50 Things About: Elizabeth Lacey
Part 3 of the OC survey saga, featuring the main protagonist of “Hometown”.
Questions came from this post.
1. What is their name, and how does this fit their character?
Elizabeth. It means “God is my oath”, and although she starts losing hope in there even being a God after being forced to move to Sheridan at 17, she still finds herself praying to Him almost every night for things to change and be in her favor for once. It’s one of the few times of day where she allows her vulnerability to show itself.
2. Last name?
Lacey.
3. Do they have a middle name?
Nelbert, after Nelbert Chouinard, the woman who founded the Chouinard Art Institute (now known as the California Institute of the Arts).
4. Name a song that describes them.
“Grey Street” by The Dave Matthews Band. To me, this song perfectly encapsulates what it means for a teenager like Elizabeth to try and live with clinical depression. Like Dave sings, there's an emptiness inside her, and she'd do anything to fill it in. But all the colors mix together to grey, and it breaks her heart. There’s also mentions of this girl praying almost every night, wishing badly to be somewhere else, and a helpful stranger sitting outside her door giving her advice (who I always picture being Herman), only for her to deny this “crazy man” and say that she lives on the corner of Grey Street - and the end of the world. She just feels like kicking out all the windows and setting fire to this life. It’s a song that I’ve associated with Elizabeth almost since the beginning. It’s literally perfect for her. I can’t imagine a better song to describe her with than this one.
5. What are their pronouns?
She/her.
6. Gender and sexuality?
Cisgender girl, aromantic asexual.
7. Do they like someone romantically?
No, and she never will.
8. List five words to describe them.
Stubborn, individualistic, knowledgeable, misunderstood, emotional.
9. What about five dialogue tags to use consistently on this character?
Sighed, huffed, hissed, murmured, trailed off.
10. What is their motivation?
To find a sense of belonging, support, purpose, and self after being forced to move away from her childhood home.
11. Do they consider themselves a good person?
No, she doesn’t. She wants to, more than almost anything, but clinical depression is just a bitch like that.
12. Color that describes their personality.
Gray. It’s the color of the hoodie she wears almost every single day, and the color of the depressive fog that surrounds her mind most of the time.
13. MBTI type.
ENFP/The Campaigner, although it’s very hard to believe for those who don’t know her. Parts of her personality type do shine through on her better days if one pays attention.
14. Enneagram type.
Type 4/The Individualist.
15. Character they’re based on.
No character in particular. She just kind of came to me.
16. Person they would bring down whilst dying.
Her aunt, Grace Lacey. You’d probably want to do the same if you had an aunt who constantly downplayed your mental illness and dismissed your asexuality.
17. Person they would kill if they had the chance.
Again, Aunt Grace.
18. Character they would get along with if they were in the same universe.
Arnold Deacon from “Thank You Mr. Arnold”. Considering her only true friend in Sheridan is an intelligent middle-aged man, she’d probably pick up similar vibes from Arnold, and may show much less hesitation in approaching him than most other people. She might be a bit offput by how no-nonsense and stern he can be at first (especially compared to the warmer and goofier Herman), but with time and patience, I could see her eventually seeing and appreciating the positive aspects of Arnold, such as his passion for the sciences and his everlasting love of gaining new knowledge. In a way, he is like Herman - just a little more reserved, is all.
19. Character they would hate if they were in the same universe.
Logan Hirschfeld from “Thank You Mr. Arnold”. If she were to ever form some sort of emotional attachment to Arnold, you better believe she would be pissed to see him be mistreated by a boss like Mr. Hirschfeld. In her mind, it’d be like seeing Herman being mistreated - and that’s definitely not okay.
20. Artist they would listen to.
Meat Loaf. It’s the themes of his music that do it for her. Rebellion? Expressing long held emotions like extreme sadness and anger without shame or judgement? Feeling absolutely isolated from the rest? Sounds like a winner to her.
21. Artist they would hate.
Anyone who she feels “sings too many damn love songs”. The only one she’s even willing to let slide for this is Meat Loaf, only because “he sings so damn good”.
22. Give them a theme song.
“Act of the Apostle” by God Help the Girl. It sounds very much like Elizabeth’s thoughts on one of her emotionally numb days. One where she’s just too sick to care and just decides to go for a walk. After all, a change of scenery should help her feel something, right? So she does, and she does a whole bunch of things (such as buying a newspaper she’ll never read) to make herself look like a teen with a properly working mind, even though her mind is anything but.
In reality, she’s on autopilot, following a programmed path she set up for days like this. If anybody asks what she’s doing out, she uses the same answer: “I’m going to a seminar”. After the first few times, it’s clear that it’s bullshit, but she doesn’t care. It’s better than humoring some damn nosy stranger about her business. After all, if she’s got to grow up some time, she has to do it on her own - or so she believes.
At home, she tunes in to her radio, blocking out yet another fight between her mother and aunt. Her safe audial haven. The girls at school may be singing about her life (or rather, snickering about her life), but who cares? They’re not here. Only she is. They can’t get to her here.
Quite a few people wonder about her, but she’ll never tell. If they want to find out, they can find out. But without trust, there is no discussion to be had.
23. Make them a playlist!
Not now. I don’t have enough songs to make one yet.
24. Make them a mood board.
Later. I need to find some fitting images first.
25. Assign them an aesthetic.
Oily dark hair, dark eye circles, constant brain fog, chronically dry patchy pale skin, oversized gray hoodie that she can easily sink into, black sneakers that are slowly falling apart, a constant need to hide from the world, the ever-present echo of self-hating thoughts, broken mirror glass, radio and TV static, raindrops on the windows, worn covers of half-priced books she bought at Herman’s store.
26. What are their strengths?
Loyal, knowledgeable, creative, curious, grateful for any good things that happen, and good at listening. She typically displays these strengths around the very few people she trusts, but she’s slowly working her way up to showing these strengths around other people - just like she used to do around the fine folks of Paradise Fields. After all, these strengths helped her gain at least one friend she can depend on, so there’s hope for her yet.
27. What about fatal weaknesses?
Self-deprecating, easily frustrated/angered, stubborn, not easily willing to open up about her emotions, has difficulty keeping up with routines (not for lack of trying, obviously), and very distrustful.
28. The one person who can convince them to do something they’re stubbornly against.
Nobody. Absolutely nobody. She’d punch their face before she’d ever consider doing anything she’s against - which is never.
29. Who would they kill for?
Probably Herman, although he never ever wants her to go that far.
30. What tropes do they fall into?
I guess the “ill girl” trope, since she does have a mental illness at the start of her story (clinical depression).
She also falls under the “angsty teen” trope, but not without good reason. Being forced to move away from her childhood home of 17 years because some jerkasses wanted the land for urban development, having to live in an apartment complex building owned by her rich bitch of an aunt (that she unfortunately has to see on a regular basis), no friends at her new school (but plenty of bullies), almost none of her teachers like her, having her relocation depression advance to clinical depression, etc. Needless to say, Elizabeth’s 17th year of life was one hell of a rocky one.
31. Fatal weakness (food edition).
Anything pasta related. There’s nothing like homemade linguini and meatballs topped with parmesan cheese on a rainy Saturday afternoon while listening to Pierre Alexander lovingly talk about his husband’s (Percy Livingston) travels across the globe aiding animals in need on the radio. She really doesn’t care much for romance, but with Pierre and Percy, she doesn’t mind that much. It’s actually pretty sweet if she’s to be honest.
32. Book they would definitely read.
Just about any book that Herman recommends her to read. Anything to help her escape her invasive self-hating thoughts at night. Plus, she really likes Herman, and he’s a well-read man, so she has complete trust in what he says is a good read.
If you want a specific book, then “The Arabian Nights”. While she greatly prefers non-fiction, there’s just something so fascinating about these fantastical tales from the ancient past for Elizabeth. Yet another point for Herman for recommending that one.
33. Language besides their mother tongue they would (have) learned.
Yiddish, namely so that she and Herman can have conversations in Grace’s presence and not have to worry about her eavesdropping. Herman couldn’t help but smile and laugh when Elizabeth brought up that idea. Learning a whole other language just to piss off someone she hates? “This kid’s got it all figured out,” he thought.
34. Murder accomplice.
She’d like it to be Herman, although he’d always say no, and once again advise her to never go that way, lest she end up in jail for life. “Okaaay fine, I won’t,” Elizabeth would say with a sigh and a roll of the eyes.
35. Thing that makes them go weak at the knees.
Anytime someone tells her they’re proud of her. Could be her mother, her visiting father, or her friend/mentor Herman - her reaction will always be the same. Weak knees, followed by teary eyes, a surprisingly strong hug, and nuzzling her face deep into the crook of their neck. She may not be the most cheerful or open, but truly, all she wants is to not be seen as a waste of space or an inconvenience. She’s a human being fighting a mental illness after all - any positive acknowledgment helps.
36. Most obscure thing they HATE.
People who are pro-development. Land development was the reason she and all the people she knew in the small rural community of Paradise Fields were forced to leave, so of course she’d be anti-development after that. She often swore that if she ever met another person who was pro-development, she’d punch them in the nose.
37. While we’re there, biggest phobia.
Thanatophobia - the fear of losing those she loves.
38. Are they (would they be) a book or movie person?
Both, but especially books, given that they become her main escape for her first few years in Sheridan. She is especially fond of non-fiction science/history books.
Also, as an aside, she finds comfort in listening to the radio. Every Saturday evening at 7:30 on the dot, she tunes in to Pierre Alexander’s (Sheridan’s most beloved local DJ) radio show to listen to some picks from his father’s antique record collection. The rock records are her absolute favorites.
39. Are they a romantic?
Not even in the slightest. Remove the space between “a” and “romantic” and then you’d be right on the money.
40. Childhood experience that defines an aspect of their life.
The yearly Summer Light Festival in Paradise Fields. Every year in late June, the townspeople would string beautiful twinkling white lights from one house to another to signify the connection shared among all the residents in this small rural “everybody knows everybody” town. At night, the lights would be turned on, lighting the dirt path between each row of houses, symbolizing how with loved ones in your life, you are never lost.
Furthermore, many evening games and activities took place over this period of time, including the “Circle Game”, where the kids danced in a circle to a fiddler’s music, wearing sunflower crowns on their heads. When the fiddler stopped, the children would all fall back on cue, their eyes facing the clear starry skies. It was during this event one summer that one of Elizabeth’s core values developed (as well as one of the earliest signs of her aromanticism in hindsight).
Right as the fiddler stopped, and she and the others fell back laughing, a thought crossed her mind. Earlier that day, she overheard her mother sharing concerns to their neighbor, Don Adler, about how high school is not too far away and how nervous she was over her daughter getting involved with boys and possibly getting herself into trouble. “Pfft - what’s Mom so worried about anyway?” she thought. “I’m only 12. And besides, I don’t need the attention of some boy to be happy. I’m already happy having fun with all my friends. How can it get any better than this?”
That memory always stuck with Elizabeth, as she just so happened to come up with that thought during the activity that symbolized everlasting friendship between the children of Paradise Fields. As long as the music of life played on, the circle would rotate forevermore. The day she and the other neighbors she spent her whole life around had to move away was the day her friendship circle stopped turning. For the first time in her life, she was alone. She had her mother, sure, but that wasn’t enough.
In Elizabeth’s mind, no love is greater than the kind shared between good friends. Without it, life is just not worth living.
Romance is optional - but friendship is necessary.
41. What is their age?
17 at the start of the story.
42. Birth sign? / Zodiac?
Gemini.
43. What constellation would they be?
Lepus, the Hare. Like Lepus, Elizabeth feels like she’s being chased - not by a hunter and his dogs, but by thoughts and feelings of self-hatred and suicide.
44. Name a famous myth where they would have been the main character.
Sisyphus and The Boulder. Every single day she feels like she has to push an enormous boulder in the form of her mental illness up the hill called life - only to fail to get to the top and have to start over the next day. Some days she manages to push it higher than yesterday. Some days she doesn’t bother pushing at all and just lies on the ground. It all depends on the day.
45. Old or new soul?
Old soul. She’d be 25 by now if she were a real person, but she’d still feel far older than that. She values her time alone, seeks only meaningful connections, has high empathy, seeks knowledge and growth (namely from books), is a great listener, and tries to avoid negativity at all costs (although she can’t avoid the negativity in herself).
46. Assign them a smell.
The overwhelming scent of cherry blossom body spray to try and mask the fact that she hasn’t showered in a week.
47. Assign them a smell they like.
Sunflowers. It reminds her of her old home in Paradise Fields.
48. Can they swim?
Yes. She learned to swim at the communal swimming pool in Paradise Fields, and it was one of her favorite places to go in the summer. God, she misses those days so much.
49. Street smarts or brain smarts?
Brain smarts. Not many people even bother to pry into the mind behind the face, but Herman knows for a fact that Elizabeth is one truly intelligent individual. Space, the ocean, paleontology, meteorology, history, fine art - she has knowledge on them all. There is academic potential in her without a shadow of a doubt. He just wishes others could see her the way he does.
50. What is this character’s purpose to the plot?
To provide Herman - a middle-aged bookstore owner who’s also fairly new to Sheridan - some companionship along with a possible kindred spirit he can nurture.
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