Somewhere A Clock is Ticking

Melanie

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Melanie Fairchild

"~Another head aches, another heart breaks... I'm so much older than I can take...~" -"All These Things That I've Done", The Killers

Full Name: Melanie Leigh Fairchild

D.O.B.- 2/19/80

Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Surrey, UK

Brought up in: Surrey, U.K.

Sex: F

Race: W

Height: 5'8" (1.73 m)

Hair: Dark Brown

Eyes: Green

Ancestry: English w/ some Irish, French, and Jewish/Polish descent

Religion: Catholic mum, Protestant dad = (generally unaffiliated)

Occupation: Performer; dancer, actress, singer, buisnesswoman

Relationships

*Spouse- Adrien Carter; 2005

*Boyfriends-Adrien Carter (1993-1998 ; 2004-2005) ; James Portman (2003-2004)

*Parents- Robert and Jennifer Fairchild

*Children- Alexander (2007) ; Helena (2009) ; Broden & Sarah (2012) ; Alice (2014)

*Brothers- Oliver, Benjamin, Garen

*Sisters- Beth, Lily, Wendy, Nani

*Other Family- Cousins: Rufus & Rebecca Fairchild; Aunt & Uncle: Eddie & Elizabeth Fairchild

*Closest Friends- Alan Hart ; Geoffrey Hewitt; Gaél Torres; Nikolaj Sorensen; Gina King; Ian & Josephine Perlman

The seventh child and fifth daughter of Robert and Jennifer Fairchild, Melanie serves as SWACIT's main heroine. Though young, beautiful, vivacious and talented, she is very humble; warm and motherly to her friends, kind to others, and full of joy to be alive, living each new day. Despite this, she is left coldly startled by the death of one of her dearest friends and is constantly in a war between her own feelings and those of her elder brother, Ben.

Being impossibly similar and impossibly close to one another from a young age up, she and Adrien Carter fell into a relationship when they were about fourteen. They fit in together perfectly, ruling over the stage of her familiy's theatre. Theirs is what Alan has referred to as a "rose-colored" love... one that ended because of her torn up emotions after the death of their friend and because of the sheer hate that comes to her brother's eyes whenever Adrien is around.

An exceptional actress and dancer with a warm, high mezzo-soprano, she is looked at as an idol to those who work in theatre, and as a soul mate by Adrien, a surrogate mother by Alan, a blissful pride by her parents, and a holy shrine by Ben... but is in fact just a young woman trying to deal with the circumstances around her (some of which that were brought on by her own mistakes).

Repertoire

"Cosette"- Les Miserables Spring, 1995
"Maria"- West Side Story Fall, 1995
"Christine" - Phantom of the Opera Spring and Summer, 1996
"Janet Weiss" - The Rocky Horror Picture Show Fall (starting on Halloween), 1996
"Velma Kelly" - Chicago Fall, 1997
"Mimi" - Rent Fall, 1999

Character Analysis

Melanie is a character who changes a great deal during the two novels. She ages quickly after Gael's death, forced to grow up far before she

is ready to. She becomes, after his death, an odd combination of strength and frailty; an iron flower of sorts, independent but suffocated by the thought of losing those she loves, most of whom, oddly enough, are men.

When compared side to side with some of the other female characters in the novel (Gina, Kate, Laura), Mel can at times appear weak, which is hardly fair because she's really not. Over emotional, and albeit foolish from time to time, but not weak. Softer than Gina's Amazon warrior visage and Kate's spitfire attitude, definitely, but most certainly not the weakest woman in the story.

At first glance, it would seem she's completely dependant on men... but the turn-around is that they, in turn, are completely dependant on her. Adrien, Alan, and even Ben wouldn't be able to function without her. More often that not, she's the one who has to be strongest. Often, not always... no one can be the strongest one in a relationship all the time, no matter their stength or gender.

She makes mistakes, lets her emotions run away with her, will cry when pushed to her very limits, and isn't afraid to be the one who falls into the other's arms. Not because she's a girl... but because she's a human being who goes through too much pain in too short a time, especially for someone her age. She's not afraid to be the woman in a group of men because that is what she had to be even early on in her life (she was like a mother to Alan by the time she was nine, remember).

"~Mmm, I will try hard to be a spark of power... Mmm, I will... I'll never be your iron flower...~" - "Iron Flower", K's Choice

Quotes

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand people.”

Her boys. Her brothers. Life was so simple and complicated when they were there.
And in that moment, Mel knew for certain that what they all had was something real. Something that made her strong. Something she would crumble without. The one thing that had ever made total and perfect sense.
Her boys… how could she ever live without them?

(During Mel and Adge's breakup)
He caught his breath long enough to smile a little. “C’mon, don’t tell me you want to go through this alone.”

“…we all have to go through it alone. Otherwise, we won’t be able to piece ourselves together again.” She gripped his hand. “Do you understand?” her voice broke, “Baby?”

Suddenly, a darkness passed over his face. “I know what it is… it’s Ben, isn’t it? You finally figured that he’s not so wrong... dating a ‘kike’ sort of complicates things after all.”

She squeezed his hand again. Lying to him would destroy the one bit of respect she still had for herself, but there was no way to avoid it. Ben wasn’t right. He wasn’t right…but he was the reason for this. “Adge, you and I are the only ones in this room right now.”

He shook out his hair a little. “Cor, it’s raining.”
She grinned. “Did notice that. You realize you’re back in England now, sweetheart, yes?”

(To Geoff)
“Don’t be dirty, I’m too full to hit you.”

“Melly, do you really want part in this conversation?” Geoff grinned over at her.
She smiled, one arm flung over her sleepy eyes. “No, don’t mind me. I’ll just be over here, pretending to be oblivious.”

(She and Ben are having a fight)

"What have you ever given me but your hateful horse shite? What? I can name a lot of things that you took away, but not a lot that you gave."

"What I took away wasn't worth having, Mel!" He said, as if it was a reminder.

"It was to me." She whispered. "I know what I had didn't seem like much to you, but..." A feeble smile came across her face, making it glow for an instant, like a rosy lick of a dying candle, "I was happy. I miss that." The smile died. "I'm tired. Tired, and sick of being tired. Sick of not having one good day. I miss my life. I miss having my stupid little fairytale."

"What for?!"

She blew up. "Because I'm a fucking child!"

(...)

(After the breakup, Adge seeks comfort from Geoff)

Geoff frowned. "Adge... Melly's going through a rough patch right now. We all are, I know, but she's handling it very differently than we are. Roger and John were her brother's'' best friends. Imagine the betrayal that goes with that." Geoff shrugged mildly, his mouth flattening itself into a long, thin line of suggestion. "And besides... let's face it, you and Mel have never been very realistic about anything before. Everything was made out to be a fairytale... and it well was. It was a good life. And now here's all this grief and reality dropped at your feet. You were both bound to be a bit skittish."