Paying The Price

[Azseth]

This is a sample character sheet. This is one of my characters from a similar RP on a site that is no more:


ONE BIG NOTE!!!! Under appearances, I expect a picture. I tend to post actual pictures, but drawn ones will be acceptable. I will NOT accept anime pictures for this.


**NOTE**


I recommend you mention in your character bio in a very general way how/why your char was on vacation. Just for sake of story.


Next, this is important. I will allow ONE SINGLE POST IC for you characters that will be PRIOR to the events of the RP starting. The RP will start when all of the characters wake up in their cages from being drugged. You do not HAVE to make a pre-start post, it's optional. More of this will be in the top thread of the OOC chat.


Name: Vincent Dicario


Age: 28.


Born: Sterling Ridge, GA.


Heights / weight: 6'4" and 190lbs.


Hair / eyes: Brown hair, blue eyes.


Appearance: Vince is tall, handsome and privileged and he knows it. Cool hair, nice jawline and blue eyes, he was always smiling or flirting, he rarely seemed to take anything serious.

Bio: Vincent grew up in an upper class part of Georgia, Sterling Ridge which was just outside of Augusta, the known "upper side" of town. He is the oldest of two children to a mother and father who own the largest construction company in Georgia and several large casinos in and around Augusta. He loved the life style and while he didn't really take it for granted persey, he did take advantage of all that was afforded him.


He played baseball at an early age and met Jason and the two of them would be best friends from that day forward. Along with Jon, Vincent was the person who was always there to help Jason through thick and thin and while the other friends and even Jon were there for Jason, offering him support and sympathy and a shoulder to lean on, Vincent was the only one who focused on something different. Everything EXCEPT what Jason was going through. He was always one to take Jason away from his issues, take him to the pond to fish, or sneak out at night to light things on fire. As they got older, they'd drink, Vincent would introduce him to girls, spend money and take him out.


Throughout his schooling, he focused on baseball, kept his grades up and then playing paintball. His interest was the main reason that paintball was an option because he had the money to attain the gear, the range time and all the other essentials.


After high school, a few things changed. He stopped playing baseball but was given a scholarship to Georgia State where he took up business management in hopes to get a good position somewhere in one of his dad's organizations. He also took to gambling. The group of friends, well, they didn't drift apart, but they were all at different places in life now, at different crossroads. Some people Vince met were people involved in certain enterprises associated with his father’s organizations that were very questionable or low key. Aka The Mafia.


While he never became directly involved with them, he had many friends and associates who were. After getting done with school, he was hired into the financial department of his father’s construction business and continued to live his lavish and carefree lifestyle. Eventually he got back with his friends and thought it was a good idea to get them paintballing again and surprised them all by signing them up for several local tours. Given some of their training, but also the fact they were friends, had been together for many years AND Vince’s financial backing, the team was wildly successful.


It didn’t stop Vince’s gambling habits however, and eventually he incurred a massive debt to the Chinese Triad and was slow to pay for several reasons, but regardless, several severe threats were made to him prior to his flight to Asia for the paintball games. He’d only told Jason about this, and only after an altercation at a night club between the two of them and some goons from the triad ended up with police being called and a dozen or so punches thrown. He promised Jason that it would be paid off and taken care of the moment they got back.

 

[Safton]

Name: Brayden Emerson


Age: 31


Born: Atlanta, Georgia


Height/Weight: 6’4”/250 lbs


Hair Color: Dark Brown


Eye Color: Gray


Appearance:

Bio: Brayden was born in downtown Atlanta, but was raised for much of his life in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia. His middle-class family was made up of his father (a former Marine and Vietnam veteran), his mother (an emergency room nurse), and his younger sister, Julia (two years Brayden’s junior).


Brayden was a good student throughout much of his education, generally performing well in his (often advanced) classes. Initially shy, he began to open up to his fellow students during high school where he eventually earned his place as captain of the varsity wrestling team. He graduated in the top 10% of his class in 2001 and managed to earn a scholarship to Georgia Tech.


However, following the September 11th terrorist attacks, Emerson put his academic plans on hold to enlist with the United States Army as an infantryman, volunteering for service with the Army Rangers. After nearly a year of training, Brayden was assigned to Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in late 2002. His unit saw fierce combat during the Invasion of Iraq, where Brayden notably participated in the week-long Battle of Hadithah Dam. Brayden also participated in a four-month combat deployment to Afghanistan with the 3rd Ranger Battalion, beginning in late 2003.


After returning to the United States, Emerson (now a Corporal) applied for Army Special Forces training. After nearly a year and a half, he completed the pipeline and was assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group as a Weapons Sergeant in late 2005. Over the next seven and a half years, Brayden was deployed on multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to supporting the War on Terror in the Philippines. Emerson completed multiple specialty training courses (Ranger School, sniper qualification, reconnaissance training, etc.) and earned several commendations for his service.


In 2013, Brayden transferred to the 19th Special Forces Group under the Army National Guard, finishing out his college degree and signing up with a private security firm. For his first major solo job, he has been hired by a wealthy but young English industrialist by the name of Valentine Hale. Emerson is to provide bodyguard services for Hale and his newest girlfriend during their trip to the Pacific.


Personality: Brayden is the consummate “quiet professional” and this aspect of his demeanor can often leak into his personal life. Patient and soft-spoken by nature, he avoids boisterous shows of emotion. However, Emerson is far from cold and impassive. In fact, Brayden is capable of forming very warm, close friendships with others given enough time. Nonetheless, it is not uncommon for him to be labeled as “tense” and even uptight.


His partial adjustment back to civilian life has been largely successful, albeit with some rocky patches. The vast majority of his close friends were in the military. His mother passed away while he was overseas, leaving his increasingly ill father and work-swamped sister as his only remaining family. Spending much of his adult life in the Army left little time for dating. As such, Brayden has little experience with romantic relationships.

 

[Pattycakes]

Name: Chloe Menson


Age: 25


Born: Jackson, Wyoming


Heights / weight: 5'8", 132 lbs.


Hair / eyes: Brown hair, blue eyes.


Appearance: Chloe is a clam, innocent spirit. She keeps her looks clean and simplistic, as she's more likely to be dressed in skinny jeans and a tshirt covered in sweat from being outside all day.

Bio: Chloe was born in Jackson, Wyoming in St. John's Medical Center. During her childhood, she was raised in East Yellowstone, Wyoming, located within five miles of Yellowstone National Park. As such, from a young age she had a fascination with nature and the beauty of the outdoors. When her parents provided her a simplistic camera at the age of five, the camera started a lifelong passion of photographing the serene beauty and elegance of nature.


During her high school career, she continued to perfect the art of photography. She entered a environmental photography contest called "The Beauty of Earth" hosted by University of Pennsylvania. The prize? A full ride to UPenn. Chloe spent many days, weeks and months trying to find the perfect shot in Yellowstone to win the prize. In the end, she found the perfect shot and submitted it. A few weeks later, UPenn informed her that she had won the contest and the full ride. Chloe obviously decided on UPenn for college, majoring in photography.


When she arrived at UPenn, she quickly formed a lifetime friend in Jessica, a pre-Law major minoring in Environmental Science. They were roommates freshman and sophomore year. Their love of nature made them natural friends, with both of them spending and dedicating hours to service projects. They continued to stay in touch via Facebook, email, calling each other and meeting up around Philadelphia on the weekends every so often.


On a seemingly ordinary day while Chloe was a junior, she was out in the woods taking pictures for an art exhibit, when a young man ran into her. He was a senior, and she recognized him from her Natural and Environmental Studies class. He apologized profusely for breaking her camera and offered to take her to coffee. As Chloe began to know Edward, discovering his love for nature and the outdoors and his deep caring personality, more and more she began to slowly fall in love for him. As they continued to date, Chloe began to realize that Edward was the one for her.


As her senior year arrived, Chloe began to search for jobs in the field of photography. While she had already won several awards during college for her exhibits, she still worried about being unemployed after graduating. Thankfully, one of her professors had contacts with National Geographic and after telling them about Chloe and sending in some samples of her work, National Geographic gave Chloe a job offer photographing for their magazine. She accepted instantly. Her job required to stay on the move, while she kept her "home" in Philadelphia. She has now traveled to Africa twice and all across America, camping and living in beauty, although sometimes dangerous, areas to get the perfect shot.


Although had both graduated from college, Edward still had not purposed to Chloe let, leading her to doubt if Edward was going to purpose at all. However, when she returned from her second trip to Africa, Edward surprised her by announcing that they were going to an exotic island for vacation and relaxation. Although, both of them new that Edward was planning to purpose during the vacation. Before they left, Chloe spoke to Jessica over the phone, having not spoken to her in a month, and told her about the vacation. Jessica decided to tag along on the vacation, although Chloe made it clear that she was going to be romantic with Edward for most of the trip. Chloe was beginning to feel the anticipating building of soon becoming Mrs. Hunt.

 

[BlacklegSanji]

Name: Edward Hunt ( or Ed if it suits your fancy)


Age:27


Gender: Male


Personality/Back ground: Edward is a very enthusiastic person. He went to collage to study to become a Entomologist (entomologists have many important jobs, such as the study of the classification, life cycle, distribution, physiology, behaviour, ecology and population dynamics of insects. Entomologists also study urban pests, forest pests, agricultural pests and medical and veterinary pests and their control. ). Edward loves to talk, he enjoys deep conversations. Edward also likes to smoke even though he knows its bad or him. He is always a caring person and is there for people in times of sorrow. He does not like to fight but if necessary will. Edward enjoys his job and being outdoors a lot. When it comes to romance Edward is very romantic and always stops in the nearest flower shop before going on a date.


Edward is in a solid relationship with Chloe. He met her one day when going on a jog. He had banged into her as she had just been coming out of the woods from taking some pictures and he had not noticed her there until he collided with her. He ended up breaking her camera and began apologising to her immediately. He offered to take her out to coffee and to buy her a new camera. After several hours of taking over coffee he felt they had developed a little bit of a relation ship. Before leaving, he wrote her a check for the camera.


Soon after Edward found out that Chloe was in his Natural and Environmental class, although she was a year younger. He soon got to know her very well and asked her out for coffee several times after that. After about 2 months of knowing Chloe he finally asked her out and to his surprise she said yes. He took her out on a date almost every night after.


Now after dating Chloe for 3 years he has decided to take her on a big trip to a very romantic island where they could relax or a few weeks under the sun. He has also decided that he would propose to Chloe at the end of the trip.

 

[Akeira]

Name: Jessica Williams


Age: 25.


Born: London, England.


Height / weight: 5'7" and 135 lbs.


Hair / eyes: Brown hair, brown eyes.


Appearance: Jessica is tall, elegant, and privileged though she tries her best to remain down to earth. With her long wavy brown hair and beautiful brown eyes, Jessica has an innocent appearance, a contrast to her loud and stubborn personality.

Biography:


Jessica was born in London, England, living with her parents in a simple brownstone in a suburban area of the great city. She is the youngest of three children to a mother and father who were high in status at a prominent law firm in London. From a young age, Jessica attended a prestigious private school, enjoying her life style and taking advantage of all the opportunities that were present. She received good marks in school, living a glamorous life for a girl at such a young age.


When she turned ten, the Williams packed up their entire family and traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were brought here by work, making the hard decision to leave their beloved country for the crowed Phili street corners. With this move, Jessica had a hard time adjusting, isolating herself from the other children at school and even her family at times. She felt betrayed by her parents for dragging her away from her former life, plunging into a stage of despair until she was fourteen.


During her freshman year, it all changed for Jessica while looking out the window of the car. She yelled at the driver to stop, causing him to slam on the breaks quickly while the girl exited in a haste. Jessica rushed forward and found herself at a lovely garden, surrounded by greenery, a house, and various species of flowers. She instantly fell in love with the place, doing some research to discover the location was Bartram Gardens, the 18th century home of John Bartram, a naturalist, botanist, and explorer. This place became her anchor, helping her piece together her life again . She would spend hours there, enjoying the varied colors and wildlife at this place. This is when she discovered her love for the environment, often having to be called by her parents for staying there way past dark.


Jessica attended the University of Pennsylvania as a Pre-Law major and a Environmental Studies minor, never leaving the place she now called her home. By this point, her beloved British accent was slowly disappearing, as she was integrated into the American society. The University of Pennsylvania is where she met her roommate and best friend, Chloe. They met on a fateful day of freshman orientation, having been put together as roommates. Jessica and Chloe became the best of friends, partly due to their investment in environmental protection and showing the beauty of nature.


After their freshman year at UPenn, Jessica and Chloe decided to be roommates again in their sophomore year, remaining friends throughout the rest of their college years afterwards, though they did not room together again. They remained in contact through various service environmental projects throughout Philadelphia, meeting in person, as well as using modern technology such as text messing and emailing to keep in touch. While continuing her friendship with Chloe and others throughout the school, Jessica made sure to complete the credits required to be considered for the university's Law School.


After completing her undergraduate years, Jessica began working as an intern at her parent's law firm while also studying law at the University of Pennsylvania. Though she lived a lavish lifestyle, Jessica began to feel pressured while learning everything there was to know about the Bill of Rights, it's various implementations, and how this could be applied to environmental policy. She realized that graduate school is more challenging than the undergraduate level, as she was getting into the fine and specific judicial details. The stress and worry continued to bubble up in Jessica, making her wonder if she was ever going to make it to graduation day before having a mental breakdown.


In a phone conversation with Chloe, Jessica learned that her friend was planning on vacationing with her boyfriend on an exotic island in the coming months. The law student was intrigued by this idea, seeing that this might be what she needed to help relieve some of her own stress. Although she planned not to third wheel too much on the couple, Jessica decided to journey with them to the island, trying her best to leave her anxiety and worry back in Philadelphia. She reasoned that she would get back into the full swing of things when she returned.

​

​

 

[Greyathena]

Name: Nicole Michelle Sharpe goes by “Chelle”


Age: 25


Born: Columbus, OH


Height/ Weight: 5’5” and 120 lbs


Hair/ eyes: Ash brown with blonde highlights, blue eyes


Appearance:

Bio:


Nicole was the fourth child born into her family. Her parents were only semi- involved and as a result Nicole and her siblings were left on their own most of the time. Despite this her childhood was happy- her older sisters and brother treated her kindly and made excellent de facto caregivers. By the time she was a pre-teen Nicole, now known as Chelle, spent most of her free time wandering around the city and frequented cafe’s, parks, and libraries.


At age sixteen she was quick to drop out of high school. She became friends with a group of misfits led by ringleader Annalise and soon discovered the freedom drugs could provide. The chaos and spontaneity of her new life provided her a distraction from her own thoughts and one day she just left home without looking back. Her wandering shifted from the quiet serenity of libraries and coffee shops to the forbidden. She broke into buildings, stole from a few cars, and hung around railroad tracks- sometimes hopping rides aboard the freight trains. Nobody cared so she continued this way for years surrounded by a family of peers that she came to love and would fiercely protect if it came to it.


After a year of being in the group she met fellow runaway Charlotte and introduced her to everyone, where she was quickly welcomed. Char, as she became known, soon became a good friend, took care of Chelle, and more than a few times protected her from trouble. In Chelle’ s mind Charlotte was like the sister she never had, even if she could never admit it out loud for fear of somehow betraying her biological sisters. Life was difficult and with time and trauma the two of them became good friends. For the first time Chelle felt like she was an important person and that she had found a place where she belonged.


When Chelle was eighteen Annalise was hit by a car and killed. The group slowly disintegrated and Chelle was left alone. Unable fend for herself and get the drugs she needed she faced a tough decision- find a way on her own or go home. She went home. Her oldest sister answered the door at her parents house and began to cry. Within hours she discovered that her parents had gotten divorced shortly after she disappeared and had went their separate ways. This left her other sister with a lasting resentment toward Chelle.


Her brother got her into a rehabilitation program and a year and a half later she was clean and attending community college, studying psychology. She transferred to a university on scholarship after a year on scholarship for her grades.


At university she studied hard and lived with her college roommate Jamie. Over time they came to trust one another and one night sleep deprived from studying and feeling introspective and nostalgic they realized they had both struggled with addiction in the past. Since then they became close friends, Jamie being one of the first friends Chelle made since loosing contact with her group after Annalise died. They only grew closer as time passed supporting each other through a myriad of difficulties.


Despite being on the proverbial “right path” Chelle still occasionally missed the life she had as a teenager and didn’t feel as though she would ever fit in properly as a recovered and responsible adult. Chelle graduated near the top of her class but her family’s pride and assistance did little to assuage the loss she still felt and Annalise’s death and the groups demise, as well as the intangible concept of home she had developed.


Today she works at in an office building with her friend Jamie and does research at the university; saving up for grad school. Her sister helped her fund her vacation with Jamie as a graduation present. She is exited about the trip and hopes to have a good time with Jamie and stop worrying so much- She won’t admit it, but she is also happy to have Jamie there as a support system of sorts. Quietly, a part of her hopes the vacation can provide a bit of the reckless freedom she enjoyed as a teen.


Chelle is currently a proud, strong, confrontational young woman who doesn't like to compromise. She doesn't like to accept responsibility for her actions or else does so grudgingly. Chelle can be manipulative and lives by her own set of rules. Being friends with Jamie has helped in part to teach her to mask her emotions and let some of the little things go. Because of her blunt honesty and rebellious tendency Chelle keeps few friends and has not had much experience with romance outside of the purely-physical and for-the-fun-of-it lovers she had in the past.

 

[Azseth]

Name: Vincent Dicario


Age: 28.


Born: Sterling Ridge, GA.


Heights / weight: 6'4" and 190lbs.


Hair / eyes: Brown hair, blue eyes.


Appearance: Vince is tall, handsome and privileged and he knows it. Cool hair, nice jawline and blue eyes, he was always smiling or flirting, he rarely seemed to take anything serious.


Pic in spoiler

Spoiler

Bio: Vincent grew up in an upper class part of Georgia, Sterling Ridge which was just outside of Augusta, the known "upper side" of town. He is the oldest of two children to a mother and father who own the largest construction company in Georgia and several large casinos in and around Augusta. He loved the life style and while he didn't really take it for granted persey, he did take advantage of all that was afforded him.


Vince met Jason in junior high school when the two were on the baseball team. Later on, the two became better friends and, in highschool, started taking mixed martial arts classes together and playing paintball. This lead them both down a path that wasn't necessarily extreme or death defying, it was definitely exhilarating and testosterone driven. After high school, they graduated to wild parties, drinking, girls and fast cars, but they still kept fighting and guns kept in the mix.


After school, they parted ways slightly when Vince went off to California for schooling while Jason stayed local to Georgia.


Vince finished school after 4 years and the only honors he received was for party animal and times narrowly avoiding arrest. He was never worried, always knowing he'd come home and get hired into the family business anyway, so he had his priorities straight from day one: just get that piece of paper and have fun doing it.


One new habit he picked up was gambling and that came home with him. He worked at his father's construction company immediately upon returning home. His job was basic and menial because his father didn't want to show him THAT much favoritism, but realistically, it wasn't like Vince NEEDED the pay. He and Jason started hanging out more frequently again and that friendship started right where it left off.


Not much had changed in several years with Vincent, except some minor promotions, new girls in and out, and trading in last year's model for this one's. Eventually, Vince got into illegal gambling, betting on everything from cock fights, to actual fights, to street racing. It was something he enjoyed, but also the one part of his life Jason wouldn't dabble in, only based on the fact that getting caught doing that would cost him his job.


In this span, he was introduced to Avan Rennault at work. He was hired in originally as a consultant to his father's company but did such a good job that he was hired in fully by the company. Vince urged his father to do so because the man was so good at his job that Vince said "did you want a competitor having the same tools at bay?"


After that, Vince got to know Avan on a personal level and while he was a nice guy and all, a bit older maybe, Vince saw a lot of Jason in him. They both were somewhat introverted, reserved, and they both had things at their disposal and things available to them that they didn't see. Vince wasn't the smartest or most insightful person, neither was he the champion of some noble cause, but when he saw good people who kind of walled themselves off, he found it necessary to break down those walls and force alcohol down some throats and maybe bring some titties into the equation. While they became good friends, their relationship was one that was more social in nature.


Vince, being the mature guy he was, decided he needed to get away for a week or so and asked to take Jason, Avan and their 2 other friends on a trip. All agreed, but one opted out at the last minute after breaking his arm in an accident. The other three flew off without a hitch and were ready to party hard for a few days.


-------------------------------------------


Name: Jason Chaysen


Age: 27.


Born: Sterling Ridge, GA.


Heights / weight: 6'1" and 210lbs.


Hair / eyes: Brown hair, brown eyes.


Appearance: While Jason is no where near ugly, he's everything Vince is not. Plain brown hair, plain brown eyes and while he isn't able to walk into any group of people and make them laugh, he's outgoing and fun when around people he knows. He keeps in slightly better shape than Vince due to his job, and the fact that he has SOME sense of responsibility.


Pics in spoiler

Spoiler

Bio: Jason is the youngest of a total of 4 brothers and sisters. They didn't have the privileged life of that Vince did, but they were well enough off. That was until the parents divorced and left the family separated. Jason stayed in Georgia with his father while the other 3 siblings went with their mother to Texas.


It was around that time that Jason and Vince met. Vince was good for Jason, keeping him grounded, helping him through the rough times in his life by means of partying, drinking, doing stupid stuff and eventually getting into martial arts and paintball.


The two were a good balance, Jason being more mindful, while Vince was brash and prone to do things on a whim. Without each other, Jason would have likely ended up a self loathing introvert who didn't make it out of the divorce while Vince would probably have been in jail or dead. They never once made mention of it, but both were cognizant of it, which created an amazing bond.


Jason's father died just after highschool, and while Vince offered to basically take him in, Jason wanted to do things on his own and started working and going school. After getting an associate's degree, he became a sheriff's deputy, working at prisons. Vince would still randomly do things, keeping in touch when he could and sending things like money, random gifts and even depositing money into his Jason's account.


Jason was seeing a girl for about 3 years, but eventually they broke things off which couldn't have been better timing, because it was just as Vince came back to Georgia and that gave him another excuse to go out drinking.


At one point, Jason met Avan through Vince and the two developed a fairly solid friendship. The two were both close to opposites with Vince, and they saw that right away. They didn't talk much but when they did, it seemed of more concrete stuff than Vince's normal conversations about the weekend, drinking, and shooting.


Later, Jason didn't take any interest in the illicit part of Vince's life, the gambling rings he associated with. He simply told him to be careful. Jason knew there were some things money couldn't buy you out of. He'd seen enough convicts to know better.


Eventually, Jason was asked by Vince to fly off to some "bomb ass resort" in the Pacific. Jason had plenty of vacation time on the books, so he got his passports, took some time and the two, along with Harris, a mutual friend, and Avan, flew off.


Jason made it clear it was under one condition. He smiled and told Vince, and I quote, "I ain't paying for shit."


Vince agreed and laughed.

 

[Arlear]

Name:


Avan Rennault


Age:


36


Born:


Houghton, MI.


Hair/Eyes:


Sandy-blonde hair, Gray eyes.


Appearance:


Avan is tall, lean, and generally neat and well groomed, as any self respecting business man should be.

Height:


6'2"


Weight:


211 lbs


Bio:


Avan was born and raised mostly in the frozen waste-land of a town called Houghton, five miles off the edge of the earth, and in the absolute perfect representation climate of Michigan. A town famous for one thing- Michigan Tech. The ultimate nerd's college. Geniuses live up and down the town's streets, college students and professors all within snowmobiling distance of the campus. Being raised in a town of said geniuses, Avan always found himself pushed to the limits of his intelligence to keep up. And by pushing the boundaries, he only got smarter.


Sadly, his intelligence never did reach into the engineering and computer science that Tech primarily offered. Instead, he pushed his mind towards understanding just that- The human mind. How it works, how to understand it. Through highschool, he pushed himself to get the near-perfect grades required to go to a school that would help him with that. And in the end, through much effort, a variety of minor scholarships, and a shining entrance essay, he made it into Stanford University.


He spent a number of years there, learning about psychology. And yet, just before he graduated, to everyone's bewilderment, he switched majors- To business. No one knows why- He isn't even sure himself- but one thing was certain. His knowledge of psychology went far in helping him through business. He understood how people worked, and thus was better able to manipulate them to his way of thinking. He could sell ideas more easily, persuade companies to merge or separate as if it were simple. With that ability as his weapon, he hopped from business to business, slowly working his way up until he was wealthy, powerful, and frankly, happy with his job.


At some point, he ended up moving to a nice apartment in Augusta, Georgia. (Despite being completely able to afford a house.) The reasoning for his move from New York, as one of the rich and powerful? A job. He started working business for a few casinos and a construction company, handling anything they threw at him with his usual ease. He enjoyed the job- Though stayed for once, instead of moving on to even bigger prospects, due to meeting a few friends. While he was entirely happy with his job, his personal life had always been... lonely, in a word. So finally having a friend or two to hang around ended up grounding him to one place.


The friend ended up being Vincent Dicario- And shortly thereafter, met through Vince, Jason Chaysen. The two brought some fun into his normally pure-business life. Mostly in the form of MMA classes, paintball and other forms of marksmanship- And general debauchery. (Though he remained a bit more 'business' about everything, trying not to have -too- much fun. After all, that could make him look bad.


At some urging on Vincent's part, Avan decided to join them on a brief vacation, the possibility of meeting more people not one he could resist.

 

[Rae Watson]

Name: Jamie Warwick


Age: 24


Born: Wayland, Massachusetts


Height/Weight: 5'7" and 140 lbs


Hair/eyes: Dark, wavy hair, dark eyes.


Appearance: Jamie is curvaceous and fair skinned. Her hair is tousled and shoulder length. She has a relatively strong chin, intense eyes, and is unconventionally pretty. Jamie is not your typical face.<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_02/Famke-Janssen-famke-janssen-779993_1600_1200.jpg.e0863d7dd3c41458a26cfc6051650297.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="13420" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_02/Famke-Janssen-famke-janssen-779993_1600_1200.jpg.e0863d7dd3c41458a26cfc6051650297.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


Important things about Jamie's personality: Jamie is a master of the poker face. She masks her immense amount of emotions (most of the time), and comes across as charming and reserved, although deep down she is critical and frankly, insane. Jamie is covertly a selfish narcissist. Due to her facade, however, she manages to maintain strong surface relationships. People find Jamie to be mysterious. It's hard for her to have many close friends due to her trust issues and deep psychological problems.


Bio (Char link @Greyathena):


Growing up for Jamie was socially difficult. She usually wore a mask of false charm, but had trouble truly connecting with more than two close friends at a time. In high school, after constantly trying to fit it with her peers and being repeatedly rejected, Jamie convinced herself that she was in fact being rejected because she was superior to her peers. Jamie was a good student, especially in various science courses. She was an incredible and actor and creative thinker. She was also quick, had a wide variety of interests, and eccentrically witty. Even so, Jamie found it hard to cope. She felt that she was under constant stress, and that no one understood her. She drifted away from her friends, and, after falling in with a bad crowd, dabbled in a variety of drugs, including heroin. Jamie had regular meltdowns, and with each meltdown came a slew of suicidal thoughts and episodes of complete insanity. No one seemed to notice a decline in Jamie's health, not even her parents, who were more often than not, absent. The summer before senior year, Jamie voluntarily checked herself into rehab for two very focused and intense weeks. She has been *relatively* clean ever since.


In university, Jamie lived with her roommate Chelle and majored in antrhopology.


One late night during Jamie's sophomore year, both physically and mentally exhausted and feeling introspective, they realized they had struggled with similar issues, like addiction and anxiety.


Jamie and Chelle immediately became close friends, despite their differences in personality. As time wore on, they grew closer and supported each other through a myriad of difficulties.


Jamie is very picky when it comes to choosing friends. She has accepted Chelle as a companion because she likes having someone of similar past and experience around. Jamie knows that if she relapses into any destructive behaviors, she has someone to help her out of it, or to perhaps drag down with her.


Additionally, Jamie is intellectually fascinated with Chelle's bold honesty and contentiousness.


Chelle has seen Jamie's true colors but in spite of this still remains her friend for equally selfish reasons.


After college, Jamie and Chelle began working in the same office building. Jamie outwardly seems quite normal, and has many work friends. She makes a decent enough living and resides in an apartment. Jamie is a hard worker but can often get distracted or stress herself out.


As a college graduation present from Chelle's sister to Chelle (who graduated more recently), she helped fund Chelle and Jamie's vacation to the party resort island. The two wanted to go on the trip to relieve stress and of course, celebrate Chelle's graduation. They are looking to relax and have a good time.

 

[NorthernBard]

Name: Valentine 'Vale' Hale


Age: 29


Born: London England


Height/Weight: 1.8m (6'1") / 80kg (175lbs)


Hair/Eyes: Auburn and curly / Blue-Green


Appearance: Valentine isn't muscular in the way bodybuilders or male models are, but in the sleek lean way runners are that hides the real strength inside.

Bio: Valentine comes from old money, affluent old money. Which means he's lived life with a silver spoon in his mouth, which he is aware of and utterly loves it. He might have been a little indifferent to the structured upbringing of old wealth.


He is aware he will inherit the family business and fortune no matter what he does, being an only child from only child parents, though he still does his best to impress.


Which includes developing the skills of a ruthless businessman. Valentine's lives by the phrase 'The end justifies the means'. He has and will cut people down and screw close companions over to get the result that benefits him the most. Valentine is wise with his words, twisting them and lying as easily as telling the truth.


Though he is not without he loyalty. After all, if you can't trust a man at all, who's going to work with him? There are a few, close business partners, old friends and compatriots who he wouldn't dare betray, more out of fear of what they'd do to him than actually loyalty. But he won't correct them if they want to pull wool over their own eyes and think he cares on some deeper level.


He is on vacation with his feisty girlfriend Charlotte-- despite his name and its romantic implications Valentine is no good with relationships-- to get away from work and to give his own frayed nerves a break from dealing with foolish business partners.

 

[Eloquence]

Full Name: Alicia Maravillar


Nickname: Alli or “Sweets” by her exes.


Age: 27


Gender: Female


Race: Human


Homeland: She was born in Michigan, but she has lived in France(only 1 year), England, Italy(very briefly), Spain, Rhode Island (summer home) and Texas (family farm)


Appearance:

(sorry for the watermarks, best resolution pic of her as a brunette)


Languages: Speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese, and can stutter through French. She can understand Italian due to her knowledge of all these other languages and can read and write Greek and Latin, though speak neither.


Height/Weight: 5”3’ and 135


Outfit: Well, if she had it her way, a dress to rival the Queen’s. However, she usually concedes to whatever that week’s trend is.


Strength 1: She is an excellent chef, even on the road.


Strength 2: She has an amazing memory.


Strength 3: She comes from a very rich line of military men, and as such is fluent in many languages and can fit in with even the most prissy of cliques.


Weakness 1: She has never hurt or wanted for anything. Ever.


Weakness 2: Having been a witness to so many diplomatic interactions, she has a hard time taking people at face value.


Weakness 3: She has never stayed in one place long enough to have real friends.


Weakness 4: She’s a hopeless romantic. She will swoon over any guy who even hints at the “L” word.


Occupation: Daughter of a military instructor and a baker in her free time


Skill Set: She is good at playing “good cop” in interrogations, after being the innocent daughter in so many of her father’s schemes. She picked up some basic combat training, and while she is good at it, she prefers not to soil her dress. She can blend in to a crowd fairly easily.


Personality: Alicia can be a bit... spoiled. She has lead a privileged life, and unfortunately, it can show. She is also a bit jaded, growing up and constantly moving. However, she tries to be happy, and focuses on the positive when she can manage it. She loves people, and enjoys being the center of attention. However, her noble upbringing can cause her to accidentally come across as quite haughty.


Background: When your father is the most powerful man in town, you get privileges. Privileges such as a private tutor for every subject, a new suitor whenever the fancy struck her, galas and military balls given in her honor because, well, she asked. These privileges extended wherever she went, a trail of diamonds followed her from country to country, and eventually back to her hometown where she learned the truth of her mother. Everyone assumed that she was a legitimate child, as they knew his wife had died in childbirth around the time Alicia appeared. The truth was much darker.


The princess quickly became a pauper when it was discovered that his wife was not, indeed, dead, but she ran away from her corrupt husband. He had been taking bribes and giving false training to recruits, supporting Middle Eastern terrorist cells. Alicia was not his daughter, but that of a British man, the product of an affair. Alicia was no longer welcome in her uppity circles, due to being a bastard and the daughter of a terrorist. She spent one week poor until her mother killed her father and went to jail for life, having only met her daughter face-to-face once. Alicia didn’t care, her mother wasn’t around when her primary attachments formed, and she had long hated her father and used him for the money.


Alicia was then 17, one of the richest women in the country, and bribed enough judges to earn her emancipation. She finished her schooling through private tutors, selecting Cambridge as her college of choice and attending for 5 years, majoring in Journalism with an added year for a concentration in Fashion. She was largely introversive, shamed due to her parentage.


After college she was 23, rich, and couldn’t care less. She had her secretary, Claire, send out applications to hundreds of jobs, but they were all rejected upon the first Google search. After a long term relationship went sour she went on a worldwide tour, visiting Brazil, Mexico, Chile, France, Belgium, and Italy, using the resort where she was kidnapped as a weeklong layover before planning on heading to Germany, Austria, Australia, Oceania, the Bahamas, Hawaii, and lastly China, before planning to return home to Michigan after what would have been a total of 3.5 years traveling the globe. She was one year and two months into her globetrotting when this incident happened.


Survival Abilities: She is fairly useless from a survival standpoint. Her major skills are her languages, her sharp eye for detail learned from Journalism, her cooking, and her memory. She has never had to hunt for food or live in the wilderness, or even in an RV. The closest to the wilderness she’s been was a nature trail through Texas while she rode her purebred horse on a supple leather saddle.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Name: Charlotte Milne


Nickname: Char


Age: 27


Born: Seattle, Washington


Height/weight: 5'7" / 135lbs


Hair/eyes: Long, curly brown hair / Dark brown eyes


Appearance: Char isn't overly skinny but not at all fat, subtle traces of muscle built in throughout her body. She isn't one to go too overboard in looks because she is more for the simplicity in things but likes to add the occasional flare in appearance if she feels the need to.

Bio: Char was born in Seattle, Washington to two parents and one older sister. Growing up wasn't easy or at all interesting since her parents worked full time and her sister didn't want anything to do with anyone which meant that Char had to take care of herself more often than not.


By the time she was 18 she was sick and tired of being ignored by pretty much everyone and packed a small bag filled with some clothes, water, food, and all the money she had earned herself. Besides the clothes on her back that was what she left the house with, never to return.


She used some of her money as bus fare and ended up in Columbus, OH where she discovered a small group of people who became practically family. After being recruited into the group by Chelle, the girl who Char would eventually come to think of as a little sister after years of growing closer through rough times and hardships, she bonded with them almost instantly and found a joy she had never felt before when she began doing the forbidden or unknown.


Char stole things in cars for fun, broke into buildings just to see the looks on people's faces and let her power and adrenaline run rampant whenever a train was nearby. The only she didn't do was drugs and she limited her drinking but for once she was actually letting loose and having fun.


But, that fun only lasted until she was 21, a little more than 3 years of being in the group, when Annalise got hit by on oncoming car and was killed upon impact. After the incident the band of misfits were never the same and over time finally disbanded, going their separate ways without a second glance back. Once their were only a few people remaining Char left as well and got herself back into school.


Once she saved up enough money from a part-time job as a waitress at a quaint cafe she booked herself a flight out of 'home sweet home' and flew off to London, England. Once there she moved into a small little apartment building that was perfect for what she wanted and for the next 3 years worked hard and long to graduate from college.


She got a job as a veterinarian and loved every second of it. Over 2 years of her time spent at her job she was actually happy once more and loved every second of it, making more than enough money to pay for her apartment while still having enough to spend on small little outings just to treat herself. Even with her slightly more glamorous life she would still occasionally long for that group of rebels who showed her who she actually was and what she was capable of.


During one of Char's little personal outings she hit it off quite well with a guy, one of which she calls Val, and within that month enjoyed the peace and serenity of having another person that she could talk and acquaintance with. Although since she has only been with him for a short month she hasn't told him about her previous years of breaking the law. It's something that she isn't quite comfortable with sharing.


A few days prior both Char and Val boarded a vacation flight to spend some time with each other and get away from their busy lives.

 

[Fox Hound]

Name: Brett Reynard Wheeler


Age: 24


Born: Unknown, PA


Heights/weight: 6'3" and 200lbs.


Hair/eyes: Brown hair, pale green eyes.


Appearance:

Tall, lightly muscled, and lightly tanned. There's something about those goofy ears. The kind of ears that somehow just look out of place until that beaming smile settles in between. Inversely his bright green eyes too seem unfitting until coupled with a chilling scowl. He's actually only moderately attractive, but given the right lighting or the proper expression the young man suddenly seems devilishly handsome. Individually, his features seem as though they might clash, but he wears the eclectic blend well. When he's on stage, he tends to wear snazzy, hipsteresque type clothing, though if you were to meet him on the street, he'd likely be wearing a leather jacket, a tank top, and some ill fitting sweatpants.


Personality:


Brett is generally an ill mannered, but bright young man that has endured an undue deal of pain in his lifetime. This has led to a great deal of trust issues and some emotional instability which he'd been making great strides towards abating. Much of his life has been a series of misery and as such he has a tendency to be bitter and harsh, though mostly only to those he believes to have wronged him. While he is capable of great feats of perseverance, he is prone to impulsiveness and recklessness and has strong inclinations towards violence. He's rough around the edges and naturally exudes a tough, rebellious exterior, but beneath it all he's a damaged, sensitive soul who's unsure of what to do with what life's given him.

​

Biography:


"Brett is an up and coming singer/songwriter with a love for music and a troubled past. He plays multiple instruments, being drums, piano, guitar, saxophone, and violin. He's known largely for his versatility, bold lyrics, technical complexity, and his impressive voice which he couples with bouts of whistling. His stage presence is overwhelming and it's clear with every note and every movement exactly how intimate he is with his music, hell, just with music in general. His voice is raw and stirring and his lyrics are haunting yet lovely. It's easy to see how damaged he is, because every time he gets in front of the mic, he bares his soul and holds nothing back. Performers like him are truly one of a kind."


Isaac Rosada, The Kit

​

Brett's early life was unfortunate in far too many ways, though it has become just as much an excuse for him as a muse. Born of a hooker too poor to afford a solid abortion and some random creep she @$#!ed once in his car, he was immediately ditched two towns over only to find himself at an underfunded orphanage where he'd spend his formative years being ridiculed for one reason or another by the older kids too bitter from years of being passed up by potential families. "You're nothing." They'd tell him over and over. "You're a worthless, motherless piece of shit. No one will ever want you." Time and time again, families would come in, but when they cast a glance towards Brett, all they could see was an angry, skinny little kid. No one could see a kid so young, yet so troubled fitting into their "ideal family". And so the cycle would repeat, vicious taunts and heartless shaming fueled a smoldering fury that found yet more fuel each time his bullies were validated. That is until one fateful day when a bright smiling woman and her fiancee walked in and decidedly fell in love with the young boy.


Six years of endured torment all seemed to slip away at the prospect of being adopted; of being taken home. Up until that point he'd been named by the government, but when the Wheeler's took Brett in, he got what he'd always consider, for better or worse, his identity. Brett Reynard Wheeler, the new addition, seemed at first to fit incredibly well within the couple's lives. His adopted father, Claude was reportedly infertile, but the pair desperately wanted children of their own to raise. They weren't incredibly wealthy, but a prosperous blend of investments and business landed them fairly comfortably within the upper middle class. They sent him to a private school where he was able to interact with other children his age, and while he never really excelled at school, he had a real talent for getting into trouble. At home was this sweet, loving, innocent child, totally incapable of harming even a fly, but at school, among the other children, he somehow became monstrous. His first month, he reportedly bit a child who'd called him stupid, then a week later, after being reprimanded both at school and home, the same kid was found pinned to the ground in the hallway with a bloody lip as a distraught Brett hovered over him. More and more events took place with Brett violently lashing out at one student or another, before the school finally contacted his parents to advise them he was no longer welcome for the safety of the other students. His parents offered them more money, but it was adamantly refused.


They decided the best choice would be to home school him, though that meant that his adopted mother would have to stay home to do so. Back home with the comfort of his mother, Brett resumed the good behavior his parents knew him for, though he still had a difficult time keeping up with the schooling no matter how slow his mother paced things for him. After much discussion and some tightening of the budget, his parents hired a private tutor who could come in to teach him in a manner he might find more responsive. Rather than returning to work, his mother stayed home to monitor his progress only to find over the next few months that he was picking things up with relative ease thanks to his tutor's methods. As a reward for his hard work, she bought Brett a new guitar and began taking him to another tutor with whom he studied music. It was then that he realized how much he truly loved music and soon his room was filled with instruments that he found a natural talent for.


It was four years later when the next tragic series of events hobbled their way into his life. The economy took a hit and with it his parents' business as well. Before long, the tutors' fees were becoming too much to handle when coupled with the business' expenses. There was talk of placing Brett back into the school system, but the idea of sending him to public school after so many incidents before seemed too risky. Instead they sat down and talked with the tutors individually and found, surprisingly easily, that both were willing to renegotiate their terms and take heavy reductions in pay to continue tutoring Brett. His primary musical instructor, Thomas, said that so long as he could begin to take Brett to regional concerts and performances, he'd willingly teach him for free and apply the agreed tuition towards tickets and travel. He believed that Brett's technical prowess and impressive creativity could easily make him the next great musician or even composer. His academic tutor, Chad, however agreed to an absurdly low amount with absolutely no strings attached. He simply "took pride in seeing Brett grow" and "felt like it was wrong to continue charging them at all when he was beginning to feel like family."


Astounded by his luck, Brett carried on blissfully until one day almost a year later, angry shouting rose above the melodies of his piano and he wandered towards his parents room to find out what was going on. "How @$@%ing long?!" His father growled through gritted teeth. Tears were flowing down his mothers face and her make up smeared as she rubbed at them, "Does it matter?! Who are we fooling? We weren't happy!" She shrieked with a faltering voice. Visibly shuddering as she sobbed, she continued before he could make a reply. "EVERYONE knew. Y-" she started, but he interrupted her with the back of his hand. "You god damn whor*. How the $!#! could you? After everything I've done for you. You stupid bit$#!" He countered angrily. "I'm gonna $!@#in' kill him. I swear to god, I'll kill him." He muttered breathlessly as he paced around the room in search of his keys. "Don't you $#*!ing lay a finger on him! I love him!" Brett heard his mother cry out. His mind swam with confusion as he tried to figure out what was going on. Who were they talking about and why were they fighting like this? His father had never hit him nor his mother, so far as he knew. This was outrageous. His head felt far too heavy and he suddenly swayed before catching himself on the wall. He blinked rapidly and realized his breathing was shallow and inconsistent. He shut his eyes tight and tried to plug his ears, but the din of their shouting only worsened until there was an abrupt thud. His eyes fluttered open and the scene before him took him entirely by surprise. His parents were on the floor, his father's large hands fixed tightly around his wife's neck. Wide eyed, she gasped for air and squirmed beneath him as he unflinchingly squeezed the life from her.


Brett felt as though his feet were welded in place and the whole house had turned upside down. He fought to move, to scream, to do anything at all, but he was fully frozen with fear. He watched helplessly as his father continued choking his mother, sporadically slamming her head into the wooden floor as profanities spewed from his lips. At one point his mother's eyes drifted towards him and he could feel her desperately pleading to him with her breathless gasps. Somehow he found the strength and moved to tackle the bear of a man that was his father, to no avail. The man didn't budge. Brett rained his small fists against Claude's back, but between his weakness and the adrenaline surging through his father's body, nothing could be felt. He cried and screamed and pleaded for his father to stop, to listen, but nothing could get through to the man. He could think of only one thing to save his mother: the gun in their closet. He bolted to the open door seeing clothes strewn across the floor amid a mess of papers. Letters from the looks of it, hastily written in the familiar handwriting of his teacher, Chad. But he didn't have time to look that closely, he was climbing over the jackets and blouses to the chest in the back where he found the .45 his father kept. Lifting it shakily from the case, he found himself standing behind his father who still would not be moved. The 1911 was heavy in his hands and the sweat on his palms slicked the grip, but he fought to keep the thing aimed at his dad as he screamed to him to stop. His finger twitched nervously against the double action trigger, then he felt the trigger move beneath his finger as if on its own. He was shocked by how easily it moved, expecting it to take more force, but he was shocked even further when he heard an unimpressive click in place of the climatic bang he'd been awaiting. He pulled it again, again a click. No bang. No cry of pain from his father. Instead the large man rose at the sound of the gun and turned his attention to his kid, the ungrateful son of a bit$# aiming an unloaded gun at him.


He was on him in seconds. The gun found itself flung across the room while a balled fist landed squarely on the small boy's face. Brett found himself face first on the floor and all the hollering and screaming he could muster, did little to stop the man from delivering more vicious blows. Before things could get much worse, a police officer burst through the door, identified himself, and ordered Claude to stand and raise his hands. The command didn't seem to fully register, because rather than raise his hands, he stood but wildly charged the intruder. He met three shots straight to the chest and collapsed to the floor indignantly, while Brett looked on in shock. The officer briefly reported shots fired and called for paramedics before moving to Brett's mother to try for a pulse. "Are you okay?" He asked the boy weakly. His voice was shaky. This wasn't what at all what he was expecting. A noise complaint. That's all it was supposed to be, then there's a kid screaming for help. How did it all go so wrong?


Both his parents were confirmed dead, his mother from strangulation before the cop even entered the room, his father before the paramedics even arrived. Orphaned, for the second time, without warning. He's spend another five years in the foster system, disrupting out of many placements after repeatedly and violently lashing out until he finally had himself emancipated. Being the only child and the only person named on his parents' will, upon his emancipation he received the remainder of their assets along with the life insurance pay out for his mother's untimely end, though the insurance company left his father's case under review indefinitely. With far too much money and even more pain, at the ripe age of 16, Brett found himself for the next two years funding a not so small drug addiction. He had no one to answer to and would have continued on unchecked until his bank account ran dry, but somehow in the middle of a high he ended up punching out some random guy who had been hounding a pretty girl who was terribly uninterested and the rest, as they say, is history. Though, as is such with much of the history in Brett's life, this too has a sad ending.


“I know that things aren't quite like what they used to be. I know they never will be, but I definitely miss how close we were. I miss those days and nights we spent carrying on for hours on end; the moments I never wanted to end. I miss the friendship we created, that is now tattered. frayed in comparison. I miss the security I felt from knowing that no one would come between us, that I would belong to you forever, however a naive belief it may have been. I miss the danger and intrigue of the smallest things: holding hands in secret, our own secret language, sneaking into your dorm for affections that were exclusive to only me. I miss the tone of voice you'd use whenever you talked to me, the one so deeply devoted to me alone that your roommates always knew when you were speaking with me. I miss having a best friend; a true best friend that I could confide everything in. I miss feeling truly recognized and fully discovered.” He took a pause as he waited for the words to register, but as she began to part her lips for a response he began again.


“I find love to be much like a quilt. Intricate in design, a quality quilt can provide warmth, shelter, comfort, and even memories, and with care, it can last an entire lifetime. However, if misused or mistreated, a quilt will fray, slowly but surely.” He looked directly into her eyes, watching tears form as the words hit home. “I miss my quilt. I miss the elegant stitching that brought together the elaborate textures of our life. But you. You tore that quilt into two and left me in the cold; my rage the only source of warmth I could find. Honestly, I will probably always miss being with you. But I will never miss you.” He finished with a matter of fact tone, conveying the finality of the conversation. The embers that burnt within his heart to replace the cold, dark void that was left finally dwindled to the faintest glow: hope. Hope to start anew, finally free of the remnants that plagued his heart.


Brett pushed back his chair, rising from the candlelit dinner table. He looked to Melissa with a sigh. Her tear wrought eyes didn't meet his. Whether it was fear or shame, her eyes refused to look his way. Instead they ventured around the room, finding the many pairs of eyes that had found their way to the two. Their attention was drawn by Brett's rising tone as he fought to speak over her sobs. She was shaking now. Her eyes crept fearfully up to his face and in that moment his cold stare punctuated his statements more powerfully than he could have with the loudest of words. There were murmurs among the onlookers as Brett slammed the bill down upon the oak table. He reached into his pockets to retrieve a small sheet of paper upon which he wrote:

​

Here's your tip. Keep your distance. She's a whor*.

​

The sheet of paper drifted from his hand as he released it. Every eye was trained on it as it descended; its gentle descent in contrast to the slam of the bill a captivating sight. Melissa was speechless. Her ragged breathing couldn't mask the guttural shriek that escaped her lips from deep within as the paper landed and she read what was inscribed. She quivered all over as a pain in her chest began to swell. She closed her eyes, but no dam could hold back the waterworks that ensued. The voices came to an abrupt halt as Brett turned on his heel and walked casually out of the restaurant to the catchy tune of silence.


He crossed the parking lot and lifted his leg onto his bike, placing the keys in the ignition as he took his seat. It started smoothly and he backed out idly before throwing it into drive and looking into the busy intersection, awaiting his turn to enter. Suddenly the screams of pedestrians found themselves ringing in his ears. Coupled with the deafening screech of rubber, a sickening thud was heard as the grill of a semi-truck met the side of the woman he once loved. He moved from the motorcycle, dazed and distant as the weight of the situation rested itself upon his shoulders. He walked aimlessly into the street and his eyes fell upon the bloodied remains. Her neck bent at an unsightly angle, her entirely crushed rib cage now a concave mess. Her once beautiful red hair was strewn across the ground mixed within the trail of dark red blood that oozed out of her head after bouncing then skidding to a stop some yards away. Her broken high heels lay empty in the street and her legs lay mangled in a stiff position.


Vomit slipped from the man's mouth as he wept, and he wasn't quite sure how he felt. The loss of the woman and the only person he'd ever truly bonded with tore into his thoughts, savagely wreaking havoc on what was just such a momentous occasion. He clutched desperately to her shoulders, embracing her lifeless body with unending grief, and knew immediately that this was his doing. His sobs grew in both volume and tempo as his sadness burned at his eyes and seared his lungs. Her infidelities all seemed petty now in comparison to what memories came to mind. The nights when she held him in her arms and consoled his troubled mind; mended his hurts, and offered ceaseless support through morning. She'd helped him to turn away from the drugs and the very many poor choices he'd made. She'd been the driving force of all the changes he'd made and here he was frantically shouting at her not to go.


Beating the driver to a pulp afterwards landed Brett in jail for three days, though the trucker ultimately felt too guilty to press charges. Brett spent the next few months in depression, but managed to keep the changes he'd made for her going strong. He continued pursuing his music career, dwelling on the pain and channeling it into inspiration. The process was cathartic and composing and kept from going back to using. It didn't, however, stop him from dealing. Over the next few months between gigs and seedy drug deals after his shows, he began to make enough money to record his first album. Before he could get in the studio though, he had one last performance. He'd been booked for a big event going on at an island. He was slated for three slots: one on the way, one opening for the event, and then once more on the yacht ride back.

​