Post by The Exodus on Sept 23, 2011 1:28:25 GMT -6
Character: Natalie Elizabeth Blackwood (formerly Michaud)
Age: 45
Gender: Female
Occupation: None
AI: Allison Doody
Personality: Ambitious Natalie prides herself on being a “realist”. Her loyalties are to herself, her only son (Damien), and to her two sisters (Beatrice and Amelia). And while she can play charming well, everyone outside of her family is disposable once thoroughly used. Even those who love her best know that Natalie’s ambition is paired with a vain streak and shrewd intelligence, which can make her an unstoppable force, if not a stable one.
History: Growing up, Natalie was the cossetted youngest and favorite daughter of Kenneth and Margaret Blackwood. Her parents, particularly her mother, didn’t hide that they thought Natalie to be destined for great things. At their urging, she attended Oxford University with aspirations of being a barrister and solicitor by studying law. She had a mind for logic and argument and it was predicted by her professors that Natalie would make for a ruthless force in the courtroom.
Of course, Lucian Michaud came along and ruined that plan.
The political science major had bright blue eyes and the flattering—if annoying—habit of asking Natalie out on dates repeatedly. He was nerdier than Natalie hoped for in a first college boyfriend, but she caved during their second year when he grew into that ridiculous nose of his and took up playing guitar in local pubs. The pair embarked on a torrid relationship that was equal parts teasing, flirting, fighting, and groveling. Their friends predicted that they would last six months. And maybe they were onto something. But, despite their differences (Natalie’s pragmatism versus Lucian’s idealism, etc), the pair shared intense ambitions that complimented each other well. While Natalie sought to be a high powered legal dynamo, Lucian sought a position in Parliament. And it was these well-matched goals that kept Natalie intensely interested in their romance, even when she felt the passion waning.
Of course, there was also the fact that the year she was due to graduate, Natalie found herself in a “delicate” situation. Pregnancy didn’t coincide well with Natalie’s plans, especially as medical complications took time from her studies. She left university only a semester shy of graduation.
Naturally, she married the father of her unborn child and thus began her life as Natalie Blackwood-Michaud and her campaign to become the Prime Minister’s wife. Natalie sacrificed her career to raise Damien and to be the driving force behind Lucian’s campaigns. While her sisters and many friends were jealous of the Michauds success, Natalie felt as though she was losing her identity in favor of a Stepford Wives reality. Worse still, Lucian’s focus was on their son and his political agenda, and not his wife. Fifteen years into her marriage, Natalie began an affair with her sister’s partner at law, Anthony Walden. Anthony was seven years her junior and on a meteoric rise in his field. He lavished attention on Natalie the way Lucian used to. And as her family life fell apart (her son was discovered to be gay; her husband swept up in an embezzlement trial), Anthony remained her anchor. He helped Natalie devise an elaborate plan to get Damien a proper “beard” (the daughter of one of his wealthiest clients, Henry Greene) to avoid further shame. He also suggested she leave Lucian before the end of the trials.
Despite the bitterness Natalie felt towards her husband, she stayed at his side, insisting to Anthony that leaving in the midst of a crisis would set a bad precedent for Damien. In truth, Natalie was confused. Her husband, who had for all intents and purposes become her personal political puppet, was suddenly growing a backbone. A calm if fatigued resolution overtook him during the trials and, if his career survived, Lucian Michaud would again be a very attractive partner. Natalie was hedging her bets.
Lucian resigned after the trials, insisting that he’d rather focus on his family and try to enjoy retirement. Natalie panicked. With her husband home so much, she could no longer carry on her affair as easily. Much of her and Anthony’s romance was relegated to the internet. However, once, he stopped by while Lucian was in France for his uncle’s funeral for a week of canoodling. This turned out to be a bad move, as Damien walked in on his mother in bed with Anthony. Natalie remains unsure to this day if Damien told Lucian or if her husband figured it out on his own, but by that Christmas, Lucian left her. Their divorce was finalized that March.
One would assume this would clear the path for Natalie and Anthony to live together reputably, but Natalie didn’t get her happy ending. Instead, the night she thought Anthony might propose, he instead dropped a bomb on her: he was going to reconcile with his estranged wife. When Natalie asked why, Anthony reluctantly revealed that she was pregnant by him and that he felt he owed it to his unborn child to be “a proper dad”.
With no husband and no lover, the only man in Natalie’s life is her son, Damien, who is half-estranged and living in Paris for work. This puts him geographically closer to his father, which drives Natalie mad. Damien has officially “come out”, leaving his fiancée and taking up with an American man Natalie has only heard about, but never met. She has come to Paris to reconcile with her son and show her support at his official “coming out” party.
Age: 45
Gender: Female
Occupation: None
AI: Allison Doody
Personality: Ambitious Natalie prides herself on being a “realist”. Her loyalties are to herself, her only son (Damien), and to her two sisters (Beatrice and Amelia). And while she can play charming well, everyone outside of her family is disposable once thoroughly used. Even those who love her best know that Natalie’s ambition is paired with a vain streak and shrewd intelligence, which can make her an unstoppable force, if not a stable one.
History: Growing up, Natalie was the cossetted youngest and favorite daughter of Kenneth and Margaret Blackwood. Her parents, particularly her mother, didn’t hide that they thought Natalie to be destined for great things. At their urging, she attended Oxford University with aspirations of being a barrister and solicitor by studying law. She had a mind for logic and argument and it was predicted by her professors that Natalie would make for a ruthless force in the courtroom.
Of course, Lucian Michaud came along and ruined that plan.
The political science major had bright blue eyes and the flattering—if annoying—habit of asking Natalie out on dates repeatedly. He was nerdier than Natalie hoped for in a first college boyfriend, but she caved during their second year when he grew into that ridiculous nose of his and took up playing guitar in local pubs. The pair embarked on a torrid relationship that was equal parts teasing, flirting, fighting, and groveling. Their friends predicted that they would last six months. And maybe they were onto something. But, despite their differences (Natalie’s pragmatism versus Lucian’s idealism, etc), the pair shared intense ambitions that complimented each other well. While Natalie sought to be a high powered legal dynamo, Lucian sought a position in Parliament. And it was these well-matched goals that kept Natalie intensely interested in their romance, even when she felt the passion waning.
Of course, there was also the fact that the year she was due to graduate, Natalie found herself in a “delicate” situation. Pregnancy didn’t coincide well with Natalie’s plans, especially as medical complications took time from her studies. She left university only a semester shy of graduation.
Naturally, she married the father of her unborn child and thus began her life as Natalie Blackwood-Michaud and her campaign to become the Prime Minister’s wife. Natalie sacrificed her career to raise Damien and to be the driving force behind Lucian’s campaigns. While her sisters and many friends were jealous of the Michauds success, Natalie felt as though she was losing her identity in favor of a Stepford Wives reality. Worse still, Lucian’s focus was on their son and his political agenda, and not his wife. Fifteen years into her marriage, Natalie began an affair with her sister’s partner at law, Anthony Walden. Anthony was seven years her junior and on a meteoric rise in his field. He lavished attention on Natalie the way Lucian used to. And as her family life fell apart (her son was discovered to be gay; her husband swept up in an embezzlement trial), Anthony remained her anchor. He helped Natalie devise an elaborate plan to get Damien a proper “beard” (the daughter of one of his wealthiest clients, Henry Greene) to avoid further shame. He also suggested she leave Lucian before the end of the trials.
Despite the bitterness Natalie felt towards her husband, she stayed at his side, insisting to Anthony that leaving in the midst of a crisis would set a bad precedent for Damien. In truth, Natalie was confused. Her husband, who had for all intents and purposes become her personal political puppet, was suddenly growing a backbone. A calm if fatigued resolution overtook him during the trials and, if his career survived, Lucian Michaud would again be a very attractive partner. Natalie was hedging her bets.
Lucian resigned after the trials, insisting that he’d rather focus on his family and try to enjoy retirement. Natalie panicked. With her husband home so much, she could no longer carry on her affair as easily. Much of her and Anthony’s romance was relegated to the internet. However, once, he stopped by while Lucian was in France for his uncle’s funeral for a week of canoodling. This turned out to be a bad move, as Damien walked in on his mother in bed with Anthony. Natalie remains unsure to this day if Damien told Lucian or if her husband figured it out on his own, but by that Christmas, Lucian left her. Their divorce was finalized that March.
One would assume this would clear the path for Natalie and Anthony to live together reputably, but Natalie didn’t get her happy ending. Instead, the night she thought Anthony might propose, he instead dropped a bomb on her: he was going to reconcile with his estranged wife. When Natalie asked why, Anthony reluctantly revealed that she was pregnant by him and that he felt he owed it to his unborn child to be “a proper dad”.
With no husband and no lover, the only man in Natalie’s life is her son, Damien, who is half-estranged and living in Paris for work. This puts him geographically closer to his father, which drives Natalie mad. Damien has officially “come out”, leaving his fiancée and taking up with an American man Natalie has only heard about, but never met. She has come to Paris to reconcile with her son and show her support at his official “coming out” party.
