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Fairest (Flowering); Defense Attorney
In the early 60s, Allison Robards was a young partner at one of Boston's most prestigious law firms. She had a perfect academic record, the backing of a powerful Boston family, a sizable collection of victories in court and a very respectable overall record. She'd just acquired a large studio apartment in one of the better parts of the city and a partnership when she ran into him. He was suave, he was gorgeous, he said words that caused her to melt and could drive her to distraction with a touch. The Greve of Stolen Lovers came for her, and in only three days, she relented to his seduction. She left everything behind- prosperous career, a loving fiance, her name, and even her soul.
As Mercedes, she lingered for years. Captured between unending pleasure and unbearable cruelty, the life she vaguely recalled and the twisted love she felt for her new lover, Mercedes kept the Greve's attention for several years before being tossed aside and cast as a servant. She suffered a different kind of abuse then, the dull ache of being tossed aside and replaced. She lurked in the background of the country estate for a long time, living for faint glimpses and overheard words spoken to another. Then, one day, she pulled herself away and pushed herself through the hedge. She was as surprised as anyone else to find that her escape coincided with that of so many others, but not as surprised as when she found that in the twenty years that had passed her fetch had ruined her name and spent her life. Allison Robards had been disbarred, disowned, cast into poverty and disrepute. She'd been dating a nigger when she finally died in a head-on collision with another car, while overdosing on cocaine.
The stress was simply too much. She lasted a few months, then simply broke down, totally unsure what to do and almost wishing she'd simply stayed in Arcadia cause there certainly wasn't anything for her here. The prospect of 'starting from scratch' simple seemed overwhelming, and she wasted a year relying on the charity of the Freehold (and the Winter Court) before finally recovering and deciding to make the best of it. With sudden resolve and sincere regards to the Onyx Court, she switched to the Spring Court and began the process of making a new life for herself. A mixture of brains and sex took her a long way, and by '86 she'd cheated and manipulated her way into a nice enough situation. Now, Mercedes Ellen Lackaday works for a small humble law firm that she founded with the help of Patrick Ellis -- largely overlooked among larger firms, Ellis and Lackaday none the less has an amazingly good record, especially when it comes to helping the Lost of Boston.
A tall willowy woman with perfect skin and a rosy complexion, flowing golden-green hair interlaced with rose-petals. She favors simple attractive clothes that accentuate her beauty without seeming cheap or gaudy, and always smells of some heady and intoxicating fragrance.
Motley- Natalya Loveless, Lisabeth Crow, Prism, Witless Walter
Friends- Jordan, Sky
Rivals/Other- Sonja Freewind, Veronica, Augustina Valen
Old Life- Lance Verant (former fiance), Bethany Robards (little sister)
Member of the Spring Court, run by Augustina Valen. Mercedes works quite hard with the Freehold, often serving as a Knight, offering her legal services without question to other Lost. She and Patrick Ellis also maintain the small but powerful law firm of Ellis And Lackaday.
By far the dominant personality in her Motley, Mercedes actually got her start in Changeling society as a member of the Scene. A mixture of interpersonal conflicts made the match a poor one, however, and Mercedes struck out on her own with fellow Scene-member Natalya Loveless in what began as a fairly small and personal motley bond. In defiance of the popular perception that Mercedes and Natalya would end up at each others throats before the end of a year, the Motley has lasted over 15 years and gained a few additional members.
The first of these was Prism, formerly of Sky's Motley, alternatively in love with both Mercedes and Natalya. The tough Earthbones serves as the pairs muscle and emotional Emory board. Lisabeth Crow acts as something akin to a little sister of the group, having left Creepy in hopes of fitting in with the cool girls instead of always being a freak. Both Mercedes and Natalya like the young Whisperwisp, but see her as needing a good bit of emotional maturation before shes a true equal. More recently, the Motley has formally accepted Witless Walter into their little club, with some hesitation given the years the Drudge has spent stalking them.
Attributes- Intelligence 3, Presence 3, Manipulation 4
Skills- Academics 2 (Law +2), Politics 3 (Judical) Empathy 4 (Cross Examination), Persuasion 4, Subterfuge 3
Merits- Retainers (Patrick Ellis) 4, Status (Lawyer) 3, Striking Looks 4
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