Meredith
17 - she/her
Meredith is a bit of a weird case cause once i rejoined this story with The Republic i had to change her entire role despite being co-protagonist.
she’s basically the first, failed attempt at the experiment that created Evelyn. she grew up in the same orphanage and from a young age was drawn to her. it wasn't always easy as the scientists/caretakers very much didn't want her to interfere with the way Evelyn was supposed to be brought up.
eventually she convinces Evelyn to run away, promising to protect her, under the belief that nothing on the outside could be worse than what was being done to her in the facility. although navigating the world proved to be harder than navigating their feelings.
the arrival of Grinny was a bit of a surprise. Evelyn had mentioned the creature since they were kids, but Meredith assumed it was an imaginary friend, and regular people shouldn't be able to just see higher dimension beings. she was a bit apprehensive at first about “sharing” Evelyn, after so long of being a duo, but it seemed to help Evelyn with her powers and they couldn't refuse an ally.
and it proved to be an invaluable ally when Evelyn was kidnapped and they had to carry her out, half catatonic, and nurse her back to health for months. it’s here, when rescuing her from the orphanage, that Meredith finally finds out the fact she was the failed prototype.
at first she doesn’t tell Evelyn cause she’s incapable of reaching her, then cause she doesn’t want to stress her out more during recovery, and then because she’s afraid of what it’ll do to their relationship. it’s hard to not let it reframe her entire life, sowing confusion that her feelings for her were only due to this connection, the gnawing doubt of whether what she’s feeling now is love or jealousy. doubts certainly not helped by Grinny’s interference.
the falling out once Evelyn is strong enough to function on her own again was inevitable at this point. they’ve been living too close, too intermingled, for too long. during this time Meredith does some soul-searching, trying to find what she is when she’s not worrying about Evelyn’s well-being, looking for a place in this still unfamiliar world.
she’s still on this journey (and admittedly, still grieving) when Grinny comes back to tell her something is wrong. it just wanted to use Meredith to regain Evelyn’s trust, but by the time they find her, the whole world ending thing is happening. at the last second Meredith puts all her insecurities aside and pours her heart out to Evelyn, trying to convince her this world is still worth it and wants to share it with her.
i never decided if either one or both of them die. always imagined the ending being kinda bittersweet but can't commit to it.