Character Interview
tagged by @soruawrites Rules: Pick a character from your WIP and have them answer these fifteen questions, then tag fifteen people.
The character chosen is Winnie Ashley, the main character of Her Lady of Ashes, as she appears at the start of the story, rather than any time after the end of act one.
1. What is your full name?
"Marquise Winifred Florine Therese Ashley-Raffine. I only sign my name as Winifred Therese Ashley nowadays.” The title, especially, is something she doesn’t like to advertise, especially now that she’s living comfortably in a large apartment above her best friend’s hat shop, only dipping into her family’s money when necessary. It’s is a courtesy title, rather than denoting any standing, given to her grandfather for all the donations he sent to Moriel’s university and to public works.
2. What does your full name mean?
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I was named after my grandmother. Maman wanted to name me something Davenish even though she was marrying a Noquesier man, and the rest of the names were picked from her favorite poems.”
Winifred has a few different meanings -- friend of peace being the most accepted one. White, fair, blessed, and holy, are other common names. Florine is the French feminine form of Florinus, meaning flower. Therese, the French form of Theresa meaning either summer, or to harvest.
Ashley means an ash tree clearing, and Raffine means refined.
3. What are your nicknames/other names?
“Most everyone calls me Winnie, or Winn for short.” She shrugs again, hands fidgeting in her lap, attempting to be as polite as possible. “Rafe still calls me Young Miss sometimes, and Rhoan calls me Lady Ash. Everyone else usually calls me Winnie or Miss Winnie.”
4. What’s your gender?
“I’m a girl,” she says, simply, and a little confused. Winnie doesn’t totally understand gender, truth told, but she also accepts whatever anyone says they are without question. She herself is a cis woman.
5. What’s your sexuality?
Winnie looks down again. “I think I tend to prefer men, but I...really don’t know. I have all these ideas of romance and the like, but when it comes to actual ...” She coughs. “Well, wifely duties, I get a bit squeamish. There isn’t much there I’ve really liked the idea of just yet.”
She’s panromantic, leaning towards men and masculine presenting people, and demisexual, not that there’s a word for it in their world quite yet.
6. Where are you from?
“I was born in the Noques countryside, but I like to think I belong to Merveaux, the capital city. It feels more welcoming than the estate ever did, or ever will again.” Her smile may seem a bit strained, but it remains, polite and shy as always.
7. How old are you?
“Nineteen. I’ll be twenty this September.” And no doubt Agnes is planning something big.
8. What is your magic form/what species are you?
"Well, I’m pretty sure I’m a human,” she answers, with a confused chuckle. “But I don’t have any magic. I can mend just about any kind of clothing, though -- even lace, and Agnes says it’s practically magic. But she’s just being nice.” Having spent a good portion of her youth in a university that specializes in educating and training fabricants, which make up about 10-15% of the entire Noques population.
9. What does your human form look like?
“I’d like to think I’m passably acceptable. Nothing out of place, and everything is about the right size. And I’d like to think I’m a bit nicer than plain, but that’s about where it ends. I’ve always been too pale, and I stay indoors far too much for it to improve. I think I like my eyes. They’re a nice blue, and about the right size. But really the only thing I like about myself is my hair -- long and brown and curly. I know it’s not obvious -- I always braid it back anyway, but it’s still the best part of me, I think.”
10. What’s your aesthetic?
“My...aesthetic?” It’s a difficult question for someone who tries to ignore her physical appearance as much as possible. She’d always been dressed by her governess as a child, then had a uniform while at Moriel’s, and she liked not having to choose for herself. “I like blue. And practicality. I don’t really need anything too fancy, though I do like a bit of lace. Agnes is usually the one who does the shopping for me.”
It’s a very soft, effeminate aesthetic. Lace blouses, soft blues, and freshly made tea in a porcelain cup. Sitting at her workbench, with light filtering in through the window, sewing decor onto a hat while she hums softly. It’s about the most Winnie aesthetic one can think of.
11. Who’s your best friend?
This question is much easier, and she offers a much quicker, more confident answer. “Agnes, of course. I met her in school. She was one of the few people who would actually talk to me there. I’d do anything for her.”
12. Would you ever get a piercing/tattoo?
"I don’t think I could. I get nervous around anything that might be painful or messy, and I get dizzy when I see even a bit of blood.”
13. When are you happiest?
"I like when everyone is home. The children are back from school and we’re sitting in the living area with an informal dinner. The best days are when Duva doesn’t have rehearsal. She and Agnes never have enough time together.” Her expression grows distant, thinking back to her youth. “It’s nice, having a full home of people who laugh so much.”
14. What’s your biggest secret?
She shakes her head. “I don’t do well with secrets, and Agnes is too good at sniffing anything out. I’ve known her so long that I don’t like keeping anything from her, nor her from me. Although -- I don’t like sharing my history, really. The Ashley-Raffine estate is still in my name, but I don’t think I could stomach ever going back there again. Is that very terrible of me?”
15. What was your first impression of Rafe?
There’s no small amount of guilt as she admits, “I didn’t notice him at first. He arrived when I was about six, just another footman in my parent’s estate. I was a spoiled little girl, and I read and embroidered more than I would talk to anyone, but eventually I began to properly notice him and the other servants.” Her smile flickers despite her best efforts. “He was very kind to me, and very patient, and I don’t think I’d have survived without him. I loved him dearly, and I miss him too much for words.”
Tagging: @punk-rock-pixie, @fearlings-lament, @madammuffins, @maitretmaitresse, @flightglyph, @timetravelingpigeon