Post by Melissa Brandwine on Mar 21, 2011 22:31:52 GMT -6
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*MELISSA elyse BRANDWINE,
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basics
full name. Melissa Elyse Brandwine
nick names. Missy, Miss
age and birthday. 26, May 14
gender. Female
sexual orientation. Heterosexual
occupation. Equine Journalist & Photographer, Professor of Equine Photography
character group. Alumni
appearance
height. 5'8"
weight. 130 lbs
appearance. Perhaps the first thing that people notice about Miss Brandwine, oddly enough, is her hair. Now, it's not because of some funky color or oddball style, the attention comes from the fact that Missy's hair is a mass of natural curls. Sometimes more on the "bushy" side of the spectrum, her hair is a rich chocolate brown color and falls past her shoulders. For the majority of the day her hair is pulled back in to a ponytail or tamed in to a bun, but there are enough occasions when she lets it all hang free and loose that her hair becomes a somewhat distinguishing feature. Missy tries to vary her look a bit by straightening her hair when she can, but most times she lets the curls do as they please. Her only coaxing will be whether they lay in thick curls or thinner ones.
Continuing on from the top of her head, the next feature worth mentioning would be Missy's eyes. Alert, wide, and set an even distance apart her eyes are a shade darker than her hair and act as windows to just about every emotion that Missy has. She does try to hide her feelings, but her eyes are just too un-cooperative in that area. As an added bonus, Missy's eyes are surrounded by thick dark eyelashes never really darkened by mascara except for very special occasions. That same mind set is also applied to any make-up, really. Blush, lipstick, liners... none of them touch Missy's face unless she feels like putting them on or an event calls for a completely done face. Granted, there are times when she feels like accentuating something: whether it be those beautiful eyes, her full and pale lips, or her high cheekbones; but those times aren't very often.
She has a round face, ending with a slightly narrow chin, and a nicely tanned complexion. Missy takes care of her skin and is sure to apply sunscreen before spending a day outside even if it is overcast outside. The sun rarely burns her skin, mostly because she doesn't give it a chance to, but when a burn does occur she is sure to apply aloe as often as possible. Sunburns have the tendency of giving her a blotchy look and she doesn't like that too much. The rest of her body is thanks to a combination of good genetics and good choices. Genetics comes in to play because of her metabolism; all of the Brandwine women (and men) seem to be blessed with high metabolisms which allow them to eat just about everything and anything and not have it affect their weight overnight. Things become a little different as they get older, but right now Missy rather enjoys being able to eat what she likes. Becoming technical, Missy stands at about five foot eight and currently weighs roughly 128 pounds. She is slender and long and keeps her muscles toned due to her work with horses.
Like everyone else, though, Missy does have her flaws. First off, she's deathly allergic to nuts. Any and every kind of nut will start an allergic reaction that, if left untreated, can be fatal. Next, Missy has, what she refers to as, man hands. She thinks that her hands are just too angular and big compared to the rest of her body and she isn't a huge fan of them. Melissa was born with very crooked teeth, but has had the necessary orthodontia treatment to have that fixed. However, she still needs to wear a retainer now and then to keep her teeth from shifting too much. As it is, she will wear her retainer every two days or so, or when she feels that she needs to. She has passed the time frame of when she is required to wear the retainer, so no one gets on her case about wearing it except for herself. Perhaps one of her last real noticeable flaws to make note of is the fact that she's slightly OCD. It doesn't debilitate her, but it does make for some interesting moments and sights. Her books, cds, and videos need to be categorized and alphabetized. She needs to go through the same routines before competitions, and when de-stressing she has to have the same kind of ambiance.
play by. Emmy Rossum
personality
likes.
» Music to move to
» The Twilight Zone
» Romantic Comedies
» Musicals
» Horseback Riding
» Running
» Reading
» Baking
» Organization
dislikes.
» Bad hygiene
» Spicy food
» Alcohol (She'll maybe have ONE drink socially, that's it)
» Being embarrassed
» Spiders
» Spurs being used incorrectly
» Horse whips being used incorrectly
» Reality TV
» Chaos
personality.
the good » just. accepting. friendly. loyal. determined. loving.
the bad » temper. stubborn. determined. depressed. clingy. romantic.
Melissa is the kind of person that has, at times, been described as an average young woman. She's friendly and fair, loyal and accepting, and an overall nice person to just about anyone that meets her. While she isn't naive enough to believe that the world is only filled with good and positive people, she chooses to walk on the optimistic side of things no matter what she is doing. Because of this, Missy finds that she attracts people and friends in most settings. She has always been a bit of a people person, even if she can be shy at first, and there is little doubt that this trait of hers will ever go away. Laughter, smiling, and having fun are all things that are on the top of her favorite things to do list, as well as aiding to help friends or others do the same.
Once someone becomes a friend of Missy's there is little that she won't do for them. As long as it is legal, or a justifiable reason for being illegal, she would do whatever she needs to in order to have a friend's back or provide a shoulder to lean on. In return, she hopes that the friends that she has would do the same for her. Having that kind of support system is something that she has always grown up with and known, so it is very much a part of who she is. If a person were to make it a step closer and become a lover they would find that Missy gives herself completely to whoever she is intimate with. She holds almost nothing back... honesty, love, commitment, it is all there and available for her partner. This opens her up for heartache, but Missy's positive attitude, and sheer stubborn streak, help her to shove the feelings away and move on.
Paired with all of her good qualities, however, are the not so good that keep her balanced and complete. Melissa has a fierce temper, even if it is generally hard to completely ignite. There are a few things that really get her pissed fast, but the list is short and she tries to work on not being a complete bitch. Her temper can get the better of her sometimes, however, and she can be completely unreasonable when in the middle of a passionate response, often leaving her regretting what she has done... or at least a little remorseful. This, though, leads to the fact that she is stubborn sometimes. If Melissa fully believes that she was right, then she will not apologize for losing her temper. No matter what she said or what feelings were hurt, if she feels strongly enough about something then she will not back down.
Determination is both a flaw and good point for Miss Brandwine. On the one hand, it means that she doesn't give up or settle for half-assed attempts at anything from other people... but on the other hand it means that she holds the same expectations for herself. Miss gives one hundred percent of herself for everything, and feels guilty or upset if she ends up doing anything less. This can lead to her burning out or causing more trouble than what was needed, or it can be good and end up in a result that just further impresses those around her. Lately, it has been the negative, however. Ever since she left Damian, Missy has faced troubles with sleeping and suppressing thoughts about her ex. She has progressively become better at moving on with her life, though the insomnia is still there.
history
hometown. United States, Kentucky, Madisonville
family.
» mother » Monique Brandwine (53) » Guidance Counselor » Monique has been Missy's biggest supporter and fan. She is the woman that Missy goes to when she needs advice, and she is the person that Missy looks up to the most. Basically, Melissa is a real Momma's Girl and sees absolutely no problem in that.
» father » Gregory Brandwine (55) » Deceased » Missy was close to her father until she was about fifteen. At that point Gregory began to drink, not so much heavily but consistently and it became a problem. He died when Missy was nineteen after he stumbled in to the street and was hit by a car.
» sister » Nicole Laramie (37) » Lawyer » Missy and Nicole get along well enough, even if Nicole doesn't really understand the whole horse thing. She is married to Michael Laramie (39) and has two children: Anthony Laramie (5) and Katelyn Laramie (3).
» brother » Marcus Brandwine (32) » Veterinarian » Marcus is Missy's favorite brother, if she were to pick a favorite. The two of them share a love for animals, and they both prefer to work with horses above all else. He's married to Celeste Brandwine (28) and they have a little girl, Megan Brandwine (9 months).
» brother » Jeremy Brandwine (24) » Journalist » The family never really knows the details about what Jeremy is doing. He doesn't keep in contact with his siblings when he's away, and he'll show up on holidays with a bright smile and gifts for whatever birthday he missed.
pets.
[» Zuko - year old Standard Poodle. Male. Extreme cuddle bug and Missy's running partner.
» Tinker Man - twelve year old Thoroughbred. Gelding. Trained in Hunter and Jumpers.
financial need. N/A
history. Melissa Brandwine is a born and raised Kentucky girl. Her childhood was filled with laughs, a few tears, and the introduction to horses from a very early age. She was born in Madisonville to Mr. and Mrs. Brandwine, and was brought home to join her older sister and brother a day later, only to be followed by a younger brother after two years. The family had a medium sized house in a nice little development, complete with a white picket fence, and the backyard was more than adequate space for family get togethers, barbecues, and birthday parties. Her parents had already been happily married for thirteen years and they split the responsibilities of parenthood evenly to provide Missy and her three siblings with a very balanced and well rounded childhood.
From the age of four Missy showed an interest in horses and other equine like creatures. Her favorite toy was a stuffed unicorn and she often preferred stories with ponies, horses, and other mystical horse beings to those with any other character. She would often beg to tag along to her older brother and sister's riding lessons where their Aunt Celeste worked, and simply enjoyed petting the horses that she was allowed to go near. Celeste found her niece amusing and would sometimes seat her in front of her for little rides around the ring. At a walk of course. Although she begged, whined, and tried her hardest to get her parents to agree to riding lessons, Melissa was denied and told that she had to wait until she was older. "Older" to her parents meant that she would have to wait until she was at least ten, maybe even older.
Begrudgingly Missy accepted the wait game that she had to play and focused on her horse toys and the exciting fact that she would be starting kindergarten soon. With her friendly and outgoing attitude it didn't take long for Missy to make friends, and with those friends she would create extravagant stories and let her imagination run wild. She found other children that had similar interests as her and she quickly turned in to a social butterfly. Her time was spent at play-dates, birthday parties, and other little outings with her friends and whatever parent chosen to chaperon the youngsters. For her eleventh birthday, her parents allowed her aunt to give the kids pony rides.. and later informed Missy that she could start riding lessons. Earlier than they had planned, but they figured that she seemed dedicated enough to give it a try... plus Celeste was able to get them a discount on lesson prices since she worked at the stable. Missy's sister had since moved on to cheer-leading and her older brother was still riding, so her parents scheduled her lessons for the same time as his. Missy was, in simple terms, ecstatic.
Starting lessons was a big thing for the little girl and she was quick to make friends with not only the pony that she was riding, but a few of the other children that she rode with in her group lessons. She spent as much time as she possibly could at the barn, either grooming and volunteering to help with any chores or just watching the other lessons. More often than not she was joined by her best friend Jilly, the two girls being a constant sight around the barn. The girls planned on how they would try and buy their own horses, how they would compete with their horses, and how they both dreamed about being on the Olympic Equestrian team. For the time being, however, they rode horses that the barn provided. Missy concentrated and competed mainly in hunter classes, but she also branched out a little in to equitation and jumper shows as well. Her heart was set on hunter, but there was just something about the rush that came with jumper competitions that had her coming back for more and more.
Missy began to save up for a horse starting with her fourteenth birthday. Any money that she got during the year, whether it was from Christmas cards, birthday cards, or any other source it was all tucked away in to a horse head shaped piggy bank. The teen would count her savings every time that she added another quarter, penny, or dime just to see how close she was. She had a grand total of two hundred and fifteen dollars saved when she tucked the "winnings" from her fifteenth birthday in to the bank. A good enough starting off point. Unfortunately, Missy's father had been going through some rough times at work and he slowly started to slip in to a state of depression. Joining him in that depression were his friends Jameson, Johnnie Walker, and Jack Daniels. His wife seemed to catch on to what was wrong and tried to help by limiting his access to alcohol, but all that really seemed to do was make him find more creative ways to get what he wanted.
When Melissa came home from school one day she found her father almost frantically rummaging through the cabinets. Her older brother and sister were already out of the house, and luckily her younger brother was staying after school for baseball try outs, because seeing her father like that was just disappointing. He begged Missy to help him find the bottle of champagne that he KNEW Monique was hiding on him, but Missy just denied him and locked herself in her room. Her mother kicked him out when she got home, telling him that as soon as he had a better handle on his alcoholism they could try and let him back in to their lives. The whole thing affected Missy to the extent that she felt she couldn't respect or trust her father the way that she could before. He didn't want help and he didn't have control of his life, and it made her feel bad that she couldn't help him. Luckily, she had her riding to distract her.
High school was spent competing and working hard for good grades. Missy knew that she wanted to go to a college with a NCAA team and she would do whatever it took to get in. She applied to Rowanoak University and sent them her riding video, as well as a few other schools that she knew of with a team and equine programs. Riding and horses were her passion and she wanted to compete as long as she could, as well as work with the animals in any way possible. Acceptance letters came back from only three schools, with Rowanoak being one of them. Missy chose Rowanoak because it was more convenient to stay somewhat close to home, and she excitedly looked forward to starting her first semester there.
Since Missy still hadn't found a horse of her own yet, she began her college career riding the school's mounts. She worked her butt off to prove herself as a rider and competitor, making her way to the varsity team her second semester of sophomore year. There were a few months where Missy almost overworked herself towards health problems in her freshman year, but the reasoning was because of a phone call that she received from her mother. Hearing that her father had died after drunkenly walking across the street and being hit by a car was a bit of a shock, and Missy tried to distract herself with riding rather than really deal with it. She still hasn't fully dealt with those feelings, but she's trying. Kind of.
In any case, Melissa graduated from Rowanoak with degrees in equine journalism and photography and extensive experience in the show ring. She remained very active in competing, whether she was riding herself or doing a freelance article for some journal or other. The horse fund that she started at fourteen was still collecting interest for the simple fact that she hadn't found a horse that she felt called to her. A few calls came in here and there asking her to ride in a show, and she received money for that as well as the money that she received from her writing and photos. Added to that, Missy was happily planning a wedding to her college boyfriend, fellow rider Damian Lancing. The couple met shortly before graduation and bonded over their love for competing and jumping, among other things. She photographed Damian riding often and she honestly believed that life just couldn't get any better.
Disaster struck, though, when Damian was twenty-five and suffered a horrible accident while riding in his first grand prix level show. Missy watched helplessly as he crashed in to the jump. She spent hours in the hospital waiting rooms while he was in surgery, and sat by his bed as he was sleeping everything off. The prognosis was bad, really bad, and Missy began to try and think of ways to help Damian through it. She went to her mother, tried to get ideas on how to aid her fiancée in his grief and to move on, but nothing she did seemed to work. When he started to drink, day in and day out, Missy tried to get him help... but Damian denied that he had a problem. Those words hit close to home with her and Missy began to really doubt if he would ever be the man that she had fallen in love with again. After three months she started to consider leaving, and after another month she broke off their engagement and left. It broke her heart, but she couldn't stand by and watch somebody else that she loved suffer because of alcohol.
Melissa moved back to Madisonville. She got a steady job as an exercise rider at the stable where she had first started riding and she continued to take a few writing/photography jobs. Getting over Damian was hard, but she slowly began to convince herself that he would be alright without her.. and that she would move on and be alright without him. The young woman had just about convinced herself of that mantra when he called one day to apologize. Despite the fact that she still loved him, Missy just couldn't accept his apology. She had her phone number changed and threw herself back in to her work.
Recently Missy has been contacted by Rowanoak University and offered a job teaching a course about equine photography. She took the opportunity and moved back to Lexington to be completely on her own again.
behind the character
name. Cori
age. 21
expirence. 5+ years
time zone. Eastern
contact. I'm ALWAYS on AIM. My screen names are:
» FaeriePirate17
» WonderCorums
» Sexyhatoncat
sample.Missy was going to smash her alarm clock, plain and simple. She was almost positive that the damn thing was broken and unable to tell the right time any longer, yet still felt the need to go off just four hours after she had finally fallen back asleep. One hand reached out from beneath her nest of blankets to smack at the device, disappearing back in to the warmth as quickly as possible. The pile of blankets shifted a little as the woman that they concealed moved and finally emerged, brown hair just a wild mass over her face and shoulders. Shoving her hair out of her face, Missy sighed and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. Seven already? "Damn." She rolled her shoulders and arched her back before sliding out of bed and quickly moving across the cold floor to her bathroom. Maybe she should look in to seeing a doctor about her sleeping problems... this couldn't continue much longer if she wanted to be alert around Goose. And her family wouldn't be too pleased to find out that she was still having trouble getting to sleep.. as well as waking up during the night.
She spent a total of thirty minutes getting herself cleaned up and pulling on a few layers before even considering leaving her apartment, and took the time to stop at Starbucks on her way to the stable. Today Missy was planning on just giving Goose a good grooming followed by some time in the round pen. Working him on the lunge line would get him warmed up for tomorrow when she wanted to put him through his paces under saddle. His training wasn't completely scheduled yet, but Missy was hoping to catch the Hunter trainer and talk to him about the gelding and the steps that they would take to get him headed towards the right track. Her experience could only help him so far, and she was here to fine tune training for the both of them.
Pulling in to a parking space near the barn at Rowanoak, Melissa took a quick look at herself in the mirror and sighed. The bags under her eyes were getting darker, almost to the point where she was considering making a stop at the store later to get some kind of concealer. Dark circles just weren't an attractive look on anyone. She gave herself one last look before just shaking her head and stepping out of her car. Focusing on her appearance wasn't going to get her closer to the competition ring again, right now she needed to focus on Goose and riding. With that thought at the front of her mind, the young woman pulled her coat a little tighter around herself and moved quickly in to the barn.
When Goose caught sight of his owner he stomped a hoof and let out a hearty whinny to announce to all around that his human had arrived and it was now time to let him out. The gelding's antics brought a smile to Missy's face and she chuckled a little as she moved towards his stalls. "My goodness, Goose, you're going to wake whoever's trying to sleep in! Did ya miss me?" His halter was hooked over her arm as she eased the stall door open, fingers rubbing over the Thoroughbred's chin and cheeks. "C'mon, let's get you in to the cross ties, hmm? If you're a good boy you'll get a little treat after." Missy slid his halter on to his head and fastened it, pushing the door open all the way she led the big horse out to the cross ties and left him there for a moment to go and grab her grooming tools. Goose stood quietly, his impatience showing only in the way that he stomped a hoof at the ground.
Missy came back, setting the box down to the side and selecting one of the brushes. She smoothed a hand over his neck first, following the motion with the brush and starting to speak softly to the gelding. See now this, this was what she needed to do to relax.
made by
CC! of CAUTION 2.0 <3
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