A pretty pretty lady. Tall with a womanly body- She's constantly seen wearing different height shoes, pin-pointing her actual height is a bit tricky. Olive skin -incredibly soft. Heart shaped face, thin eyebrows, a straight nose and plump lips. Dark eyes -almost black, and equally dark hair. "2B" curls perfectly styled, and rarely seen fully down. Good posture, wide shoulders that frame a nice collarbone and back. Though she is serious and usually posing an unimpressed look, she is attentive and polite when engaged in conversation. Her piercing stare rarely miss a detail, she is quiet and observant; Her voice is raspy and her speech is measured -an over thinker with a filtered mouth.
A sweet talker, charming. Some people would say conceited and hard to read. Those in her close circles value her a ton, and definitely oversee some of her controlling tendencies. She has a few people she can trust, courtesy of her good instinct. "Your gut can tell you things, your brain or heart can't" words of wisdom she heard from a young age and have been a compass on some of her decisions.
The family wealth just passed the mark to be considered "new" -5 generations. Now is the time where the permanence of it, is tested. With a doting grand-mother, she was able to build a fortune for herself. Pity the same grand-mother spoiled her brother rotten. All her life, up to the point in which she broke contact with her parents, she had to clean up Ezra's messes. Since then, Romina has remained mostly uninvolved in Family business. It took her Mother having a heart attack to make her come back in the picture.
Little is known about her in the public eye, other than her impressive academic background as an Oxford alumni, her participation as a Board Member of some charities, or, a couple of pictures on niche magazines here and there -little fact she insists on keeping rather private.No one really pays much mind to whats running on her agenda, she is a typical "nepo baby" after all. Though people that do pay mind know her wallet is very very packed
~ Ezra Sardis ~ The Brother. 33 years old. Cancer
Typical pretty rich boy. Toxic, mean and frankly the result of his environment, though no one takes the blame -or intervention. His hobbies are: spending money, women and cars. He can, and will, talk your ear off if you are not careful. Things get tense when his sister is in the same room as him, thankfully they both avoid it. Surely there is something going on behind all that, Romina tried a while ago and things didn't go well.
~ Edgar Sardis ~ The Father. 64 Years Old. Aquarius
He can be strict. Everyone keeps thinking Ezra is going to be the death of both her parents, but Edgar himself believes his end will be Romina. You know, the curse of a bachelor is after all, a beautiful daughter. He fails to realise his son is almost the carbon copy of him when he was younger, or maybe he just can't face the truth. Currently in no contact with Ezra, but he knows the money wont last and he will come back for more. Deep down he does believe a 'Nice Girl' will come along and fix him up, exactly how it happened to him.
~ Juliette Sardis~ The Mother. 61 years old. Leo
Romina got two things from Juliette, her looks and charm. Beauty clearly ran in the Family, is no wonder her dear Husband wanted more children. Has been living the life of a socialite since birth, often leaving the children to the nanny for another month long vacation to Europe with Edgar. She does love her Family, she 'just gets overwhelmed easily'. Romina thinks the times decided her Mother's fate as a 'trophy wife'. She is always looking for a boyfriend for Romina, and has actually supplied Diana with a few.
~ René Spiller ~ The trusty Assistant. 27 years old.
'Not looking at offers' can be read in their linkedIn, most definitely not your typical assistant; Not everyone likes them and they are perfectly okay with that, they found a great place and even purpose working with Her, not to mention the pay is so very sweet. Punk and androgynous in appearance. A few facial piercings paired with an alternative fashion make an interesting picture when Romina and René go for their occasional luncheons, to discuss, plan, debrief and gossip when the business life becomes too intense. They like to call these little meetings "Evil Plotting Time". Truly a great team, they have a lot of respect and appreciation for each other. She keeps their water intake on check and they keep Mina's cigarettes under supervision. Even though they have been working together for almost 5 years, there is still many many things René doesn't know, this is by Romina's design. Manic, at times a bit 'intense' but incredibly smart and resourceful -a talented youngling with a rough upbringing.
~ Fabien Rossi ~ The In-House Designer / Chief of Creative Office. 57 years old. Aquarius
He had been working for the Sardis family even before Mina was born, her grand-parents gave him the blessing to lead the atelier, his vision is so spot-on to the standards of the brand, one could almost swear he was a direct descendant of the founders. They are familiar with the inner workings of the company, and on occasion his opinion is taken into consideration for business matters. When the brand lost their spot in the Federation (The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode) he immediately contacted Mina. This was the beginning of it all.
~ Diana Sparrow ~ The Best Friend & Partner. 29 years old. Leo
A network machine. Their relationship goes way back, met when they were just teenagers attending the same boarding school, both went to Oxford, lived in the same sorority and all; if anyone has ever seen Miss Sardis doing "not lady-like" things, its Diana. She understands how liberating it is to cut contact with the restrictive bounds of a rich Family, she, same as Romina went 'solo' the moment that sweet trust fund was released. Luckily for both of them, things went well and now they are able to take the reigns of their own destiny, or like Diana would say "misbehave like there is no tomorrow". She's what some would consider 'boy crazy', driving Mina a bit mad every time she disappears for a few months with a new lover. They share a passion for fashion, fine art and money making. All in all, an empowering sisterhood, she is the sibling Mina would rather have... at least she is apologetic, not to mention cleaning up her messes can be fun.
~ Gabriel Gagnon ~ The Mentor.65 years old. Scorpio
The Gagnon Family is extensive and very wealthy. Family friend, and long time business partner of the Sardis Family. A helper for Ezra's messes. He swears he will retire, soon. An occasional presence, they go for luncheons, they talk business, then Gabriel would say something like "You should see your parents, your Dad is a wreck... Your Mom would like to see you more than just Doctor's visits". Rinse and repeat -they had a much better relationship a while ago. Some poisonous people would say he is Romina's actual Father.
[Character for story yet to be written - PM me if interested]
1
Magdalena 'Malena' Toussaint 29 years old
Born to an Italian mother, and a French father. A hunger for knowledge so fierce it distressed her Family, specially her Mother. She always had questions on how things worked -why things were. It drove her mother Marzia, crazy. Funnily enough it made sense, her mother was a teacher before she married; intellect and beauty ran in the Family. The need for a tutor, or two was evident from a young age. Malena had to keep up with the parties, engagements, and whatever activities ran in the Family's agenda, for the most part she was bored -not many stimulating conversations, bland. Oftentimes, her father allowed her to play a game or two of 'Brag' with the other gentleman, she was his "lucky charm".
Her Family is needy. Perhaps it all begun with the sudden passing of the twins, Vivianna and Valentina. No one saw what happened, during the winter truffle hunt in the woods, the nanny lost sight of the little girls for a brief second. It was a long search filled with intense anxiety. Their mother also gave birth to Domenico during that time. It was only until spring came they were able to find pieces of their bodies -supposedly, a boar got them. Needless to say, it was then when she began to doubt the existence of a god.
When Malena and her twin brother Niccolo turned 17 they went travelling through Europe on their own Gran Tour voyage, it was a good distraction from the grief that flooded the family home. In that time she learned the following:
The heavy burden of womanhood.
How much she disliked her twin.
Her academic interests.
The taste of her arousal.
Everyone thinks University radicalised her but in reality it was partly her Father's fault. Comments like "If only you were born a boy..." or "You could conquer parliament if they allowed woman in" were things her father Eugène would say since she was little. He knew how smart she was and even encouraged it -much to Marzia's distaste "...you are spoiling her! At this rate she will never marry or give us grandchildren". He cried on Malena's wedding "I'm going to miss you, my little Pomona".
Married late. Thanks to her long engagement she was able to finish her studies, a passionate Chemist. She treasured her beloved so very deeply, He was so different from the other brutes she was forced to entertain. The rest of her becoming came to be thanks to her lovely Husband. She found another soul like hers -How she adored Him! With his unmatched kindness and morals she was able to put her cut of the Family fortune to good use. Finally able to extend a helping hand out of authentic Love instead of 'fear of god' like many others, her Family included. His gentle and loving nature helped her bloom beautifully, without comments like "that's not very lady-like" she found herself, and the best part was how she was loved for just that. Not many were that lucky, she knew this. She also knew how to make him blush -she just seriously loved to colour his ears red.
Quiet, observant and polite in nature, assets that made her likeable to people of all classes. Perks she had been exploiting since the teenage years -She wanted an extra serving of desert? Granted! After all, she knew how and when to be charming. A pretty lady with a measured speech, a few admire her cold demeanour, and a lesser few had seen her lose her temper. Patient and aware, endurance is both a curse and a blessing for a woman like her. She was a funny mix of both her parents, a stoic romantic.
Her tastes are a bit "macabre for a Lady" or some would say. On her father's side of the family, there were some avid hunters, it was no surprise she wasn't shaken at the sight of blood and guts, at a young age she took the scalpel. On her 16th birthday she was gifted a rather impressive tool kit, soon after the mounts and pelts became a signature of her craft. Not to mention how gorgeous she looked wearing those fur jackets and trims. In private, she has a little collection no one but {Male Lead} has seen. She calls it "Her Girls" rodents the dogs or cats brought in; intricate little creations arranged in a variety of suggestive poses. Inspired by her brother's experiences -he loved to brag about it. She had been thinking about cryptozology, but that would definitely be a scandal.
However, ever since {Male Lead} got sick, the hunts slowed down in the last couple of years. She had to take another hobby to distract her mind, she needed something that allowed her to be close to him without the stench of arsenic or formaldehyde, doll making seemed like a good fit, at least her mother approved of it, and allowed them to become a bit closer.
Lately, she had been obsessively researching anything and all that can help. She must find a cure or an effective treatment. Her desperation increasing with each scarlet splattered cough coming from her Love. Why didn't she get sick? God surely likes to toy with his creations.
~ Marzia A. DaToussaint (Maiden name: Colpo) -The Mother
There were plenty army men in Marzia's family. She grew up in a regime rather than a family home. At a young age, she understood her position in the hierarchy of her Family and took it by heart, if she wasn't going to be favoured or respected the way her brothers were, she was going to find it elsewhere. Some would say she was lucky to find Eugene, she thinks she played her cards right.
"Our children will have Italian names, I won't allow the heritage of my bloodline to be thinned..." Without a doubt Marzia was the boss of the household. She was a ruthless disciplinarian, and ran the Family home and it's staff with an iron fist. Things had to be properly clean and tidy, food had to be served everyday at the same time. Her children had to be extraordinary, like herself. She did not allow a bad posture, a crooked tie or a single hair out of place. Things had to be perfect, at all times. This obsessive behaviour only got worse after the passing of the twins. She became overprotective, overbearing.
She heavily favoured her oldest son as they shared a lot of traits. Marzia hoped Domenico took after him, and she forced them both to spend a good amount of time together. "You must mentor him Niccolo, we can only have one dreamer in this family..." Her 'favourite' never understood if by a "dreamer" she meant his own father or twin sister.
She was more excited about Malena's courtship than anyone else, for the longest time she thought her "bluestocking" was never going to leave the house. And even though at first she didn't approve of the couple, she soon became a fan. She could see how much love they had for each other and it warmed her heart, unlike her own marriage where she had to learn to love her partner. Since {Male Lead} fell ill, Marzia softened her demeanour towards her daughter. She had never seen her in such state, it reminded her of that horrible winter. Unlike Niccolo, she holds back the re-marrying comments -at least in front of Malena.
~ Eugène Toussaint - The Father ︎
A romantic. Since his eyes lay rest on Marzia, he was enchanted. He was prideful to have such beauty by his side and he spoiled her, whatever she wanted, she had. His devotion to his wife only grew stronger with each child she gave him. He grew up in a loveless family and by god, he wasn't going to repeat that nightmare.
He loved his Family and even though he was mostly doting, he was pressed with maintaining the image of a well put together family. An admirer and promoter of Marzia's 'tightlacing'. He insisted he had no favourites, everyone knew it was Malena. He used to call her 'little Pomona' a loving nickname he gave her as he believed she brought him abundance.
A great eye for business, the Family fortune easily tripled under his stewardship. She was liked by the other gentleman his father used to frequent for business matters, she was known "the unofficial secretary" whenever she made a little appearance. Eugene liked to take his children for luncheon or afternoon tea in the city and liked to coordinate it in such way that whenever there was big businesses to attend or signatures to be done, it was Malena's turn for it. He had his little superstitions.
It took a really long time to recover from the passing of the twins; he fell in a great depression that many judged him for, his own son Niccolo included. If it wasn't for all the baby cuddles he got from Domenico and the shoulder Malena extended for him, he probably would have never recovered. He too became a bit over-protective. It took a while to convince him to let his eldest to go on the Gran Tour.
He had no doubt someone was going to eventually fall for his daughter, he only hoped she captured someone noble that loved her as much as he did. Luckily for Malena, Eugène was very doting and was always on her side whenever Marzia paired her with someone that wasn't her taste. When {Male Lead} came in the picture he felt both blessed and troubled, as he knew of his kind nature, and how it was only a matter of time until he took his favourite away. He liked his son-in-law, he specially liked how in love they were.
~ Niccolò 'Nicco' Toussaint - Older Brother 29 years old [Him and Malena are twins, born 1 day apart] - ENVY?*
First born, first to marry, first to give them a grandchild. He was in a self-inflicted competition with his twin sister.
Her brother, a socialite since diapers -Mother's favourite. Always had an opinion on what everyone in the Family should do. They don't have the best relationship. He's too "old fashioned" and she's too "modern". It really annoyed him that {Male Lead} 'allowed' Malena to be herself. Reputation and appearance was a huge interest of his... and woman. But he was a bit more private about that, at least in front of his wife.
No one really ever said it but it was assumed Nicco was going to become the Head of the Family as soon as Eugène retired, now that he had checked all the items on the list (getting married, finishing school, service the country and fathered a child) He wonders why father is taking so long to hand over the 'crown' "You are too impatient Niccolò... Temperance Son"
Since Malena became {Male Lead}'s full time caretaker their appearance in the public eye went down significantly, much to Nicco's joy, the constant gossip of what they were up to, or how such good Samaritans they were really annoyed him. Seeing her twin sister so distressed and worried made no sense for him, as he had never loved anyone other than himself.
~ Viviana & Valentina - The Sisters ︎ 9 years old [Twins. Deceased]
The girls were born when Malena & Nicco were 6. Their parents tried to conceive many times in between but it took a while to welcome more members into the home, maybe it was because of the laudanum that Marzia used to take for her insomnia. Unlike their first set of twins Viviana and Valentina were close and very alike, they couldn't be without each other. It was a cruel joke they also died together.
When the girls were around they played endless hours of high tea with their eldest sister. They were a very cute and giggly duo, Malena preferred their infantile company rather than the people her age, specially during the teenage years. Everything was about suitors, courtesies or the weird displays of femininity she was forced to partake on. She didn't mind one bit staying with the nanny to 'help', these little angels had a mischievous side and they liked to play jokes. Little antics that were often diffused by Malena.
The day of their disappearance, they had been insisting on playing hide and seek. But there was no time, many preparations had to be done for the hunt and the energies of the day were heightened. Malena thought they might be too little to be in the woods, she remembered how wonderful, yet terrifying it was on her very first time. Regardless, everyone insisted they needed to get accustomed to nature, as a Family of hunters it had to be done. Malena still wonders if anything would had been different if she granted the twins a round or two before the hunt. She would have preferred to deal with Marzia's wrath about being late a thousand times over from what ended up happening.
~ Domenico Toussaint ~ Younger Brother ︎ 15 years old
The upbringing of Domenico was quite different from all of his siblings. The family home turned dull for quite some time. His mother abused her laudanum intake, and at times she would give him a soaked thumb to calm his incessant cries. Marzia wasn't able to fully mother him at first so Malena stepped up, the only thing that shook Marzia enough to pull herself back together was when she realised it was common knowledge in the house that Domenico called his elder sister "Mama". The poor babe lived in a constant state of tears during his infancy.
He became a shy and timid boy. Usually very quiet, he had a little stutter and he got teased because of it. At a young age, music, specially piano and violin, became his hobbies, and he was talented. As per Marzia's nature, she wanted him to be extraordinary and pushed for him to become a musician but he had terrible stage fright; she was often rough with him and that only alienated them further.
When Malena got engaged he begged her to take him with her. And even though him and {Male Lead} had a lovely relationship, this could not happen. He belonged with his parents. This whim soured the relationship between him and his sister for a brief period of time, he was a grump during their wedding; thankfully they soon reconciled and he became a regular face in their house. Prior to {Male Lead} getting sick, there were certain plans for housing Domenico while he studied, these plans however had been halted for the foreseeable future.
~ Gideon Black [ Butler ] - GREED*
Reserved, refined and well connected -expected of a butler of his calibre. Gideon is the nephew of {Male Lead}'s parent's butler. A very coveted position, as high rank servant that granted him many liberties and benefits. Respectful of the craft and prideful of being a butler, he kept an impeccable administration of the home, expert handling the permanent staff as well as the seasonal workers. With training that could place him in a royal family. Even though he didn't personally meet {Male Lead} at a young age, he has heard of his Family through his uncle and has been working with the Holloway family ever since they got married. The construction of the Family home and {Male Lead}'s illness has been a challenge that's been very gracefully managed by him and the incredible team effort of the service staff. He's wary of the Steward Lionel, but keeps a polite yet distance relationship with him.
~ Esther Goodman [ Housekeeper ] ~ PRIDE*
Married to Reuben, Mother of Roderick, sister of Cecily. The Goodman Family were hired by Malena and {Male Lead} themselves. Thanks to the insistence of both of their families they had to scout service staff that was private and trustworthy, as they were all expecting a few children running around the house causing a ruckus, and needed a staff proper for that task. Esther came from a line of midwives, nannies and maids, her and her Family checked all the items on the list:
Private, top priority.
Resourceful.
Not easily intimidated.
The benefits of working for the Holloways were heartfelt and obvious, as their Lord and Lady of the house were known for their kindness and rather lax social etiquette. She loved that she was able to work and live in such a beautiful state, most servants had to part ways with their Family, but not her. She cared about her patrons and prayed for them every night, she's very religious.
~ Reuben Goodman [ Head Gardener ] ~ SLOTH*
Married to Esther. Father of Roderick. He mostly kept to himself, he is quiet and introverted. Loves the freedom he is granted and knows that as long as the pantry is kept well stoked and the crops well maintained no one is going to mingle in his business. Not only does he maintain an excellent upkeep of the gardens but also helps with the solarium in the house. Thanks to his extensive plant knowledge everything has been kept green, healthy and luscious. Everyone thinks the occasional floral arrangements around the house are Esther's idea, but they are actually his idea and creation.
~ Isaac Allen [ Footman ] ~ ENVY*
A young chap hired by Marzia & Eugène, much to Malena's distaste. She needed some help getting around the city without making a scandal about being unchaperoned. A sharp mind, young, quick and somewhat impressionable. He delivers notes, fetches whatever the household needs and keeps the Toussaint Family updated. Malena is a bit wary of him, but its mostly because she knows this boy can be a gossip.
~ Cecily Goodman [ Cook ] ~ GLUTTONY*
A well seasoned cook, she kept a close eye on the food and spirits stock of the house and allowed little to no waste. An incredible chef, when times were happier she was in charge of hiring a handful of seasonal workers to help during the holidays. The lady of the house considered her cooking an artful form of chemistry, they were close and would often share a cup of tea in the later hours of the evening when Malena had another restless night.
~ Edith Watson - [ Chamber Maid ] ~ LUST*
Has heard of the typical yet unrealistic story of the Lord of the house falling deeply in love with the maid, forever changing her life; she secretly wished this to happen to her, sadly for her the Lord of the house is severely ill and deeply in love. Like Esther, she comes from a long line of nannies, maids and service staff, but unlike Esther she's rather unhappy about it, wishing she was born in a wealthy Family to get tended too instead of doing the tending. She does her job just fine, though sometimes she annoys her fellow housemates by being ungrateful.
~ Roderick Goodman [ Groom / Houseman ] ~ WRATH*
Like his father, he was quiet and mostly kept to himself. He was big, strong and intimidating. The bulk of his make was thanks to his dedicated life of physical labour, always running errands. It took a strong hand to help with the heavy lifting and Roderick was the man for the job. He had a much older appearance though he was the youngest. He does a splendid job with the horses, his care and love for them shows and everyone in the estate deeply praises him for it.
~ Lionel Hawthorne [ Steward ] ~ GREED*
Every lucrative business had a secret, gatekept side, Lionel was well versed in it. He kept a vigilant eye on numbers and whatnot. Matters that were almost always shared exclusively in the gentleman lounge. A hard to read man. He rarely showed in the Holloway Estate. Very few knew about his gambling addiction.
~ Byron Vanderr Munnik [ Tutor / Mentor ] ~ LUST*
An older, strict, stoic and very studious scholar, he had been in Malena's circles since she was a teen, teaching her and her twin brother Literature, Philosophy and Theology. He even wrote a loaded letter to the Dean of the University Malena attended, persuading them of accepting her as a student. Not many challenge his authority, intellect or connections. Some gentleman know he has a taste for younger ladies, he had affairs with a couple of his students in times past. He makes occasional visits to the couple, mostly to deliver study material and forcefully share a glass or two of Madeira with his favourite pupil, Malena.
1"Rebecca at the well"
Francesco Hayez (1831)
Oil on canvas
Princess Zarinaia/Zarinaea ( Ζαριναία ) Daugther of Zenaida, Queen of [---]
Growing up a Princess was both a blessing and a curse, the responsibility of the well being of everyone and everything in the Island was something she took seriously from a young age, it felt crushing at times. Honour, strength and a ruthless governance were expected of her, given the origins of her blood. She had a mind for strategy and many times it proved an incredible asset that would tip the balance of a fight to her advantage. As an Amazonian Princess she had to become the strongest warrior if her bloodline was to continue in the throne; her disciplinarian and fierce Mother, Zenaida, made this an easy feat. No one dared, or wanted, to question her authority nor skill -the Island had flourished under her legacy. And naturally her Mother expected the same, and more of her.
Observant and fair, were traits that made her likeable to most. She knew how and when to be charming, "kissed by the favour of Athena" Zenaida would tease proudly. A fearless leader in the making, with a measured speech and fatal blows when need be. Although her talent with the javelin, axe and bow were obvious, she had a huge interest in politics, trade and agriculture. She knew that the art of war existed to protect the land, the people and Life. Without those things, nothing would distinguish them from animals, or so she thought.
Apate, a trusted adviser of Zenaida and Zarinaia's mentor, watched her development closely, oftentimes disapproving of her unconventional ideals, specially those that questioned the treatment of slaves. What Apate wasn't aware of, is that Zarinaia knew about her Mother's second child, a boy that she had to give up, to follow the tradition that Men were to serve. This lifelong held secret played an important role on the perspective she had of the Tradition and the slaves. She pitied them, and wanted nothing to do with them; she hoped for a future were no one had to give up their child for this practice that she deemed outdated.
As she grew up one thing became clear: She was loved not feared. After all, she knew "you can catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar". Her genuine interest for her people, gained her a number of followers and when the time for her journey came, many enlisted. Her desire to explore, to go beyond the waters of the island and expand the kingdom was grand. Oh, to see in her own flesh the cities of all those myths and stories about heroes that turned into gods! Temples that housed goddesses or oracles, that unfolded destiny for those who dared to enter made for an adventure that many wanted to participate in. In tears, her Mother waved her farewell, knowing that by the time she came back, she would be ready to take the throne.
During her travels she learned how different life in the Island was, and even though she missed her home she wasn't ready to take over the throne; the adventure bug had bitten her and she was afraid there was no cure. On her journey she learned that alliances with other kingdoms could prove fruitful and tried her best to carry herself with Honour. She also understood, partly, why the Amazonians had male slaves. Life was harsh for the woman of the outside world and this made her feel a newfound appreciating for hierarchy and status -although she had a heavy preference on breaking a former enemy into a slave. She knew that Apate and her Mother would be happy that she was finally able to connect to her bloodthirsty side, since she understood that torture was a means to an end.
Zenaida (Ζεναϊδα) - Mother
Aega (Αἴγη) - Amazonian and Daughter of Apate, Sister of Aba
Spakaya ( Σπάκαγια ) - Slave of Aega
Aba ( Ἄβα ) - Scout and Daughter of Apate, Sister of Aega
Syke (Συκῆ) - Scout
Lysistrate (Λυσιστράτη) - The Pupil & Commander
Apate (Ἀπάτη) - Counsil of the Queen
Chalciope (Χαλκιόπη) - The Trusted General
Polydamas (Πολυδάμας) - The Oracle
1"Myrrha" Henry Nelson O'Neill (1850)
Oil on panel
1
29 years old
29 years old
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︎ 9 years old [Twins. Deceased]
︎ 15 years old