Post by Bramble Lavender on Sept 28, 2024 15:55:16 GMT -5
WELCOME TO LOS EUROSIA,
BRAMBLE JOHN LAVENDER
"Baby I'm a fool for love
But you already knew that"
BASICS
NAME: Bramble "Ram" John Lavender
AGE: 30
BIRTHDATE: 4th July
PRONOUNS: He/him
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual (until proven otherwise)
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: In a relationship
Currently has an NPC girlfriend called Chloe Westerling. They've been together for a few years and they share a flat together.OCCUPATION: Copy editor @ The L.E. Herald
NEIGHBORHOOD: East End
MEMBER GROUP: Human
THE LOOKS
HEIGHT: 6'0"
WEIGHT: ~190lbs
HAIR COLOR: Black
EYE COLOR: Dark brown, with almost imperceptible ring of green around the irises
FACE CLAIM: David Gimeno
OVERALL APPEARANCE: Based on colouring alone, Bramble very much embodies traditional descriptions of Snow White with his pale complexion, sharply contrasting raven-dark hair, and cheeks that flush a loud and obvious red when he's embarrassed.
A few very faint freckles are dusted across his nose, though aren't as noticeable as a couple of light moles under each eye; one on his right cheek, and the other closer to the inner corner of his left eye. The eyes themselves are gentle and downturned, with puffier lower lids that give him a more youthful (and arguably sad) appearance - which is further exacerbated by the soft, straight eyebrows and long lashes framing them.
His wavy hair is shorter on the sides and longer on top, while choppy bangs help to offset the angularity of his jaw. His smiles tend to be small upturns of his lips, not revealing teeth, but when he really grins or laughs he has deep dimples and his eyes crinkle into slits.
Tall, but not intimidatingly so, he has what might be referred to as a "hockey player physique". Sturdy. With strong legs, broad shoulders, and muscled arms from weightlifting, but still arguably lean with a waist that's pretty slender.
Unfortunately Bramble is not without his fair share of scars. The ones that are more easily discovered are on his hands; a few cuts on his fingers and palms from picking up broken glass and ceramic. But beneath his clothes, belt lashings criss-cross his back, and are also found on the front of his torso along with various cuts and scrapes inflicted by carpet burns and thrown tableware and bottles. A few unpleasant words are carved into his upper thighs and are surrounded by burn marks - some made by cigarettes, some by lighters.
The burns damaged his nerve endings and oil glands (which normally help keep skin from getting too dry). This means certain scars are usually numb and he can't feel when they're touched, but sometimes he experiences itchiness and tightness/pain if he neglects his moisturising & exercising routine.
Favours baggy clothing. In summer it's shorts that fall down to his knees and loose fitting shirts, long enough that there's no risk of them riding up and exposing his stomach if he lifts his arms above his head. Winter is preferred as he can bundle up in layers. He likes hoodies, half-zip jumpers, cargo pants, and regular jeans that hit the sweet spot between not too wide and not clingy. Clothing made out of thicker material can be more form-fitted. He likes a big scarf he can hide half his face in. Basically, the important thing to know about his style is that he always ensures his torso and thigh scars are covered.
INSIDE
LIKES:
- Cold and/or wet weather. Snow. Being able to wrap up in layers of clothes.
- Reading and writing, but he doesn't do the latter much in his free time. He enjoys his job because it combines the two, without him having to write a bunch of original content by himself.
- Exercise, working out. Making his muscles burn clears his mind and gives him something to focus on.
- Predictability. It's soothing to know what to expect. Likes plans to be fully formed rather than acting on vague ideas.
DISLIKES:
- Lighters, cigarettes, fire. Knives and belts. All for the same obvious reasons.
- Crowded rooms; gets too warm, too loud, harder to move around and stay out of people's way
- Taking his shirt off, undressing; having his scars on display, looking at his legs
- People questioning and/or poking fun at his name - his mama chose it :c (or so he thinks)
- Excessive alcohol consumption and use of other vices; when people are terribly drunk and/or high (reminds him of daddy)
STRENGTHS:
- Physically strong & good stamina: He works out regularly, which is more than most people can say. Got a few boxes that need hefting around? Need an extra pair of hands to carry those groceries? He could even pick you up if you sprained your ankle. It's no problem for Bramble.
- Observant: He notices things. About people. Items. Places. His attention to detail is what got him his job, and is not limited to spelling mistakes and clunky grammar.
- Agreeable: He's just a nice guy, isn't he? Cooperative and helpful and generous. He would never intentionally cause trouble for anyone and usually won't pry into things that aren't his business.
- Empathetic: Pretty good at understanding why other people act the way they act. He hates the thought of anyone being hurt (emotionally or physically) and will want to help them if they are, but he's always a little hesitant about reaching out and potentially getting closer to that person (his girlfriend doesn't like him to have friends).
- Calm: Occasional anxiety/depression spirals aside, Bramble is generally steady. Unfazed in the face of 'normal' problems (there's no use getting agitated over work) and some abnormal ones too (if someone is injured, the blood typically won't hold him back from helping. If he's injured, what's new?)
- First Aid knowledge: No stranger to administering his own medical care and sewing stitches. Can usually fix himself and others up.
WEAKNESSES:
- Easily controlled & manipulated: *insert Fleabag's "just tell me what to do" speech here*. Simple kindnesses (sincere or otherwise) go a long way with him and will have Bramble bending over backwards to please a person.
- Blind devotion: Once you have his loyalty, it's very, very hard to lose it. Call him names. Throw things at him. Beat him to a bloody pulp. It's all okay if you tell him you love him afterwards - he'll even make the excuses for you.
- Guarded/closed off: Being avoidant of new people and interests doesn't allow for much personal enrichment or growth. And a guy who doesn't enjoy anything usually has nothing to say that'll make him new friends.
- Pain and/or itching if he doesn't look after his legs properly: It's unpleasant and distracting, and moisturising and exercising them takes time out of his day.
- Trauma (CPTSD): Nightmares, avoidance, hypervigilance, negative sense of self, attachment issues - the usual.
OVERALL PERSONALITY: Quiet / Cautious / Sympathetic / Secretly sassy / Conflict-averse / Loyal / Doormat / Interest-avoidant
Bramble keeps to himself, which is a gentler way of saying he's unsociable and avoidant. He's not unkind about it. He's not aggressive towards strangers and he doesn't harbour a sense of superiority over anybody. He simply doesn't know what to say, a lot of the time. And at some point in his childhood he decided it's better to not embarrass himself by trying.
Even so, to some he may come across as a calm and steady individual rather than an awkward one, being soft-spoken and measured in his replies and usually easy to cooperate with. Issues that arise at work are small to him in comparison to what can come up at home, so he doesn't tend to get anxious over deadlines, spelling errors, or whatever else happens to the paper.
He has a great deal of sympathy for the plights of others, but is always hesitant to meddle - scared to let his own secrets slip out when trying to relate to them, or be accused of caring too much about 'unimportant people' by his girlfriend if he tries to help. He's not someone who suggests or encourages rash actions, and tends to err on the side of caution in most situations. This is usually intended to keep the boat steady and himself safe, but sometimes means he misses out on opportunities to build bonds and make a genuine, positive impact on people.
He can get himself in trouble sometimes with muttered, sassy one-liners when someone is acting in ways or doing something he disagrees with, but usually the aim is not to be heard. It's just a small release of frustration that isn't intended to start any dramas.
If he is heard, he rarely sticks up for himself and backs down easily from conflict, quick to avert his eyes and shrink away from another person's barefaced anger. He's actually most likely to get argumentative with someone if they're trying to stand up for him. He tells them not to get involved. That it doesn't concern them and it's fine, he's handling it and they're making a big deal out of nothing. He's especially an apologist for his abusers and is quick to defend them if someone points out their harmful behaviour.
He's malleable and eager to please, starved for approval and praise while also embarrassed and unconvinced when he receives it. With a tendency to be indecisive, he often prefers others to make decisions for him, which leaves him vulnerable to individuals with controlling natures who see his compliancy as weakness.
Growing up, it was never really safe to have interests. His father tore up too many drawings and projects, destroyed or threw out anything Bramble started to collect, and read and ridiculed his 'secret' journal too many times for Bramble to find true solace in a hobby or subject. Nowadays he really struggles to unapologetically say he enjoys something, fearing that other people will ruin it for him if he does so. And to mitigate this, he either pretends he doesn't care or tries to beat them to the punch by making fun of it himself when he realises he likes something (a TV show, a hobby, an ice cream flavour). Just to prove to himself and others that it's not really That Important.
BACKGROUND
HOMETOWN: Flint, Michigan
FAMILY:
Shirley Lavender – Mother – Human – Deceased
John Lavender – Father – Human – Deceased
PETS: A mouse called Shelby that probably needs a bigger cage. A neighbour's cat caught it and bit off half its tail before Bramble intervened and decided to keep it. Chloe's not a fan.
HISTORY: tw: child & domestic abuse, cutting
Independence Day festivities were in full swing by the time Bramble was born, and this was the excuse given by nurses to explain why his father was absent during the labour. They were partially right; the celebrations had slowed him down, but not because he got stuck in traffic.
John Lavender arrived spectacularly late, drunk, and high, and could barely comprehend the words spoken to him when he was told there had been complications with the birth. Still, he managed to find the right hospital room and was there in time to receive Shirley's final wish: for her son to be called Brandon.
John, mishearing her, wrote 'Bramble' on the birth certificate.
"That's a dumb fucking name," he said, and she passed.
From there, Bramble's childhood followed all the clichés you might expect. His dad's drinking and drug use was not limited to the day of his birth, and it was a small miracle Bramble made it past infancy at all. His survival is likely credited to his father's occasional girlfriends, or the landlord who would sometimes let himself in to check if his tenant was still kicking, or a couple of neighbours who didn't want CPS sniffing around for one reason or another. But Bramble would rather believe that it was all his dad. That being alive and being kept is proof that his dad cared.
Regardless, John was rough-handed from the start, and it only escalated after Bramble reached kindergarten age.
Dragging him around and shoving him into his room would evolve into open-handed slaps, then punches, then kicks. Then bottles and tableware thrown across the room. And since John made no attempt to look after Bramble's appearance, the kid's hair grew long and he was often mistaken for a girl in public, which then got him teased by other kids once they realised he was actually a boy.
He eventually began to cut his own hair, leaving it a choppy mess but making it more obvious he was, well, a he. But the bullying started up again when he confided in another kid about the hurts he received at home, and he learnt that the safest thing to do at school was stay quiet about his personal life and try to look and behave like everyone else.
When Bramble was eight, John broke his nose. Bramble struggled to think of a convincing lie and consequently John received a 'friendly check-in' call from the school, which took another small miracle for him to assure them it was accidental—an injury sustained from an errant baseball while they were playing in the park. John was much more careful after that. All abuse became limited to Bramble's torso, where a simple shirt would be enough to cover any marks, and at the same time he realised that using a belt was a more efficient punishing tool and spared him his own pain of bruising his knuckles.
John did have good days, though. He would cry and hug him and apologise for what he did. He'd tell Bramble that he didn't mean it, that he was just stressed and missed his mom, and then he'd take him out to buy ice cream. They did actually go to the park occasionally! And sometimes the movies too. These were the days where Bramble learned how much his dad loved him—needed him—and this was what stopped him from ever considering running away.
During high school, Bramble had a growth spurt that had John feeling nervous.
John was a big man (6'5" and still strong despite some wasting from his vices) and worried that his son would grow to a similar size and finally decide to fight back. In one particularly paranoid haze, he also got it in his head that Bramble could get a girlfriend and potentially bring home a new 'brat' that John didn't want to look after.
And thus, the burns. And thus, the words carved into Bramble's thighs. Intended to be a reminder of who was in charge, and a deterrent from sharing his body with anyone.
Bramble finished school with a subpar social life and average grades, his best subjects being English and art. He didn't go to college or university and instead got straight to work—first as a waiter, then in retail, and then in a library. Years passed with him staying with his dad and most of his pay checks going to him too, just as they had when he'd been doing the paper round as a kid, and Bramble simply couldn't imagine life being different.
Somehow it was a shock when John died of an overdose. Leaving the world like that seemed impossible, since he'd been hooked on the stuff for the entirety of Bramble's life. Why then? Why not earlier? Why not later? Why?
Bramble... didn't handle it well. Change—especially a change as big as that—wasn't something he'd really had to face before and left him particularly defenceless when Chloe entered his life.
Chloe was most guys' dream. A beautiful blonde ex-cheerleader all the way from California, who'd seemingly leaped off the pages of a Victoria's Secret catalogue and come to Bramble's dreary part of Flint specifically to yank him away from it. She'd marched right into his library to say 'hello' after glimpsing him through the window and had apparently decided, there and then, that she wasn't leaving the city without him.
Bramble resisted at first, unable to shake the lingering fears that his father had instilled in him, but she was charming and interested in him, pursuing him with a persistence that no one else had ever had the patience for before. Bramble was wholly unprepared to receive that sort of attention and fell for her hard.
So they started dating, with Chloe quick to establish that they were official. That he was her boyfriend.
He loved that title and everything that came with it. It was wonderful. He'd never felt so happy or connected to another person. Except, there was also the expectation that their relationship would progress beyond handholding and making out one day. And this was another matter that Chloe was very persistent on, despite Bramble's frequent excuses and attempted diversions.
He eventually gave in after accusations that he didn't find her attractive and threats that she would leave. But when they undressed and she saw his scars for the first time, she confirmed his fears that they were disgusting. That he'd be lucky if anyone would want him after seeing that. She told him she would have to rethink their relationship and walked out, not contacting him for three days.
It was one of the lowest points of his life. He didn't eat and barely slept. After having her and losing her, it was glaringly obvious that he had absolutely nothing at all to live for.
Yet she did reach out again. A text that simply said, "I'll deal with it because I love you. Come over."
Chloe didn't reassure him or apologise for anything, but Bramble hadn't expected her to. He apologised for misleading her, for tricking her into thinking he was normal. He knew she was making a sacrifice for him and he was relieved that she had returned at all, even if that meant he had to bandage his thighs every time they went to bed together, so she wouldn't have to see the burns.
When Chloe told him it was time to move to California, Bramble didn't question it and packed up straight away to go with her. There was nothing left for him in Flint, and it still felt wrong to live in the house he'd grown up in now that his father was gone.
Chloe seemed a little different after they arrived in the new state. Still doting, but... she sometimes acted strangely when he interacted with the neighbours. Made comments that he didn't understand. Jokes that seemed a little more pointed, almost insulting. And playful pushes became shoves, interspersed with increasingly harder slaps.
It seemed that the more settled in their new life he became, the more Chloe found to criticise, nudging him off balance again.
This was fine though. It was nothing he couldn't handle. And if it all happened behind closed doors, that was good, because then no one would get the wrong idea and accuse her of anything untrue.
It didn't stay behind closed doors though. And the first time she blew up at him in public, he pleaded with her to stop and lower her voice because he was worried for her. That someone might step in or call the police on her like they had on his dad a few times. But when he looked around, he realised... a few of the onlookers were snickering. He overheard some comments from strangers.
"Ooh, what did he do to make her so angry?"
"Yikes. Someone's in the doghouse tonight."
"Did he forget their anniversary? Men are such idiots."
"Hah. Guess he got caught. Get him, girl."
As far as he could tell, everyone was in mutual agreement that this was his fault. That he deserved to be told off in the way that he was. And he supposed they were right. He had upset her, after all, and it couldn't be abuse because she was a woman and he was a man.
Life continued like that, with Bramble trying his best to avoid anything that would upset Chloe. When he was well behaved, she was just as wonderful as she'd been at the start of their relationship, and he quickly learned which behaviours she liked best.
One night however, he stayed late at work to help a colleague, not realising his phone had died and he wouldn't show up on Chloe's 'Find My Friends' app. Traffic on the way home also slowed him down, so when he arrived Chloe was furious. She flew off the handle and accused him of cheating. He denied it, but she didn't believe him. She exiled him from their home. Refused to talk to or acknowledge him for a week afterwards. Then when she finally reached out again, it was to make him prove his innocence.
She said that if he were telling the truth, he would let her carve her name into his leg. That way, any woman who tried to sleep with him would know that he was hers.
Bramble, miserable and desperate for the silent treatment to return home, to have her back, agreed.
He held very still like he'd been taught, and she started cutting. She lost some of her nerve, however, and only half of the 'C' ended up being deep enough to scar. The rest of her name healed up and disappeared over time.
Cutting a word turned out to be more difficult (and nauseating) than she'd expected. Straight cuts, on the other hand, could be given quickly and cleanly and didn't require as much close attention.
Very occasionally, she still takes a knife to his thighs to test his loyalty.
THE PLAYER
NAME: Mirror
AGE: 25
TIMEZONE: GMT+1