Post by MR CHARLES BINGLEY on May 17, 2013 23:20:33 GMT -5
MR CHARLES BINGLEY
FULL NAME AND TITLE: Mr Charles Bingley
GOES BY: Charles to his sisters, Bingley to friends
AGE: 23
CLASS: Landed gentry/upper class
OCCUPATION: Gentleman
POSITION IN FAMILY: head of household
FINANCES: £5000/Year
FACE CLAIM: Simon Woods
EYE COLOR: Blue
HAIR COLOR: red
HEIGHT AND BUILD: Tall, though shorter than Mr Darcy; otherwise average, healthy build
DESCRIPTION: Charles Bingley has been said to be visually appealing, more because of his charming countenance than because he is actually handsome. He is always quite animated, his blue eyes sparkling with warmth. When he is anxious or excited, he tends to run his hand through his red hair, making it stand up even more than it already does. He smiles often, showing off a set of teeth that are nicer than most. His complexion can be seen to be reddened by exercise or excitement. This exercise keeps him healthy, and though he is not especially muscular or especially slender, he can cut a fine figure in the right clothes.
The way he dresses is in the latest fashion, or his sister would certainly have his head for it! Sometimes he can look perhaps the tiniest bit disheveled, especially because he loves to ride horses quickly, and do everything quickly, as a matter of fact. For the most part, however, he tries to look presentable. Caroline makes sure that he always looks his best. In truth, he isn't quite sure what he would do without his sister to help him. It is more likely, though, the warmth and amiability expressed in his face and open posture that attract friends.
PERSONALITY: When Charles feels, it is strongly and with haste. One moment, he can be beside himself with joy at how well a ball is going, and another, he can be angry that it ends earlier than he would like. Of course, this anger will be expressed in the most good-natured of ways, and will often subside or grow depending on the mood of the people who attend him. His temperament is such that he can be easily persuaded, in part because he has a need to please people, and in part because he simply does not have much resolve. He does not know that he knows what is best for him, because his life has had a few significant alterations in it, such as his father's sudden rise to fortune, and because he has older sisters and an older friend who often tell him what to do.
He is charming and amiable, and he loves to make new friends, which he does quickly. Unfortunately, he might not be as capable of retaining these friends, not because he causes offense, but simply because he can be carried away upon a whim to another part of the country. He does not enjoy being alone for this reason, so he will travel in a group. He also does not particularly enjoy silence, which means that there are times when he will speak even when it is not necessary. His only times of silence are in rare moments of sadness, which may be induced as quickly as joy, and can, thankfully, often be shaken off with equal expedience. He also does not enjoy being in the midst of an argument, and he will diffuse one as best as he can, though sometimes he gets flustered and simply changes the subject.
Though he is well-liked, Bingley has a tendency to give his opinions freely, perhaps more freely than someone would like, though he would never be willfully cruel. Unlike his sisters, whose rise into prosperity made them distant and stiff to others beneath them, Bingley has never appreciated formality. He is too sincere and warm for it; even though he does not always say the right thing, he endeavors to be kind. In his behavior and important decisions, Bingley often relies on his sisters and Darcy, who he considers to be more well-versed in what the “proper” thing to do is; he would rather follow his heart on impulse. He does not always think that he knows what is best for himself, but he does pride himself, at least, on being agreeable.
RESIDENCE:
FAMILY MEMBERS: Mrs. Hurst, Caroline Bingley (Did he really have 5 sisters or was that a false report?)
HISTORY: Charles Bingley was born into a family in the north of England, that of Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, along with five sisters. Having older sisters made him more easily persuaded than most friends, and he has always been somewhat dependent upon them. He and his sisters Caroline and Louisa were the closest. He was also close with some of his cousins, as for a time, his family was somewhat financially dependent upon his aunt and uncle. He grew up in a moderate lifestyle, and there was some difficulty in providing for six children. However, Providence smiled on the siblings, as their father soon made his fortune in trade.
After this break, their lifestyle altered considerably. Their mother had passed away, which was one reason for the significant change. Some might say that the death of their mother, overworked caring for so many children while their father was away occupied with business, was one catalyst for the outrageous spending by the sisters that was to follow. More likely, it was just the fact that they had more money than they had before, and were eager to show themselves and the world that they were no longer merely gentry, but ladies, and their brother a gentleman. They began to spend money with haste and with self-importance.
Charles went along with all of this without much thought, for he was soon to go off to university, and his sisters wanted him to go there and gain a large acquaintance by being fashionable. That he did. His sisters benefited greatly from his friendships, which were formed more because of his amiability than his wealth or dress. One of his acquaintances, met through a mutual friend at the university, was Fitzwilliam Darcy.
He and Darcy became fast friends, in part because Charles would not have realized if Darcy disliked him. He confided in Darcy whenever he “fell in love,” as he believed himself to have done multiple times while at university, because he started to like people quickly, and he didn't know how to distinguish friendship from romantic affection. He enjoyed Darcy's company immensely, and decided, when he left university, to bring Darcy with him. He'd never had property before, but Caroline thought it would be a good idea to establish themselves. His sister had married while he was away at university, and after getting some help from Darcy, he settled upon some property in Hertfordshire, called Netherfield.
YOUR NAME: Liz
YOUR AGE: 19
YOUR RP EXPERIENCE: 9 years
YOUR SAMPLE:
Removing his hat and handing the reins of his steed to a stable boy, Charles Bingley entered the back door of his home to see Jane there, and heard what she murmured with a sideways smile. "What, my ride?" Charles asked as he came up behind his wife and slipped his arms around her waist to draw her close with a shy smile. She thought when she said 'thank God that's over', she was referring to his morning ride as the thing that was over. He took one every day, so he didn't see why she was so relieved that he was come back, but if he was greeted like this upon his return, perhaps he should go out more often.
"I'm glad to see you too, love." He rested his chin in the crook of her neck and nuzzled into the soft fragrant skin there, inhaling lightly. He felt badly for having been gone for a rather long time, and now that he was with her again, he didn't plan on leaving. His morning jaunts were pleasant, but there was nothing as pleasant as spending time with his wife. He would never tire of calling her that; it was as novel and wonderful to him as it had been two months ago when they had first been married.
Now that he was married to Jane, his perfect Jane, his shyness towards her had not entirely faded, though it had diminished. After bestowing a lingering kiss beneath her ear, he looked over her shoulder towards the grand entryway of his home, where he realized a carriage was just leaving. For a moment his brow furrowed in confusion and then it came to him that his in-laws had been visiting. Again. "Ohhh," he said quietly, realizing what Jane had been referring to now. "I suppose I missed them, then," he noted, though his voice did not sound too disappointed. "A thousand apologies, my dearest." He had to admit he was a bit tired of Mrs. Bennet, but he felt badly that he had not been around when she came - not for her sake but for Jane's, who had been left alone with her.
"It seems they must have forgotten about my ride," he mused, contemplating his decision to move the time to be later. It had originally been so he could spend the morning at his leisure, breakfasting with his wife, but conveniently enough now occurred at the time that Mrs. Bennet (and sometimes her remaining unmarried daughters) came by. He watched the carriage go off and sighed contentedly and nuzzled into Jane in a way that was meant to be comforting. She never complained and probably hadn't been expecting to be heard when she said she was glad her mother was gone, but even so, the fact that she had said something, though she hadn't thought he'd hear, said clearly that it was bothering her. He wished he could do something about it, but it was difficult for him; he couldn't forbid his relative from coming here, or move the house farther away from hers. "At least she's gone now," he offered, pressing her hand reassuringly, "and we can be alone." He gave her a little sympathetic smile. “Had she... anything to say of particular interest?”
"I'm glad to see you too, love." He rested his chin in the crook of her neck and nuzzled into the soft fragrant skin there, inhaling lightly. He felt badly for having been gone for a rather long time, and now that he was with her again, he didn't plan on leaving. His morning jaunts were pleasant, but there was nothing as pleasant as spending time with his wife. He would never tire of calling her that; it was as novel and wonderful to him as it had been two months ago when they had first been married.
Now that he was married to Jane, his perfect Jane, his shyness towards her had not entirely faded, though it had diminished. After bestowing a lingering kiss beneath her ear, he looked over her shoulder towards the grand entryway of his home, where he realized a carriage was just leaving. For a moment his brow furrowed in confusion and then it came to him that his in-laws had been visiting. Again. "Ohhh," he said quietly, realizing what Jane had been referring to now. "I suppose I missed them, then," he noted, though his voice did not sound too disappointed. "A thousand apologies, my dearest." He had to admit he was a bit tired of Mrs. Bennet, but he felt badly that he had not been around when she came - not for her sake but for Jane's, who had been left alone with her.
"It seems they must have forgotten about my ride," he mused, contemplating his decision to move the time to be later. It had originally been so he could spend the morning at his leisure, breakfasting with his wife, but conveniently enough now occurred at the time that Mrs. Bennet (and sometimes her remaining unmarried daughters) came by. He watched the carriage go off and sighed contentedly and nuzzled into Jane in a way that was meant to be comforting. She never complained and probably hadn't been expecting to be heard when she said she was glad her mother was gone, but even so, the fact that she had said something, though she hadn't thought he'd hear, said clearly that it was bothering her. He wished he could do something about it, but it was difficult for him; he couldn't forbid his relative from coming here, or move the house farther away from hers. "At least she's gone now," he offered, pressing her hand reassuringly, "and we can be alone." He gave her a little sympathetic smile. “Had she... anything to say of particular interest?”
