A Granger Summer (OOC)

[Energie]

Link To In-Character Thread

Lake Granger’s picturesque waters are lined with the vacations homes of the wealthy and accomplished. Countless loves formed on its shores; numerous friendships were compacted in its ever-flowing current. Established firm in its history are the Donovans, Mathers, and Kennedys families; The roots of these family trees drawing their life sources from the waters of Granger. It was only 25 years ago that Dustin Mathers, Jake Donovan, and Patrick Kennedy set on the pier making the promise to never forget their childhood on Lake Granger. It was that night that they vowed to return to the shore every single year bringing along whatever family they had. Now in the present day, this promise has passed the test of time and it has become a tradition to place aside one summer week each year and gather together on the shore of the Lake that formed friendship between these three men who have now become fathers, each with a family as diverse as the next.

Summer time has rolled around again and as bags are packed, emotions are mix of excitement and annoyance. The newer generation doesn't always model their fathers’ love for the lake, but each year despite the complaints the cars are loaded and the tires trail a path straight to the lakeside homes. Granger awaits.

Familes:

Donovans: FULL

Spoiler

When Jake Donovan made that promise so many starry nights ago, he never realized that he’d be the one to hold to it the truest. It’s nearly twenty years later and Jake found love on the shore and has never left it since. The Donovan name is one known amongst the locals as it is synonymous with wealth. Jake Donovan inherited his family’s property soon after his marriage; however he was not content with just that sole property. Over the years Jake bought out most of the landowners around the lake and it’s a running joke that the Donovans own Lake Granger; though, that is a lie. Jake has tried several times to procure ownership of the lake, however he has yet to find any success in that effort. The Donovans lakeside house is the talk of the town and is equipped with anything a person could need, whether it be an in-home theatre or an full-time chef. Yet, money has a tendency of being a dividing factor within the family unit. Jake was often so caught up in gaining wealth that he didn’t dedicate much time of his time for bringing up his children. This is directly reflected in the coarse relationship amongst family members. Additionally, the Donovan youth are known to be rather snobby, often using their flaunting their family's wealth to gain social status.

House:

Spoiler

Mathers:

Spoiler

Dustin Mathers always had a heart for those who suffer and his passion led him to begin his own organization. Globally acclaimed and universally known, the Mathers non-profit organization, Helping Hands, aids those in foreign countries that are immersed in poverty. Though, Dustin Mathers never allowed his career ambitions to hinder his dream of starting a family. The Mathers family sprouted in the most diverse locations of the world whether it was their 6-month stint in India or their 2-year stay in Africa. Each of the children were raised amongst the children that the Mathers were helping, so it’s not uncommon for them to know more then one language or possess cultural beliefs that lean on the unpopular spectrum. Though, the family is constantly shifting homes, the bond amongst them remains strong. They are kind-hearted and adventurous, never afraid to turn down a challenge of trying something new. Though, Dustin tries his best to maintain his promise to his friends that he made so many years ago, he and his family have often missed out on their summer meetings at the Lake as their main focus centered around their organization. They do however maintain ownership of a stunning lakeside house for the times they do make it into town.

House:

Spoiler

Kennedys:

Spoiler

Patrick Kennedy left Lake Granger and rose to become one of the leading political figures in New York. He found the love of his life and began a family. Life was perfect. That is until, scandal arose. Kennedy was accused of bribery and a nasty lawsuit ensued. Somewhere during the whole stressful situation, his wife Cindy discovered that she was unhappy with their marriage. A divorce tagged along with the lawsuit to bring Kennedy’s life to the verge of breaking, the worst part being that Cindy won primary custody of the kids. She left without a word of thanks as she took her millions in divorce settlement and settled in Southern California. Patrick Kennedy’s life was in shambles, but he made it out; badly damaged but intact. It took years to regain his good reputation, but he had help. That help’s name was Katherine Throop, a mother herself and a victim of a failed love-life. Around the time he was elected back to his political chair he married the second woman to steal his heart. It’s been fourteen years since that second marriage and the Kennedy household is finally happy again. That is the Kennedy household in New York City. The other Kennedy children, the children of Cindy, only see their father every third weekend when he flies them out to visit. The tension between Cindy's children and Katherine's children is evident, but there’s no escaping that fact. Patrick simply tries to make the most of the three days he spends with his biological children, before they're whisked back off to their mother. It just so happens, that every year that that third weekend happens to fall around the time the annual trip to the Lake occurs. Regardless of feeling towards each other, the two sets of Kennedy kids gather together and head to the shores of Lake Granger, arguments ensuing the second the car pulls from the driveway.

House:

Spoiler

Rules/Character Sheet Notes:

1. Follow all Guild rules
2. Be tasteful. I honestly have no issue with mature topics such as alcohol and drug references, just keep romance scenes limited (possibly PMs)
3. Have at least one connection with another character. This can be either a childhood friendship, an ex, or anything realistic. Remember, this group is around each other nearly every summer.
4. NO GODMODDING. Let people play the characters they created.
5. Flesh out your character to be realistic. No requirements of what to include on the CS, just make sure your character has enough depth to be dynamic with a plot.
6. Inclusive plot, guys. Feel free to pitch any ideas, because there's no set-in-stone course for this roleplay. It all depends on what you guys want to see happen.
7. Max of two characters from different families. Option for third character if they're a local.
8. For locals, you're free to make a new surname and family history.
9. Make sure there isn't an overlap in ages with children from the same family.
10. Limit of 3-4 children per family.
11. I prefer real people for appearances. Here's a friends album of gifs if you're having trouble finding an appearance picture. (Gents/Ladies)
12. Parents are NPCs unless anyone takes them; though, if you'd like I can take up controlling them if your character wants to interact with them.
13. For the Kennedy family: Cindy's kids have the last name Kennedy, while Katherine's children have the last name Throop.
14. Drama is encouraged IC. Don't bring anything OOC, as we're all here to have fun.

Character Sheet
Name:
Age:
Appearance:
History:
Personality:
Other:


Characters:

Donovans:
Sebastian Donovan (ScarletMangekyo)
Casey Donovan (BuiltForSin)
Elizabeth Donovan (Bumblebee848)
Cade Donovan (Energie)

Mathers:
Ralph Mathers (Spooner)
Issa Mathers (InkedWolf)
Novia "Nova" Mathers (IntenseInsanity)
Annabeth Rose Mathers (psychicBastard)

Kennedys:
Alfred "Freddy" Kennedy (Molach)
Tristan Kennedy (TeamForwood16)
Avery Throop (Rhedd)


Additional Characters:
Mi-Hyun Kim (BuiltForSin)
Grayson Robert March (The Xtreme One)
October Oswin (David Starsky)
Julie Scott (Spooner)

[IntenseInsanity]

Name:
Novia "Nova" Mathers

Age:
Sixteen

Appearance:

Standing at 5'1 and weighing about 115 lbs, Nova is a well-muscled for her age, as well as short. She has very long, strong legs and thin but sturdy arms (trained from endless days of climbing trees and mountains). Her features are soft and sweet and always brightened with a bright, slightly crooked smile. She has a limp from a childhood injury and slouches over when sitting ever so slightly. Somewhat into strange styles, she normally wears many odd outfits and necklaces, and adores her hair with strings of yarn, dream catchers, and feathers. Her hair is a light brown (turns brighter if exposed to sun for too long) and reaches her mid-back in feathery wisps. She normally hides her arched eyebrows and green eyes behind her bangs, and with her strange clothes and wild hair ornaments she often looks like a wild woman.

History:
Traveling was a fun pastime for someone like Nova. In her younger years, however, she was annoyed by it. But hanging out with her awesome big brother and parents in places like India or Africa always made up for the always moving part of traveling. The diverse cultures and clothing from those different places soon mixed and melded inside of the young girl, forming the strange, wild child that she is today. She was homeschooled from a very young age because of all their traveling. Exploring new places was always fun, as well as learning how to climb trees and finding new, strange adventured wherever she went. One of the few adventures she went on when she was younger involved going out after dark, in which Nova discovered her fear of ghosts. She was walking to wherever they lived that day, the sun slowly dipping behind the trees, when she soon felt as though she was being watched. Only seven, she began to grow extremely cautious and ended up returning home later then usual, as she constantly spun around on her way back. It was a terrible experience. Another adventure had gotten her in big trouble. One day, she was left alone, being watched only by her elder brother, Ralph. She had climbed too high up in a tree while her brother was reading, and ended up taking a dangerous fall, breaking her leg and arm. Spending those few days in the hospital had been torturous, and the eight weeks without exploring made it even worse, but in that time she began to read, and she soon discovered her fantastic memory when playing a mystery game with her family. She was soon released from her casts and returned to her normal, wild, traveling child life. At the age of eight she began to stare at everything with a thoughtful eye, which caught the attention of her mother. When she turned ten, her mother gave her a sketch pad and pack of unsharpened pencils and simply said,

"Do with it what you will."

Her first drawing was of an exotic bird. Six years later, she is still drawing, and her imagination has grown. She is inspired enough to climb high to find perfect visuals of wherever her family is at the moment, and summer at Granger Lake has proved to be a great new inspiration for the young girl.


Personality:
Sweet, curious, and at times suffocating. These are all words to describe the little ball of energy known at Novia. She is alwasy seems smiling, all the time, everywhere, and at everything. She is anything but shy and reserved, the complete opposite of her older brother. A clingy child, she often hangs onto her siblings or friends without a second thought when surprised or frightened by something, or maybe simply because she can. Although she always appears smiley and happy and at times oblivious to others, inside she is extremely thoughtful and deep. She hides all of her emotions behind the goofy smiles and giggles she displays everyday as she hates to trouble others with her feelings. When angry or sad, she will try to stay isolated from others until she can cool down. Due to her homeschooling, she can be somewhat strange in social settings (and by somewhat I mean a lot) and at times she finds it hard to fit into the other children of the other family. Extremely athletic, Nova is normally seen climbing trees, jogging around in circles, dancing in the woods, or doing part-time work for people in town. Though she isn't the smartest, she has a fantastic memory and will often remember something that had happen minutes, hours, or even days ago. The information, however, is either not needed for the situation or just completely random.An aspiring artist, she draws from what she sees in nature, and her room is full of her mysteriously tranquil art. She can't stand being in one place for too long, and if confined will subconsciously begin to tap or foot or drum her fingers.

Other:
Normally hangs around the lake, forest, or on top of her family's lake house roof.

Always has a small sketchbook and pencil hidden somewhere on her.

She refuses to go anywhere after dark and is constantly very nervous in dark places. She is very superstitious and has a big fear of ghosts and other paranormal entities.

Confused by most electronics.

Can't swim.

Very defensive over her siblings, especially Annabeth.

Although she isn't too fond of reading, you can sometimes find her deleaving into a mystery novel or two on a rainy day.

[Molach]

While ill be fleshing out some relationships with other people, some things might change before we start.

Name: Alfred 'Freddy' Kennedy
Age: 18
Appearance:

standing at a height of 6' 1'' Freddy's height is above average.
History:

Freddy was only 4 years old when his parents filed for divorce and at that time he might not have been old enough to fully understand what was going on.
However, as the oldest of the Kennedy siblings, he is probably the only one who can still remember how life was before ...and the scandal that drove the family in two.
Although there are still some memories remaining from the 'perfect life' that could have been, life before the divorce had been anything but perfect for a long time, something his sibling(s) don't remember.
and as such, Freddy was quickly able to accept that his father going to come back and that they where probably better off because of it.

But accept doesn't mean agree...

Growing up without a father was difficult enough even without said father fulfilling that role for some other random kids.
to make matters worse, Tristan's protective nature when it come to their mother even though he was the younger sibling, always made him feel like he did not entirely belong.
So when his father remarried, even Freddy could not help but feel jealous and left out, But he soldiered on and ignored those feelings.
Even if he could only see him once a month, and even if he had to share that time with some strangers, he wanted to make every second count.

Over time Freddy even learned how to deal with the Throoper family. In his mind they will always be the number one rivals for his fathers affection,
However, equipped with a daring fake smile, and some dazzling politeness, they quickly lowered their guards, giving Freddy the desired room to maneuver.

Recently Freddy has left his mothers home to go to college the same collage as Casey Dovovan, where he now studies 'political science'.

Personality:
In most respects, Freddy is the complete opposite of his younger brother Tristan. For one, Freddy has no problem hiding his emotions. No matter how much he dislikes a person, he can always greet them with a very convincing smile.
He has no problem with lying and is even pretty good at it. This trait he both loves and hates the most about himself. He loves it because it is a great asset that can help him reach his goals.
And he hates it because he has become so comfortable with lying to others that, sometimes it appears to be more like a reflex than a voluntary action.

secondly, Freddy is generally very mature. He doesn't care as much about video games and girls, as he cares about his future and his studies. But most off all, he cares about impressing his father.
In fact, he wants to impress his father so badly, that it might not even be completely accurate to say that he care about his studies. He just wants what wants to be more like him, as if that will bring them closer.
that said, it will not come as a surprise to you that, Freddy's dream is to become a politician.

All in all, Freddy is intelligent and calculating. He is driven to succeed and finds its difficult to care about anything or anyone else.
At the end of the day, his hearth is in the right place, But you have to dig pretty deep to find it.

Other:
- other people generally think Freddy is a loner.

- His worst nightmare is that Tristan joins the 'race' for their fathers affection and steal him away too.

- Freddy is a smoker, although most people don't know. He does his best to hide this.

- A lot of people find it strange that Freddy is friends with Casey Donovan.

[Spooner]

Ralph Mathers

Age:
19

History:
Ralph being the first born of the Mathers family, was used to being flung around to different places around the world. Traveling was to him what sleepovers were to "normal" kids. But growing up in different cultures shaped who he is today. It also gave him the opportunity to develop his love for books, on the road he always had a constant stream of them shoved at him from all the different cultures he visited. Sometimes it was great for him to disappear in to a book to get away from all the crazy stuff that was happening to the locals that his fathers company was helping them with. But book was not always a saving, he was supposed to watch his sister Nova once and he decided to just read a bit and keep a slight eye on her and she got hurt. Ralph felt responsible that it happened, even though Nova got over it the moment the casts came of Ralph still feels bad about it. That incident made Ralph extremely protective of his sisters.

Ralph got put in to the international schools around the countries the family lived, this is why as a kid Ralph didn't have that many friends as they moved so much so he didn't bond with anyone at the schools. For this reason his parents decided to homeschool his sisters. Ralph is very grateful that he got to go to school though, he believes that's the reason why he got accepted to Dartmouth and Princeton.

The best gift he has gotten was on is 12th birthday when his mother gave him an old camera to take pictures with to make him get out more. He is now obsessed with documenting their travels. This summer is no exception.

Personality:
Being tall and burly Ralphs personality surprises people, they think he's going to be this womanizing jock. But he is actually quiet and a bit shy, the complete opposite to his younger sister. Being the only boy, he feels he need to uphold the family name, so even though he is shy he talks to people when he has to, and people usually like to tslk to him becaus of his quick witt. You can always find Ralph with either a book or with his camera up to his face. He hates to argue and stays out if he feels a fight coming on. But if it's about something important, like if you insult his family or you hurt one of his sisters he will fight. Ralph is very caring and thoughtful a trait he inherited from his father. If you have a problem Ralph will listen and try to help you in the best of his ability. Ralph is very trusting and thinks no one lies because he believes that is one of the worst things you could do.

Other:
- Has a crush on one of the Donovans
- Enjoys baking
- Never leves his camera at home

[If anyone wants to be his crush.. feel free, maybe they can be best friends and he has an underlying crush on her]

Julie Scott

Age:
18

History:
Julie and her family has a little cottage at Lake Granger which has been in the family for generations. That's why the Sott's could spend their summers there at all. They unlike the other families staying at Lake Granger do not have that much money. When Julie was 3 her mother passed away from breast cancer, so she had only her father growing up. Though that did not stop Julie from having a great childhood, her father tried his best to support her and she loves him so much for that. She loved coming to the lake house in the summer. It gave her the opportunity to get out of their cramped appartment and let her run and play at the beach. It also gave her the privilege to get some new friends who weren't city kids. So she grew up alongside of the other LG kids.

Now to get some extra cash she works at the local café as a waitress. The pay is lousy but the tips are good. But the money is not the only reason she took the job, she loves the social interaction with all the vacationers.

Personality:
Julie is really outgoing, loves to talk about everything and nothing. Having people around is something she craves, she hates being alone for a long time. She is what you would call a nerd, she loves movies and video games. Julie also loves to flirt and can be a bit of a tease.

Other:
- Love every type of music from Hip-hop to Classical
- Has never been with a boy
- Is very passive agressive
- Loves her father more than anything

[ScarletMangekyo]

Would it be possible to reserve the eldest Donovan child? Just a bit busy for the day.

[Energie]

IntenseInsanity & Spooner: Accepted!

@ScarletMangekyo, it's that time of year so I understand. Just post the CS when you've got the time!

Holding back on posting my characters to give everyone a chance to get the ones they want. I'm good with being in any family.

[Rhedd]

Spoiler

Name: Avery Throop

Age: 16

Appearance: Avery has a below average height for his age (5'4') and is a little bit chubby, but the extra pounds come off as cherubic thanks to his babyface, which is accentuated with freckles. His short but curly brown hair sets off his dark brown (almost black) eyes, which are covered by red rimmed glasses.

History: Avery was born of Katherine and her ex-husband Rick, who she had already broken up with by the time he was born. Beofre Avery could really comprehend his situation, Katherine and Patrick Kennedy were a couple and soon married. Soon he was into a new world; a world of privilege, power and legacy. Being in this world gave Avery a lot of opportunity, but also an element of having to live up to his setting. He hadn't (and still hasn't) gotten used to Patrick as a father figure and he had been craving the presence of his birth father, who was completely out of his life. If anything, the one thing in his life that he was completely comfortable with were the summers spent in Granger. Every year he would look forward to these summers because it was the only place where he belonged. In even the most elite of schools, if he wasn't made fun of because of his family he was made fun of because of his personality and later his homosexuality. His goal for the future is to break out of his family's weight and set his own path in life, perhaps even meeting the father he never knew.

Personality: Avery is very outgoing and friendly to all. He tries to strive for positivity in all aspects of his life. He comes off as slightly flamboyant and 'shiny', but uses that as a smokescreen for his lack of self-esteem due to his weight, his sexuality and his family's notoriety. He can often be too trusting, which has led to a lot of hurt for him throughout adolescence. He's extremely bright and tenacious, but his self-esteem seems to always get in the way of all that. If there is one thing he seeks out in life above all, it is happiness (and love too, but mostly happiness).

Other: Suffers from a mild anxiety disorder which leaves him prone to panic attacks in stressful situations; has a crush on one of the Mathers

[TeamForwood16]

Character Sheet



Name: Tristan Kennedy

Age: Sixteen

Appearance:

Tristan Kennedy stands at a height of 5'11 and weighs a hundred and ninety-five pounds most of that weight going to his muscle mass. Years of being on athletic sports teams his body toned and in great shape. Although he likes to have hair he doesn't like himself with long hair so he keeps it cut short. His hair is a light brown coloring that seems even lighter when the rays of the sunlight hits it. Tristan's eyes are a piercing blue color.

History:

Tristan is one of Patrick’s children from his first marriage to Cindy. He was only two around the time when his parents got divorced. Of course only being two he had no idea what was going on when the divorce was taking place, however as he has gotten older he has placed the blame of the divorce on his father. Tristan can’t remember much of what his life was like as child but from what he can gather his father wasn’t around much to be a part of it. Growing up as a child his mom was always there for while his father started a new life with some new chick and her kids. As if the fact that his father was busy playing daddy to some next chick’s kids Tristan and his other siblings only got to see him for one weekend every month.

When Tristan was younger like all little boys he wanted his father around and he wished his dad would leave Katherine and her kids and come back to his family so that they could be a real family. Of course that never happened and by the time Tristan had reached his teens years he just stopped caring about his father and their lack of a relationship. When his father would come over for his weekend visits Tristan would make sure he wasn’t there by either making a lot of plans as to stay out of the house or staying with a friend so he wouldn’t have to be home at all. Nowadays Tristan rarely talks to his father only speaking to the man when he has to and never saying more than what he needs to. That usually leads to the majority of their conversations being one worded responses on Tristan’s part.

When it comes to the Trooper gang Tristan talks to him about as much as he speaks to his own father. As far as he is concerned Katherine and her kids mean nothing and they don’t even deserve to wear his family’s legacy. To him Katherine is just some lucky whore that got her hooks caught in the right sucker and now her less than deserving offspring are getting to live the life of luxury at his daddy’s expense. As long as his family is taken care of he just paints on a fake smile and deals with them as little as possible.

Personality:

Tristan is the kind of person who is incapable of hiding there emotions no matter how bad he wants to because his emotions are always written on his face. This is a trait that he hates about himself as he can't get away with lying about how he feels because the people who know him best can always see when somethings wrong with him. Being a typically guy Tristan is protective when it comes to his loved ones especially the woman in his life that being mother, sisters and friends included. Seeing as he can never hide how he feels he doesn't care to sugar code how he feels. He is one of those people who if you really don't want the honest truth to your question you really shouldn't ask him, because no matter how he feels you will take it he's gonna tell it like it is no holding back. Like a lot of teenage boys Tristan lacks maturity as all he really cares about is girls, video games, sports, cars and once he hits eighteen never seen his so called father again.

When it comes to his siblings Tristan loves to pieces. Of course when it comes to siblings both younger and older there is never always love which gives Tristan a sort of love-hate relationship with his family. At home when its just him and his immediate family and his dad is away playing house with Katherine and her kids is when Tristan is the most filled with happiest. Tristan's daddy issues has left him closed with his mother and biological siblings and although they sometimes get on his nerves the way only family can when push comes to shove he knows and hopefully they know it to he will always be there for them.

His father and his second family brings out a different side of Tristan. Being around the Troopers makes Tristan always seems to bring out the mean side of Tristan. He becomes distant, sarcastic and callous whenever he is in the same room as any of the Troopers. He does his best to avoid that whole family but when your all staying under the same roof that becomes a difficult better yet an impossible task.

Other:

~ Tristan relationship with his father is an entrained one that he doesn’t care to fix. He feels a strong sense of resentment and abandonment when it comes to his father.

~ He has a strong dislike for Katherine Throop as well as her kids and he doesn’t consider them apart of his family.

~ Tristan is a true grease monkey he loves fixing up old cars and bikes and there isn’t anything he doesn’t know about the two.

~ The only reason Tristan agreed to go on this trip is because his mom is paying him as well as paying for him and his friends to go on a great vacation after this weekend from hell is over.

~ He plays the acoustic and electric guitar.

~ Thanks to his mom he is no dummy in the kitchen.

~ He brought any and all electronic devices he could think of on this trip (iphone, ipad, laptop,xbox, ect.).

[Bumblebee848]

Scarlet, could I have a few details on what you had in mind for your own character? I want to make a Donovan kid, but I don't want to encroach on your space since you've already reserved eldest.

[Energie]

TeamForwood16 & Rhedd: Accepted!

@Bumblebee848, ScarletMangekyo I'm actually going with a Donovan son around 15-17. You both are still good to make children for the family though, so no worries!

And we're going to need more girls. Because I've already accepted three guys, on top of my two and another that is a work-in-progress. We don't need it to be gender-balanced, just not leaning so heavily one way.