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| User: | ginou (200398) |
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| Name: | ginou | |||||||||
| Location: | Paris, France | |||||||||
| Bio: | Name: Geneviève (Ginou) Minjoulet Birthdate: 21 August 1922 Age: 18 Citizenship: French Loyalties: first, to her daughter; second, to herself; third, to her family; last, to anyone who would rid France of the German occupation. She will not acknowledge a fifth loyalty, to the father of Jeannette. Occupation: housemaid, babysitter, herbalist, anything and everything Appearance: Average height with a slim build – skinny, if one were truthful, but then so many are during wartime. Clear blue eyes, oval face, long dark hair (generally tied back), pale skin from lack of sun. In summertime on the farm, she would turn as brown as a berry. Ginou’s hands are calloused from hard work. Her hair smells of the herbs and flowers she gathers. Personality: She bides her time when making friends and feels bad about lingering distrust, but on the whole she is free with smiles and charms others with her simplicity. As a minor relative she grew up second-best and expects to remain so, but has also learnt the value of blending into the background. Her belief in people’s innate goodness has taken a serious knock over the last year. Strengths: her daughter, who is only a few weeks old. Also, her pride in her ability to work hard and make greater use of most materials than most city dwellers ever will. Weaknesses: Her daughter, and her lingering memories of Jeannette's father. Her wish to please and receive praise, particularly from men who remind her of her uncle Bernard. Skills/Abilities: Ginou is a relatively good cook, housekeeper and kitchen gardener. She gathers edibles from Paris' parks and gardens, with the added benefit of her Mamie's herbal wisdom. Background: Ginou was born into a large family of foie gras manufacturers and merchants, the niece of its patriarch via his youngest sister and a farmhand. They live in the Landes region of France, a sandy forest where the local patois still reigns – her rural accent is hard to ignore and is occasionally mistaken for English, of which she knows nothing. She left school – where she was permitted to speak only French - at the age of 12. Her contributions to the family business were to fatten the geese and make pâté, along with various tasks at the main house when necessary. It was on one such occasion that Ginou encountered Jan Steinhof, an aide to the German area administrator. The farm had been stripped of several workers by the STO, including Ginou's cousin Xavier, however Bernard Duval – the patriarch – struck a deal in order to maintain his land and position: to supply high-ranking German officers with foie gras, with a little on the side for the administrator of course. This deal made M. Duval both a hero and a traitor, in locals’ eyes, as it saved many sons and daughters from a life in Germany itself. Jan was a relatively quiet lad in his early twenties, glad to have been assigned a position far from the conflict. Ginou met him while waiting table at her uncle’s house and was soon in love – or so she thought. When Jan was promoted to a position in Paris her heart nearly broke, however she was soon overjoyed (and terrified) to find herself pregnant. She told herself that nationality and politics were secondary to a happy home and wrote a letter detailing all, essentially proposing marriage, but Jan was far too Aryan to consider marriage to a dark-haired foreigner and broke contact altogether. Ginou rejected her Mamie’s offer of an abortion, but couldn't hide her condition for long. Her mother Fernande, a resolute Catholic who had been looked down upon by her family ever since she married below their standards, threw her out, while her uncle saw her as a potential embarrassment and risk to his comfortable wartime life. He gave her a bundle of francs and sent her on her way... which, it turned out, was also to Paris. Not to find Jan (honestly), but because she wanted to see the Tour Eiffel and other landmarks while they still existed. The slim farmgirl from les Landes arrived skinny and disproportionate in late pregnancy, her attitude hardened by her treatment and journey. The birth of Jeannette – named for both Jan and her own father, Jeannot – has brought some joy into her life, however juggling poverty and motherhood has left its mark on Ginou's soul. For every good turn she gives or receives, she sees ten examples of cruelty, but at the end of the day she has a little girl to live for. And a lover to find. Maybe. | |||||||||
| Schools: | None listed | |||||||||
| Friends: | ||||||||||
| Mutual Friends: | 9: adalhelm, fancy_lamorne, heil_hans, la_boheme, little_scary, oscar_ontherun, paperlucy, v_victorious, wolfwork | |||||||||
| Also Friend of: | 1: agent_faust | |||||||||
| Member of: | 2: la_vie_ooc, la_vie_rpg | |||||||||
| Account type: | Free Patient | |||||||||
