Anomaly Jones
From Changeling Venue
| Seeming | Beast Truefriend |
|---|---|
| Court | Spring Court •••• |
| Freehold | Summerhold |
| Player | Valerie Pless |
Contents |
Overview
Alias(es): None
Real Name: Laura Parker
Age: 38
Concept: Professional Optimist
Entitlement: None
Physical description: Short, puffy lamb beast.
Character Livejournal: SeveralMinds
Character Information
Warm Memories
Current Activities:
Queen of Spring
Background: She wasn’t always Anomaly Jones, but she was always herself and no amount of time in Arcadia was going to change who she was. Anomaly, born as the lovely blonde baby named Laura, was the only child of John and Martha Parker. Born April 4th 1919, she was a child of the time. Polite, obedient and faithful, she lived a very average life in Providence RI until her seventh year. Her father, a doctor, moved his family to the ever-growing city of Tempe Arizona to fill the shortage of medical workers they experienced after the population boom of World War One. Dr. John Parker was an industrious and stern man. But his matter-of-factness ended when it came to his daughter; his pride and joy. He didn’t excessively praise her or boast about her achievement, such a thing would be prideful and ostentatious. But she never lacked in encouragement, affection or attention from this pious man. Laura got her tender heart and sense of duty from her mother Martha. She was loving and tender, ready with a kiss and a kind word whenever her child was upset or hurt. Like many housewives of the times she could do seemingly anything, especially in the eyes of her daughter, and made sure to teach Laura about the importance of God, country and family. Laura was sad to hear that she would be leaving her young friends behind, but she was most disturbed about the fact she would be in the ‘wild west’. The entire train ride west she fretted about getting shot by outlaws, scalped by Indians, finding herself in the middle of a gun fight. But she had to persevere for the sake of her parents; who had been so good to her, who had given her everything to make her comfortable and happy, that she couldn’t let them know how confused she was that her father would take her to such a lawless, Godless place. She was surprised to find it was civilized if still radically different than New England. Her small family prospered in Tempe. Dr. Parker set up a thriving practice near the Tempe Normal School and was minister at their Protestant church. Martha kept a clean and smoothly-running house. Little Laura was growing into a young adult well. She was never a disappointment to her parents. She didn’t naturally excel in school but studied hard enough to make above-standard grades. She helped around the house and dreamed of the day she would get to have a house and a family to care for of her own. She said her prayers every night asking God to care for her wonderful parents and to make her a forthright person. As she grew older she still held the childhood habit of kneeling by the bed, with hands clasped, speaking her words aloud. In her middle teens she still had the same dreams, and she asked her lord every night to send her a strong, loving, responsible man. To let her find a husband who she could love as her mother loved her father and to make her a woman worthy of such a fine man. Then she would sleep, and dream of him. He was very clear in her mind; tall and mighty, with flowing blonde hair and fierce passionate eyes. This dream man was all she could ever ask for, and in her dreams she called to him and wished him to come find her and take her away to live happily ever after. Around her sixteenth birthday her dreams became pronounced, more real. She would make excuses to go to bed early so she could get to him faster. He told her he was coming to find her, that he would take her away…she would be so happy with him. And she would, she knew with all her heart that she could live forever in the arms of this powerful man. She felt him every night getting closer to her. She could hardly eat with the excitement as she was sure he was mere days away from finding her. And on the night of September 7th, 1935 he did. Her dreams were empty of him and she woke in the night with a start. She ran to her window and looked out into her yard. What she saw would have astounded her had she not been in a trance state. Looking at her from behind a tree was a lion, but it was him, she didn’t know why that should be but it was so. He looked at her with the same intense eyes as the dream man. As he approached her he became more manlike, turning into his true self as he approached under her window. He smiled, and in that smile said all there needed to be. ‘Come with me’, but could she? What would her parents think if she went running wild into the night with a strange man? She was conflicted in a way she had never known, the idea she was entertaining was certainly only something ‘bad girls’ did. He needed only speak one word to alleviate all her fears, Come, and she did. She ran down to the front door in nothing but her nightgown and stocking feet. Laura could only think of him, there was no sense of indecency now. Out the door she could see him, waiting with arms open, and she couldn’t get to him fast enough. Yards before she reached him she had a flash of warning, but her feet were moving of their own accord now. She thought she would fall into the loving embrace of her man, but he was the lion and into his jaws she went. The pain rushed through her as his teeth sank into most of her midsection. It was nothing compared to the pain in her heart that she’d been deceived. Without hesitation the mighty beast began carrying her away. With her last shreds of consciousness she noticed that her house was so small, so dark. Then everything went black. There was a dream. She was alone in the black, feeling nothing but pure panic. She awoke and her hands darted to her flanks searching for the grievous wound she’d received. There was nothing. As she began looked around her for the first time she was struck with the beauty of her surroundings. In every direction were beautiful creatures, sleek cats, noble horses, colorful birds and him. He was sitting in a thrown on a dais in the center of the room surrounded by his lovely animals, looking on at her waiting for her give him her attention. “Where have you taken me?” she asked, eyes filling with tears. “Don’t be upset girl. I only did as you asked; I took you away and brought you to my home. And now you get to love me.” “I can’t love you!” she yelled in a broken voice “You tricked me and I can never love you now! Take me home!” He rose and strode to her. She thought he would hold and comfort her, then offer to take her back offering an apology for hurting her when she did in fact love him so dearly. What he did was grab her by the arm and haul her up to her feet, drew back his hand and hit her squarely in the face. “This is your home, and you will love me.” He had a lot of experience with this; she should be giving into his demands shortly. He was shocked when she began an audible, tear-filled prayer on his behalf. She begged her god to show this man the error of his ways and return to God’s path. He dropped her with a mix of disgust and interest, as she continued to pray for him. “You’ll stay for a year and a day, and then you may leave if you can and will. That is a better offer than anyone has gotten. You’ll agree because you have no other option. Now, go stand with the rest.” The rest…he meant the animals in his menagerie. She tried to look as lovely as the rest, but he was constantly displeased with her for which she was beaten awfully. Every time he would lash out at her she learned to cry less and pray more and go back to her spot and set her mind to be even lovelier. But after months of endless failing he grew tired of beating her and sent her outside, saying she could come back if she made herself presentable. Outside was magically beautiful and strange. She found a familiar sight on his sprawling estates, a bucolic old barn full of very plain animals. The cows and pigs were homely and plain in any case, but especially compared to the wondrous things inside the house. Laura took up there and soon grew to enjoy the Arcadia that was pushed off stage, the average, boring and mundane part. Though she never lost count of the days. She would follow the animals as they went to graze and soon found that her feet were changing to resemble theirs, tough hooves to help her on the rocks and gravel. During the chill of winter she found that she had adapted with a thick coat of soft white wool, her blond hair soon changed to match. She could eat anything and go where the animals went. She was happy to be forgotten for the better part of a year, but she didn’t forget her keeper and prayed for his soul every night before she fell asleep in the barn. She was keenly aware on the day her year was up and not surprised when a woman came to retrieve her to present to the master. As she stood in front of him she felt proud, for she had become presentable. She had changed in a way she found amazing, though he did not. He told her that she disgusted him. She said violent and cruel things that made her heart sink, for all this time she had not stopped loving the powerful man-beast. He told her that it was of no consequence to him if she left and never came back. She was a failure and a mistake not fit for his collection, he was glad to be rid of her. All the others became beautiful, this one was an anomaly. She left him feeling strangely. She could go home now, but the torch she carried for him burned as brightly as ever. She returned to her barn and knowing she must leave tried to coax the other residents to come with her. She pulled them and pushed them and scolded them for not following her. They stared at her with oddly human eyes as she broke down crying that they wouldn’t save themselves. Her heart broke as she left alone, picking a direction at random as it had as much chance as any other to get her out. She went a long while without seeing anyone, but when she finally did find someone he could hardly be missed. He was big as a house, sitting and playing with rocks. After her introducing to Brockton, a sweet and simple minded man, she decided that she must rescue him. All she had to do was ask and he was by her side trying to find a way out. After walking no short time she saw what could be a wall, big and green. As they approached it was clear that it was a living thing, it sang to her a song of home. To repay her the kindness of leading him home, Brockton carried her through the Hedge. It was painful still, she was unsure if she could have made it on her own. It went on endlessly, but they finally found themselves out and into an even more alien world. It was bright and fast and loud. Brock explained about cars and everything he knew from the 1970’s. Anomaly (as that’s how she thought of herself now) thought how odd it was that he should say he was from the 70’s when by her logic it should be 1936. They had little time to wonder when a car pulled up next to them and a kind looking older man told them that he knows what they are and he could help them. It was as good an offer as they could have hoped for. The man was David Orion, it was 1987, it was still Tempe and they were back in the real world after having been in Arcadia for who knows how long. It was a lot to absorb, but Anomaly was eager to learn about fetches and changelings and the lot. They stayed with David and were taken to the freehold to meet the others. What Annie most wanted to do was find out about her family. Her parents were dead, she found their graves and place flowers for them. And she was still alive, living in a nursing home, when Annie went to see her. Laura, old and frail, was waiting for Annie and when the girl broke down bawling comforted her. Annie learned of the family that Laura had; a husband of 50 years who had passed, seven children and thirteen grandchildren. Anomaly was deeply saddened at all she had missed, but realized that the life of Laura Parker was no longer hers. She was happy that ‘she’ had had as happy, well lived life; and that she had a unique opportunity to live a whole new life. A life fifty years later. She went on to start a public relations company to put to use her natural optimism and sunny disposition and was quite successful. In a few years she was able to save up for a large building for her, Brock and many others she’d met to live in. Friends died and new faces came. She continued to help any and all who needed it, eventually becoming the monarch over her chosen season of spring. Her business is large and she’s learning shrewdness. Her and her fetch remained close, she was like a member of her own family and cared for herself as she would her own mother. Anomaly Jones is much like the Laura Parker of old; pious, kind hearted and loving. But she’s older now, wiser. Maintaining innocence not just for herself but for her fellow changelings who thought that was lost for their kind. She loves and is loved; and it’s close, but not quite, to what she had always prayed for. She couldn’t not give all she had to the people she loved, it was as much a part of her as her own heart. Her only secret, for she would be honest but never hurtful even to her own determent, was that she wanted a man to love her as her keeper had promised to do long ago. To be seen as something more than a mother, as a lover.
Garden (Motley)
Heard (Allies)
Wolves (Enemies)
Character Inspirations
Soundtrack
Baikai - Hirasawa Susumu
Sleeping in - The Postal Service
All I Have To Do Is Dream - The Dandy Warhols
About Her - Malcolm Mclaren
Antidepressant O44 - Hibiki Sound Factory
Ou Mono - Hirasawa Susumu
Parade - Hirasawa Susumu
Not Even Jail - Interpol
Brand New Colony - The Postal Service
I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie
Shizuku Ippai no Kioku - Hirasawa Susumu
Quotes
"Anomaly is the most kindhearted person I have ever met. I would kill to protect that." Alex Summers.
"Aside from the pretty, pretty princess, she's the one person I'd willingly give my life for without hesitation or stopping to think about it. Oath or no." Jax
"There are "Nice Girls" and then there is Ms. Jones...Nice girls ain't got nuthin' on this bird." Jimmy Quick
"It's hard to believe that Anomaly and I are both of the same court. I guess it just goes to show that Spring /is/ the most versatile of all seasons." Mara-Zen
"Innocence and kindness are so rare among our kind, qualities which need protection and care to survive. Anomaly is such a gem, and one whom deserves what help we can give her." Nigel Somn
"Anomaly? What does ye want with Her Ladyship? Ye harm one hair o her wool lubber and I'll show ye nightmares even tha Autmn Court would wish on ye!" Mister Greenbriar
Rumors
- She actively hunts down and brutally kills wolf-based beasts with "kindness".
- She was a drunken Irish World Headbutting Champion.
- During the Summer time is the only time she shears herself.
- Anomaly is known to run in fear at the mention of "Brazilian Wax".
