[hider=COLIN] [CENTER][img]http://i.imgur.com/eRqz0lB.jpg[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/4sueKqR.png[/img][/CENTER] [img]https://i.imgur.com/XxhQUnx.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup] [indent]Colin Peter Renshaw[/indent] [img]https://i.imgur.com/im4GWk4.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup] [INDENT]Forty-two years old.[/INDENT] [img]https://i.imgur.com/NUbHBt0.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup] [list][*] Perpetually scruffy, Colin would rather spend outfit preparation time in bed, picks his clothes on a 'first to hand' basis. [*] Only ever puts in effort to make sure he looks dishevelled rather than messy, which is the same only with more style. [*] shaves when he remembers, often sports roguish stubble for days before remembering to restore his boyish good looks. [*] A healthy Scottish accent, especially on Rs and CHs, amps up when he's stressed, angry or in the presence of another Scot. [/list] [img]https://i.imgur.com/wA4bJoN.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup] [INDENT]Journalist[/INDENT] [img]https://i.imgur.com/bnsvIvH.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup] [INDENT]N/A[/INDENT] [img]https://i.imgur.com/YSK4yT2.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup] [INDENT]There used to be a perpetually [img]https://i.imgur.com/4ZtDXTH.png[/img] look in Colin's eyes, something that told you he was plotting a story or an adventure behind his eyes. The head of the Renshaw family seemed never to have more than a passing focus on the mundane tasks that occupied his time, preferring to wander off to some other plane of imagination. At least, that's how he put it. Carolyn, his late wife, called it 'being a dozy [img]https://i.imgur.com/CXU4eMy.png[/img] day dreamer' and more besides. Generally he'd give a rueful smile and get back to whatever he was supposed to be doing and for a while after her untimely passing, there was nothing to bring him back to earth. He was a listless daydreamer, floating off until life exerted itself on him, dragging him back down to the ground with crushing force. And now, to put it mildly, Colin has a few things on his mind. His daughter's new condition, his uncertain job prospects, his geriatric parents, his drunken sister, his daughter's upcoming A-Levels, the complaints of their aged border collie, Jack, and the nagging itch in the back of his head that it's time to move on and find someone new to call him a dozy ponce. They all combine to force a man used to daydreaming the days away to be a [img]https://i.imgur.com/VzxktyV.png[/img], [img]https://i.imgur.com/zPtyMQm.png[/img] and perpetually [img]https://i.imgur.com/Klzfyde.png[/img] about the future. And all around him, things seem to be getting darker and meaner, like the whole world's going through a rough patch. Hardly the time for dreamers or, perhaps, the time when they are most important.[/INDENT] [img]https://i.imgur.com/KFkxotE.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup] [INDENT]When he was a young man, Colin was concerned with being a good friend and then, when he was lucky enough to find someone who'd put up with him, a good boyfriend. He remembered birthdays better than exam dates, favourite foods better than deadlines and put more effort into planning parties than studying. It made him well liked and won him many friends but lecturers tended to label him as lazy or, if they were feeling generous, underachiever. Somewhere along the way, those labels stuck and went on to define how he saw himself, rather than how others saw him. When he was a husband and a father, Colin thought only of his ailing partner and young daughter before he put much thought into his work. Predictably, his professional life went nowhere fast and he never really got past the level of freelancer in the world of journalism. And unfortunately his personal life was no better, as despite all his attention and devotion, his dearest Carolyn died and he was left to care for their daughter alone. And while he mostly thinks he did a pretty good job of it, there was that little... hiccup six months ago that left her in the ICU and gave a new meaning to "that time of the month". And that isn't even the sum of his problems. For most of his life, Colin has worked for one paper or another, writing culture pieces and reports on local events. He never had the drive to claw himself into the big leagues and report on murder most foul or international corruption but the job suited him and the work was steady. But now papers are downsizing fast with the rise of online news outlets, trimming those who can be trimmed or won't be missed and then a few more on top. These days, he's lucky to get more than one opinion piece a month, hardly enough to support his little family. For the moment, Colin's found a somewhat stable place to work at The Capital, reporting on the Other situation, but he can't stand his boss and doesn't know how long he'll be able to bear working for such a bastard, not to mention the paper's unmistakably right-leaning viewpoint. It would be a shame to throw away a reliable income over dislike and principle but then Mr Crane did compare werewolves unfavourably to rabid dogs and suggested they might need put down, so maybe the day Colin can freely give him a piece of his mind can't come soon enough.[/INDENT] [img]https://i.imgur.com/xV226XE.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup] [INDENT][img]https://i.imgur.com/mrC0oCF.png[/img] - Colin is certainly older than the normal clientele of this particular establishment, so much so that he's sure he stands out, but the coffee is good and it's a convenient distance from both The Capital's offices and his house so he's stuck there. At least Emma seems to like the place and they let Jack in and give him a bowl of water. [img]https://i.imgur.com/FqIDdWN.png[/img] - Not Colin's favourite paper to work for by any means but the one that has put him on a full time salary to cover the unfolding events of the Other crisis, The Capital is newspaper and website focused on London events, from politics to garden shows. It has a glorious past but, given new management, perhaps a less respectable future. [img]https://i.imgur.com/hoWRyXP.png[/img] - Every dog owner needs a convenient park to walk regular circuits around and Prospect is Colin's. He can be found there at irregular hours, accompanied by his geriatric but still energetic Border Collier, Jack. Sometimes they play fetch or Jack chases the pond's ducks but mostly they walk a slow circuit then go home.[/INDENT] [img]https://i.imgur.com/jAwyFAh.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup] [INDENT][url=http://funkyimg.com/i/2E4VB.gif][img]https://i.imgur.com/v123vH9.png[/img][/url] - The Captial's newest owner, Nigel is an abrasive man who seems to not care much about his employees or even his readers but seems thus far to be a savvy businessman and is steadily shifting the paper's resources online. For Colin, it was when he heard the man describe werewolves as "unquestionably the worst of these repugnant others" that he decided he detested the man. Still, who doesn't hate their boss?[/INDENT] [/hider] [hider=RELATIONSHIPS][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1nhrG6N.gif[/img] [sub][color=black]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[/color][/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/Zi5AwpB.png[/img] [sup][color=black]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[/color][/sup][/CENTER] 𝗘𝗠𝗠𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗪 [color=623034]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Emma? Never heard of her. Her father? Who told you that... Oh alright, you've got me, she's mine. What's she done now?"[/i] His pride, his joy, his worry, his fear, his daughter. Colin spends at least as much time thinking about Emma's new condition and her new problems as he does about his job at The Capital and probably more besides. Half of that is sensibly planning for the future, noting down phases of the moon and trying to find a particularly good place to stash fresh pairs of clothes for after a change. The rest is intense regret and burning guilt over putting her in the position that got her bitten, as irrational as that might be. Colin didn't know that a little camping in the Borders would put her (or himself) at risk of a werewolf bite, he didn't even know werewolves were real, but guilt over that night is still eating away at his insides every night and every quiet moment. But pride is still what he feels most strongly. Pride at the woman she's grown into (it seems like just yesterday that she needed help to walk and couldn't eat solid foods) and of how much of both of her parents there is in her. Carolyn's single-mindedness and bravery, his stubborn nature and ability to laugh off things that aught to make you cry, they're both there along with traits that Emma must've grown herself. She hasn't been bowed by this, hasn't given up on life and still seems mostly sane, despite a bigger burden on her back that Colin has ever carried, and all before her eighteenth birthday. Some days, the worries barely even show through the glow of admiration. Those are the best days. On most days, however, Colin is the dad who's too much of a dad to be cool, funny or totally comfortable to hang out with. He knocks out puns, dated references and "in my day"es at the drop of hat, never failing to produce a groan from his daughter. Maybe it's the old Stiff Upper Lip but neither of them let on much at their worries, fears and other emotions. They prefer a constant trade of friendly banter and bad jokes to end-of-the-world speeches or constant affirmations of painfully cherished love.[/indent] 𝗞𝗔𝗟𝗜 𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗗 [color=CC823D]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Museum curator, I think? I don't go down there much at the moment, not my beat anymore but I'm sure she's doing a good job."[/i] Colin's been off the culture column of newspapers for just long enough to have never really gone to any of Kali's exhibits and isn't much of an art museum person on his own. He used to take Emma to them sometimes but they'd generally end up skipping out before they'd completed the exhibition and go for a wander with Jack instead.[/indent] 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗟 𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗟𝗘𝗬 [color=a20105]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Ah, Laurel's a good kid. The best, really, he gets Emma out of more scrapes than even she can possibly get into."[/i] Laurel has spent so many nights over at the Renshaw place and Emma so many nights at the Binley household that Colin can't help but think of Laurel like an extra child, only one he never had to change nappies for. The boy is quiet, sensible and humble so it's still a mystery how him and Emma became friends. He's glad that they did because he can't really imagine his daughter without the calming, restraining influence of her best friend, given that she's far from calm or restrained even now. It might seem corny or sentimental to others but Colin mostly does think of Laurel as the son he never had (not that he's dissatisfied by the daughter he's got, not by any means) and sometimes tries a little bit too hard to be a dad or at least dad-adjacent figure in Laurel's life. Any time Jane needed shelves put up or furniture assembled, Colin would cheerily volunteer himself and Laurel for a few hours of manly construction work, for instance. To this day, Colin's not sure whether Laurel humours that sort of thing because he likes it or doesn't want to offend. Recently, though, Laurel's been distant. Not just to him but to Emma, which is obviously more worrying. Maybe it's teenage stuff (Colin's own adolescence seems so far away but he vaguely remembers being moody and sulky) or perhaps it's something darker. As soon as he has a moment away from work, he'll find Laurel and has a chat with the lad. Whatever it is that's bothering him, Colin's sure it can be resolved with a heart-to-heart and a nice cup of tea.[/indent] 𝗝𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗟𝗔𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗨𝗦 [color=6e9887]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Lovely man, very friendly and good at his job. Our Jack would probably be chasing squirrels in doggy heaven without him."[/i] Colin and Jack aren't close (how close are you to your local vet?) but Colin's fond of the other man. He's steadfast, competent and quietly confident in a crisis, what more can you ask for? They've run into each other a few times outside of the vet clinic and Colin always insists on buying Jack a beer if possible but it would probably be a stretch to call them friends.[/indent] 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗢 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗬 [color=9dc680]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Hmmmm... No, I think I'd remember a name like that."[/i] Neither a purchaser of arcane ingredients nor a patron of the Kitten Korner, Colin hasn't had the pleasure yet.[/indent] 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗡 [color=gray]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"My rookie partner, new on the beat, full of big ideas and idealism, she makes me feel old. Wait, does that make me Danny Glover?"[/i] If Colin's too old for this shit, a tired working cop whose seen too much to be much moved anymore, Blake's definitely the rebellious, principled young officer, the Riggs to his Murtaugh. She's frightfully opinionated and sometimes a little too willing to browbeat people into submission but then she is a journalist, so at least she's chosen a career where both of those things are considered assets. And at least she understands the myriad complexities of modern social media, all of which Colin can barely navigate for himself, let alone for work. Honestly, for all Colin's jokes about Blake being "angrier than a box of hornets" or "greener than an Irishman's eyes", he admires her. She's got fire hasn't let it be smothered or even dampened by working at The Capital under the odious Nigel Crane. Blake cares about a hundred-thousand different causes, all with equal passion, and while Colin's too tired to do the same, he's glad there's someone like her in the world, speaking up for those that have no voices. They work well together, currently tasked with covering the unfolding Other situation in London. Colin does ground work and finds interviews with respected local figures (most of which he knows from years working the culture beat, you'd be surprised how many people a restaurant reviewer gets to know) while Blake makes new friends and gets community members directly involved in incidents to open up to her. They still have to sneak anything that isn't staunchly anti-Other past their editor but it's better than the alternative, especially in this economy.[/indent] 𝗔𝗘𝗗𝗡𝗬𝗫 [color=680110]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Eddie the retired banker, right? Always glad to see another Scot down here but I've never been able to stand bankers."[/i] Who knows whether Colin would like the other man (or, well, not man but you get the point) if he knew the truth? What with all the news about the different types of Others getting around, there's inevitably been the idea of faeries living amongst humans bandied about but Colin hasn't given it much thought. After all, what sort of threat could a faeries pose...[/indent] 𝗦𝗜𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 [color=F7941D]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"If my daughter was anyone other than herself, I'd accuse that girl of being a bad influence. As it is, maybe it's the other way around."[/i] Obviously not as longstanding or frequently seen a guest at Hotel Renshaw as Laurel, Simone is nevertheless not an uncommon sight at Colin's house. Generally she's giggling with Emma at something that he never hears or talking quickly and excitedly with Laurel or all three of them are snuggled up in front of a movie. Colin's not sure when exactly the dynamic duo became a troublesome trio, nor exactly what the relationship between his daughter and the girl with the orange hair is, but they all seem happy so who is he to interfere?[/indent] 𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗡 [color=253B7D]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Alistair's a mate and a very good neighbour. We go out for a drink every now and then, less nowadays unfortunately."[/i] Obviously not aware of his neighbour's supernatural nature or his position in the community beyond local landlord, Colin just likes to hear another Scottish accent around the place. He's far too old to go gallivanting off to the Ace of Spaces but him and Alistair sometimes slip off to the Fox for a couple of pints and some complaining about the English. Sometimes, Colin thinks the other man is a bit off, especially whenever the topic drifts to history, but he's mostly assigned it to general eccentricity rather than immortal vampirism. Though who knows, now that the cat's out of the bag, whether Colin will not question Alistair further the next time he lets slip a suspiciously well informed opinion on the Jacobite revolution?[/indent] 𝗔𝗢𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 [color=c8a2c8]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Uh... Works at the bookshop, right? Seems nice enough."[/i] Colin barely feels he has time in the day to do all the writing he needs to, let alone reading enough so he's by no means a regular at Grandville. On the few occasions he's popped in (because everyone ends up at a bookshop now and then) the young worker has seem remarkably friendly and perhaps a little too knowing.[/indent] 𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗬𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗚 [color=b59130]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"The big blonde policeman? I've seen him around but we've never talked."[/i] A holdover from his misspent youth, Colin maintains a general distrust of Policemen.[/indent] 𝗞𝗘𝗜 [color=00FF7F]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"I did a piece on her charity a few years back, it's inspirational stuff she's doing there."[/i] As with so many of the Others in Edgetoun, Colin's encountered Kei and thought no more of her than that she's an eccentric human. Her charity is doing good work, as he said in his article, but he's unlikely to be receiving anything from it or to end up working for it so there's not really any reason for him to think about it, or her, again.[/indent] 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗔 𝗣𝗔𝗩𝗟𝗢𝗩 [color=854442]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Scruffy looking bloke, one of Alistair's friends? Yeah, I ran into him once, seems alright, lays it on a little thick."[/i] It was in the Slye Fox and Colin would probably have been very surprised to learn that, between his friend, the newcomer and the bartender, there was almost three millennia worth of wisdom surrounding him. Though he'd probably not really know what to do with that information had he been told.[/indent] 𝗟𝗢𝗨𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗘𝗞 [color=DC9C74]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"I swear, some days I'm sure that I'm the only person who listens to the radio, Emma doesn't even know how to work it."[/i] Over the Edge is good to listen to in the background or when you're out walking the dog but Colin wouldn't really call himself a fan. If he understood how to work Spotify or if his walkman still worked, he'd probably use one of those instead.[/indent] 𝗟𝗢𝗞𝗜 𝗩𝗔𝗡 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗚 [color=9a130a]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Slimy fellow, gives me the creeps, but Alistair seems to like him."[/i] And a recommendation from Alistair goes a long way in Colin's book. As it is, he's not out on the town enough to run into Loki and doesn't go in for the substances that would allow him to encounter the vampire's criminal underlings. So their relationship is reduced to the odd encounter at the Fox, where Colin tends to crack a few jokes then excuse himself and call the night a write-off. There's just something about Loki...[/indent] 𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗔 𝗔𝗧𝗟𝗘𝗢 [color=49ad79]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Always be nice to the receptionist, especially at the Police Station. When you need to talk to someone, they're the one you need."[/i] Not that Colin has much need of contact with the Police, he's doesn't cover crime stories for the most part. Still, he's made a point to be polite to Aila whenever he ends up at the station, normally because of something to do with Emma.[/indent] 𝗘𝗩𝗘 𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗥𝗘 [color=2f556b]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Why a lady like her is working in an old fashioned watering hole like the Fox is a mystery worthy of Holmes."[/i] Colin's never been much of a lady's man and wouldn't flatter himself enough to believe that she was interested in a scruffy buffer like himself but he's got eyes. How it was that the scary bartender persuaded her to pull pints behind his bar must be a hell of a story...[/indent] 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗟 [color=AF9E96]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Always nice to know a doctor, though you always hope you won't see them too often."[/i] If he knew Suriel better, he'd probably try to make some sort of joke about her name being 'white' but as it is, they're barely acquaintances. Colin's brand of journalism doesn't get him injured and Emma seems to be healing too fast to take to the doctors these days.[/indent] 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢 [color=386467]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"I reported on a few of his cases or know people who have. Highly strung I hear, but works very hard."[/i] Bah, lawyers, who needs them? This one might be one of the good ones but that's not excuse for the profession itself.[/indent] 𝗚𝗨𝗬 𝗟𝗘𝗘 [color=7ac0fa]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Give me a moment... Ah! The barista down at the Daily Grind, right? I'm awful with faces, you've got to give me a few seconds."[/i] Colin's in the cafe fairly often but he's not the sort to get to know the servers in a place that seems full of young, Blake-like types. He lets her make friends, he just focuses on writing whenever he's there.[/indent] 𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗥 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛 [color=ff1a1a]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Nope, no idea. The family name doesn't endear her to me though, I'll tell you that much."[/i] Protective parents both but Colin and Eleanor don't really have anything in common that would cause them to cross paths.[/indent] 𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗠 𝗞𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗞𝗜 [color=89352C]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"He gives me the heebie-jeebies but he runs a damn fine bar so I think he's allowed to."[/i] Colin's heard all the rumours about the blank faced Russian (or Pole? Or Ukrainian? No one's quite sure or bold enough to ask) and half believes them but he's got no inclination to break the Fox's rules so he feels pretty safe from Nicodem. So long as the Fox keeps a few good beers on tap, Colin will keep dropping by, tattooed vampire behind the bar or no.[/indent] 𝗖𝗔𝗘𝗟 [color=676FA5]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Uh... another barista, right? They all sort of blend into one for me, sorry."[/i] Nothing much to say, Colin orders his coffee (black with plenty of sugar) politely and is always courteous to the serving staff but doesn't know any of them past a first name basis.[/indent] 𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 [color=9cc8ff]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"The new photojournalist down at The Captial? Haven't talked to her yet, I've already got a young friend."[/i] It might sound like a joke but Colin really doesn't have that much time in his life for friends, especially new ones, right now. Blake got away with it by being the person he had to work with when the paper hired him and on general charm but Colin's pretty much out of his allotted time and energy for palling up with coworkers.[/indent] 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗬𝗣𝗦𝗢 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗬 [color=91a3b0]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Who?"[/i] Not much cause for journalists at the University.[/indent] 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗬 [color=c23b22]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Alright, now I'm sure you're making up names."[/i] Colin doesn't have much reason to buy flowers these days.[/indent] 𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗔 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗡 [color=lightgreen]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color] [indent][i]"Her down at the Coroner's? I called her for a statement once, seemed polite."[/i] The statement wasn't actually related to a murder, Colin was following up on a rumour of general misconduct at the Police Station for a story that didn't end up running but still.[/indent] [/hider]