Imelda Bellanti

[Imelda Bellanti]

FACE CLAIM: Aisha Fabienne-Ross
PLAYER: Lynx/Lux

CHARACTER NAME: Imelda J. Bellanti
BIRTHDATE: June 16th
AGE: 28

HOMELAND: Noistar
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Mercato

APPEARANCE: Standing at 5'5" and weighing no more than 120lbs, Imelda is a very petite, feminine woman. Big blue eyes sit inside a small face, curly, dark brown hair adding to the contrast of her fair skin.

Ever the simple woman, she often wears plain clothing, opting for dresses more than anything else, usually tied together with a pair of flats. Her thick hair tends to get in the way, so most of the time, she ties it off into a bun with ribbon or braids it down her back.

Not really the type to wear makeup, her skin is remarkably clear, not even a freckle adorning her face. However, if it's an event to be attended, she isn't above darkening her lashes and maybe adding a splash of lipstick.


MARITAL STATUS: Married
FAMILY TIES:
Gavriel Bellanti - Brother | Alessio Bellanti - Cousin(brother) | Ravenna Bellanti - Daughter(3) | Geppetto Bellanti - Father | Greta Bellanti - Mother(deceased) | Amidio Bellanti - Uncle(deceased) | Evangeline Bellanti - Aunt(deceased)


OCCUPATION: Mother/Seamstress

BUSINESS:
Business Name: TBD
What type of business?: Tailor

MILITARY EXPERIENCE:
Imelda did her three years and did not hesitate to leave the military as soon as she was able.

1.Describe the character’s skill, experience, training, etc.: She has basic swordmanship and hand-to-hand combat skills. If need be, she can at least put up one hell of a fight to defend herself and others, even if she's almost guaranteed to lose.
2.When/what age did the character enter the military?: 20, left immediately at 23.
3.Character’s strengths and weaknesses? Strengths: Punctual, observant. Weaknesses: Weak stomach for violence, timid when confronted with hostility.
5.Which division?: N/A

GRAMARYE GIFT: N/A


PERSONALITY: Imelda is a kind woman, always offering a bright-eyed smile to those who look her way. She is sociable and oftentimes cheerful. She's a woman who loves to laugh and show compassion, though that often translates to her wearing her emotions on her sleeve. Having always been the gentle, motherly type, it's no surprise why a pacifist such as herself chose to opt out of the military as soon as she was able to.

Imelda has always been responsible, perhaps even more so than her older brother, Gavriel, and definitely more so than her cousin, Alessio. Still, her patience when it comes to her family seems to know no bounds as she is more than happy to do whatever she can to make her family's life a little easier in any way possible. Observant and with keen eyes, there isn't much that gets past her. Some call it intuition, others call it gut-instinct. Imelda likes to call it paying attention, being acutely aware of her surroundings.

One of the very first things people tend to notice about her is that she is a friendly, soft-spoken woman. While she isn't quite the stand-your-ground type of person when approached with anger and hostility, she still won't take any shit. Even so, she finds herself walking away from conflict more often than not. Perhaps it is cowardly, or perhaps she is able to realize when a person or situation isn't worth her energy. Either way, she'd much rather be peaceful than confrontational.

She's always had a weak stomach for violence, blood, and death. Her gentle soul could never have what it takes to bring harm to even insects. Hell, she's even been known to release rats back into the wild rather than kill them when they're found inside her home and heaven and hell forbid one of the men in her family try to kill anything in her presence.

Truth be told, Imelda isn't all peace, love, and happiness. She can be quite stern and even downright mean when frustrated or overwhelmed. There's even a bit of stubbornness in there accompanied with a 'I can handle it' attitude that can be particularly agitating to those around her who just want to help out here and there. Of course, it's always the kind, happy ones that can chew you up and spit you out. On top of that, while not the secretive type, she still prefers the 'don't ask, don't tell' approach.


HISTORY: Imelda is the youngest Bellanti, even if only by a year. Growing up, she had a decent childhood, or at least, as decent as it could be while living on the line of poverty. Her parents were hardworking and devoted, making sure she and her brother never needed for anything, even if they might have wished to give their children all they wanted as well.

Imelda was always quiet and did as she was instructed. You could say she was a 'golden child,' the perfect little angel. She tended to her studies and took it upon herself to help out with the housework. From an early age, it was clear that she was filled to the brim with nurturing, motherly instincts, something their mother seemed particularly proud of.

When she was but 7 years-old, their family took in Alessio Bellanti , her cousin on her father’s side. With his parents lost at sea, the then 10 year-old boy couldn’t fend for himself. They hadn’t had much of a relationship before, but the moment he was living with them, Imelda was quick to try to befriend him, not realizing at the time that ‘lost at sea’ likely meant his parents had died. Still, she was his shoulder to cry on, even if she were too young to understand the gravity of the situation that had befallen him. It wasn’t until some years later when she and Gavriel lost their mother that they were truly able to bond with Alessio, able to understand what he’d gone through just a little better.

Imelda was only 12 when an illness ripped their mother from them. They’d been close, doing almost everything together, including housework. It had been their mother who taught Imelda how to wield a needle and thread. When she passed, Imelda was devastated. Still, she managed to swallow her heartache and instead became the comfort for her family, even her father. She did not hesitate to step into the role of homemaker, even though learning to cook like her mother had been one of her greatest challenges. Her father often protested, but Imelda had willingly put the weight of caring for the family on her shoulders, going so far as to begin working with her father in their shop as soon as she was a skilled enough seamstress at around the age of 15. This all meant that Imelda chose to live at home, if only for her father’s sake.

While she had her work cut out for her in trying to keep Alessio in check and tend to the homely duties, she somehow still found the time to meet a young man at the naive age of 18, the two becoming something of sweethearts. They were wed when Imelda was 21, after her husband was able to secure a job as a ship tradesman. Despite being gone for months at a time, they somehow made it work, always excited to see one another when he did finally return.

When everything seemed to be leveling out, finances no longer as much of a burden, the two had a daughter, Ravenna, who quickly became the center of the Bellanti’s world. It seemed all the men in the family were wrapped around the newborn’s tiny finger, Imelda’s father going so far as to turn an unused room of their home into a workshop for Imelda. Even being wrapped around his daughter’s finger, Imelda’s husband was still gone for long periods of time and after some years, the excitement of his return felt more like a burden; another mouth to feed and more needs to meet, but the young woman was quietly compliant until, in a heat of the moment decision, she had an affair with a local man that resulted in pregnancy. It was when her husband returned home that she realized she was pregnant, quickly doing what needed to be done to cover her tracks and slide her infidelity under the rug, telling not a single soul of what had transpired. Now, at 7 months pregnant and with a three year old on her hip, her husband is due to return home any day and has said that he will be staying for an extended amount of time until the baby is born, not realizing that the child she carries is not his. Otherwise, all seems well in the Bellanti world.

FACTS:
- Can play the cello and violin.
- Chose to keep her maiden name after marriage, wanting her children to carry on the Bellanti name in memory of her mother.
- Loves to read even if she can never find the time.
- Is a skilled seamstress and can sew together clothing, hats, shoes, dolls, stuffed animals, etc.
- Had an affair that resulted in her current pregnancy.
- Devoted mother to her three year old daughter, Ravenna Bellanti (a.k.a Birdie/ Little Bird, as Alessio calls her).
- Loves and treats Alessio Bellanti as more of a brother than her cousin.
- Has mastered the look that only a mother can master.


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Which Character Tier will you be placing them in?: Tier 2
Why will they belong in this Tier?: While sociable and kind, Imelda puts her family - especially her daughter - above all else. Most of her time outside of making clothes/cloth dolls/stuffed animals is spent tending to the housework and making sure her family is well taken care of. This means that she sets aside little time for herself, including meeting people.
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