless her assumptions are proven wrong repeatedly. She works fervently at her goals, whatever they might be, and will go to whatever lengths are necessary to achieve them (not that very extreme lengths are generally necessary in high school).
History: The Herring family didn't come from money - everything they have was built by Eliza's father. "Competitive" doesn't even begin to describe her household; growing up there was a continuous grooming process and race to the top. Christopher Herring didn't want children, he wanted heirs and a legacy, and he made certain his kids knew it. Some of Eliza's siblings, and her mother, play his games still, working feverishly to appease him. Others have dropped their connections to the family entirely, or ventured away from the family business into some "lesser" career. Eliza has done neither, in fact, she's done a rather good job of disappearing from her father's radar entirely, a fact she's fully aware of and quite pleased by.
Young Eliza was an ungainly thing, too tall and thin for her age, yet mousy and unassuming. She was quiet, she read instead of talking, she didn't seem to have the same drive as her siblings. The Herring passion lay dormant in Eliza for many years, and that was enough to convince her parents she didn't have it all. For years, they were convinced Eliza was the anomaly, the dull one, and therefore there was no helping her. She was never harmed, or even cared for at all inadequately - she was a Herring, after all - but her life was devoid of any real affection, except sometimes from her older brothers. She always felt like she was lacking, but never understood why, and over the years, the fear and anger that knowledge created grew within her.
As she got older, she started to come into her own. She became sharper mentally and filled out physically, but her family didn't seem to notice. Her parents had already decided she was a failure, and no improvement on her part seemed to change their minds. She started to dress better and speak up more, she tried to take up an interest in the family business, but in everything, she was rebuffed. The final straw came when her mother suggested to her that she "wasn't cut out for her father's life," that she ought to try and spend her time on something less challenging ("become a model, your sister's doing it!").
In that moment, Eliza discovered that she
did have the traditional Herring motivation, if in an nontraditional way. She didn't care about money. She didn't want to follow in her father's footsteps. She didn't want power over others, either, not really - but she wanted strength for herself. She would never be ignored or passed up again by anyone, and she would do whatever it took to make that happen. This was the mentality that sent Eliza to Caelbury, rather than the California prep schools her siblings attended, and it's what's kept her going throughout her time in the school.
It seems to be working, too - at Caelbury, Eliza is certainly impossible to ignore. The moment she met Acacia Hawthorne, roughly a week into their freshman year, she was certain the two shared similar desires, and thus made up her mind that they would become friends. They did, and their social group followed suit not long afterwards, becoming more and more influential as they rose through the years. She's been incredibly successful academically, as well, much to the surprise of her family - and she has found reasons not to see them over nearly every break, avoiding any potential for regression to her earlier habits. The Eliza Herring of Caelbury Academy would be almost unrecognizable to her family now, and that's how she prefers it.
All she has to do now is make it through senior year and graduate; then college awaits. Eliza knows she's come a long way, but she knows she's got much farther still to go if before her family will come to understand how wrong they were about her.
That's alright with her: She's nothing if not patient.
Extracurricular Activities: Student Council (secretary), International Committee, Mock Trial (I will create a description if it becomes necessary), potentially others
Miscellaneous: Here's where I'm headed with Eliza: In her previous RPs, she's been significantly older (late twenties, early thirties). By that point, she's become a successful attorney, and her issues with her family have grown into a serious chip on her shoulder. She's much more capable and comfortable with who she is, but she's also vengeful and manipulative. She's a crusader. My goal is to use the events of this RP to kickstart that transformation - though of course, things could go in a direction I don't see now. So if she seems pretty similar to the other students, or pretty perfect in other ways, don't worry: She doesn't get to stay that way. I think other people who have RPed with me can attest to what I tend to do with/to my characters when their lives are going too well ;).
Thoughts on Other Characters: These are in no particular order, sorry. I have tried to expand most specifically on characters who talked about having a relationship with Eliza. If you would like to arrange something in that vein, please let me know! For some characters, I have written relatively little - please don't take offense; I read everyone's bio, but some people might not be familiar to Eliza.
Acacia Hawthorne - "Acacia is my friend, and probably the only friend I can really count on. I trust her, and I worry about her. Someday she'll hit a wall that doesn't just crumble in front of her, and I don't know what she'll do then."
Acacia and Eliza met early in freshman year, and have been inseparable ever since. Most students think of Eliza as Acacia's #2, not as widely beloved or incessantly perfect, but close. The reality is a bit more complex. Acacia and Eliza have a much more equal relationship than many people think; the two girls figured out early on that they had a lot of similarities in background, goals and personality. Eliza sees, to an extent, Acacia's insatiable perfectionism, and Acacia might well have some seen some glimpse into the fire burning in Eliza's mind. Neither girl has ever really discussed their darkest facets aloud, but there's an implicit understanding there that's kept their friendship strong.
Brendan Aldrin - "As principals go, we could do a lot worse. He's not an idiot, and he's not an asshole. That counts for something. I wish he didn't want me - and everyone - to be his friend, though. I don't think he sees the gulf of authority that divides us."
Eliza has a reasonably high opinion of Principal Aldrin, who has always been helpful and respectful when she's had need of him. She appreciates his level-headed approach and she believes that he cares about the students, but she can also see that he doesn't really understand his students, no matter how hard he might try. She doesn't believe you can be a respected disciplinarian and a beloved father-figure, and she doesn't think it's wise of him to try.
Alli Kendrick - "I don't understand how this woman got hired. She looks like she should be posing nude on a beach somewhere. She's a walking dumb blonde joke. I know she used to be a student here - god
damn does it show - but what, is that supposed to make her more credible?"
If Principal Aldrin crosses the familiarity line, Alli Kendrick somersaults over it with pom-poms in hand. Eliza doesn't want to be Alli's friend, nor does she want Alli to want her as a friend. She wishes she didn't have to have Alli as a teacher, and bemoans having to sit in class with someone barely six years her senior. She'll do what she has to do to well, and she'll be polite to Ms. Kendrick's face, but she judged the blonde woman the moment they met and her opinion hasn't changed.
Hayden Hawthorne - "Acacia's older brother, and vice principal. Not like that's a conflict of interest or anything - but then, it doesn't matter because it's not as though Aca has ever done anything deviant in her life. I've worked with him a little bit since I'm on Student Council, but I'm not STEM-track so I've never had him in class. He's rediculously nice, without trying to be your buddy, but I can't see him being strict or official at all, and I think that's what our school is lacking right now,"
Flynn Zimmerman - "I liked his classes. He's a little odd, I mean, he's quiet and kind of obtuse, but if I had to guess I'd say he's a sweet guy under all of that. Not that it matters. As a teacher, he was fine - he cares about the class and he knows his stuff, but he's not too informal. I think that's perfect. I wish I had some idea of what he thinks about me, but honestly, when I talk to him it's impossible to tell. I thought about asking him for a recommendation letter, but I'm not sure I will. I'm not sure he actually likes me, or just thinks being nice will make me go away faster."
Saul Kirschenzweig - "What, the drama guy? I pass him in the halls sometimes. Friends say he's okay. I've never spoken to him."
Lilli Lafontaine - "I've heard some weird things about her; I don't really know what to make of them. She seems nice enough - I've had to do groupwork with her a couple times - but we're not friends or anything. I think she's an artist, maybe? I don't know."
Jacob Rockwell - "He's brilliant, smart oozes off him like cheap cologne. Socially, he's probably bad news, so I stay away from him, but I don't have anything against the guy. If I needed tutoring in something, I'd definitely think about asking him. I'm sure I could convince him to do it."
Roman Zelenka - "Quiet. Definitely not from around here; you can always tell who doesn't fit at Caelbury. Like I said with Jacob, though, that doesn't make him a bad guy. I've always tried to be nice to him, but we just sort of know each other in passing. I get the sense that's how interacts with most people. He's kind of hot, actually, a real Gaslight Anthem vibe - and I've seen him turn on the charm for teachers once in a while, or to convince people to do things - why isn't he like that all the time? If he was, we'd probably make a cute couple."
Vladamir Kalkovich - "Another smart guy. The accent is hilarious, but I'd feel bad mocking it. He's in a band, I heard them perform, I think at a dance last year. They were pretty good. Not really my style. He's more My Chemical Romance and I'm more White Stripes."
Alice Profit - "The surname says it all, right? She thinks she's hot shit. She goes after people just for shits and giggles. She thinks she can because prettier and has a better car and better clothes and a better house and a bigger checking account. None of that matters, though. She's absolutely useless, and I don't have time for useless people. She'd never go after me, but if she did, I'd put her down without blinking. People like her are the problem in this world, and if she's not careful I'll fix it."
Rayne McCutcheon - "People make fun of her hair. I actually kinda like it. I know her pretty well, and most of the time she's fine... most of the time. She's got some kind of issue; I've seen her go off on people. I don't know who shit on her parade as a kid, but it's not as though my life was all rainbow unicorns, and I don't unload my problems onto the world like that. She might not be a bad person under all that, but I don't care enough to find out."
James McNamara - "Yeah, he's hot. I know it, you know it, he
definitely knows it. There's nothing under there, though. He's a pseudophilosopher, he thinks he's got it figured out, but come on - we're in high school. Anybody here who says they understand themselves or the world is either lying, or an idiot. I think he's the latter. I don't mind having him around, though. Again - he's hot."
Seth Kabhsenuf - "The first time I met him, he creeped me out a little. He's an intense guy. The more I see of him, though, the more I think he's one of the best teachers Caelbury has. I like him a lot, and I would honestly feel great if he was impressed with me. I think he sees a lot more than he says; I mean, I think he's really observant. I admire that. I'm excited to be in his class again this year."
Nate Dixon - "I put him in the same category as Jacob. Nothing wrong with him, but our worlds are on two different continents. Whatever."
Julie Scott - "I like her! She's smart, she's not a turd about it, and one time she drew a little heart in the foam on my latte. At least, I'm pretty sure it was her. I wish we were closer, sometimes, when Acacia isn't around and I feel like I need somebody to talk to... but you can't have two best friends, and opening up to too many people is just asking for trouble. Besides, somehow I don't think she wants to be burdened with all of my problems. Still, we should hang out more."
Max Wallenberg - "That Swedish style. I love it. Do I have a thing for guys with accents? It must be starting to sound like I do. A bookworm, but nice about it. I know he comes from money, but he manages not to wave that around like it means something. I wish more people could manage that."
Cole Grimoire - "The figure skater? I think he has a crush on Acacia. I'm not sure she's noticed. I've thought about mentioning it, but I don't want to intimidate her. Never talk to the guy myself."
Damien Lilly - "I don't understand what the fuck a guy like him is going teaching high school chemistry. Either he's so beyond rich that he's bored with life and has nothing else to do with his time, or the school is paying him some insane amount of money. Whatever. As a teacher, he's fine. Could be better, could be worse. He can be smug, though, and I don't appreciate that."
August Marco - "He's an idiot. I get it, ha ha, the pool looks like fruit punch. I'm not twelve. He might be, though. Certainly looks like it."
Adira Huston - "She doesn't take shit from anyone. I've seen her stand up to the likes of Profit and Rayne. I have to admire her for that. I think she's pretty nice, also, but we don't really mix much. We don't move in the same circles."
Catherine Sinclair - "Why is Wren so unbelievably beautiful? I'm not afraid to say I'm good looking, but she's a Disney princess and a movie star and probably stepped out of an art book somewhere. I don't know what her deal is beyond that, but she's not a bad friend to have. We don't really talk about anything of substance, but we spend a lot of time together. She's a fantastic shopping partner, even if I end up intimidated by how well she wears literally everything. She acts, too, and she gets really into it - sometimes I think she's playing it up, but other times, I think she's legitimately that into her roles. I wouldn't question it, though. That's not what friends do."
Celia Honey - "I've never had to see a counselor, and I had Mr. Keb for English, so I was never in her class. My friends say she's fine."