~:: The Common House of Mason Proudly Presents ::~
Catherine Mason of Sundril child
Age: Three Years Old , Birthday: Winter, 1027 Gender: Female Loyalty: Sundril, although she’s far too young to understand loyalties. Canon/Original: canon Subplots: None at the present moment.
~:: For Once My Loss is Past Restore ::~
Native Tongue: sometimes she can speak Sundrili, which will more than likely be her ONLY language. Additional Languages: Child gibberish? Nationality: Sundrilian Play-by: Random Child Number One until she reaches an elder age.
Appearance: Head;;
Like all young children that have been kept with both love and care, the youngest Mason has cherubic features. Her head is rounded off, almost pumpkin-like in design. Upon that head lies a head of slightly medium blonde hair that should, in time, darken to an auburnesque brown. Her hair falls in baby ringlets to her waist, a sign of rapid hair growth. Her hair, at the present moment, is thinner, but judging by the familial patterns, she will more than likely possess thicker hair when she grows older.
Her face, like her general body, still holds the toddler-like child fat. Chubby cheeks dimple when she smiles and large, hazel eyes spill plump tears when she’s sad. Her lips are full and cover her baby teeth. Following the facial structure upwards, past the round chin and primrose lips, we find ourselves at the small, button nose that centered on her face. Her eyes are slightly large, but are usually covered by her wild, usually tangled hair.
As far as hair styles go, there is little time for her siblings to worry about the hair of their youngest member. Usually the toddler’s hair is either messily braided or hanging down in a golden curtain around her shoulders and back. When the rare occasion occurs that the young girl is getting her hair fixed, it is usually by Elizabeth, her eldest sibling. In those instances, her hair will be braided and, if they can afford it at the time, adorned with ribbons.
Body;;
Again, like her face, the body of young Cat is well plumped with baby fat. Her features are all rounded and her limbs short and small. From her head falls a rather average neck into shoulders that will one day be used for work. Her arms are chubby and stubby, flowing into small fingers that try to grasp onto the things that would help her siblings were it possible for her to do so. From her arms her chest is a flat board that follows the flow of her ribcage nicely. Her stomach is, as the rest of her, round and small. Her family tends to keep her well fed so that she may remain healthy. From her stomach flows into the short little legs that she’s recently learned to run on. They carry her from one place to another in wobbly triumph, with usually bare feet.
As for her skin it is a remarkably soft, smooth surface with few blemishes, save for a small scar on her left hand from when she’d stuck her hand into a fire when she was two. Her skin is pale, but tans in the summer, which is a sign of her heritage. When she’s older her skin will tell her stature. Her little body is usually grunged up with the dirt of her play, results of her playing outside when she’s alone, or from soot from her failed attempts to help her siblings with the food and the like at home.
Clothing;;
The clothing of the peasantry of the time was nothing really to be expressed. Especially for the children. When the young girl isn’t seen in nothing at all, which is common around the household because it’s easier than dirtying up the minimal wardrobe that Catharine possesses, she can be seen in the homemade garb that was common in the times. Her sister used some of their mother’s old clothes to create small dresses for the youngest member of their family. Catherine has three dresses, all of which she loves to play in. Two are for play, one is for important affairs. Catherine’s most common dress is a single blue affair that was made out of their mother’s blanket. The young girl’s most formal dress is a white thing created from linens. She isn’t allowed to play in that dress.
Generally, her clothes are as dirty as she is, save for the white one.
~:: And My Desire Is My Decay ::~
Religion: She’s been raised to be Catholic Devout or heretical: With Catherin, there is the childlike belief that everything is made of magic and that God is one of those magical forces that has blessed the world. She believes whole-heartedly in God, as her siblings have taught her to do. She is too young to truly have a grasp of what is God. All she does is believe what her sister tells her is real. Personality: Adventurous ;;
As any child would be, the young Cat is very adventurous. She loves to explore things and holds a very open mind when it comes to new things. As one could imagine, the young girl is always going and therefore very energetic Her bravery knows no bounds because she’s not learned to be afraid of certain things yet. In her mind, the world is an adventure that she’s willing to explore. She’s being taught, as we speak, to be more reserved and woman-like, but at three years old all she really wants to do is play. She’s dedicated to the art of childhood and would give anything to keep her adventures going. She’s not afraid to face the world and she’s not afraid to get hurt (although pain does make her cry…) because now, as a child, she thinks that her life can not end. Even when she falls sick it’s an adventure unlike any other. She pretends that she’s in a great, vast place where there’s strangers and her body is turning into one of those things. It just hurts a lot to change. To Cat, there is no evil in the world, only an endless vexation of time, life, and hope.
Affectionate;;
Affection, for Cat, is just another part of who she is. She’s very outgoing and therefore is unafraid of showing people if she likes them or not. She’s brave in the fact that she’s willing to show people everything that makes her who she is. She is only three years old, but that means that she has more emotions to show. Toward her family she is very, very affectionate. Toward her brothers she will climb into their laps and cuddle against them every chance she gets. Toward her sisters she will follow them around to the point of annoyance. She admires her sisters because they’re all bigger and stronger than she is. She thinks they’re the absolute best. The youth spends her time making things for her family. With strangers, it takes a few seconds longer for her to display her affections so willingly. She will be nice and respectful to anyone that approaches her, but she’s less enthusiastic toward strangers than toward her own family. With strangers, she’ll not be as clingy and will wave bye-bye with no problem about it. She’ll usually cry if her siblings go away for too long.
Curious;;
What child in the world isn’t curious? This comes from the mind of a child and the adventures she believes she goes on. She wants to know everything there is to know about the world and she wants to learn it as fast as she can. What makes her tick is her mind. She’s young, yes, but she has a great capacity to learn in her youth. That capacity is transversed into the curiosity and willingness to learn everything that only the mind of a child can have. She wants to know everything, and has a desire to explore the world and all of its creativity. She wants to see magic and she wants to see miracles. She wants to know that the world is a good place, even if it’s tainted with the filth of mankind. She doesn’t believe in evil or bad, and sees the world as a place of beauty and wonder. What makes her tick the most is her ability to see the goodness in everything. This triggers her desire to know. As a child she’s easily influenced, but she’d like to know every side of the spectrum and would like to explore every inch of her world with bravery and a sense of well being. However hard the well being part may be.
Energetic;;
Energy is one thing that Cat has an abundance of. She’s always going, climbing upon something, and perhaps running to or from her brothers and sisters, depending on the situation. She rarely sits still for more than a few moments and usually she can be found outside chasing butterflies or playing in the grass. In the cold winter months, when she’s trapped inside, she spends her time playing with the various objects that she can find around her house. With her siblings all working and other things, she has to find ways to spend her time and energy. Some people have spent time to teach her how to do maidenly things, but she has no interest in reading, nor does she care much for anything else of the sort. She would much rather go out and play without a care. The snow is something that she loves and, in the winter months she will dress as warmly as possible and go out to play in the snow. Of course, this causes worry for the siblings that care for her. But, at the end of the day, when all her energy is spent, Cat spends many hours in deep, restful sleep and, when she wakes, is ready to do it all again.
Observant;;
Children have the uncanny ability to see and understand all the world with their own way. The young girl named Catharine is no exception to that rule. She is able to see things that people wouldn’t normally see if they weren’t looking. She pays attention to all details and, in her quest to know everything, she notes in her head the various voice patterns and actions of other people. She realizes who is who because of her desire to know everything. The young girl is very open to all actions and other things by people. To her, the colors of the world are far more vivid than they would be to an adult. To her the world is a place of wonder and magic. That means that everything has to be watched closely. Often, when people speak to her, she can be seen zoning out because she’s watching something further away. She has good vision and that means that she’s able to see pretty far for a young child. She loves to see the sun, the birds, the trees, and various other things that the world possesses. Not only that, but she’s learning mannerisms and traits from the people around her. She’s learning, gradually, from the things she sees and hears.
Tough;;
Like most young children, Cat is very, very tough. She has thick skin that, when harmed, will mend back together pretty quickly. She’s a child, so there are plenty of accidents in which she hurts herself with. She falls down and scrapes her knees, she scrapes up her hands, face, and the rest of her when she refuses to wear clothes, and usually she’s able to bounce back without tears. Sickness is the only thing that makes our tough girl cry. Cat is resilient and gets up from everything. A moment after falling she’ll realize that she can stand and does so without complaint. She’s able to take anything at this age and, while fragile to the adults, she thinks that nothing can harm her. She has the ability to get over pain quickly and will continue forward without much frustration. The many cuts on her little body are a testament to that. She has just started to get her legs under her and is still learning balance. But, for a child her age, she has plenty of that. She tends to try and keep standing but, with the newfound skill of running she’s finding keeping on her feet a little harder than it had been a few months ago.
Likes;;
Likes are something that everybody has. Especially a young girl that’s only just discovered the world around her. She enjoys many things, and most of which have to do with the world. Bright colors are one of those things that she particularly enjoys. For example, when the winter grows into spring, she likes to watch the flowers bloom and to watch the green, green grass sprout from the ground in all its glory. She loves the color of the blue jays as they sing their songs and the color of summer water in the heat of the day. She also enjoys swimming. While water was considered a bad omen in the days of old, young Cat finds fascination in it. Although she’s only three years old she finds the water a safe haven where she can be a princess, even if it’s not true in the slightest. The water is shallow where she goes in and she’s very careful for a three year old. Her sister has taught her how to be wary of deep water. She also enjoys Summer. The heat of the day makes her spirit soar and her skin darker. It makes her brown eyes lighten with the joy of a passing day. She also likes the stories that Elizabeth tells her. These stories are from the bible and they make her happy to see the good guys win at all times. Good guys are meant to win, after all.
Dislikes;;
As with likes, everyone has dislikes. These dislikes are far and few between for the young Catharine. She has a joy for life and therefore she respects it all. She dislikes Death. Although she’s only three she’s seen death in her time on earth. Her mother and father were both victims of fever and death, which means that she knows the loss that it causes. She dislikes winter because that’s when everything dies. She’s also afraid of the executioner. He brings death and doesn’t care to who, as long as he’s dealing in his trade. The young lass is also scared of the mask he wears and his stature. She’s small, and he’s large, which means that he towers over her, a looming figure of ending. She dislikes bread because it tastes funny, she thinks. Usually, that’s what they eat at her house, or what she’s fed when her siblings are gone, so she can deal with that dislike, but it’s still not her favorite thing. She hates the taste of jam because it’s absolutely disgusting. She thinks that it is a strange concoction that she would much rather just play in, rather than eat.
Flaws;;
While she’s the typical little girl her upbringing has made her become totally dependant upon her family. She’s more interested in everybody in her family than she is with the children that are around her. She finds it easier to mingle with adults than it is for her to engage in play with children her own age. She is distant from people her own age and dislikes to be around them due to the fact that she’s unwilling to share with them. As the only young child in her household she’s used to having her own things, even if they’re hand-me-downs, and she is not accustomed to sharing her things. She can be a bit annoying at times, depending on the situation and the moods of those around her at the time. She can be clingy and mean and sometimes she can even throw tantrums the size of modern day America. She’s tough enough to take care of herself, although she’d never have to fight.
~:: Where I Trust, I am Decieved ::~
Family Ties: Mother;;
Catherine Mason was the mother of the young Catherine. The girl was given her mother’s name, seeing as the mother died the day after her birth. In the Winter of 1027, Catherine died of a fever after the birth of her last daughter. She was a proud mother, and a good woman, maid to both Queen Isolde and Queen Alys before her death. She died at 42 years of age, leaving behind her husband and her six children.
Father;;
James Mason was the proud father of his six children. He was a noble man, the servant to the King in the years past. He was one of the few people that Cathrine can remember running to meet at just the sound of his voice. He’d always loved his children and had always been a devoted husband to his wife. After her passing he took ill and, two years later, aged to 50 years old, James Mason passed due to prolonged illness, leaving the family in the capable hands of his daughter, Elizabeth Mason.
Elizabeth Mason;;
Born in the Spring of 1007, Elizabeth is the eldest sibling and the person that Cat loves the most since the passing of her father. Elizabeth has been caring for Cat since her birth and, in her confusion as to who is her mother or not, is often called ’Mama’ by the young girl. Elizabeth has taken up the position that her mother had once held as maid to the Queen Alys.
Robert Mason;;
Robert Mason is the second child of the Mason family. At seventeen years old he was born in the Fall of 1013. He works as an apprentice cobbler but desperately wants to be a knight. Cat sees him as one of the few people in the world that will protect her if she needs him. She loves his dearly and would do anything in her three year old power to be there for him. Sometimes he talks to her, and tells her things that he thinks she doesn’t understand.
Jane Mason;;
Born in the Fall of 1014, Jane Mason is the third child in the family. At sixteen years old she is the apprentice to the royal seamstress. Cathrine thinks that she’s a good big sister and admires her. She’s Cat’s least favorite sibling simply for the fact that she never has time to give her attention. But that doesn’t mean that Cat doesn’t love her. No, quite the contrary, she loves her very much.
Anne Mason;;
Anne Mason is the eldest of the twins, born in the Summer of 1020 and works as the Maid of Princess Isobel. Cat adores Anne because Anne spends time with her when she’s away from the palace.
John Mason;;
John Mason is the other twin, born in the Summer of 1020. He works as a stable boy a the palace. Cat loves the smell of horses upon him and will often crawl into his lap when she has to sleep. He’s another one of her playmates and loves him very much. She thinks he’s the perfect guy because of his general outlook on life and the smell of him.
Family Status: Common Personal History: Catherine Mason was born in the Winter of 1027 to the loving parents by the names of Cathrine, the namesake of the youngest child in the family, and James Mason. She was the youngest of six children and had been eagerly expected by the entire family. The child was born healthy and it was thought that the mother had remained healthy herself, but in fact, she had not. The day after the youngest child of the family was born, the mother took ill from a fever that she had obtained in the birth of her child. A week passed in which Cat was cared for by her sister and father when, finally, a week after birthing her youngest child, the matriarch died from the fever. Cat was far too young to know what was going on and, in that time, she learned to believe that her mother was Elizabeth, her eldest sister. This came from the fact that it was always James and Elizabeth that cared for her, so the concept of mother was just what it would be to a normal child. The woman that cared the most for them.
The young Catherine grew in months under the care of her sister. Elizabeth would feed the youngest child the milk of another nursing mother in town. The woman was more than happy to care for the motherless baby and it was because of the friend of the family that cared for her that Cat was allowed to grow in weight and height, as children do. However, Cat remained remarkably small for her age due to the fact that the milk she was fed was not that of her mother and therefore she couldn’t get it at all times. She was fed the milk of a local goat. Her father would harvest the milk himself to give to his daughter on the cold nights when she’d cry from an empty stomach. It was Elizabeth and James that spent the long, cold nights with the youngest child. It was them that would feed her and bathe her. The two of them were her world. They let her live. It was at six months old that she begun to crawl. Even then she was small. She looked as if she should have been an elf child, rather than a human. Small features, and tiny body equipped with energy led to their father’s pet name for her: Pixie.
When she was a year old the young girl begun to talk. The words she would say were simple, if not hard to understand. Maa was the most she would say, mother directed toward her eldest sister, Elizabeth, and Daa toward her own father. Although Elizabeth corrected her many times, the name stuck and nothing was able to sway her thinking of who her mother was. Her siblings learned to spend time with her and all of them would play with her, creating the mind that she now has. Cat would eagerly jump into the games of peek-a-boo that her brother would play with her and she would whole-heartedly fall into the stories that her Ma read her. They were from the bible and about great magical things. She did so enjoy the stories as a child. After she learned to crawl, story time was the only time she would sit still, even for a moment. After she learned to crawl it was all she could do to sit still and then she would constantly go, crawling after her siblings and following them from one place or another until they grew completely sick of her being at their heels and sent her after another one of the siblings.
When she was two years old, her father took ill. Not that the young girl knew what was happening, but she knew the change in atmosphere. The house was no longer as joyous as it had been before. It was quieter and less energetic. She was often taken to her father’s room to see him, but she was never allowed to crawl into his lap. She would never get to do that again. She would often cry at his door, the only room in the house with a door to closer her out, hoping to be let in, but she never was. As her siblings all worked she was kept by the twins, who were nine and therefore not working at the time. They would tell her to wait until her Ma came home to see her Daddy. But she wanted to see him very badly. It was a cold Fall day when the twins were making soup for their father while the elder children worked when she hurt herself, causing the scar upon her left hand. The fire was low and the embers burning below the logs as the twins slipped out of the room to take a meal to their ailing father. Cat, who’d been left alone for a moment sent her hand into the embers after something shiny at the bottom of the pit. A shriek and a cry later, the youth found herself wailing at the burning of her flesh. The twins ran out of their father’s room and pulled the two year old away from the fire. When Elizabeth returned home there was a small argument and her hand was cared for by the physician.
About a year after that, in her third year of life, her father took a turn for the worst. His coughs grew more dramatic and he cried out in pain for many nights. Young Cat found it hard to sleep those nights and would often crawl out of the bed she shared with the younger children in order to climb in with Elizabeth, who she would snuggle against. She didn’t yet understand the concept of death. It was a painful thing that she would soon learn about. A few weeks later their father called his eldest child Elizabeth in to see him. It was then that he died. Cat was, at that time, being held by her elder brother, Robert, then sixteen. He held the girl as Elizabeth came out, head held high. She understood then that Da was never coming back and she gripped hard to her brother’s shoulders, tears swelling behind her muddy brown eyes. It was then that Elizabeth became the head of the household and where this story begins.
~:: My Pen! Yet Write a Little More! ::~
Your Name/Alias: Andi or Ghost. Age: Nineteen years this past may. Years of Experience: I would say….. A little over seven? How did you Find Us: Eleanor!! <3 Just a Taste:
It was starting to get cold again. The leaves changed from their pretty golds and reds to the bare branches of winter. That meant she would be four soon. And the adventures of the world were growing greater. As her body grew and her world contracted and grew smaller she found there was more and more to see. Her mind whirled with the invitation of the new world that was before her, granting her with the desire to be outside, to brave the cold and wet climate to see what she could see. Just yesterday she had seen the creek. It had been flowing quickly. Too quickly for her to go into. She knew when the water was bad and when it was ok to play in. Elizabeth had taught her that. The rain outside was falling in cold torrents and the sound of the fire crackling on the fire made her giddy. The nice old lady from across the way was watching her that day. The lady wouldn’t be around much longer was what Robert said. She understood that. She had seen what had happened to Da when he’d gotten all cold and hadn’t been alive anymore.
She shivered at the thought, which made the lady get up from her chair and drape a small piece of cloth over the tiny shoulders of the little girl before her. She shushed the child and stroked her hair gently before returning to her chair that rested before the heath. It was a flimsy chair, hand made by the woman’s son. She had had siblings too, she’d said. But she was the youngest and therefore she was the last living one. That was a sad thought, that one day her brothers and sisters would be gone. No, the would live forever and they would remain in her life until the day she joined Da in heaven. Yep, she had faith in heaven. She glanced at the dancing flames that resided inside the heath and remembered how much it hurt to put her hands into the fiery pit. She didn’t like that memory. Now the skin was pulled taught over the wound, shriveled where the fire had licked her.
She heard the door open up and her heart raced. Coming home was her sister, Elizabeth. ”MA!” she shrieked, jumping up onto her small feet and rushing over to her sister. Behind her was Robert, who was covered in wetness, but it didn’t matter. She wrapped her tiny arms and legs around his right leg and clung to him as he walked. She giggled as he walked forward, laughing at the usual greeting he got from the young girl. ”’Bert home too!” she exclaimed as he lifted her from his leg into his arms. She smiled at the sister that she loved as a mother and held her arms up to her. ”Ma! Story?” She’d been completely bored all day, but that didn’t matter. Her family was coming home. Soon the others would come in and then there would be food! Food! She loved food. The little one, after waiting for a while, tucked her arms around Robert’s neck and snuggled closer to him. This was her family. This was where everyone should have been. Home was warm and safe, comfortable.
Group: The Admins
Posts: 1,500
Member No.: 1
Joined: 16-April 08
Heya, Andi! Alright, let's get on this critique! First off, welcome to CG! I met you already, but welcome formally!
Let's get on it!
Appearance:
You put a ton of thought into her appearance and I'm very, very impressed with the amount of work you put in as well. YAY!
Personality:
It just hurts a lot to change.
Does her body hurt? Or her head when she thinks about the changes? Or what is "it"?
Other than that, the personality is well wrought out. I do have a few questions such as: what flaws does her personality have? You've described a lot of traits that many children have but I was wondering: is she annoying? Does she get into too much trouble? Is she bossy? What about her other friends? Does she make friends with the other children? What does she think of where she lives and who lives around her?
You've done an excellent job describing the staples of her personality and fleshing it out. I'm just curious about everything else!
History:
The woman was more than happy to care for the motherless baby and it was because of the friend of the family that cared for her that Cat was allowed to grow in weight and height, as children do. However, Cat remained remarkably small for her age due to the fact that the milk she was fed was not that of her mother and therefore she couldn’t get it at all times. She was fed the milk of a local goat. Her father would harvest the milk himself to give to his daughter on the cold nights when she’d cry from an empty stomach.
I'm confused on how she went from drinking a woman's milk to drinking goat's milk so, if you could clarify why, if she already had a nursing mother's milk, she switched to goat's milk, it would help a lot.
Awww! Other than that, history is wonderful!
Overall:
Watch your grammar because there were a few spots where there should have been commas and periods and they were missing which made reading it rather awkward. In any case, you've done really well with this application considering the age of the character and as soon as you fix the things, we'll put it in the accepted and you'll be a new member in CG!
I've added the flaws and, as for the other things, I find them more appropriate to answer here.
"It" in the context of change is her head. She doesn't want anything to change because there's been enough change in her life.
and the Milk thing: The lady would feed Cat in the daytime, but at night she had to be with her own family. Her diet as a young girl was composed of BOTH goat's milk that was gathered by her father and the milk of the helpful lady across the way.
