Adèle Shaw
Out of Character
Adèle is Alice's creation. Named and fleshed out in 2008, but mentioned in Ainsley RPGs early 2005.
In Character
Specifics
Full Name: Adèle Ludivine Shaw (neé L'Artaire, formerly Howard)
Nickname(s): Elle
Birthdate: February 21st, 1972
Birthplace: Nice, France
Hometown: Lyon, France
Currently Resides: London, England
Family: Father, Arnett L'Artaire; Mother, Collette Morante; Brother, Etienne L'Artaire, Sister, Margot L'Artaire. Daughter, Ainsley, Sons, Aidan Howard and Murphy Shaw
Sexuality: Straight
Relationship Status: Married to Ciaran Shaw. Ex-husband Boyd Howard
Schooling: Homeschooled, University in Ireland
Occupation: Teacher
Detailed Information
Physical Description
Mousy brown/blonde, just below the shoulders. Brown eyes. Taller than her younger brother at 5'11".
Personal Information
Adèle's most telling characteristic is that she has a more difficult time than most people making her mind up. She, like both her parents (more specifically her mother) adapted a somewhat hippy lifestyle, often much to the dismay of her oldest daughter, Ainsley, though some of this rubs off on her, too.
She has mousy blonde hair, and though often leaves it down, occasionally gets frustrated with it and puts it into a tight ponytail at the back of her head.
Her three children adore her 99% of the time, though occasionally her inability to make decisions falls on them and sometimes their decisions do not always pan out in the way intended, which becomes frustrating for her. Aidan looks most like her, with short, mousy brown hair and very blue eyes. He is quickly outgrowing her, though only age 13. He stands at 5'6". Ainsley and Murphy take after their fathers, though Ainsley's disposition is not unlike her mother's.
Backstory
Adèle was born into a small but quite liberal French town during the early 1970s. Her family was particularly liberal and were accepting of all emerging ways of life and just wanted the best for themselves and their friends and relatives. At this time, Arnett and Collette L'Artaire were leading somewhat of a hippy lifestyle and were thrilled to be having their first child.
Things changed significantly when Arnett and Collette had their second child. They gave birth to a girl on August 19th, 1978. She was a happy, healthy child, and Adèle adored her. A few days after her ninth birthday in 1981, the wee girl, only a few months off 3, died. This devastated Adèle, and though she was too young to completely understand, it changed the entire family dynamic. However, her mother was currently pregnant with their third child, who was born on May 13th, 1981. This was Etienne. Born Etienne Fabrice L'Artaire, he was the youngest and only son of Collette and Arnett L'Artaire.
At age 17, Adèle wanted to move to Ireland to do a year long exchange for her final year of schooling. Though reluctant, her parents allowed her to go on the condition she would keep in touch with her Aunt and Uncle who had recently moved to Wales and would be on hand if Adèle needed them.
She attended St Margarets School for Girls in Dublin, Ireland, in 1989. Here, she met Ráichéal Wickham, who had just spent the summer with her Aunt and Uncle and her cousin, Boyd. During their time at school, Ráichéal quickly realised as the two became friends that Boyd and Adele would be well suited to one another. Though attempting several times to convince Adele that she should meet Boyd, Adele finally agreed to spend some time with Ráichéal's family in during the Easter of 1990. Ráichéal had intended for Boyd to be there, also, but family circumstances had meant the Howard family were unable to make it. One more trip during 1990 also proved unsuccessful. However, after this trip, and many conversations with the Wickhams' about Boyd, Ráichéal suggested Adele write to Boyd (little did Adele know, however, that Ráichéal had already been talking to Boyd about her). Finally, in the summer of 1990, Adele spent two weeks with Ráichéal and her family, meeting Boyd for the first time on August 22nd, 1990. The two quickly became enamoured with one another and by the time Adele was due to return to France in late October of 1990, she did not want to leave, for fear of saying goodbye to Boyd.
Adele, however, after much back and forth with her parents, decided not to return to France. The summer fling had quickly become something far more serious than originally intended. Adele decided to to go university with Raich shortly after finishing school. After a very brief (but intense) conversation, Boyd asked Adele to move in with him. In March, however, after a break from university, Adele was offered a relatively well-paying job, and had to make the decision to either return to university, or take up full time work. At this time, also, Adele became unwell. After a few conversations with her mother and Raich (who had become pregnant in the year previous) Adele discovered she was pregnant. Her speedy romance with Boyd had a few rough moments in early 1992, but a few weeks later, Boyd proposed. After many months of deliberating on whether to get married before or after the child was born, the two married on their anniversary. A month later, Ainsley Sarah was born.
Things continued fairly unhindered for the couple during the next two years, with most of their efforts focused on finding enough money to support themselves and their young daughter. Having quit her job as a teacher aide prior to giving birth, Adele tried to find work though was mostly unsuccessful due to the odd hours she was able to work. She picked up odd jobs doing childcare and had a close knit community of friends who also had small children and helped one another out. This circle of friends included Boyd's cousin and Adele's high school friend, Ráichéal, and her young son, Iacob.
After a year of trying for a second child, Adele discovered she was pregnant for a third time in mid-1994, and gave birth to Aidan Seamus (though Seamus is mostly translated to James) on December 26th, 1994.
It was in early 1996 that things became rocky between Boyd and Adele, and though the details were never really clear to friends and family, the relationship dissolved in May of that year and their divorce was made final in late 1997. Adele did not see him again for another 12 years. Adele continued bringing up her two kids, with much help from her mother, who came to Ireland for six months to help out while Adele found her feet again. As a consequence of this unusual situation, Ainsley was forced to grow up fast. Adele enrolled in university in 1997, with the intent of gaining a degree in early childhood education. She finished the degree in 2000, and though money had been tight for almost four years, she found a job that immediately made everything a lot easier.
It was in 1998 that, through a child friend of Ainsley's, she met Ciaran Shaw. The two started dating and in 1999 were married in a small ceremony just outside of Belfast. Adele was desperate to have another child and though it took a year or so of trying, she gave birth to a second son, Murphy Ciaran, in October of 2000. Ciaran took to Ainsley and Aidan, but ultimately treats Murphy, noticeably differently to her two previous children.
During 2007, her relationship with Ciaran began to crumble - most particularly because of Ainsley's ever-growing hatred for him. She did not like the way he treated her or her younger brother, and began to spend a lot of time taking care of her younger brothers while her mother was teaching/working and Ciaran was working late hours.
Then something completely unexpected happened. In July 2008, after over twelve years, Boyd appeared on Adele's doorstep, desperate to see his kids. He claimed his mother had sent him, but in all truth, even he didn't know why he was there. Adele wasn't sure what to think - the love of her life had left without explanation and reappeared just as quickly as he had left. She wanted to know why.
And rightly so.
Backstory: Simplified
Etienne's sister. Ainsley's mother.
