Meredith Elkwood

"I'm not angry. I'd never be angry at you." - Chapter Nine

Meredith is the foster brother of Elijah and Petunia Elkwood, coming from a troubled past. He has made it his life goal to follow Elijah everywhere he goes and watch out for him. He accompanied him to Melbourne, and became involved in his dark plans. Strong-willed and somewhat silent, Meredith's actions speak louder than words and he refuses to let anything or anyone keep him from serving Elijah, even himself.

Appearance
Meredith is a dark-skinned and slim male who is on the taller side, despite having no confirmed height. He has long black hair, and black eyes. He dresses in a professional manner, usually long white shirts and a vest with a tie, similar to Elijah. However, he also favors wearing a dark brown jacket in most of his appearances. Meredith, along with Elijah, has been described as very attractive on multiple occasions. Cyril once said that their beauty was so apparent that he was distracted by them and forgot to make himself known when he came out of the shadows to meet with them, but he quickly debunked it as teasing. Roland went as far to compare them to "radiant angels who walked the Earth" and said that Meredith was beyond beautiful.

In the past, Meredith typically wore long white shirts with or without suspenders, and occasionally a tie.

Personality
Meredith is a somewhat quiet character who relies on his actions to make his points. He keeps himself looking unassuming and neutral, appearing only as Elijah's shadow, whom he serves with unwavering loyalty. In addition, he often appears to be completely uninterested in whatever he comes into contact with, unless it involves Elijah or Petunia. However, despite his stoic and harsh appearance, he often becomes incredibly defensive whenever he feels that Elijah or Petunia's lives are in danger, Elijah is talking with Dylan, whom he despises, or Cyril is around. He refrains from outbursting only in the most dire of circumstances, such as Cyril's apparent apathy to Petunia's life being at risk. Likewise, he tends to keep his true feelings hidden, such as his feelings about Elijah and his involvement with whatever dark plot they are concocting together. Another example of this is when Elijah attempts to re-introduce Meredith to Dylan, and remains oblivious to Meredith's dislike of him.

It has been shown, though, that Meredith has a soft side to him, especially when it pertains to his foster sister, Petunia. In the past, he is shown comforting her whenever Elijah is away, and tells her not to worry about him. He also has a "big brother complex" around her, though he doesn't often show it, and genuinely cares about her. When Petunia worries that she made him angry, he replies that he couldn't ever be angry at her.

Background
Although Meredith's background is still clouded in mystery, it's revealed that Meredith lived in Alice Springs and Perth before moving to Melbourne with Elijah. He lost his entire family when he was very young, and was all alone until the Elkwoods brought him into their family. He's had a dark childhood, even so, as he was teased and pushed around by the boys of the neighborhood, to a point where he would lash out. Once he became close to Elijah, it's suggested that his life grew more pleasant. According to Petunia, the three siblings lived happily together at Alice Springs, Meredith often being a bridge of compromise between Elijah and Petunia, and the two boys would watch over her. Sometime later, however, they moved away to Perth.

In Perth, Meredith was suggested to be somewhat involved with the conflicts that Elijah had found, that often left him beaten up, bruised, and bloody, often taking care of him afterwards. After these experiences, Elijah and Meredith decided to travel to Melbourne, without Petunia or any other family, and Meredith followed after Elijah once he took a position in Parliament, serving as his attendant and bodyguard.

History
'''*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! READ WITH CAUTION!*'''

Chapters 1-5
In the beginning of the second chapter, Elijah asks Meredith if he believes that he's a villain. When he calls him romantic, Elijah laughs at him, angering him and saying that he and Petunia always laugh at him and make him look silly. However, after Elijah's spirits have been lifted, he shows a smile of amusement. The same evening, Meredith and Elijah are waiting outside to meet with Cyril, when Elijah becomes distressed at the picture of him in the newspaper. Meredith is about to console him when Cyril's sudden presence causes him to point his pistol at him, only lowering it when Elijah pushes the gun away. Cyril apologizes for startling them, saying that he was so captivated by "beautiful people". After Cyril lists off his rules to the duo, Meredith asks Elijah if they can trust him, to which Elijah responds that he doesn't trust him, but likes him all the same.

While waiting for Cyril to finish the job, Meredith struggles to win a game of chess against Elijah, all while the latter is writing a speech. After Elijah beats him, he dejectedly sighs that he always wins. When Elijah offers another game, and Meredith refuses, Elijah proceeds to tackle him to the floor and tease him about it, causing an awkward situation when Cyril returns. When the mercenary brings in Petunia, Meredith worriedly looks over to Elijah before the two of them disappear outside. While they wait, Cyril tells an uninterested Meredith a "true" story of a long-lost girlfriend. Once Elijah declares that Petunia will go with Cyril to the warehouse to rescue Todd Allison, the employee captured as part of the plan, they follow after them by car. Meredith asks Elijah why they didn't just follow them, and doesn't respond to Elijah after he makes his excuse - not responding when Elijah calls himself terrible for making so many people upset at him.

At the warehouse, Meredith and Elijah catch up with Cyril while Todd and Petunia are still inside the holding room, and Meredith demands that they should go in and rescue them. However, Elijah disagrees, and allows Petunia five minutes to take care of the situation herself, while Meredith looks concerned. After Petunia kills the last mercenary, Meredith and Elijah take their leave before they are noticed.

Chapters 6-10
Meredith is seen watching out for Elijah as he peers through Todd's file in the record room at the Parliament House. After they're caught by another politician, Elijah feigns that he's lost, which causes Meredith to laugh at him, embarrassed afterward. Elijah apologizes before leaving to meet with Mr. Brampton, and Meredith snips that he's terrible at apologies.

Meredith appears again after the story of Todd's kidnapping gets released into the Morning Star, noticing that Petunia is present in the Parliament House, but doesn't mention it to Elijah. He later confronts her, saying that she must be doing something bad if she's sneaking around and can't tell him. However, after he effectively scares her, he teases her that she looks like she's going to cry and hugs her, telling her how cute she is and asking her how she's doing. When Petunia worries that she had angered him, he smiles and says that she could never make him mad. When a politician of the Violet Investigation Unit spots Petunia and demands answers from her about Todd, he threatens for him to back off from Petunia, before Hana kicks him and takes Petunia away from the situation - leaving Meredith with the moaning body of Rousseau, which prompts questions from Elijah when he gets out of his meeting.

In the flashback chapter, Meredith is shown alongside Elijah when he tells her that they're leaving for Melbourne, and looks upset when Elijah yells at Petunia when she demands why she can't go with them. Because of that situation, Petunia follows after them on her own - disguised as a boy - because she believes they would have let her come if she had been a boy.

Chapters 11-15
Several chapters later, the Morning Star editors receive a call from the source of their story, revealed to be Meredith. After he gets off the phone with them, he heads out to meet up with Elijah again, and thinks to himself about how he can't let anything get in his way that would prevent him from properly watching over Elijah. When he sees Elijah leaning out the window, he runs over to him to make sure he's alright, causing the man to embrace him and tells him not to worry. He reminds Meredith that he remembers their promise.

The scene switches to the Parliament House, and Meredith picks up Elijah during a session with another politician to remind him about a meeting. On the way, Elijah requests that Meredith waits behind, causing him to look slightly worried, and he tells him again to not worry. Once he's gone, he shows more visible distress. After the meeting, Meredith stands guard while Elijah pays Cyril another sum of money and the two of them smoke. He frowns when Cyril says that nothing can save anyone from the grave, and is later insulted by the mercenary for following Elijah around everywhere like a loyal dog. He approaches Elijah once Cyril disappears, and he thinks back to the promise: that once their plans have been accomplished, he has to kill Elijah. However, despite the heavy thoughts, Elijah smiles at him - causing Meredith to smile back.

In the second flashback chapter, Dylan tells Petunia about when he saw Elijah and Meredith, after discovering that she's his sister and she's taken to his house. Dylan grabs Elijah when he first sees him in Melbourne, and after their heartfelt reunion, Elijah attempts to reacquaint Meredith and Dylan, however, Meredith feigns that he doesn't remember them - as he absolutely hates Dylan, and has hated him since childhood. He seems annoyed and disinterested as Elijah agrees to hang out with Dylan, Roland, and Marcus, but follows after him nonetheless. While Dylan and Elijah talk, Meredith sits awkwardly between Roland and Marcus, the former attempting to entertain him with jokes. Marcus declares him a "thinking type" when Meredith doesn't respond to the joke, but he quickly apologizes for the jest, understanding that he's only thinking about "his friend", Elijah. Marcus and Roland soon deem him suitable to join their band, and he seemingly does so, as Norah later refers to him as "the new clarinet player".

An All or Nothing Gamble
Meredith is first seen when Elijah runs up to him after teasing the neighbors, making a flower crown. The neighbors proceed to talk about how the boy lost his entire family, and after snapping Dylan's arm when he says something offensive to him, he only follows around Elijah. When the pair of boys go back to the house, May Elkwood tries to welcome Meredith back, only for him to hide behind the wall. May comments that she's never heard Meredith talk at all, and later approaches Elijah to watch out for Meredith. Later, Meredith is about to continue adding flowers to his chain, when Dylan, with his arm in a sling, and a few other boys approach him. He commands him to get up, kicking at him when he disobeys, and tells him that if he apologizes to him - he will forget about him breaking his arm. However, when Meredith remains silent, Dylan teases him and asks him if he even knows how to speak.

"An All of Nothing Gamble" is an unfinished side-story, that will hopefully be continued and reveal more about Meredith's past at Alice Springs.

Elijah Elkwood
Elijah is more than just a foster brother to Meredith, he seems to be his entire world. Ever since Meredith was a child, he would constantly tail after Elijah loyally. As he grew older, Meredith and Elijah continued to be inseparable. He stays by Elijah constantly, acting as his bodyguard and shadow, regardless if they're at the Parliament House or working on their plans. This is shown when he pulls a gun on Cyril when he emerges from the night unexpectedly, placing himself between the mercenary and his friend. Elijah has entrusted Meredith to carry out his plans, and fulfill his promise to him once everything has fallen into place. Meredith secretly fears that if he should ever hesitate or fail, then Elijah would be left all alone. His loyalty to Elijah has been insulted by Cyril, who calls him nothing more than a dog. In addition, Dylan comments about how they are still together, and Elijah refers to him as his "honey" and that he cannot resist him. In the fandom, they are largely known as "heterosexual life partners".

Petunia Elkwood
Petunia is Meredith's foster sister, whom he loves fondly. Petunia has fond memories of their childhood, and she states that Meredith was always there for her, looking out for her whenever Elijah was away and keeping her company. He is very protective of her, considering he is terrified for her life when she is trapped in the warehouse with an armed mercenary within, and whenever a politician tries to demand answers about her relationship to Todd, he demands for the man to back off. He also has a "big brother" complex with her, as he hugs her tightly and calls her cute whenever they see each other at the Parliament House. Furthermore, he mentions that she could never make him mad.

Cyril
Cyril and Meredith are acquaintances, as Elijah had hired him to kill a member of the Violet Investigation Unit, and neither are very fond of one another. The only conversation their shown to have is Cyril telling the story of a past fling, which Meredith wasn't interested in the slightest, Meredith demanding that he should go in and make sure that Petunia was safe in the warehouse, and Cyril insulting Meredith's loyalty to Elijah.

Dylan Springbell
Dylan and Meredith are acquaintances who were childhood enemies of one another. Dylan teased Meredith, to a point where the latter attacked him and broke his arm. Later on Dylan went to confront Meredith about it, kicking him down and teasing him again. Meredith held a grudge against Dylan for the rest of his life, even up to modern day, and insulted him when anyone ever brought up his name. However, it seems that Dylan has gotten over his past feelings for Meredith, and looked uncomfortable when Meredith looked at him in anger when he met him in Melbourne with Elijah. He still seems to be upset when Petunia mentions a particularly colorful insult directed at Dylan in the modern day. It seems unlikely that the two of them will ever make amends.

Louis, Sawyer, and Van Aerden
While Meredith may not personally know the editing team for the Morning Star, he is acquainted to the trio as he acts as their source for the dangerous stories that come in about Todd Allison's kidnapping and other incidents.

Quotes
''"...Sorry for what? You're so bad at apologies." ''(to Elijah Elkwood, Chapter Six)

"I can't be shaken. Because if I were to waiver... If I were to lose control... If I were to fall down...What about him? Who will he have to lean on? Who will take care of Elijah''?" ''(inner thought, Chapter Thirteen)