CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TASK 001: ROOTS
Introducing THE MOORES —
Family Background
The Moores are fairly new to town, having arrived in Pleasance back in the 1960s. They brought with them the good faith of the World Hope Church, which the Moores founded in Columbus, Ohio. Eddie’s family separated from the main branch to spread the Word, and they have long since settled in Residential Area 1. Next to their picket fenced house is a church they also constructed where meetings and services are held up to this day by Eddie’s uncle. The previous family patriarch, Adrian Moore (Dennis Quaid fc, 68, declared legally dead) and Eddie’s father was listed in the Top 25 Most Influential Pastors list.
Generally well-received around Pleasance, most residents follow their church. The townspeople are aware of what happened to Eddie’s parents and would feel appropriately regretful, but wouldn’t be privy to what went on behind the scenes. They would have zero knowledge of how controlling Adrian is with his family, and of how Eddie would internally suffer with trying to come into terms with what she wants in contrast to her father’s, whom she only wants to please. Lara Moore (Meg Ryan fc, 60, deceased) got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease resulting into dementia when Eddie was 18 years old, after Adrian disappeared from the world without a trace. Although the disease started manifesting in Lara when Eddie was 16, Adrian hid the truth from the world, prioritizing his reputation over his wife’s health. In the World Hope Church, it is believed that any abnormalities to the brain are the result of the devil’s work, and while they also believed that they’re not beyond saving, he simply cannot let his standing be tainted by even a speck of dirt.
Eddie’s Childhood
Having Adrian and Lara for parents was fairly alright. There wasn’t a day that went by where Eddie felt starved. Her clothes were always clean and well-pressed. Her mother was always on top of the household keeping, but Eddie always felt like Lara was more of a ghost than a real person. Lara was a meek, beautiful woman who worships Eddie’s father., but Eddie’s no different, with her practically kissing the ground Adrian walks on. It’s hard not to like Adrian — he was charming and smart. A magnetic personality, basically. Eddie was happy to gain his approval, no matter how difficult it was for her to keep up with his demands. One of which is to study the violin, and the guitar, and the piano. (She just isn’t a music person, unfortunately.) Eddie used to think that if Lara didn’t get sick as a result of encountering the Strange Man, they’d still be intact. But she realized when she was much older that that would mean they would have kept on living a lie. Beautiful, but fake. There is only bliss in ignorance, and Eddie would be damned to live like that again.
Present sentiments
It is mentioned in Eddie’s intro and questionnaire that what happened to her parents (Lara with the Strange Man and Adrian with Gideon’s friend, although these are all just speculation on her part) is the main drive behind her actions. She is obsessed with finding out the truth behind Pleasance. Guild is also there, for not being a better child to Lara and for favoring Adrian as a parent (when he’s actually utter crap) because try as she might to erase it, the fact still remains that she could’ve done something to help her mother. As soon as she was able to, the first thing she does is to send Lara to a nursing home and leave her alone for many years, not even visiting once until her funeral ten years ago. As a teen, it was somewhat excusable, but as an adult, she could’ve tried. Her cowardice prevailed, and as a result, her mother died alone. She won’t ever forgive herself for that. She perhaps wouldn’t even have organized Lara’s funeral if her journalism career in New York had taken off. It scared her, how callous she had become. As recompense for her guilt, she vows to never let the same thing happen again to another kid in Pleasance, not when she’s still alive and able to do something.
With regards to Eddie’s religious beliefs, although she doesn’t anymore follow her family’s church (not since adolescence), she’s a non-practicing Christian.
Relationships
What happened in the past still haunts her today, with the way she’s still clinging on to the strange stories in Pleasance like a child gripping their favorite blanket. It’s no surprise that this carries over to how she handles the people around her. It has butchered her relationships, most notably with her ex-fiancé, Richard Kim. Their failed engagement is largely Eddie’s fault. She did try to live a relatively normal life in her early thirties, but she couldn’t help the restlessness that overcame her. It all boils down to her thinking that she doesn’t deserve even a moment of respite until she does everything that she can in figuring out what is up with Pleasance. A decade later and she’s still at it, never feeling that she has done enough. As a result, it is hard for her to foster deep friendships. Professional relationships, yes. Beneficial ones, great. Drinking, smoking, and gossip buddies, go. But never really profound & meaningful relationships.
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