Post by Mercedes Lerwick on May 31, 2024 21:07:17 GMT -5
WELCOME TO LOS EUROSIA,
MERCEDES "SADIE" LERWICK
"I found that if you have a goal, you might not reach it. But if you don't have one, then you are never disappointed.
And I've gotta tell you, it feels phenomenal."
BASICS
NAME: Mercedes Lerwick
AGE: 28 years old
BIRTHDATE: October 25th (Scorpio)
PRONOUNS: She/Her
SEXUALITY: Bisexual
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single (Divorced)
OCCUPATION:
Tailor/Seamstress - Sadie owns a store in Downtown Los Eurosia called Gemstone Grotto. It's a thrift shop that sells mostly recycled clothing (a lot of which she has altered and mended herself). In addition to clothes, it's a huge toss-up of what might else be found on the shelves! Stuffed animals, trinkets, jewelry, stones, magnets, whatever might have been donated, cleaned up, and/or fixed by Sadie herself. From this shop, she also offers her tailoring/seaming services. And among certain circles, she might be known to do the occasional "physical modification".
NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown
MEMBER GROUP:
Blackstorm (though she once worked for and remains a reliable contact for the Sector, too — she concerns herself with Gifted as individuals more-so than any sort of politics. If she can help someone in Blackstorm, great. But, all things considered, she knows some people might be helped better by the Sector and, if she can be of aide in that, then she'll not often say no.)
POWERS:
Physical Tailoring - Sadie can tweak the physical makeup of herself or another person. Cover bruises with the touch of her hand. Change someone's eye color, the shape of their nose, the slope of their jaw, etc. She can even alter the sound of their voice! The effects aren't permanent. Once she's made her changes, they begin a slow creep back to their natural state. The less she does to a person, the longer the effect(s) will last. But if the tailoring is particularly heavy, it will require frequent "touch-ups" if a person doesn't want to be found out.
Jewelry Enhancement - Sadie also possesses the ability to channel her physical tailoring into physical items; she can create jewelry that affects its wearer. Earrings, bracelets, rings, necklaces, etc. Each piece of jewelry is entirely customized and will only work on the person it was created for. For example, she might create a set of earrings that, when worn, change a person's eye color. Or a necklace that can give a Gifted person with snake-like scales the appearance of having smooth, normal skin. A nose ring that covers a birthmark or scarring. A brooch that can deepen a person's voice. Etc. She can not, however, create a single necklace that does multiple things; each piece has its own, particular purpose.
The effects of these physical items are much more lasting than her "normal" tailoring but, eventually, the trinket will need to be brought back to her for mending. She doesn't create this sort of jewelry willy-nilly and — though she has been known to be sympathetic/altruistic on a case-by-case basis — she tends to charge out the ass for what she makes.
THE LOOKS
HEIGHT: 5'6''
WEIGHT: ~120lbs
HAIR COLOR: Blonde
EYE COLOR: Blue
FACE CLAIM: Saoirse Ronan
OVERALL APPEARANCE:
Sadie's an average-looking gal. Average height, average weight, average muscle tone — nothing to write home about in any what way. She isn't one for putting a lot of stock in appearances, is more than comfortable with her own, and... most of the time she looks like she hardly "tries". Which isn't unfair — many days she's not above rolling out of bed, chucking on the nearest ensemble of clothing (clean or otherwise), and running her fingers through her hair. But she's not necessarily a slob — somehow, she always makes that "perpetually unkempt" look work for her.
Her eyes are a light, icy blue, and her pale skin is thoroughly freckled. She tends to keep her light blonde hair shoulder-length (or just past). Naturally, it has a bit of a wild curl to it but, if it's not straightened, it's usually pinned up in a ponytail or some half-assed half-do. Unless it's a very stated night out, she doesn't typically put a lot of effort into it. The same goes for her make-up — unless she's glamming up for one reason or another, she usually does without or minimally. In any case, her "dolled-up" looks are almost always owed to jewelry — why go through the painstaking effort of trying to get that wing-crease just right or making one bun twist match the other, when she's got an earring and an anklet that does it like it's nothing?
The only enchanted jewelry Sadie wears religiously is a stud in her left ear to smooth away the cesarean scar across her abdomen; she doesn't remove it even to sleep, hiding its existence even from herself most days.
INSIDE
LIKES:
Fun and stake-free flirting, reality TV shows, cheesy/tacky things like costume and/or themed parties, sweets (especially ice cream), the idea of second chances, damaged-goods and evidence of repair (scars on people, colorful patches on stuffed animals, mended tears in second-hand quilts, etc.), fellow hobbyists
DISLIKES:
Cynics and the like (miserable people who shit on everything or who can't find joy in anything; who have to make disparaging remarks about harmless things they don't "get" or think are "stupid" and/or "pointless"), people who've given up on themselves/don't take care of themselves, senseless cruelty, people always wanting to "control" other people
STRENGTHS:
Generally well-intentioned, sticks up for herself, doesn't shrink away from calling people out on their bullshit/their mistreatment of anyone (especially themselves!), as open-minded as she is stubborn (a sometimes weird combo), can be someone's biggest advocate when she likes them, hilarious (if you ask her and if you don't mind the occasional joke made at your own expense), self-confident, refuses to take life too heavily/seriously, hard to beat down and keep down
WEAKNESSES:
Acts without really considering consequences, pretty unapologetic about crossing boundaries/invading personal space/asking uncouth or "forward" questions, doesn't feel much social pressure and can often behave without tact, not afraid to cause a scene, tends to act/speak on others' behalves (whether they want her to or not), selfish/self-serving at heart (it's not necessarily a bad thing to put your own needs/health before everyone else's but it does put a strain on "needy" relationships)
OVERALL PERSONALITY:
Sadie has the general feel of a woman who could be maternal and doting, were she just a little quieter and a lot more couth. She is a bit "mama-hen" mixed with a lot "sleeping bear". She's not the kind of friend one totes around if they're shy or easily embarrassed. Not the plus-one you take to a party where a raucous laugh or racy comment might earn a pointed look. She's unafraid to say what she's thinking, unafraid to make someone gawk, and enjoys it very much when someone else acts/speaks similarly. She is the type of friend someone can rely on to liven up a scene. And someone they can trust to have their back when it's up against the wall.
She isn't one to stay quiet or docile when she feels threatened or slighted. Or when she thinks someone else is being treated unfairly. She has a (sometimes inconvenient) tendency of rising to challenges not issued to her; of acting on others' behalves (sometimes without even giving them the chance/space to do so themselves!). On one hand, this behavior can make easy friends (those who might decide she's willing to lend a hand to anyone who appears to need it) but it can also make enemies and/or be irritating (in that... she can stick her nose where it isn't wanted or warranted).
When in a foul mood, it's almost impossible for Sadie to pretend otherwise. She's very open with her frustrations and a person will most definitely know when she's having a bad day. Unfortunately, this means she can inadvertently "take things out" (be short, moody, a little quick to snap, etc.) on people who don't exactly deserve it. She is typically quick to recognize when she's being unfair though and, once realized, she can often take a long breath and apologize for it. On the other side of the coin, she isn't one to hold a "bad mood" against someone else, even when their misdirected frustrations are aimed at her — she knows how it goes.
She certainly isn't one to let any out-of-pocket comment slide, however; she can be depended on to speak up when she finds something unreasonable or uncalled for. She isn't afraid to argue or fight, even with her friends. But, at the same time, she's very much a "water under the bridge" sort of woman — once everything is said and done, it's easy enough for her to "move on" from it. Her friendships tend to be rooted in strong earth. It'd take a lot more than a fight, no matter how intense, to truly shake free the clingy dirt that is her affections.
She can find herself sometimes doing things just to see how someone reacts. Testing lines and boundaries simply to answer the question she's always asking in some way: how set is this person in their ways? How dedicated are they to this belief? How immovable are they in that opinion? What would be the exception? What would make them question themselves or step outside that? Action aside, she's not above addressing these curiosities verbally and directly either. She's always curious about others' motives, why they think a certain way, and how willing they are to think a different way. Even if it's something as trivial and inconsequential as wearing socks inside the house.
At the end of the day, Sadie isn't too complicated. She likes to have fun. Prefers unserious things and to keep herself feeling unburdened and light. But she isn't completely above deeper connections or "real talk" either; she can be attentive, absorbing company when she thinks someone truly warrants it. She'll tell you how it is. Open her mouth instead of staying quiet. She knows she's not for everyone and isn't offended/hurt when people don't like her — chances are the people who turn their nose up at her... she wouldn't like hanging out with very much anyway.
BACKGROUND
HOMETOWN: Elkhart, Indiana
FAMILY:
Hettie & Albert Lerwick - Parents, Alive, Gifted
Jodie Lerwick - Older Sister, Alive, Gifted
Jane Lerwick - Younger Sister, Alive, Gifted
Teagan Lerwick - Younger Brother, Alive, Gifted
Kiara Lerwick - Younger Sister, Alive, Gifted
Kevin Wolski - Ex-Husband, Alive, Human
Junebug Wolski - Daughter, Alive, Human (Presumably)
PETS: Two parakeets (Key and Lime) and a tank of freshwater fish
HISTORY:
Sadie has no contact with her family. Any questions or prodding about her past or where she came from will often be waived with an easy smile, dismissive laugh, and a quick claim that there's not much to say about it. She was born and raised in a charming, beautiful city in Indiana. Grew up in a Gifted, middle-class household that was about as average as they come. With three sisters and one brother, things were never boring (or quiet), life was always busy, and for the most part, the family was happy and never wanted for much. Sadie had a very typical childhood, went to college for teaching, got married right out of college to a perfect man, and had the whole "house and husband" thing down.
Perhaps, in the back of her mind, she always thought it was a little too perfect. Always missing something. A little too cookie-cutter and not enough of... something else. But her life looked good on paper, on social media, and she knew she should be happy. When she found out she was pregnant, she thought maybe being a mother would be that missing piece she needed.
She was wrong.
Her daughter was born, her husband and family were elated, and Sadie herself spiraled.
If you asked her, postpartum depression never goes away. Though she did try in the beginning, Sadie was never quite a great mom. It wasn't as natural and effortless as most other women claimed it to be. She spent the next few years of her life staying home, raising her baby, and losing herself in the process. She clammed up and became a mere husk of the person she'd been. Her relationship with both her husband and her family deteriorated. Eventually, after an incident that could only be described from an outside perspective as "blatant negligence", she was divorced and her ex-husband was awarded unanimous custody of their child. Her family wanted nothing to do with her. And so she left.
After a bit of wayward traveling, she got her feet under her with a teaching job in Southern California. After an incident with a fellow Gifted and the Sector, she was pulled into their orbit and ended up moving to Los Eurosia to work beneath them. She flourished, remade herself the way she wanted to, and seemed quite content about forgetting the past and all the people in it. It was radio silence from both ends, with only the occasional check-up from her youngest sister to remind her of Indiana.
Eventually (with the help of some influential persons), Sadie found her "bigger" beliefs aligning more-so with Blackstorm than the Sector, and her "personal" interests falling a little outside of the red-tape 9-to-5. She saved up money, quit her day job, and opened a dinky store Downtown where she sells trinkets to the public (and tricks to those who know her).
THE PLAYER
NAME: Rinse
AGE: 28
TIMEZONE: Central (USA)
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