application: rachel berry
PLAYER
» Journal: ohdelighted
» Birthdate/Age: March 16, 1990 | 21 years old
» Characters Played: N/A
CHARACTER
» Name: Rachel Barbra Berry
» Fandom: Glee
» Reference: Here.
» Canon Point: 2x16, Original Song
» Gender: Female.
» Age: 16 in canon, aged up to 18.
» Orientation: Canonically heterosexual. She's seriously dated Finn Hudson and Jesse St James, and had a fleeting relationship with Noah Puckerman.
» Personality: At first glance, Rachel Berry's personality is almost comical. She is the larger than life starlet-in-training who never shuts up, whose smile is unbelievably wide and bright, and she makes no apologies for her inevitable outshining of anyone else. That is who she is-- she's the star, and everybody better accept it or get out of the way.
Rachel is, in a lot of ways, a typical teenage girl. She wants to fit in, to belong, to feel special. That's why she joins Glee, after all. Sure, it gave her the opportunity to showcase her talent in yet another way, but it was more important than that. She wants to be a part of something special enough to be respected so that she can be special. She doesn't expect that Glee club will be a launching point for success any more than her countless auditions or dance classes; she expects that through the success of the club (because how could it not succeed with her there?), she will find the acceptance from her classmates that she so desperately craves.
In the show, we see a girl who is abrasive, often selfishly focused and blunt to the point of being painfully honest, and who doesn't have a good grasp of social etiquette or how to get along with her peers. She's driven, yes, and her determination to success drives a lot of her day-to-day activities. She is almost spectacularly single-minded when she wants to be, because once Rachel decides she needs or wants something, absolutely nothing will get in her way until she has either accomplished or gotten it... or died trying.
But beneath all of her stage smiles and high expectations and never-ending commentary, there's a girl much like any other who really just wants to be happy. Ever since she can remember, she's associated stardom with happiness - she's taught herself that she'll only ever be truly happy when she's a big star and achieved her goals. When she began to see that her drive and determination only made kids not like her (because kids don't like what they don't understand, and Rachel was... odd, to say the least), she began to tell herself that she didn't need friends. She would tell herself that stars had to sacrifice having friends or doing fun silly things if they wanted to get to the Big Time. You never saw footage of Broadway stars going to the movies on Friday nights-- you saw the home videos of their recitals (where they got the largest bouquets) or their competitions (where they won, naturally) to illustrate their rise to fame.
It's not that Rachel is a bad person or that she doesn't care about people, because she really does. But it's important to note that Rachel has never had to think about anyone else's needs before. Her determination to become a star has made her incredibly unaware of the effect her actions may have on other people. For example, when she realized that she'd never receive a solo under Sandy Ryerson's tutelage, she immediately put into action a plan that would remove him from the situation. She accused him of inappropriately touching a young boy, an accusation that has serious consequences and one that never goes away. But for Rachel, it never registered that it might be wrong to lie and say that about someone else, because it was a necessary step in ensuring her own rise to stardom.
One of Rachel's biggest downfalls, however, is her desire to be liked and respected amongst her peers. This, combined with her one-track mind and inability to see things from other people's perspectives, often becomes a recipe for disaster. She both values and ignores her reputation-- for instance, she tells Finn in an early episode that she could care less about her high school reputation, since after all when she's a big star they'll all be sorry they Slushied her. But later, in the episode Bad Reputation, Rachel attempts to add a little "bad" to her reputation by conning the three leading men in her life into co-starring in a music video with her-- one that, at the end, makes it seem as if all three are fighting over her. While her actions are obviously hurtful to the people involved, it's important to note that Rachel never does anything maliciously. Everything is based on what it will do for her career, for her inevitable future as a star. She is basically incapable of seeing anything from anyone else's viewpoint. On top of all that, she's painfully awkward in social situations because of her lack of socialized interactions-- she spent the majority of her childhood in classes and lessons, and she never quite figured out how to interact with people in school. So up until her sophomore year of high school, Rachel Berry never had a friend. Sure, she had acquaintances and fellow performers in her various classes, but she never had anyone really there for her until Glee. That's why she keeps coming back. That's why she refuses to leave.
To summarize, a quote of Rachel's from her canon point: "All I've ever wanted was to feel special and to feel chosen and I just, um, I wanted to thank you guys so much for giving me that."
» Appearance: A little slip of a thing, Rachel is barely over 5'3" with possibly the tiniest waist known to man. She has a creamy, almost olive complexion, with expressive eyes (blessed even with long, fluttering eyelashes, because she's just that poised to be a star) and a wide mouth with gleaming teeth. She admits that her nose is stereotypically large and Jewish, but she has grown to love it for its connection to her idol, Barbra Streisand, and its potential to make her standout from the less stellar crowd as she goes to become a star. Important to note is Rachel's wardrobe, however. She has, as Quinn so marvelously put it, the ability to dress like a toddler and a grandmother at the same time. How does she accomplish a feat like this? Simple-- she sticks to classic, occasionally out-dated patterns and cuts that suit her (admittedly bizarre) personality. She favors knee socks and knee-length skirts, well-pressed button-ups and warm, brightly colored cardigans, headbands of various colors, and penny loafers and mary janes. It is only when she's at dance class that this wardrobe varies-- and there, she sticks to a professional's roster of black leotards, pink tutus, and ballet shoes of the soft pink that's generally reserved for newborns. It's amazing she's as cute as she is. A full body screencap and a facial screencap.
» Suitability: Rachel is physically ready for sexual intimacy, given her age and her physical relationships at this point in canon - the tricky part is her mental readiness. Near the end of Season One, she confessed that she couldn't "give herself" to her boyfriend at the time because her teammates wouldn't approve - her refusal to go all the way was based in loyalty to her Glee club, not any unwillingness or fears of the act itself. And in the second season, we've seen her not only take a healthy control of her own sexuality (the choice to abstain can be just as powerful as the choice to indulge) by joining the Celibacy Club and seeking out guidance from adults... unfortunately, the adults aren't ones to give proper sexual education. My main reasoning for bringing Rachel to Amat (as opposed to other panfandom games) is to take the time to explore how Rachel's exploration of her own sexuality changes her and allows her to grow. She's the daughter of two gay dads, after all. If anyone can benefit from some real-world sexuality education, it's her.
SAMPLES
» "amatomnes" Entry:
[ By the time the video feed flickers to life, Rachel Berry is standing fully-clothed in the center of the room, holding the device out at arms length with a curious expression. ]
Hello to anyone who may be watching this, or listening, as I'm not entirely certain that this device can transmit a video feed. My name is Rachel Barbra Berry, and I'm afraid I am terribly lost.
[ She pauses for a moment, glancing down at herself. ] I am lost and confused. You see, as lovely as this particular location promises to be - I have always had an affinity to the seashore thanks to a love of Sweeney Todd - it certainly is not home. And home is where I need to be, because I am scheduled to perform at the National Show Choir competition this summer in New York City, so if there is anyone out there who can assist me in getting home, it would be certainly appreciated.
[ A breath, as Rachel grits her teeth and turns the video feed away. Being afraid would not help her, but a lie might. ]
If you're... if you're after money, my dads haven't got any, so I'm afraid I would not be a very productive kidnap subject. Just... in case you were hoping for a cash reward.
» "amatomneslogs" Entry:
The first thing Rachel noticed as her eyes cracked open was that it was bright. She was used to early morning sunshine - her usual routine being six am sharp kept her well adjusted - but this was brighter than a six am light. And as she rolled over, fumbling for the alarm clock beside her bed, her eyes opened a little more as her hand made contact with ... well, air. She sat up then, hands sliding against the cool silk (since when were her sheets silk?) of the bedding before rubbing against her eyelids.
Maybe when I open my eyes, things will make sense. I must still be half-asleep. Things will be back to normal once I wake up.
She hesitated for a moment before opening her eyes again, but when she did, there was a sinking feeling in her chest and a tightness in her throat that hadn't been there before. This wasn't her room. This wasn't any room she'd ever been in before. It was a nice room - four-poster bed with cool sheets and gorgeous furniture was certainly something Rachel could appreciate, but the context was wrong. The timing was wrong, she thought bitterly, and as she drew her knees up to her chest, she winced. There was pain in her pelvis that... well, that she'd felt before, but never in bed. She was a dancer, a well-trained one, and pain like that only came when she over-exerted herself at the barre. And she certainly hadn't been doing splits in her sleep... though she did have to blush a bit when she thought of the dream she had had.
Shaking herself out of her momentary reverie, Rachel forced herself to look around. Maybe her dads had taken her on vacation to celebrate her win at Regionals. (It was a long shot, but it was a possibility.) There was an open window letting in a cool breeze, and she could see the crests of waves in the distance, so... wherever she was, it had a shore. Which was odd, considering that the closest beaches were a few hours drive away, and she knew she couldn't have forgotten an entire flight.
It was just strange, she thought as she moved off the bed, crossing the room to stand in front of the dresser. As she stared at herself in the mirror on the wall, her eyes narrowed a bit as her gaze fell on the necklace resting against her skin. That was... odd. It was the star charm that Finn had given her for Christmas. She had taken that off and put it away; looking at it had been too painful. And now, for whatever reason, her attempts at unhooking the clasp were not only unsuccessful, but impossible - the clasp had apparently disappeared.
It was all too weird. The room, the location, the fact that her internal alarm clock hadn't woken her up (from the brightness of the sunshine, it had to be at least noon), and now a mysteriously reappearing necklace that she couldn't get off? Rachel swallowed hard, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared into the mirror.
"I've got to be dreaming. I'm still dreaming. Clearly that's all it is. Rachel, snap out of it. Rachel, wake up. You're just over-tired from rehearsals, that's all it is. Wake up. You're just in your bed, at home, and you're going to wake up and work out and - why aren't you waking up? Wake up!"
She could feel herself growing a little hysterical, and she swallowed again, moving to the window and leaning out as much as she could.
"This is not what Inception is supposed to be like, you know!"
» Journal: ohdelighted
» Birthdate/Age: March 16, 1990 | 21 years old
» Characters Played: N/A
CHARACTER
» Name: Rachel Barbra Berry
» Fandom: Glee
» Reference: Here.
» Canon Point: 2x16, Original Song
» Gender: Female.
» Age: 16 in canon, aged up to 18.
» Orientation: Canonically heterosexual. She's seriously dated Finn Hudson and Jesse St James, and had a fleeting relationship with Noah Puckerman.
» Personality: At first glance, Rachel Berry's personality is almost comical. She is the larger than life starlet-in-training who never shuts up, whose smile is unbelievably wide and bright, and she makes no apologies for her inevitable outshining of anyone else. That is who she is-- she's the star, and everybody better accept it or get out of the way.
Rachel is, in a lot of ways, a typical teenage girl. She wants to fit in, to belong, to feel special. That's why she joins Glee, after all. Sure, it gave her the opportunity to showcase her talent in yet another way, but it was more important than that. She wants to be a part of something special enough to be respected so that she can be special. She doesn't expect that Glee club will be a launching point for success any more than her countless auditions or dance classes; she expects that through the success of the club (because how could it not succeed with her there?), she will find the acceptance from her classmates that she so desperately craves.
In the show, we see a girl who is abrasive, often selfishly focused and blunt to the point of being painfully honest, and who doesn't have a good grasp of social etiquette or how to get along with her peers. She's driven, yes, and her determination to success drives a lot of her day-to-day activities. She is almost spectacularly single-minded when she wants to be, because once Rachel decides she needs or wants something, absolutely nothing will get in her way until she has either accomplished or gotten it... or died trying.
But beneath all of her stage smiles and high expectations and never-ending commentary, there's a girl much like any other who really just wants to be happy. Ever since she can remember, she's associated stardom with happiness - she's taught herself that she'll only ever be truly happy when she's a big star and achieved her goals. When she began to see that her drive and determination only made kids not like her (because kids don't like what they don't understand, and Rachel was... odd, to say the least), she began to tell herself that she didn't need friends. She would tell herself that stars had to sacrifice having friends or doing fun silly things if they wanted to get to the Big Time. You never saw footage of Broadway stars going to the movies on Friday nights-- you saw the home videos of their recitals (where they got the largest bouquets) or their competitions (where they won, naturally) to illustrate their rise to fame.
It's not that Rachel is a bad person or that she doesn't care about people, because she really does. But it's important to note that Rachel has never had to think about anyone else's needs before. Her determination to become a star has made her incredibly unaware of the effect her actions may have on other people. For example, when she realized that she'd never receive a solo under Sandy Ryerson's tutelage, she immediately put into action a plan that would remove him from the situation. She accused him of inappropriately touching a young boy, an accusation that has serious consequences and one that never goes away. But for Rachel, it never registered that it might be wrong to lie and say that about someone else, because it was a necessary step in ensuring her own rise to stardom.
One of Rachel's biggest downfalls, however, is her desire to be liked and respected amongst her peers. This, combined with her one-track mind and inability to see things from other people's perspectives, often becomes a recipe for disaster. She both values and ignores her reputation-- for instance, she tells Finn in an early episode that she could care less about her high school reputation, since after all when she's a big star they'll all be sorry they Slushied her. But later, in the episode Bad Reputation, Rachel attempts to add a little "bad" to her reputation by conning the three leading men in her life into co-starring in a music video with her-- one that, at the end, makes it seem as if all three are fighting over her. While her actions are obviously hurtful to the people involved, it's important to note that Rachel never does anything maliciously. Everything is based on what it will do for her career, for her inevitable future as a star. She is basically incapable of seeing anything from anyone else's viewpoint. On top of all that, she's painfully awkward in social situations because of her lack of socialized interactions-- she spent the majority of her childhood in classes and lessons, and she never quite figured out how to interact with people in school. So up until her sophomore year of high school, Rachel Berry never had a friend. Sure, she had acquaintances and fellow performers in her various classes, but she never had anyone really there for her until Glee. That's why she keeps coming back. That's why she refuses to leave.
To summarize, a quote of Rachel's from her canon point: "All I've ever wanted was to feel special and to feel chosen and I just, um, I wanted to thank you guys so much for giving me that."
» Appearance: A little slip of a thing, Rachel is barely over 5'3" with possibly the tiniest waist known to man. She has a creamy, almost olive complexion, with expressive eyes (blessed even with long, fluttering eyelashes, because she's just that poised to be a star) and a wide mouth with gleaming teeth. She admits that her nose is stereotypically large and Jewish, but she has grown to love it for its connection to her idol, Barbra Streisand, and its potential to make her standout from the less stellar crowd as she goes to become a star. Important to note is Rachel's wardrobe, however. She has, as Quinn so marvelously put it, the ability to dress like a toddler and a grandmother at the same time. How does she accomplish a feat like this? Simple-- she sticks to classic, occasionally out-dated patterns and cuts that suit her (admittedly bizarre) personality. She favors knee socks and knee-length skirts, well-pressed button-ups and warm, brightly colored cardigans, headbands of various colors, and penny loafers and mary janes. It is only when she's at dance class that this wardrobe varies-- and there, she sticks to a professional's roster of black leotards, pink tutus, and ballet shoes of the soft pink that's generally reserved for newborns. It's amazing she's as cute as she is. A full body screencap and a facial screencap.
» Suitability: Rachel is physically ready for sexual intimacy, given her age and her physical relationships at this point in canon - the tricky part is her mental readiness. Near the end of Season One, she confessed that she couldn't "give herself" to her boyfriend at the time because her teammates wouldn't approve - her refusal to go all the way was based in loyalty to her Glee club, not any unwillingness or fears of the act itself. And in the second season, we've seen her not only take a healthy control of her own sexuality (the choice to abstain can be just as powerful as the choice to indulge) by joining the Celibacy Club and seeking out guidance from adults... unfortunately, the adults aren't ones to give proper sexual education. My main reasoning for bringing Rachel to Amat (as opposed to other panfandom games) is to take the time to explore how Rachel's exploration of her own sexuality changes her and allows her to grow. She's the daughter of two gay dads, after all. If anyone can benefit from some real-world sexuality education, it's her.
SAMPLES
» "amatomnes" Entry:
[ By the time the video feed flickers to life, Rachel Berry is standing fully-clothed in the center of the room, holding the device out at arms length with a curious expression. ]
Hello to anyone who may be watching this, or listening, as I'm not entirely certain that this device can transmit a video feed. My name is Rachel Barbra Berry, and I'm afraid I am terribly lost.
[ She pauses for a moment, glancing down at herself. ] I am lost and confused. You see, as lovely as this particular location promises to be - I have always had an affinity to the seashore thanks to a love of Sweeney Todd - it certainly is not home. And home is where I need to be, because I am scheduled to perform at the National Show Choir competition this summer in New York City, so if there is anyone out there who can assist me in getting home, it would be certainly appreciated.
[ A breath, as Rachel grits her teeth and turns the video feed away. Being afraid would not help her, but a lie might. ]
If you're... if you're after money, my dads haven't got any, so I'm afraid I would not be a very productive kidnap subject. Just... in case you were hoping for a cash reward.
» "amatomneslogs" Entry:
The first thing Rachel noticed as her eyes cracked open was that it was bright. She was used to early morning sunshine - her usual routine being six am sharp kept her well adjusted - but this was brighter than a six am light. And as she rolled over, fumbling for the alarm clock beside her bed, her eyes opened a little more as her hand made contact with ... well, air. She sat up then, hands sliding against the cool silk (since when were her sheets silk?) of the bedding before rubbing against her eyelids.
Maybe when I open my eyes, things will make sense. I must still be half-asleep. Things will be back to normal once I wake up.
She hesitated for a moment before opening her eyes again, but when she did, there was a sinking feeling in her chest and a tightness in her throat that hadn't been there before. This wasn't her room. This wasn't any room she'd ever been in before. It was a nice room - four-poster bed with cool sheets and gorgeous furniture was certainly something Rachel could appreciate, but the context was wrong. The timing was wrong, she thought bitterly, and as she drew her knees up to her chest, she winced. There was pain in her pelvis that... well, that she'd felt before, but never in bed. She was a dancer, a well-trained one, and pain like that only came when she over-exerted herself at the barre. And she certainly hadn't been doing splits in her sleep... though she did have to blush a bit when she thought of the dream she had had.
Shaking herself out of her momentary reverie, Rachel forced herself to look around. Maybe her dads had taken her on vacation to celebrate her win at Regionals. (It was a long shot, but it was a possibility.) There was an open window letting in a cool breeze, and she could see the crests of waves in the distance, so... wherever she was, it had a shore. Which was odd, considering that the closest beaches were a few hours drive away, and she knew she couldn't have forgotten an entire flight.
It was just strange, she thought as she moved off the bed, crossing the room to stand in front of the dresser. As she stared at herself in the mirror on the wall, her eyes narrowed a bit as her gaze fell on the necklace resting against her skin. That was... odd. It was the star charm that Finn had given her for Christmas. She had taken that off and put it away; looking at it had been too painful. And now, for whatever reason, her attempts at unhooking the clasp were not only unsuccessful, but impossible - the clasp had apparently disappeared.
It was all too weird. The room, the location, the fact that her internal alarm clock hadn't woken her up (from the brightness of the sunshine, it had to be at least noon), and now a mysteriously reappearing necklace that she couldn't get off? Rachel swallowed hard, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared into the mirror.
"I've got to be dreaming. I'm still dreaming. Clearly that's all it is. Rachel, snap out of it. Rachel, wake up. You're just over-tired from rehearsals, that's all it is. Wake up. You're just in your bed, at home, and you're going to wake up and work out and - why aren't you waking up? Wake up!"
She could feel herself growing a little hysterical, and she swallowed again, moving to the window and leaning out as much as she could.
"This is not what Inception is supposed to be like, you know!"