Bethany Lark

Resident Full Name: Bethany Norah Lark
Resident Date of Birth: 01/11/1995
Resident Age: 16
Resident Gender: Female
Current Address: 72 Wardlaw Street
City/Town: Edinburgh
County/State: City of Edinburgh
Country: Scotland

Resident Hair Colour: blonde
Resident Eye Colour: blue
Resident Height: 5'6
Resident Weight: 147 lbs
Distinguishing Marks: I have some minor scarring on my right hand, I bumped into a door with a full cup of boiling-hot tea.

Representative: Thank you for meeting with me today. We will now begin the recorded interview. I will ask you a series of standard questions. Please try to answer them to the best of your ability. So, firstly, how are you feeling today?

Resident: I feel.... well I'm still breathing. That's supposed to be the upside, yeah?

Representative: And what circumstances have led you to apply for residency at the Highgrove Home for Children?

Resident: I'm very emotional, about pretty much everything, but I'm told this is extreme. The Doctor says I'm deluded, sorry that I have Jealousy Delusion Disorder. I don't think that's fair. I mean, I know I don't have much for proof, but I just know Samson was cheating on me. Have you ever just known something? Like when you can just feel it in you?

So naturally I was upset. I did somethings I really shouldn't have. I should have just confronted Samson more, or found the proof instead of going after other people. I spied on him, traced his cellphone, hacked his online stuff, but I never got anything solid. I think he knew I was doing it all along and maybe tried to trick me. I just couldn't stand him lying to me anymore. I know he's just trying to protect me from the truth, but... well I'm not sure which is the lesser of two evils here.

They told me I can't stay at the group home, they don't have the resources for me. Psychiatrists and psychologists and all that.

Representative: Do you have any medical conditions we should be aware of? If so, please explain.

Resident: I get migraines. The standard blood vessel kind, with auras and light sensitivity. They happen about once a month, I just take some Naproxen and go to bed early. No big deal. Sometimes too much caffeine will set them off.

Representative: Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness? If yes, have you ever been hospitalised or sent to a special care facility for these illnesses?

Resident: I was first sent to a psychiatrist a couple months before I was arrested. My school chaplain brought him in because a few girls at my school told on me. They said they'd wanted me to start seeing one a year earlier, when I was first moved from my Grandparent's into the group home. But they hadn't the budget for it at the time. One of them was my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, Olivia. I had been... messing with her a bit. I needed to know I was in control of the situation and she needed to know I was serious about me and Samson. I put notes in her bag, her locker, stole her homework and burned it, and I filled her locker with whipped cream once, that was just really funny though. Don't you think? No? Well, anyways...

I had been talking to the psychologist for a couple months, it was too little too late, I guess. He didn't realize anything was really wrong with me until I was arrested. He's the one who called you. At first he just said I was emotionally immature and said I needed to learn to deal with my emotions without lashing out. Now he says I have Delusional Disorder. Something just comes over me sometimes. All this suspicion and anger and just... that knowing. I just knew Olivia still wanted him, and Samson isn't strong enough to say no, he's vulnerable that way. He's like me, emotional and ruled by the heart. The problem is how the whole of my heart belongs to him and how his eyes and heart wander. It's like all I can see is the way people were looking at what was mine. It just consumed me. There couldn't be anything else until I dealt with it.

I couldn't be anything until I dealt with it.

Representative: How does your current state of mind affect your day to day life? Are there any incidences of note which you feel are a direct result of your state of mind, such as suicide attempts, arrests, hospitalisations, et cetera?

Resident: I'm alone right now. Samson's parents were afraid of me, they hid him from me. And then Ruby stopped talking to me. They both have restraining orders now, against me. So now the people I cared about are gone, there's nothing for me to protect or feel possessive over. If I could find Samson I would, his house has been empty for a month and his neighbour say they're away indefinitely. I don't know if I'll ever see him again...

Resident Observations: Miss Lark looks visibly distressed. She sniffles and looks at the ground.

Representative: have you ever harmed yourself, others, or animals? If yes, please explain.

Resident: My next door neighbour, well.. the group home's neighbor...

She's this really cute young single mom. With eyes that kind of sparkle when she smiles. She was always friendly with Samson. I actually used to like her before Samson. I used to babysit her little boy. But seeing her when Samson was around... It made me so mad, I could just tell this dirty old lady wanted him and he certainly wasn't doing anything to discourage her. We'd have a row about it all the time: he always insisted he was just being friendly and that he felt bad for her because she must be lonely. I'd always go out in the middle of the night and do things to her yard, smash the lawn gnomes, uproot a perennial and tear it into nothing. It got worse and worse over the months. More frequent and messier.

One day, she was wearing this shirt, all low cut and showy, out on her lawn saying goodbye to Samson when he left mine. I stormed inside, and there was no one in the kitchen, I grabbed a knife from the drawer and I went into her backyard while she was out front.

I killed her dog. Wow... it's sounds so harsh when I say it now... Hell, I actually kind of liked that dog when it wasn't yapping in the middle of the night. It's this little fluffy white thing. I didn't even think about the fact it was living at the time. I just... I killed it. They couldn't charge me with anything because I got rid of the knife right afterwards. I just... I needed to scare her, truly, right into the core of her. I know it sounds horrible, but I had to. She needed to know someone was making sure she behaved herself. If I never punished the women who tried to tempt Samson... well... I would have lost him sooner than I did.

Representative: We understand you are having trouble at your current place of residence. Could you please describe the problems you are having, and the results or repercussions that have come about because of them?

Resident: I lived with my grandparents until two years ago. They're weren't terribly involved in my life outside of the feeding and watering thing, but they were getting too old to do it. When grandpa started to really loose his mind I was picked up and sent to a group home. The home's too full and the staff are over worked, more and more I think they see me as some uncontrollable terror in the place. Ripping things up like a Tornado moving through. They've said they can't handle me anymore, they started saying that after I was arrested briefly for the dog episode, never charged though, insufficient evidence. Obviously I didn't fess up like I am now.

Samson and his parents hopped a train to get out of the city at that point. I told Samson I did it. All crying and panicked. Don't get me wrong. I'm not sick, I didn't like doing it. But we do what we must. Still it really freaked Samson out, he swore up and down that he never cheated and kept saying he couldn't believe I would do something like that because of him. I told him I did it for us. Because if I let that bitch tear us apart I could never forgive myself.

I guess he told his parents when he got home that night.

They told their neighbours they needed to get out until I left or cooled down or something, that they were scared and might not even come back at all. His parents always wanted us to break up. I was so distraught when I found out, first I tried to figure out where they'd gone. I tried to get it out of their neighbours and the agent at the train station. Called their relatives and families friends. No one would tell me anything.

I ran to my best friend Ruby but her mom wouldn't let me in. Samson's family had even told them. Without Samson, Ruby's all I had and all the sudden she was being ripped away from me too. I 'left' and went 'round the block to try to figure out what to do. I felt like I was crying forever. That night I tried to get into the house when they were all asleep. I broke the window of their far side door and unlocked from there. Apparently they had an alarm because suddenly the place was screaming all around me. I didn't run though, I figured that if I let them catch me I'd at least get to see Ruby. I was wrong. Her dad found me and drug me out to their garage until the cops came. I could hear her yelling at her mom upstairs. So I know she wanted to see me too.

Ruby's parents didn't want to charge me, they said I was just sick and upset. I just couldn't stand the thought of not having Ruby around, or of Ruby finding a new best friend. It hurt so much that it was all I could think of to do....

Representative: What five words would you use to best describe yourself?

Resident: Sensitive, Loving Destructive, Hurt, and Single-minded

Representative: Do you have many friends? Could you describe your relationships and where you met these friends?

Resident: Ruby was my best friend, but I can't see her anymore. I ruined that. I did. I ruined everything.

Resident Observations: Miss Lark begins to cry at this point. She is given some time to regain her composure and blow her nose.

I met Ruby at school, she's in my class. Has been since we were little kids. We used to play dolls together and have sleepovers and the whole bit. Well, we still had sleepovers, until all this.

Representative: How would you describe your relationship with your biological family? Did you spend much time with them? Do you have any siblings?

Resident: Well, my mum had postpartum depression. She hung herself a month after I was born. So I'm an only child. She never knew who my dad was, I think that's why my grandparents don't really try to raise me much. According to my aunt: my grandpa was real hard on mum for getting knocked up, I think he probably blames himself a bit. We don't really talk about it, but we never really talked about much of anything. But yeah, Grandpa's lost it now, Alzheimer's hit him real hard. Gran could never do much without him around.

So that's why I was sent to the group home. It's alright there. But it kind of feels like living in a hostel sometimes. Their underfunded and over-worked and all that. Plus there's no psychiatrist on staff and they say I need one, so...

Representative: Are you sexually active? If yes, are you aware of any sexual preferences regarding gender or situation?

Resident: Yes, Samson and I were intimate. I am straight. He was my first boyfriend and all that. We were together a year and a month when he left the city with his family. I know we fought a lot, but I love him so much. I know he cheated-cheats on me, but I could never replace him. He's, well he's not perfect, but he's perfect for me you know? So, I just have to live with the fact he can't stay faithful and try to work with it.

All men cheat don't they? Given the chance. It's that animal inside them. They just don't do well with temptation. And Samson is so beautiful. He's got this smile that just warms you and this golden brown hair. It's no wonder I can't seem to keep him to myself.

He tries, and he claimed he'd never cheat on me, but I know better. It's like I can smell all of them on him. The sweet stink of them. Like flowers rotting in their vases and old water.

Representative: Where did you grow up, and what was it like there? How do you feel about where you grew up?

Resident: I grew up here in Edinburgh. I like it I suppose, never been anywhere else. It's a very pretty city sometimes. I appreciate the older ends and I like taking pictures of the buildings.

Representative: How is school? What are your grades like, and do you enjoy it? Do you participate in any after-school activities?

Resident: I went to a Catholic school, uniforms and nuns and all. It was a very strict one. I got pretty good grades. Average across the board with a little upswing in English, Art and History and a little downswing in Maths. I used to be in the school Choir. I really liked it, the old church hymns sound so pretty.

Representative: What do you hope to find at the Highgrove Home, and how do you feel about potentially becoming a resident there?

Resident: I think I'll always invest a lot of myself in my relationships, I'm just that kind of person. If you're holding back you're not really in it. But maybe I need to learn some control, maybe more confidence. I shouldn't need to hurt other people to feel safe in my relationships. Maybe it's just a matter of becoming 'okay' with being cheated on. I can't imagine I could ever really be enough for a man, I don't know if any one woman can.

Representative: Lastly, how do you feel about what you have done so far with you life, looking back on it. If you have done unacceptable things, how do you now feel about those?

Resident: I crossed so many lines, but I really felt I had to. But now, Samson's gone, Ruby's gone... what little I had for a family is gone. I seem to sabotage myself at every turn.


Is there anything your character isn't telling us? Do you have more information to add about your character that they would not tell the representative about? Please explain below:
There are numerous instances of theft and destruction of property that she was never charged with. The fact that Samson and Ruby have been forced to cut ties breaks her heart, she still counts them as her friend and lover so she still feels the pull to protect and defend her place with them. But with them longer and longer absent she's really become a lost soul.

Also here's the timeline of events, just for ease of reading.


Character Playby: Allison Harvard
Player Nickname: Kels
Chatango Username: KelseyLynn
Preferred Chore Assignment Group: Grounds Chores

But don't fret! Just follow the steps given to you below and edit your application appropriately. When you're done, please reply to this thread to let us know that the application has been edited, and we will review it again.

• Hidey ho! Bethany isn't quiiiite ready to join the madness so we'll get right to it. To start, I'm not seeing much of the delusional disorder in her application. The jealous subtype entails that the person suffering from it believes their partner is being unfaithful and will go to whatever length possible to prove her/himself correct. Bethany doesn't talk about this at all nor does she really seem broken up about losing her boyfriend. It's mentioned, but I don't really hear it from her. I'd recommend reading up on the delusion some more and trying to sort out exactly how it effects Bethany. Another option would be to pair the jealous delusion with the Erotomanic subtype which would not only make her a jealous stalker but she would believe that the boyfriend was still in love with her even though he left her.
  
• Tying in with above, Bethany mentions a "green-eyed" side of her which to me sounds dangerously close to a split in personality. It sounds like an alter ego that takes over and makes her do things she wouldn't normally do. If Bethany is diagnosed as delusional then there is no other side. This is her and her view of the world. She would swear on pain of death that her boyfriend is cheating or that they are still madly in love and that outside forces are trying to keep them apart.
  
• In addition, Conduct disorder is mentioned but Bethany doesn't display any symptoms of the disorder that can't be explained by her other diagnoses. I'd recommend dropping it from the application and focusing on the delusional disorder.
  
• Bethany has landed herself in hot water and because of it, it seems unlikely that she'd end up at Highgrove. If she's been arrested and convicted of a crime (like arson or animal cruelty) there's almost no chance that they'd send her to a remote home for children that doesn't have the tight security of a prison setting. If she's getting off on an insanity plea then she'd be committed to an institution for full time care as she obviously is a danger to herself and others.
  
• Highgrove takes children who cannot function in a group home or foster care setting due to their disorders. Bethany currently is living with grandparents who seem capable of taking care of her, even if they have little involvement. I think if Bethany were in a home or perhaps bouncing from foster family to foster family she'd be much more suitable for Highgrove. Her court appointed psychiatrist would then be able to recommend her to the home setting.
  

Took out Conduct disorder, took out the 'green-eyed" bit, added more negative behaviour targeted at the boyfriend, Took out the charges, and put her in a group home.

But don't fret! Just follow the steps given to you below and edit your application appropriately. When you're done, please reply to this thread to let us know that the application has been edited, and we will review it again.

• So close! Bethany needs a few more tweaks and she's set. I'm unsure about her delusional disorder since she still finds herself in the wrong. I know it may seem weird, but why would she feel guilty or feel that she needs to change when in her mind her actions would be completely justified? Her man was cheating and those girls needed to be taught a lesson. And whatever she did to him, she'd find it within reason no matter how hard she had to reach. I think adding more detail on the disorder itself and how it effects Bethany and her relationships would help a lot.
  
  
• The time line seems a little jumbled as well. When did Bethany get sent to the group home in relation to when Samson dumped her? When was the fire and the dog killing? The order of events is important and I'm just a little confused at the moment.
  
  
• Even if Bethany got off on the animal cruelty due to inefficient evidence I highly doubt she'd get off on the arson charge. Really, I'm a little confused as to what she set on fire. It says she went around the corner to a gas station. Then it says she set their garage on fire. Does that mean Ruby's family's or the gas station? If it belonged to the gas station she'd be in jail. If it's Ruby's family I find it hard to believe they'd just let it go. She destroyed part of their home, she could have killed them. If they don't want their daughter around her because of how sick she is, why would they let her slide on something this serious? I'd recommend perhaps having her break into the home rather than try to burn it down. B&Es can be dropped if the victim doesn't want to press charges.
  
  
• We need more detail on what happened at the group home that caused them to want to send her away. So far, everything seems to have happened before she went. Clearing up the time line will help this a lot but we need to know why she can't be handled.
  

This application has been inactive for three days, and as such it has been marked as dormant. If you wish to continue the application process, you must make the appropriate changes listed in your pending notice, and reply to this thread within the next two days. Failure to do so will result in this application being denied, and you may not apply to play this character again in the future.

Okay: added details, swapped arson for B&E, and refined the timeline. Plus I added a handy dandy little Cole's Notes of it on the end. -thumbs up-

Resident Full Name: Bethany Lark
Resident Age: 16
Resident Gender: Female
Known Diagnoses: Delusional Disorder; Jealous Type.

Dormitory Number: 4
Bunk Number: 3 Top
Assigned Chores Group: Grounds
Assigned Therapist: Dr. Gunner Bjorgen

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Resident Name: Bethany Lark
Behavioural Observation: Residents in restricted area (the Old Ward)
Measures Taken: Because there was nothing untoward happening, both residents were escorted back to the main floor and reminded the attic and all areas of the third floor are strictly off limits. No further disciplinary actions were required.

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