[CENTER][h1][color=slategray][b]R E C A L L[/b][/color][/h1][hr][h3][sup][sup][color=silver]LUCAS EMERY BRAY   [color=slategray]◼[/color]   05/05/2001   ( 17 )   [color=slategray]◼[/color]   MALE   [color=slategray]◼[/color]   ASEXUAL[/color][/sup][/sup][/h3][img]https://i.imgur.com/mi2pSVZ.jpg[/img]
[sup][color=silver]"Lucas. It’s Lucas, okay? So I know what’s up."[/color][/sup][/CENTER]

[COLOR=SLATEGRAY][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]▼ A P P E A R A N C E:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][CENTER][sup][color=silver]"Lucas, okay? That’s me."[/color][/sup][/CENTER][INDENT][INDENT][img]https://i.imgur.com/RaddkK3.gif?1[/img][/INDENT][/INDENT][indent][b][color=CADETBLUE]//STATS:[/color][/b]
[indent][B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ HEIGHT |[/COLOR][/B] [i]5'9"[/i]
[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ WEIGHT |[/COLOR][/B] [i]134 lbs[/i]
[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ BUILD |[/COLOR][/B] [i]Average[/i]
[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ HAIR |[/COLOR][/B] [i]Haphazardly in his eyes, brown[/i]
[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ EYES |[/COLOR][/B] [i]Big and brown[/i]
[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ ETHNICITY |[/COLOR][/B] [i]Caucasian[/i]
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[b][color=CADETBLUE]//DESCRIPTION:[/color][/b]
[indent][i]With mousey brown hair and eyes and rather pale skin, Lucas is fairly plain. His hair does lighten with a few highlights if he stays out in the sun long enough, and if it’s longer than an inch (and it’s been consistently over his eyes, these last few years) it flips and curls at the ends and is generally disheveled. He’s got thick, mobile eyebrows and wide but slightly close-set eyes, a somewhat round nose, full lips and a weak chin. His face has rounded out as he grew up and can be quite expressive. 

With a relatively slender frame, Lucas doesn’t make for much of a presence. There is very little muscle on him, giving his arms a lanky reach and making his hands seem a bit big, as though he’s still growing into them. He has, however, reached his full height, though he could certainly do with some more filling out. He seems younger than he actually is and wearing mostly cast-offs and secondhand clothing doesn’t help much. He prefers loose clothes, with subdued tones. Baggy pants with big pockets, and sweatshirts over top of casual t-shirts. Looking put together has never been a great concern of his, nor does he manage it often.

His natural expression is a relaxed frown and quiet air of inattention, contentment or concern, but it can shift just as easily into a bright smile, confused disbelief or an angry glare as most, though they tend to be slower to shift through the motions that rearrange the meaning. His hands are often fidgeting, usually with each other as that is the safest for him to touch, but sometimes they skitter over surfaces rather nervously before settling. Lucas has a ragged, quiet voice, often as full of emotion as his expression, though he rarely raises it and tends to use it as little as possible. It is a light tenor, with a slight nasal quality if he raises it too loud. When distracted by his power, it can get a bit distant, but never lifeless or monotone.[/i][/indent][/indent]

[COLOR=SLATEGRAY][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]▼ B I O G R A P H Y:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][CENTER][sup][color=silver]"What? Ha, no, okay. I dunno, it’s all just back to being here, isn’t it?"[/color][/sup][/CENTER][indent][indent][i]Lucas was born and raised in the Summerhill district of Old Toronto. He grew up the only child of Gregory Bray, who raised him as a single father after a succinct divorce. It was not a difficult life, at least for Lucas. For Greg, raising a kid became a lifelong harrowing, though rewarding, experience. Thankfully for Lucas, he persevered and lucked out in having a good job, an understanding boss and parents more than willing to give advice whenever he needed it. He’ll admit he’s needed it a lot over the years, he never regretted choosing to ask for custody.

Lucas spent his days amusing himself and making his dad laugh (or despair for a moment or two) until school started. Then he became very serious for half a year, full of a pretentious “I’m learning stuff” attitude that his kindergarten teacher reminded him of right along into secondary. But she was a sweet little lady whom he couldn’t begrudge the ribbing, and he liked visiting her during the lunch hour when it wasn’t nice enough to play outside with his friends. Winters were for sitting in class until you were allowed to go outside and have snowball fights. And then for shoveling the walk and getting hot chocolate after plenty of tobogganing. Summers were for swimming and sailing and eating ice cream at the cottage they shared with a friend of his dad’s. Along with plenty of camping in the nearby national parks. 

It was a normal, nice life broken only by the few rough spots of occasional arguments and sports induced injuries and the odd bad grade. Not that he always had good marks, but, y’know, some were worse than usual.

Then, a few months before his 13th birthday, Lucas caught a football and suddenly couldn’t stand straight. The dizzy sensation of spinning uncontrollably unnerved him completely, but his friends just laughed, thinking he’d tripped, and he didn’t know where it came from. He shrugged it off at first; maybe he just needed a drink more than he thought. But that wasn’t the end of it. Gradually he started hearing and seeing things too, sometimes clearly and other times too faintly to make out. But he found himself answering questions he hadn’t been asked, or feeling people nearby when there weren’t any. He managed to keep it quiet for a time, but anyone who knew him couldn’t help noticing the changes. He was more jumpy and stopped talking as much, afraid to hear the telltale “What? What are you talking about?”

His dad certainly noticed. Lucas was never good at keeping things hidden, and distracted as he was by these new, unbidden, complications, it was even harder than usual for him to act like everything was just fine. But Greg thought maybe it would solve itself, one of those phases everyone is so apt to say teenagers suffer from. He was still hoping it was an ordinary bout of teenager rebellion when Lucas’ grades slipped too low not to point out. They had a talk, and while Lucas wasn’t happy with the consequences, he didn’t bring up the real problem either, just a vague, ‘having trouble focusing, haven’t been getting enough sleep or something…’ It didn’t work. He failed that year, and finally caved under his dad’s disappointment. It wasn’t his fault everyone preferred talking over paying attention to the teacher!

So, Greg went to the school and talked with Lucas’ teachers. They all said the same thing: their students weren’t generally unruly, there was the odd conversation they had to stop, the occasional trouble, but nothing to disrupt class enough to explain Lucas’ poor grades. In fact, some said that he was the one doing most of the distracting, speaking out of turn or jumping at nothing.

Lucas came clean when his dad told him that, ashamed to have been putting the blame on other people, but honestly not knowing what else [i]to[/i] blame. He didn’t know who was talking, sometimes he thought he recognized a voice, but often enough they were complete strangers. And it wasn’t just at school either. The rest emerged more hesitantly when Gregory took Lucas to see a psychiatrist. He didn’t want to go, and Greg wasn’t sure he wanted to take him, but they went.

The eventual diagnosis was paranoid schizophrenia and they prescribed a treatment to help with the symptoms as soon as it became obvious they were there to stay and other causes were ruled out. The effect was, unfortunately, mostly the opposite of what they’d expected. The drugs, meant to diminish or stop the hallucinations entirely, seemed to work for the first few doses, but they wound up unbalancing an already changing brain and, after the first month, they left him more susceptible to the outside influence of past moments and he lost contact with his own thoughts for a while, unable to fight the influx of sounds and scents and feelings.

When he came back to himself, he was missing a whole month and sitting in the car watching his dad carry bags into the old cottage, with no memory of the trip. The psychiatrist had changed their diagnosis to disorganized schizophrenia when Lucas’ mental condition deteriorated so rapidly, a disorder that had a worse prognosis than their previous conclusion, and Greg had wanted to get away from every other responsibility while he tried to accept it. To say he was relieved when he saw Lucas getting out of the car on his own is like saying a flooded house may have waterdamage. He was in tears. And Lucas was scared as hell. But he’d pulled through the worst of it.

While still taking the drugs, Lucas’ recovery was neither instantaneous, nor complete, but he did benefit from the more isolated setting at the cabin, and he and his dad started working together to learn his triggers. It became clear very quickly that city life was part of the problem, but it was Gregory’s opinion that his son couldn’t go forever living in the middle of nowhere. And for all Lucas likes the outdoors, and his opinion was definitely raised higher every time they helped clear his head, he didn’t really want to spend the rest of his life alone in a tent either. So, they continued trying to make it work in the city, finding a new psychiatrist who was considering autism as another possibility, to help him learn to focus through all the extra stimulus. 

His dad wasn’t as certain that it was a known disorder by that time, having heard a few too many repeated conversations Lucas had never been party to, but he had no one to tell his suspicions to, and he was afraid of anyone else finding out. So, he stopped the sessions when Lucas gave him undeniable proof, before any sure progress could be made, and they went back to trying to figure things out on their own.

Unfortunately, Lucas was not the only one having problems during this time, and Gregory fell to lung cancer within weeks of deciding they’d stay at the cabin and make things work no matter what. He’d been ignoring the signs for some time, too long for the eventual, forced, doctor’s visit to do much good. Lucas had been aware that something was wrong, but he’d not had the mental capacity to put together the clues until it was too late. With his dad in the hospital, his grandparents took over his care, and Gregory got in touch with his ex, thinking that as much as he knew they loved him, they might not be up to the task. 

No one was aware of his actions until she showed up after his funeral, arguing against their decision to put Lucas into a highly recommended medical teaching centre where they thought he could be given the attention and help he needed. It was a reasonable idea, since they weren’t aware of the core problem, but after spending a week in the place, clean though the halls were and kind though the staff were, Lucas is more than a little grateful to the woman he’s suddenly supposed to call Mum for taking him home with her. There was too much weight in the walls left behind by all the other visitors. 

He’s been living in Crestwood Hollow for a few months now, adjusting to a different house and different city and different caregiver and not really sure what to think of it. The house is new, mostly quiet except for the work parties Marianne’s hosted. There’s a ravine he can go exploring in almost right across the street and the city’s got plenty of parks and all. Marianne’s not the most attentive, always busy with her work and not exactly mothering material. There’s a reason she let Gregory have him in the first place, but she is trying, if a bit haphazardly. And she adapted quickly enough to leaving him notes about important things instead of telling him and hoping he’d remember what she said. Lucas is fine with doing his own thing though, he was fine with her leaving him to settle in and didn’t mind the microwave dinners, or the days he had to fill up himself, but now she wants him to go back to school since he seems to be doing better, and he doesn’t know if he’ll make it through the first day, let alone the whole year.
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[COLOR=SLATEGRAY][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][CENTER][sup][color=silver]" Ha! There’s too much in the corners for awake and dreaming it’s not funny, so it’s all weird and still in my head. Okay? I don’t ask!"[/color][/sup][/CENTER][indent][b][color=CADETBLUE]//ABILITIES:[/color][/b]
[indent][B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ HIDDEN |[/COLOR][/B][/INDENT]
[b][color=CADETBLUE]//SKILLS:[/color][/b]
[indent][B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ OUTDOORS KNOW-HOW |[/COLOR][/B] [i]He’s been camping every summer since he was little and knows the general survival basics, along with paddling and sailing small craft and some orienteering.[/i]

[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ ATHLETE |[/COLOR][/B] [i]He is an active kid, liked soccer and frisbee, and he still has some of his endurance and agility, even if sports are no longer his thing.[/i]

[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ BILINGUAL |[/COLOR][/B] [i]He speaks English and French with some fluency, though he’s generally better at English.[/i]

[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ PATIENT |[/COLOR][/B] [i]Lucas can and does get frustrated about things, but it takes quite a lot for him to finally blow a gasket, and he’s remarkably good at waiting or repeating himself as necessary to be heard or understood.[/i]
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[b][color=CADETBLUE]//LIMITATIONS:[/color][/b]
[indent][B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ HIDDEN |[/COLOR][/B]
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[b][color=CADETBLUE]//WEAKNESSES:[/color][/b]
[indent][B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ UNDERSTANDING |[/COLOR][/B] [i]Being able to communicate with others clearly and coherently can be a constant struggle. He’s willing to work at it, but he won’t always have the luxury of time.[/i]

[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ STRAIGHTFORWARD |[/COLOR][/B] [i]If he wants something, he’ll ask for it, or take it, if he doesn’t, he’ll make it obvious. If he doesn’t understand, he’ll say so. He is easily led and easy to fool. Occasionally, he’s excessively honest. Secrets are hard to keep around him, and he’s forgotten the value of someone sharing or keeping his mouth shut. So, his company isn’t always going to be appreciated.[/i]

[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ FOCUS |[/COLOR][/B] [i]He can get easily overwhelmed and finds it occasionally hard to keep touch with reality. Any sudden influx of stimuli can leave him relatively unresponsive or unaware of his immediate surroundings for a short time. When he’s sick or tired, paying attention to everything is that much harder.[/i]
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[COLOR=SLATEGRAY][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]▼ N O T E S:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][indent][b][color=CADETBLUE]//SUPPORTING CAST:[/color][/b]
[indent][B][COLOR=SILVER]▼ FAMILY[/COLOR][/B]
[indent][B][COLOR=WHITESMOKE]◼ [I]GREGORY BRAY |[/I][/COLOR][/B] [i]His father (deceased).[/i]

[B][COLOR=WHITESMOKE]◼ [I]MARIANNE CROSS |[/I][/COLOR][/B] [i]His mother. She works long hours and isn’t home much. Lucas still isn’t sure what she actually does, though he’s pretty sure it pays well. She is the only one he has much contact with these days.[/i]

[B][COLOR=WHITESMOKE]◼ [I]IDALEE BRAY |[/I][/COLOR][/B] [i]His grandmother.[/i]

[B][COLOR=WHITESMOKE]◼ [I]ARTHUR BRAY |[/I][/COLOR][/B] [i]His grandfather.[/i]
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[B][COLOR=SILVER]▼ ALLIES[/COLOR][/B]
[indent][B][COLOR=WHITESMOKE]◼ [I]EVELYNE DAHL |[/I][/COLOR][/B] [i]The teaching assistant meant to keep him on track and focused during class. He’s hoping she’ll help enough to get by, and she does have a friendly smile. Also, good taste in music. [hider][img]https://i.imgur.com/Gca3rvP.jpg[/img][/hider][/i]
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[b][color=CADETBLUE]//STOMPING GROUNDS[/color][/b]
[indent][B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ BLACKWOOD CREEK |[/COLOR][/B] [i]A wooded area surrounding a small tributary with a few walking trails that runs just past his house. It leaves city limits in one direction and joins up with the pedestrian trails by the river in the other. He’s spent a good hour or three exploring it every day since he discovered it.[/i]

[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ MARIANNE’S HOUSE |[/COLOR][/B] [i]A new house in a rich old neighbourhood (Burberry Heights), it looks a little out of place with its sleek modern lines, but it’s not too ostentatious, there’s just lots of giant windows and a bit of a garden out the back. Lucas mostly keeps to his room and sometimes tries out the videogames in the den since she bought the console in a misguided attempt to make the house more teenager friendly.[/i]
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[b][color=CADETBLUE]//PARAPHERNALIA[/color][/b]
[indent][B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ STEGOSAURUS |[/COLOR][/B] [i]He carries a [url=https://imgur.com/K8RS5zU]little stuffed stegosaurus[/url] with him pretty much everywhere he goes. It was a gift from his dad. [/i]

[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE |[/COLOR][/B] [i]It’s empty, but he likes playing with it.[/i]

[B][COLOR=SILVER]◼ BACKPACK |[/COLOR][/B] [i]It comes with the usual school necessities: pencil and pens, notebooks, calculator, things… He also uses it to hold his snacks and when he goes exploring down the creek.[/i]
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