Splendor Hale District 2
Jun 14, 2011 8:46:15 GMT -5
Post by Lydie on Jun 14, 2011 8:46:15 GMT -5
Name: Splendor Hale
Age: 14
Gender: Female
District/Area: District 2
Love-ly
[luhv-lee]
Definition: charmingly or exquisitely beautiful
This is the word mother always uses to describe me, whether it's my personality or my looks, you will always hear her say something like, "You look lovely Splendor." And there is no doubt that I do, in fact, look lovely. I just love it when someone points it out. Because lovely is a word you use to describe a beautiful, innocent young lady, which is exactly what I want you to think.
I have big, round hazel eyes that make me look innocent. The long dark lashes around them accentuate this fact, as does the arch of my eyebrows. Though sometimes they also make me look mischevious, it depends on the situation. I have pixie features, a straight nose, and long wavy brown hair that make it that much more easier for me to manipulate people. One look into my doe eyes and you're a goner.
Of course the dimples that appear on my cheeks when I give you an innocent smile helps things too, they make me look sweet and naive, only adding to the lovely effect I have on people. My skin, of course, is perfect, unblemished. It is fair but tans easily just like my sister Rumor's. I have straight white teeth, and lips pink and full like my mother's.
My wavy hair reaches almost to my elbows, a nice shade of brown with natural highlights. I have long legs and a skinny physique, which oddly enough I get from my father, I guess he was good for more than just his money. I'm 5'7" and still growing, which makes me the tallest of us four girls.
I like to think I look perfect, that I'm the most beautiful person you've ever layed eyes on, but I'm not. I have some flaws, like I'm pretty sure the left side of my lips droops a little. Though I try to hide that by tilting my head to the side when I smile, the tilt actually helps the image I try to maintain with others, so it's not so bad. However there is one flaw I cannot hide.
My eyes twitch. It's because of some mishap that I had as a child, a silver platter's edge sliced the skin below my right eyebrow, hit a nerve or something, and now my eyes twitch with no warning. Thankfully I had stitches so there's no scar, though I looked hideous when they were still in, like a cat had mauled my eye. But the twitches are rather annoying, I can't stop them and sometimes they last for an hour, I'll be sitting in class and then I'll get that feeling above my eye, a fluttering feeling and then suddenly my eye is twitching and I can't pay attention at all in class, or use my appearance to manipulate people. Sometimes when the twitches are constant I ask to go to the nurse and just stay there. The only good thing about my eye twitches is that it gives my the sympathy vote, the nurse pities me and gives me special treatment, and the teachers already adore me so the twitch thing only makes me seem that much more innocent. So sometimes the twitch is like a gift, and sometimes it's not, it all depends on who I'm trying to win over, who I'm trying to get the upper hand on.
I wear nice clothes, mother likes to buy me things when she's shopping for herself, she picks out clothes that match the personality I try to maintain. It's all rich mateiral and splendor that makes me that much harder to resist.
Splen-dor
[splen-der]
Definition: brilliant or gorgeous appearance, coloring, etc.; magnificence
Mother loves high society, pretty things, and anything that makes her look better. The names she picked out for us, her four daughters, are no exception, we are no exception to what Mother loves. Because we are all beautiful and have half her genes, we make her look better, because she created us. She uses us at her parties to gain adoration and praise, then throws us away before we get more attention then she. I guess you could say I got my manipulative genes from her.
But out of the four of us I like to think I make mother look the best, because my name is Splendor, and it fits me perfectly, because I am a living definition of the word, everything gorgeous and magnificent. And there's no doubt Mother likes me best, because you know how it goes, the youngest is always the favorite. And I want it to stay that way, if I have to hurt a few people in the process I don't care, even if those people are my sisters.
I don't want Mother's adoration because I crave to be loved, to be accepted by my mother. I want it because it makes her easier to manipulate, easier to control when I need something. That's why I love the fact that I look naiive and innocent, because it makes it easier for people to like me, and thus easier to control and have the upper hand.
I'm not close to any of my sisters, it's probably because I'm so close to Mother, because whenever they see her I'm one step behind, like a little minion ready to do her bidding. Only in reality Mother's my puppet and I'm her puppeteer. She's just a pawn in my game of chess.
Even though I'm not close to any of my sister's I know all their secrets, well maybe except for Luxe, because unlike me, she really is the perfect angel. I know where Rumor goes at night, how she likes to do crazy things like jumping off buildings, how she does it all to drive Mom crazy. I know that Envy hates Mother's dinner parties, that she doesn't like school because she has no friends and is made fun of. I'm there when they think they're alone, I hide in the depths of a room and learn all their secrets. Why? Because I like the upper hand, the more secrets I know the more power I have over someone. It's that simple. I know all about Mother's string of affairs, I know their names and where they live, how long they've been together, and where they met. There isn't a secret in this house that I don't know.
Of course I have secrets of my own, ones that no one will know because everyone thinks I'm perfect, that I'm too innocent to do anything wrong.
I’ll admit that I’m not exactly the most honest person, in fact you could say I’m quite fake. I mold into whatever I need to be in a situation in order to have the upper hand. I range from super sweet to hard to get. It just depends on who you are and what I want from you, and if I don’t want anything from you? Well then I wouldn’t even be talking to you. You aren’t worth my time.
People know me by different names, at home I’m Splendor, naiive, sweet, and innocent, always kissing up to mother and being her perfect little angel. At school I’m Splendor too, but only slightly different, I’m the teachers pet, and I know all the answers. When I meet someone on the street I give them a fake name, like Victoria, Jane, or Elizabeth, because it's fun to be someone you're not.
One time I was going into town and some guy grabbed my hand, all dramatic and what you would call romantic, he's trying to catch his breath as he says, "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, will you tell me your name?"
This means that he wants to get to know me, that he wants to have me for himself. I give him a sweet smile and say, "It's Elizabeth." And walk away leaving him with his mouth hanging open. He doesn't realize it yet because he's too caught up in the moment, but he's never going to find me, because Elizabeth is a common name, and I didn't give him a last name, which makes it impossible for him to ever find me, well that and the fact that Elizabeth doesn't even exist.
The names I give strangers are more for fun than any ulterior motive, just a head game I enjoy playing. Because I like to see peoples pain, to be the one who's caused it, even if they don't quite realize it.
The real me isn't Splendor, Victoria, Jane, or Elizabeth, I'm a girl who gets what she wants, who manipulates herself and others to gain the upper hand. She's deceptive, she's someone to be feared, because she knows all the things you don't want her to, and she won't hesitate to use them against you. I get my manipulative genes from my mother, but I'm so much better at it than she could ever be. Because I will always win, even if I have to kill someone to get it.
I'm not an honest person, and if you wanted a label to define me I guess you could call me a liar.
Li-ar
[lahy-er]
Definition: a person who tells lies.
Growing Up:
You could say that I've always been a liar. Ever since I knew how to speak I've been lying, blaming things on other people, saying I'd done something when I really hadn't. This is where I got my start, telling Mother that it was Envy or Rumor who had broken her favorite lamp, not me, that Rumor had pushed me or called me names. I quite enjoyed getting others in trouble, turning family member against family member. It was in those early years that I learned I could manipulate others because of how I looked, because I was the youngest, because I was cute.
I loved Mother's dinner parties because there I learned all about deceit, about pretending to be someone you weren't. Of course Mother was a major influence on me, I learned all her tricks, all her lines. I made them better. Mother just used manipulation to get things, clothes, party invitations, husbands, all things that didn't really add up to much. But everything I did was for my benefit in the long run, for my plan. I turned everyone against each other at one point or another for my future benefit.
The Family:
My mother is Rachelle Kendricks, married twice and very rich thanks to her two husbands. The first died about two years after Luxe was born, then she married Mark, my father, and a year later had Rumor. Then about a year or so later she had Envy due to an affair. And then I was born a year after her. Rumor is my only sister, Luxe and Envy are my half sisters.
We are all vastly different, though some would say that Luxe and I are fairly similar given the fact that we're both Mother's 'angels'. However Luxe is truly the only angel out of all of us, and ironically I am probably the exact opposite. Envy has no backbone, she's quiet and doesn't stand out very much from the rest of us, and Mother sometimes singles her out because she's illegitimate. Rumor used to do whatever Mother said, she even helped cover up Mother's affairs, but about a year ago she decided she didn't care anymore. And now she's jumping off buildings and smoking cigerettes. To get Mother's attention of course, but she could do better, way better if she wouldn't let her emotions get the best of her. She's the naive one if she thinks this is going to change anything.
The Truth:
Things aren't always as they appear, this is something you should know by now if you've learned anything from me. And despite what you might think I still have some secrets up my sleeve.
The people in this family don't realize it but I'm the reason things happen to them. Rumor thinks that she's the only one who knows about Mother's affairs. But she isn't, I know about them. True I didn't know about it as long as she did, but I did find out. It was one night when I was about nine and I had gotten up for a glass of water. I was in the kitchen pouring myself a glass when I heard something, it was a muffled giggle, the kind I would hear often at Mother's parties that meant someone was drunk.
So I went to investigate, crept down the hallway and made sure no one heard me as I stayed in the shadows. When I came to Rumor's doorway the giggling wasn't so muffled and I could hear my mother saying something to her in between giggles, though I couldn't quite make out what exactly. I stayed where I was and listened some more, Rumor was talking to Mother, "Must you get drunk everytime you see him Mother?" Mother's reply was more giggles which Rumor hushed, "Be quiet, do you want Father to find out?" Of course by now I'm wondering who this 'him' is that they're talking about. By this time I'm already aware of the affair that produced Envy, because Mother has mentioned it more than once when she's upset with her. It isn't that surprising that Mother would have another affair, especially since Father is so naive, so in love with Mother that he'd forgive her of anything.
Rumor and Mother come into the hallway, one of Mother's shoes are missing and she's got an arm around Rumor, who's keeping her upright as they walk to Mother and Father's room. "You're such a helpful girl," Mother slurs.
"Yeah, I know, you tell me every time." Rumor mutters, then after a pause Rumor says, "Mother when are you going to stop doing this?"
Mother answers sounding half asleep, "This is the last time, I promise." I can tell she's lying, I wonder if Rumor can too. She probably doesn't if the sigh she lets out is any indication, she's probably heard this all before. That's when I realize that this is one of Rumor's weak spots, a chink in her armor. I have to know more just in case this information will help me later.
So I paid close attention to Rumor and Mother, how they interacted, if there was anything they did with a double meaning. I stayed up late into the night and waited till I heard Mother down the hall, opening Rumor's door. I followed her out of the house, saw where she would go and watched Rumor go through the same routine with her as that first night.
Rumor started hanging out with the 'bad crowd' at our school about a year agao, she stopped helping Mother and stopped going to dinner parties. I followed her at night to see where she would go, or I would slip into the shadows of a party and disappear, finding her in the street, drinking, smoking, and heading for an abandoned mine where all her new friends went. She probably thinks that that night she went to the roof of that building was just chance, that it was just something that had happened. It wasn't. What she doesn't know is that I was there, in the group of drunks and addicts, telling them where to go. Though she was pretty drunk herself so she probably didn't even recognize anyone there.
I whispered in her ear, telling her to jump, telling her that it would be fun. I wanted her to get hurt, I wanted her to go to the hospital. Mother would freak out, get mad at her for doing something that would make her look bad, it would break their bond and strengthen ours. I knew Rumor would jump too, because she wanted to make Mother upset just as much as I did. When she jumped everyone started freaking out, wondering what they should do, I told them to run, and of course they did.
An hour later Envy would find Rumor on the pavement, her leg broken. Not because of some stroke of luck, but because I told her I saw Rumor leaving, saying something about wanting to kill herself, that she was going to jump off a building. With Rumor's rebellion it didn't take that much to convince Envy that it was true. Though when she asked me why I hadn't gone after her myself I had to say that I knew Rumor wouldn't listen to me, that Envy was the only one she trusted.
Then there was a hospital visit, Mother was furious and embarassed which made Rumor happy and sad because Mother obviously cared more about herself then the well being of her child. But she should have known that after all the years she'd covered for her. Only the worst kind of parent has a child help in hiding an affair. But I got what I wanted, which was Mother's trust.
The people in this family think they have minds of their own, that they decide their fate. But they are just puppets in my puppet show, and the show is just beginning.
Codeword: Odair
Comments/Other:
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Title=8E35EF
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