VivienGreywood
 Vivien Greywood
Appearance Most people would consider Vivien attractive, even lovely, but it is her sense of personal style – in dress, accessories and manner – that makes her stand out. She is of medium height and slender, with long dark brown waves and big grey eyes surrounded by long lashes. She has pale, almost transparent skin that makes permanent violet-blue smudges under those eyes, a look that is not unattractive. Her features are even and regular, her lips full and sensual. Her arms are graceful, her hands exceedingly small and attractive, and there is a scattering of moles across her collarbones and upper bosom. She designs her own clothes and thus never wears the same outfit twice, and all of her clothing is exciting, new and utterly flattering to her. History Vivien was raised in a manor house in a village a certain distance from the capital. She was educated mostly at home, by specially hired tutors and governesses, and was taught the things important for a young lady to know in order to secure herself a good husband. Vivien’s parents were deeply in love and somewhat preoccupied with each other. Despite being something of a wild child and a troublemaker, Vivien was rarely if ever punished. She was showered with affection in the form of gifts and left mostly to her own devices. At this point she began to hone her manipulative skills on her teachers, her relatives, and everyone in town. Vivien had always been ambitious for more – more of everything, and she used her patented smile and low smoky voice to great advantage. By the time she was sixteen, Vivien was the queen of her village – all the young women wanted to be like her, and all the young men wanted her. And she was… somewhat… open to the possibility, especially if the young man had something she wanted. At the same time, Vivien began to be interested in fashion and in design. She designed (and continues to design) most of her own clothes, as well as clothes for others who want it. She has ambitions to market and sell her clothing on a wide scale, but as yet has not mentioned this to anyone. Vivien has a habit of sizing people up as she meets them and mentally dressing them, like paper dolls. Life went on for a few years, but Vivien became less satisfied. She wanted something more exciting, more challenging, more open for advancement. She pestered her father and mother for months to send her to the capital to visit her aunt and uncle, but (perhaps in awareness of Vivien’s somewhat less than stellar reputation) they resisted. Finally, at nineteen, Vivien’s chance arrived. A doctor suggested that her grandmother’s failing health might better be attended to in Aquila City, and Vivien managed to finagle her parents into sending her (as well as her brother) along. Disadvantage Vivien has experimented with just about anything she could get her hands on, and she craves the feeling of excitement, danger and loss of control. She takes absinthe, laudanum, and even, occasionally, morphine. Her addiction and her loose relations with men have come to the attention of Lady Greywood, and Vivien is trying very hard to curb her tendencies to be unladylike and out of control. After all, staying in Aquila, where the action is, is the most important thing of all. |
