Birthday: August 31, 1994
Method of Creation: #2- She's a meld of several people and personalities!
Creation Story:
Where do I begin? Carrington came together from so many sources that I'll probably never get it completely right. My overall intentions with her were to gain a place in my Lochgren Series where she would be the future wife of Carey Nihael and a possible friend of Moira's. However, I really didn't like this idea, which actually tends to happen most times when I try and create spouses for people, but liked her so much that I decided to keep her as a 2012 newcomer. I have no idea what will actually happen with her so we'll count this spotlight as a time capsule and see what transpires. :P
When she began solidifying in my mind I decided that she was an oboe player. This was actually one of the main reasons I decided not to have her and Carey get together after all. With Winterwood's little sister Moonbeam becoming a Newcomer 2012 member too I decided that Carrington would be her housemate and best friend. Therefore, I went ahead and kept Carrington's story, adding to it, anticipating her arrival and hopefully stepping into the pages of my Lochgren Series.
Carrington's looks and personality are heavily based off of a person I really did go to high school with, but exaggerated in places. Two years ago, when I was writing in the 2010 Newcomers I had this image of a hip, trendy, brightly-colored girl on one of those hippie scooters with her long, red hair blowing in the wind under her girly motorcycle helmet. I wanted to put her into the oboe section with Kirby and Molly but decided to put in 2 boys instead (Ben Torrell and Alistair George), with the excuse that Molly was fierce and trendy enough. However, this image always stayed in my mind and as soon as Carrington started forming I knew in my heart she was this image.
Using the girl I went to school with as a guide, Carrington took form with a teeny, tiny 5'1'' frame (a bit shorter than my original thought of 5'3''), bright, burgundy-colored hair in loose waves past her shoulders, a heart-shaped face with rosy cheeks and a flashy smile, and eyes of bright cobalt blue. Like the person I went to school with, Carrington dresses in bright, fitted clothing meant to show off her figure and accentuate her brightly colored features. She is also very opinionated and is not intimidated by those who challenge her. She is strong with words and may or may not have the rare Terabian gift called "A Way With Words." By the time I get to writing her in my stories I'll know. If she doesn't, then she definitely has the ability not to lose composure, ever.
However, there is one area where she differs from the person I knew and that is in her nature. She is an extrovert to the highest degree and is very outspoken. Carrington knows this, however, and makes sure not to go over-the-top and become offensive and annoying. She is quite interested in others and loves to talk about anything and everything. She loves to learn things and see things through the eyes of others. She is also completely fearless- she was that baby that would wave at strangers and as a child never hid behind her parents, often being the one to initiate conversation anywhere. In addition, she is blunt where blunt is due, unafraid of embarrassing herself or making people uncomfortable by stating truth in order to get through to others. Because she is so sure of herself, usually these situations become a learning experience for others and have gained her the reputation of "Only Carrington could say that and [not get in trouble/not make things awkward/get away with it/make an obscure point/say it like that/convince people to...]." She is bold and fierce but also very nice.
I have confirmed that Carrington is heavily of Osai, meaning that she has a very strong conscience that she is readily able to listen to and her dreams are very real, giving her the visions and insight about her life that she needs. Because of her personality she seems like she would be of Terabi but she is not (unless she does have A Way With Words). She has foreseen what she wants to do in college and is going about getting everything in place to do that. She is a girl of little reason- her heart tells her what to do without much "shopping around" or consideration for other options. She knows what she wants and has no reason to go on in the chance that something better may turn up later. This is how I am, knowing when the right thing has crossed my consideration, and Carrington seemed like the perfect person to give such a way of doing things to!
Now that all of that's out of the way, I can talk about her story! I'll start with her name.
Carrington is from the city of Whaven (prounced FHAY-ven) which is in the extreme north peninsula of New Asia. There is a direct connection from Whaven to Resa Ere in Jadali which means there are lots of people of Jadali-Kiillra descent living there. Whaven is known for being a very remote area, dreary and rainy, and an area devoid of color. It's home to an old prison that was once used for the holding of convicts from Jadali and Kiillaana and also a high school that hosts a handful of Jadali students seeking an education on the mainland.
Among the stereotypical dreariness surrounding this tiny coastal town there is also a timeless tradition alive here but dead almost everywhere else in Kiillaana, only also alive in some parts of Jadali. This is the tradition of not having a crest and simply having two names or a title. While in Jadali it's usually used sparingly (think Mera Visi) here in Whaven it's a tradition that goes back almost 1000 years before Kiillaana established crests for its residents. When Carrington was 4 years old, she was given the middle name of Lionheart by her grandfather in a naming ceremony. Whether her name influenced her personality or defined what was already there is unknown but her name fits her so well that it seems like it was meant to be only hers.
Carrington lived in Whaven for 9 years before her father (Archer Spear), tired of the boring sea life and wanting Carrington to be exposed to a bigger variety of people, started moving around the country. The three of them (Zoe Leighton is her mother) landed in the freezing mountain college town of Alton, Kalitonia, in 2003, staying there for a couple years until 2008 when they moved to Castleford, one of the suburbs of the Kiillaanian capital of Tevernid. Carrington spent her first two years of high school here before moving again in 2010 to the giant city of Kaytue and finishing off her last two years at Kaytue North High School. She will be graduating in 2012 as the youngest girl of her class (born on the cutoff!) and will likely start college at the age of 17.
As for Carrington's musical timeline, she loved the music of Jadali, visiting there often because of the close proximity and because she had many relatives there. She independently picked up the flute and oboe, getting a good feel for both. When she moved to Alton she continued to play and saw herself as more of an oboe player so that's what she decided to play in the 6th grade. She gained instant admiration for "playing something so hard" and was the only one for years. This pleased her so she kept it up, taking lessons and getting good. When she moved to Tevernid she found herself surrounded by an outstanding music program and was happy to have plenty of opportunities to shine and grow. By the time she moved to Kaytue she was totally sure of her future career as a musician.
Something interesting happened right before she moved to Kaytue. In the days before school was ending her director took her into his office and handed her a bulky instrument case. He told her it had been on the shelf for years and that he felt like she might have fun with it. Inside was an old english horn that needed some work but Carrington was excited all the same. When she moved to Kaytue her father took it into a repair shop where it was discovered to be an instrument of very good quality and that with some care it played beautifully. Armed with this rare instrument, Carrington began to learn it and had soon mastered it as well. Her high school prided itself in having an actual Cor Anglais in their band and Carrington decided that she wanted to play it in college too. She foresaw herself becoming a double reed specialist and that was all she needed to continue playing her two favorites.
So... what this all means is that she is going to college to play Cor Anglais. Sweet!
Now that I've successfully rambled on about someone who I haven't even properly developed into a story yet I'll leave you with five fun facts.
1. Carrington's favorite color is blue.
2. She is actually three races- Kiillaanian, Lisjovalan, and Jadali-Kiillra.
3. Her grandfather (Michael del Natura) was in band at Taleah High School with Dr. Sorela.
4. She is very into Jadali history and is well aware about who will be her oboe professor! :D
5. She has always wanted a sister, more than anything.
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