Post by Edward H. W. Collier on Mar 3, 2012 12:56:46 GMT -5
EDWARD H. W. COLLIER
”Behind every Great Man stands an Unknown Individual... one who does all the hard work.”
.:-[THE BASICS]-:.
”Behind every Great Man stands an Unknown Individual... one who does all the hard work.”
.:-[THE BASICS]-:.
Nickname: Eddie, HW, What's-his-name-again?
Date Of Birth: 17th of May, 2030.
Sex: Male.
Nationality: American, with roots in Scandinavia.
Civil Stat: Single.
Employment/Work: Shangrila Inc. Official, Minister of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation.
Residence: A neat apartment in the Elysia district. It's location close to the outer wall is a result of both his (low) rank and the nature of his responsibilities. It's really too big for a man living on his own...
Playby: Misha Collins[/ul][/ul]
.:-[WHAT'S IN THE MIRROR]-:.
[When people look me in the eye, they are meant to see my soul. Instead, they see ways in which to abuse my ignorance and kindness.]
[When people look me in the eye, they are meant to see my soul. Instead, they see ways in which to abuse my ignorance and kindness.]
Weight: 136,4 lbs. (62 kg.)
Body Shape: Average male body, neither overweight nor heavily muscular.
Skin Tone: Light.
Hair Colour: Dyed as black as charcoal.
Eye Colour: Blue.
Basic Tone Of Voice: Edward speaks with a baritone voice, often at a slow pace, as though he carefully selects each and every word he speaks. Some interpret this negatively, as though he's more or less indifferent to the world around him. He has a clear pronunciation of words, though.[/ul]
Looks
The first thing people tend to notice about Edward is the contradicting features of his face. He has fine blue eyes, which are blessed by a touch of childish curiosity that is rarely seen with people of his age. His eyes almost pierce through everyone he meets and reactions toward this feature is varied. At the same time, he rarely smiles or looks friendly, always sporting an overly serious or thoughtful attitude.
He deems himself too busy to care all that much about his physical appearance, but at the same time fails to realize just how much he could gain by looking handsome. He only shaves every second day and his hair is set in a rushed fashion. It all adds to a somewhat untidy appearance.
Style of Clothing
As many other prominent members of Shangrila, Edward is usually seen wearing some type of suit. He understands the value of a fine and expensive suit and the strong impression of power and control if may infuse in others. He'll never show up at his office wearing clothes more suitable for a day in the park than dinning with business partners. His wardrobe generally lacks any fantasy, but it doesn't mean he has a special dress-code based only on black suits, ties and polished shoes. When not at work, he wears a small selection of plain and colorless clothes. He almost always wears a tie, but in a loose and untidy fashion.
Body Mods and other Distinct Features– Piercings, Tattoos and Scars
None worth mentioning.
[/ul]
.:-[THE WINDOW TO THE SOUL]-:.
Religion: None – he abandoned religion at the age of eighteen.
Traits: Serious, ambitious, bitter, solitary, slightly cynical, tolerant, intelligent, somewhat untidy, patient, proud, honest, independent,
[/ul]
Personality
Edward is the perfect example of how being rich doesn't always mean being handsome, charming and funny. If anything, Edward behaves like someone who has lost close to everything. He looks at life with bitter eyes; to him, the glass is always half empty. This prominent, negative side of him is the result of many years of fruitless struggle to be the best of the best. He is filled with ambition and a thirst for power; traits, he has inherited from his mother. She continuously pushed him down the path of education and expected him to reclaim the family's lost position and honor. The duality of this is tragic: He now loathes his mother for pressuring him down a path he never wanted to follow, yet his loyalty toward his family remains intact. To this day, he still intends to become the most influential Minister of Shangrila – be it through the actual title of “Mayor” or not.
He is great at analyzing others. It's an ability he developed early in his life. Sadly, the way to the top of the world is tall, narrow and scattered with bloody money. As time went and he learned the way of business within the walls of the most prestigious offices, his ability was somewhat corrupted. He has faced too much disrespect, and experienced too many failures for him to accept. Today, his negative eyes seek out the evil in others. His otherwise brilliant mind is quick to assume that others have ill intentions, whether he really knows them or not. For obvious reasons, this also makes it hard for him to trust others. Even though his title as Minister grants him the power to hand out different responsibilities to members of his own staff, he hesitates to do so, simply because he believes he is the only one who can handle such tasks.
He takes great pride in his job as Minister of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation. He works intensely and focused to make sure things run smoothly in his department. It gives him great satisfaction to know he's in control of things. He's not a perfectionist, however, and he's convinced that minor details can always be worked out later. Regarding his job, it's interesting to note that despite his loyalty toward the responsibility as a Minister, he is not at all satisfied with being “last in line”. Keeping check of all the different tasks at hand is difficult, even for one of his intelligence. He is convinced that being Minister of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation is the most important position in Shangrila, but also the least prestigious one – somewhat evidence by the lack of attention his department receives from the general public. This belief makes him deeply envious at his fellow Ministers, and he suspect they only view him as “the guy who drew the shortest straw”.
Edward is far from social, which has been a source to great conflict throughout much of his grown-up life. He guards his private life in an almost vicious manner, and is hesitant to go into details about himself when debating with others. Only a few people know about his family, his interest in poetry or his increasing consumption of alcohol. He doubts anyone could possibly understand such subjects, let alone respect him for talking about them.
He keeps a strong facade of fake grandeur, but it easily falls apart when his bitter views take over. When attending social gatherings, he finds it hard to act natural, as he has little interest in the shallow conversations that keep the awkward silence at bay. Instead, he spends most of his time by watching others, as they make a fool of themselves, drink and dance until morning breaks. It's a similar case when he goes out late at night to drink. From his little corner of the bar, he'll sit and wonder why people act like they do. He despise himself for giving in to the false sense of safety that alcohol provides him. He hates the quirky and talkative side of himself that comes to the surface when he gets too much to drink. Despite all, he can't seem to find a way out of this drinking habit.
He likes women, but his handling of them tends to be awkward, at least when dealing with them in a romantic sense. If he likes a woman, he'll actively try to make her aware of his feelings, but often in a way that might actually scare his desired one away from him. He does not care to flirt with women, as he regards such “games” as both cheap and a waste of time – basically, he doesn't understand it. Following his two failed relationships, he has decided to be more picky in his choice of female company. He'll be a solitary man, until the right one comes around.
In a way, Edward's greatest secrets are also the things that drive him and keep him sane. While his most dominant traits are negative and serious, he also has a good side. His interest in poetry is a vital part of his personality, as it brings out his sensitive side - however small it may be. Through his own writings, he presents a world of different views; his longing for the company of true friends, allies and colleagues. People who accept and recognize his talents. But no one – not even his fiance – has ever seen this side of him. Whatever good abilities he still possess are thanks to his father. Patience, tolerance and a certain level of kindness lies buried deep within his human soul, only for a selected few to see and experience. But his greatest secret – the one that makes him go out to drink at night, the trait that makes him want to forget – is his fear. The fear of failure. He fears the prospect of never fulfilling what he regards as his life's mission; To finally do his family honor and claim absolute power and respect.
* Poetry.
* Novels.
* Nature.
* Gadgets.
Likes
* Writing, mainly poetry.
* Music.
* Literature.
* Having a drink after work.
* Female company.
* Having the time to do absolutely nothing!
Dislikes
* His fellow Shangrila Inc. Officials.
* His job.
* Large crowds of people.
* Flirtatious women.
* Sycophants.
* People who smoke.
* His mother.
* His drinking habit.
Fears
* Failure.
* Losing control of his life.
* Rejection.
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Mastered Languages: English and German.
Old Places Of Employment or Expertise:
Talents: Despite his own doubt, Edward really is a talented writer and architect.
Hobbies: Edward only has a handful of different hobbies, since he rarely has the time to dwell deep into anything not work-related. He reads and writes poetry, and more often than not, he writes when he gets a silent moment during his many hours at work. He reads a lot of different novels to give himself inspiration to make something “big”, but he tends to select books containing nothing but talentless crap. For now, his attempts at writing short stories and novels has been with little success. His artistic hobby aside, he often waste the little spare time he has on visiting smaller establishments in the Eden district, mainly to drink and do... nothing.
[/ul][/ul]
.:-[SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT]-:.
[We are all keepers of our own secrets, though some of us are better at it than others...]
[We are all keepers of our own secrets, though some of us are better at it than others...]
Accessories: The only accessory Edward wears and needs is a basic wristwatch.
Weapons: None; After taking a less successful course in handling sidearms and small weaponry, Edward decided to leave security in the hands of the professionals.
Important Belongings: A digital voice recorder, nicknamed “Dana”. He uses it to record small messages to himself about strange observations, thoughts about his current objective at work and his own feelings. He regards it as a very personal item and only a few people know about it.
Pets and Animals: Despite Edward's fascination with nature and animals, he never has had the time to keep a pet.
[/ul][/ul]
.:-[HISTORY SHOWS US WHERE WE HAVE BEEN]-:.
[Once upon a time, there was a joke of a deity called “God” – he was pathetic, because he never was around to help me...]
[Once upon a time, there was a joke of a deity called “God” – he was pathetic, because he never was around to help me...]
Family:
* Grandparents, Oswald and Jenny Collier – both deceased.
* Father, Bengt Collier – deceased.
* Uncle, Charles Collier – deceased at young age.
* Grandparents, Sam and Lily Herdly – both deceased.
* Mother, Morgan Herdly Collier – alive.
* Sister, Lily Herdly Seuruph – alive.
* Brother-in-law, Raymond Seuruph – alive.
* Nephew, Simon Herdly Seuruph – alive.
Old Friends, Lovers and Other Relationships:
* Fiance, Isabella DuChant – First love, disappeared in 2060...
* Lover, Mona Rougelette – Second love, dumped him for someone else.
* No other relationships worth mentioning.
[/ul][/ul]
”Friday, 26th of November, the year 2010.
I doubt she will understand at all. But we have to go. Tonight. I hope she will someday. I'm a simple man with simple objectives. I need to get her and our child out of the country. Children, actually. There's a little new one on the way – I will never be able to accept myself, if what I fear comes to pass. That would destroy me. I just pray this travel won't destroy her...”
-
It was a rather cold evening when Oswald Collier brought his wife and their young child to the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and embarked on a journey that would ultimately take the little family to a strange and foreign place. A place of both promise and lies, of unexpected ends and new beginnings. In the memoirs discovered by his grandson, Edward Collier, the head of the Collier family described his wife, Jenny, as “hesitant to leave her life behind” and “angry with me, because she doesn't understand my reasons”. He also expressed a certain level of confidence that the assumptions of his colleagues were right all along. “When fear takes over, humanity pays the price,” he wrote.
At first, the little family went to Scandinavia, more specifically the Republic of Finland, and sought refuge there. Edward's father, Bengt was born there.
Back in the states, their friends and family expressed surprise at this unexpected move. Moving his family, his base, to another part of the world seemed too strange, even for one of Oswald Collier's fragile and quirky mind. But he believed they had not faced the truth yet. Most likely, they never did, until it was too late. Deep in his mind, Oswald couldn't blame them for distancing themselves from his actions.
It's not entirely known what sort of visions, ideas or mental instabilities Oswald suffered from during his life. In years following his death, many people would speculate that he was merely a paranoid man who happened to make just the right move. A handful of his own friends genuinely believed he – like them - had had a vision of “the end” and had tried to take the right precautions to keep his family safe. It ultimately didn't matter much, as Oswald began to suspect their new home would suffer the same fate as the rest of Europe. With the suspected fall of the Republic of Finland, of Europe as a whole, the Collier family packed their bags once more and traveled through Europe and Asia to what appeared to be a safe haven. Through his contacts back in the states, he secured himself and his family a place in a resort-like facility in Australia.
It was just in time. Soon, Oswald's fears became reality: The greatest fortress in the world, the United States of America, fell and with it, lifelong values and principals perished. Jenny was devastated; her family, who had spited her “foolish” husband for his actions were missing. They – like many others - disappeared in the chaos that followed the beginning of the end.
-
Oswald's memoirs doesn't go into many details about the family's time in Finland or the first couple of months as “refugees” in Shagrila. They mostly dwell on minor things about his family, shallow events like social gatherings in the closed society of the resort and - especially - his own fear as to whether or not his decision was right all along. He relates about how Jenny distances herself from him and their two sons. He then stops writing for several months, only to begin anew with a personal message. A message that clearly outlines Oswald's reason to stop writing for a while:
”My son is dead. My dear, dear boy. The light of my life; my equal, my blood. How can I go on without you?
Two months later, Oswald makes a small note about Jenny's sudden passing. Bengt is only about one year old at the time. She is never mentioned in his memoirs ever again. Charles, however, is mentioned quite frequently in his writings, both as a source of great happiness and great sadness. Oswald continues to write for almost four decades until approximately a few hours before his death. His final message goes as follows:
”I feel him. He's close. I have lived my entire life in ignorant happiness, never suspecting he would one day knock on my door. I have been blessed. Blessed by the love of two sons, although one of them[this part of the message is smudged and unreadable]... The respect of a wonderful daughter-in-law and her family. Lastly, I have been fortunate to see my blood be renewed. Lily & Edward. The ramblings of your grandfather, this book... it's for you, and you alone. Your father has a difficult mind, just like I do. He will not value my writings like I know you will. And one day, you will understand. Never doubt the love of others. Trust in your instincts. But don't ever be afraid.
I can hear him coming. I wonder if he'll look like Charlie. I have heard the angels of death tends to take the appearance of those waiting for you on the other side...”
-
Edward's father, Bengt Collier, grew up as a sickly and difficult young man. The lack of a motherly figure, and the instability of his father, turned him silent and lonely. When he reached the age of eighteen, he had developed into a a shy - but intelligent - young man. Oswald made use of his financial resources and limited influence and arranged for his son to get a job in one of the most prestigious offices at the time. It was not meant as permanent deal, as Oswald really just wanted for his son to get some experience before he took up the mantle as head of the family business. The choice was perfect and Bengt enjoyed a rare success, when his intelligence secured him a series of good promotions. It was about the same that Oswald arranged for his son to meet a young woman, Morgan Herdly, whom the older man hoped his son would show some sort of tender feelings for. They ended up marrying under bizarre circumstances; Bengt never showed much interest in the opposite sex and was quite indifferent toward Morgan. On the other hand, Morgan was driven by ambition – marrying Bengt Collier was a step up for her in terms of social status. It was a chance she wouldn't give up, and so she seduced the rather hesitant Bengt.
Oswald's writings only mention one good thing that came from the union of the two: their children, Lily and Edward. They grew up surrounded by wealth and power, as part of a family caught in the struggle to maintain it's position in Eden. It wasn't long after the marriage that it became apparent that Bengt – despite his intelligence – couldn't focus on the more daily routines of his work. He was bored on such a level that he simply ignored orders, experimented with the funds of the company and neglected his own family. He would disappear for days, and no one would ever know what he had been doing during that time. Morgan was left in charge of the family business. She couldn't cope with the shame of having a “freak” as a husband, and despite her shortcomings as a businesswoman, she drove herself hard in an attempt to cleanse the family name. As time went, she grew bitter over the fact she put her own career on hold in exchange for marrying Bengt and her ambition slowly developed in another direction. She would mold Edward - who showed high intelligence from an early age – into a man who would one day raise the family to the highest peak of society.
Day out and day in, Edward was told to behave like the young gentleman he really was. To sit straight, stand tall, to converse on a higher level than his comrades at school... to grow up quickly, basically. Edward, loyal to his mother, accepted her tough demands. Lily, on the other hand, were rebellious and two years older than Edward. She would argue frequently with her mother and withstand all attempts she made at influencing her own daughter. Ultimately, Lily ran away from home at the age of sixteen. Oswald's diary details the dilemma he found himself in, when the young woman suddenly knocked on his door and asked for his help. Feeling partially responsible for “the whole mess” both of his grandchildren were in, he agreed and let her live in his house until she felt ready to stand on her own two legs. [/ul]