Emily Brooks

[Synthia Lyndon Heller]

The Big Damn Original Characters Application


Your ‘Real’ Name (or preferred 'out of character' Handle): Syn


How Often You Can Post: More than many, less than some


Tell Us About Your Roleplay Past/Abilities: started with AD&D 1st Edition when my mom bought me the new Monster Manual for Christmas, not knowing it was for a game. She thought it would be a good art reference for mythological creatures.


How Familiar Are You With The Firefly 'Verse?: Not a likely trivia contest winner, but I know it.


How Did You Hear About The BDV Site?: GrimJack, when he and Jonestein set it up after our first site ended.


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In your mind, you can picture your Original Character...now let us 'see' them.

If you could 'cast' the role of your OC, who would play the part: Tilda Swinton

What BDV ship/location do want to be assigned to: The Epiphany


Character Name: Emily Brooks


Character Occupation: Teacher, musician


Gender: Female


Age (the character, not the actor/actress): 42


Detailed Physical Description (2 PARAGRAPHS): Emily is slender, with pale skin, red hair and large green eyes. She usually wears male type styles; suits, dress shirts, ties, all in a well tailored but non ostentatious style, all hand tailored, but by an old tailor of her acquaintance rather than a well known tailoring house. If she makes an effort to do so, she could pass for a slender, effeminate young man, but can be feminine looking on the very rare occasions she wears dresses and the like.


Detailed Personality (2 PARAGRAPHS) : Emily is intellectual and soft spoken, but not really reserved. She's friendly, has a sense of humor, and enjoys good conversation. She is adventurous in theory, which is to say that she likes the idea of new things and experiences, but not so much the reality of danger and discomfort, and will sometimes get herself into situations she might have thought twice about had they not seemed so compelling as to cut off consideration of the logical consequences of following through.

She has refined, but also eclectic and sometimes experimental tastes in things such as literature, poetry, music and art. Although not truly snobby, she can sometimes seem disdainful of those who are not her intellectual equals or those who don't share her tastes because she often speaks as if simply assuming anyone she's talking to knows what she's talking about.

She is slow to anger, but when she does, it can hit suddenly and with a cold intensity. She can seem quite private, even secretive at times, and doesn't tend to discuss truly personal matters, either her own or those of others she knows.


Detailed History(2 OR MORE PARAGRAPHS): Emily Brooks was born to an upper class family on Londinium, living at various times in the capitol city there and on her family estate on Bellerophon. Her father was a member of Parliament, and her mother was a cellist in the Londinium Symphony Orchestra. Emily grew up in both worlds, taking cello lessons from early childhood and studying political subjects in school. She graduated from New Oxford with a political science major, went on to earn her PhD in the same subject, and then attended OCS, entering the Alliance military. She spent the Unification War in headquarters postings, leaving the service at the war's end with the rank of Lt. Commander.

Following the war, she ran for, and was elected to a seat in Parliament, based largely on her father's name and her military service. She surprised many by taking moderate or even liberal reformist positions regarding relations with the defeated rim worlds and former Browncoats, usually finding herself in the minority on many issues. She was defeated in her bid for reelection by a candidate that many speculated had been hand picked to run against her by the Prime Minister and his supporters.

This defeat brought about the decisive end of her political career. She considered following her mother's footsteps, but although she was skilled enough for the orchestra, there were no positions available. Becoming somewhat depressed for a time from her self perceived failure, she was happy to accept the offer from an old friend to accompany him on his new ship and to act as a private tutor for his teenage daughter. She had met Archibald McMullen first as a client, when she went to him to find and acquire an antique handmade cello made by a famous master builder from Sihnon, and had purchased a number of other art and antique objects, including an ETW copy of Sun Tzu's Art Of War from him following that.


Strengths (1 paragraph): Emily Brooks is very intelligent and well educated, with the advantages of assured and comfortable wealth. Despite her political downfall at the hands of the PM's faction, she remains a high status Alliance citizen. Her skill on the cello, while she has never played professionally, is good enough that she could play in a major orchestra or as a professional soloist. While nowhere near in the league of the BDV's true combatants, she has basic military skill with personal weaponry and self defense.


Weaknesses (1 paragraph): She can find it difficult to comprehend the strength and depth of prejudice, illogic and ignorantly held belief, and therefore often underestimates the level of opposition she might be facing in that regard, assuming that intelligent people can be reasoned with and shown the truth. Even if experience to the contrary comes along and lowers her into depression, a new venture or renewed commitment to an old one will tend to wipe the bitter memories away. Unless in a teaching role, where it is assumed she is dealing with someone lacking the knowledge she can impart, or talking to someone who is a minor, she tends to talk over people's heads at times, not realizing she's discussing things they've never heard of, don't fully grasp, or don't believe in. Her private nature can lead her to keep personal secrets that might have been better revealed.


Sample Post: (3 paragraphs minimum/Third Person Past Tense): Please use the Big Damn Verse Styling Guide to format your post.

Emily sat by the window, her corpad in hand, writing on the screen with a platinum stylus while listening to her father's voice from the room's speaker system his wave was being sent through. She liked the feel of handwriting on the touch sensitive screen for personal correspondence, even if the software was rendering it in neat computer text. The graceful looping handwriting across the screen felt more alive, like the vibrations of the bow in her hand when she played.

“He's a good man.” her father said. “I don't understand the ship though. It's far larger than he needs it to be, and one would think, for the money, especially given his position, he could have had something better. A good luxury vessel, something with more comfort. Hell, more plain old cleanliness than that old refurbished wreck. Even a used space yacht would have served better.”

”I believe the ship is part of the ends, not simply a means.” she said, pausing to write out another sentence in her letter. ”The unfinished state and the work it entails makes her part of the goal of self-discovery. A painter need blank canvass, not someone else's mostly finished painting.”

“One would think an intelligent man would already know who he is at that age.” her father's voice continued, his tone making it uncertain if he had listened or simply paused while she spoke. “But I suppose a child can change one's previous certainties in that regard.”

“And on that subject, dear . . .” her mother's voice made its appearance “Ship travel is a close arrangement, and he is, as your father said, a good man. You should keep such things in mind.”

”Mother . . .” she said. ”I hardly think that's why he -”

“He's a man, dear.” her mother interrupted.

“Honey, this is hardly a singles cruise we're talking about.” her father said.

“I'm just saying that if her doesn't have such things in mind now, he probably will.” her mother continued. “He has a daughter in his life now, and a man with a daughter is far better off with a wife as well. Besides which, he's hardly old, and neither are you, even if you don't exactly have a young woman's luxury of dallying about forever.”

”Mother . . .” she said. ”I'll be there to tutor his daughter. I have no idea if . . . well, I just don't know.”

“You're not sly, are you dear?” her mother asked.

”Honey!” her father said. She could almost see him shaking his head, hearing the clink of his pipe being set aside. He only put it down when he needed both hands to emphasize his point. “Why are you back on that again? I mean, not that you'd be any less our daughter if it were so . . .”

”No, mother.” she sighed. ”I'm not. I have dated men. Really.”

“It's just that people have speculated, you know, the way you dress and the way you've never been married or engaged, and I don't think ill of those who are, but being sly doesn't exactly make for an easy road to children, or grandchildren, does it? I'm just saying, that's all.”

“Mother.” she said, the stylus hovering above the screen like a conductor's baton. “If I was sly, I might well have a woman in my life by now. The word you really want is selective.”

“Well, that's all well and good.” her mother said. “But remember, the perfect is the enemy of the good. A good plan executed now is better than a perfect one executed too late. That was General Patton, from Earth That Was, and it's still good advice.”

”I will keep it in mind.” she sighed.

“And what about security?” said her father. “There's a lot of danger out there still, especially on the rim, and more so if you have wealth and a name and Alliance ties. A lot of people out there still wear the brown, Have you considered protection?”

”Unlike you, father,” she said. ”I only served one term. I'm not important enough to rate personal protection services, and I suspect, not popular enough with those who'd have to sign off on it. Besides, I'm sure Archie will consider security arrangements with his daughter aboard.”

“She called him Archie.” she heard her mother whisper. “I think it's a good sign.”

”Mother.” she sighed. ”Whatever will happen, will happen. I will keep an open mind, but, really, he's an old friend. I have no idea if there will ever be anything more.”

“Don't rule it out, is all I'm saying.” her mother said.

“And keep in touch.” said her father.

”I will.” she said. ”I'm an excellent correspondent. I shall not neglect that with my own family. I'll be in touch again soon.”

“Good luck, dear.” her father said.

“All my love, dear.” said her mother. "And don't forget, we're both getting older.”

”Yes, mother.” she said. ”All my love.”

The small inset wave window vanished, and she went back to her writing.

I shall finish making arrangements to have my home cared for, and I shall be along shortly. I'm looking forward to the trip . . .



(Posted Image)

[Ertia]

:D
Excellent! But I reeeeeally like her parents! When is her mom coming to visit?!

[Jax Malone]

Love it!