CollectorOfMyst

Fashionably Late: A Crime Thriller Roleplay

Honestly, it's been so long since I've done a character sheet I'm glad I got it done in time! Wishing you guys all the best in your story

Fashionably Late: A Crime Thriller Roleplay

Nepo Baby

█ Freddie Ashford

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█ ███ ██ █ S U M M A R Y █ ██ ███ █ FREDERICK ISAAC ASHFORD AGE Twenty seven GENDER Male ETHNICITY/RACE White MARTIAL STATUS Dating SEXUALITY (Closeted) Homosexual ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

▅BIOGRAPHY▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ Freddie's early life was very carefully controlled. Much like the other children of the rich and the elite, there was a blend of restricted personal life, and rehearsed public appearances. His schools were private; his tutoring, even more so. And acting out was not allowed. Son of the heartthrob pop star Percy Ashford and queen of the red carpet Jean Averill, there were always going to be... expectations. Thirty years ago, they were the power couple that ruled the Hollywood spotlight - the awards show winners, the humanitarian aid advocates, the media darlings. You know what they say about killing your darlings. The divorce was messy. Scandalous. Public. And the press jumped on it like jackals. There wasn't a gossip rag that didn't cover it - and it was hot news for weeks as the court case carried on and on. Old interviews were dragged back into the limelight. Private correspondence was leaked. Past colleagues and present friends were interrogated for any shred of drama. Then there was the crash. The official release from Ashford's estate was that it was a tragic accident. There were rumours, of course. Some said that he had been trying to evade the press - others claimed that he had drugs in his system. All Freddie knew was that he was suddenly surrounded by lawyers and agents who were insisting on handling everything for him. The press release. His inheritance. The funeral. And his mother? His mother aged. Wrinkles, grey hairs. Things that Hollywood can't abide. Things that journalists brought up whenever they raked her back across the coals. Her crown passed on, to the next young, pretty thing. She was still a star, still on the red carpet, still beloved by many - but aging gracefully wasn't enough. And Hollywood is quietly cruel to those women who aren't enough. So Freddie learned the lesson. He put on a carefully crafted mask - friendly, personable, polite. He sealed the cracks. Gave the press enough to satisfy, but not enough to grab hold. Didn't act out. There would be no scandals, no mistakes. No jackals. ▅CAREER▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ Officially, Freddie's an actor. A few minor appearances, then a role in a high school drama series. And, as an adult, he slowly racked up movie credits until he landed the starring role in the summer's blockbuster romcom. That set the trend for the majority of his roles since. He's pretty sure teenage girls and single mothers make up the majority of his fanbase. Some people call his success nepotism - many directors he works under now, his mother worked with back in the day. And, well, Freddie doesn't disagree. None of the roles he's had are ones he would have chosen for himself. Good stories, but nothing revolutionary. Because that's what's good. That's what's safe. If you ask what Freddie thinks his job actually is? He shows up. At the talk shows, the football games, the art galleries, the parties. His mother - his manager - makes sure of it. That he's someone everybody knows, that everybody invites, that everybody wants to call a friend. He doesn't drink too much, he doesn't wear outlandish outfits - the most scandalous thing he's done, in the public eye? An underwear ad. He creates buzz, without being dangerous. Which is how he and Lucy got together. They've been in multiple projects together, and they formed an easy friendship. Their off-screen camaraderie and on-screen chemistry quickly sparked rumours, and Freddie's mother proposed that they lean into it - drum up interest in their most recent films. A couple of staged public photos to stir up the fans. An interview where they denied anything, but cast shy glances at each other. It's a game they play - a joke they say they're laughing at. 'The on-screen romance was real!'. A cage that they trapped themselves in, more like. The ball kept rolling from there. Generating just enough buzz with every movie one of them stars in, every red-carpet photo op. They've been living together for the past four years. Nobody else gets to know the truth. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

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JEAN AVERILL Jean has mostly retired from the spotlight, now operating her own talent agency, and despite having people assigned to him, she spends a lot of time operating as her son's personal manager. In the shadow of that spotlight, the pressure of her expectations fell on Freddie. It's unclear if it's bitterness towards the industry, or if she's desperate to protect him from the same fall from grace that she had. There is warmth there, still, but it conflicts with his growing resentment of her grasp on his life.

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LUCY MASON Freddie's best friend, and to the world, his girlfriend. A rising starlet in her own right. She doesn't have the family history or the rich parents he does, but she's got parts of her life she'd like to keep private, which is why she agreed to date Freddie. In public, she's the perfect girlfriend, sweet, attentive, but not possessive - in private, they complain to each other about difficult work days, eat food they're not supposed to, and watch bad movies with a bottle of wine between them.

Sheet done! Not entirely happy with it, but I think that I've at least given it my best shot.

Fashionably Late: A Crime Thriller Roleplay

>Be me
>Log onto the guild every so often to check for new RPs
>See new RP that seems interesting
>Deadline: Monday 26th Jan
>Panik

For real, though, this is an RP that looks super interesting to me. I'm as out of practice as I ever can be, but if I can whip something up over the weekend I'm hoping I can make it under the wire.

The Season of the Enlightened

I did express interest elsewhere but I'm just gonna put my name down officially on the IC

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

Just gonna post this here because I'm taking far too long on it for my own good so I have proof I've not just vanished into the ether

Things still missing: Actually defined spells, equipment, the end of the Abilities section, and the end of his history section.

Rory Maddox

_{B A S I C S}

---

Name: Rory Maddox
Age: 24
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165lbs
Occupation: Navigator

_{A P P E A R A N C E}

---

Tanned skin, sun-bleached hair, lean muscle, a tattoo and a scar or two - Rory's practically a picture of your stereotypical sailor, and blends in well enough in most ports. Perhaps the outstanding part would be the obvious pride he takes in his appearance - he keeps his face clean and the scant hair on his face neatly groomed; his boots are polished and his clothes carefully fixed of any holes. And particular care is taken with his coat - his protection against the wind and rain. It has no particularly special properties, but it is precious to him nonetheless.

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

---

Rory has always been the quiet sort. Not that he's afraid to speak, no, but he has learned the value in holding one's tongue and choosing instead to listen. He greatly prefers to focus on his work, be it assisting in the day-to-day maintenance of a ship, navigation, or working in his journal. These things are simple, they are routine, and they ground him, bring him peace. They quell the storm inside. The one he isn't at peace with yet.

Rory's relationship with magic is... complicated. But it isn't as simple as denouncing it - it is a part of him, of who he is, and he denied that for too long. Half of this struggle comes with admitting it - the other half of it comes with recognising that other witches, witches who practice blood magic and necromancy and other taboos - are not quite so awful as he has always believed. But now he'll be working closely with witches of all stripes - and he may not always have a choice about who.

_{H I S T O R Y}

---

Rory was born in Ireland, but if you were to ask him to remember it, he would tell you he does not. Mainly due to the fact that, following his birth, Ireland erupted into its most destructive war known to history. On one side, the Irish Confederacy, attempting to win back power for its people; on the other, first the Kingdom of Ireland under the rule of King Charles of England, and then later, in a brutal campaign, Oliver Cromwell himself. The Confederacy failed, and Ireland was absorbed into the Commonwealth.

Rory's father, one of the few Irish landowners at the time, was staunchly determined to maintain his neutrality all throughout - believing that the rebels would fail, and that there was no point in fighting lost battles. His mother, however, did the best to support them in secret - first in minor ways, and later on, using magic - her trips disguised as taking Rory to visit her sisters and cousins. She also used these trips to teach him basic spells - passing on as much of her knowledge as she could onto a young child. The ruse didn't last.

Having discovered his wife's rebel allegiance, and with the war turning for the worse, Rory's father cast her out, before fleeing to England with his son. If Rory's mother survived the war, she never sought them out. Rory himself was subjected to harsh treatment for going along with the scheme - despite having been a child and not knowing better - so he suppressed the knowledge and the memories, and left his childhood behind.

Being an Irish expatriate in England wasn't an easy life, either - despite trying his hardest to blend in, to assimilate, Rory was always an outcast, even after his father remarried. Never quite fitting in with other children, and distrusted by adults, no matter their views on the war. Any perceived misbehaviours were punished more harshly, and so he was always trying so much harder to fade away, to be the model child, teenager, more. So when his father secured him a commission as a midshipman aboard a Navy ship, he took the chance and gladly.

And, well, now he can admit his mistake. Life in the Royal Navy was awful - and he wasn't even one of the Able Hands. He hadn't escaped harsh punishments, and the conditions were much worse. Granted, he was taught his letters, and navigation and tactics, all things he wouldn't learn otherwise. He was able to be Midshipman Maddox, Irish heritage and all. And he finally - finally - made a friend. Maybe that's what made it worth it.

Maybe Sebastian made it all worth it.

Sebastian was Rory's first, actual first friend.

• Due to a run in with pirates/a storm/another navy, Rory was forced to (didn't know how else to) save his life with magic.
• His friend turned on him, so he had to flee and is now both a deserter and a witch. And only a few will so willingly take on either.
• Brings him to now?

_{A B I L I T I E S}

---

As a somewhat experienced sailor from the Navy, Rory won't have to work to find his sea legs - he's an old hand at tying a knot, can climb rigging with the best of them, and is more than

He has also been taught his letters, to read and write them, and practices them by writing in his journal - though

- He can use a pistol or rifle with some degree of accuracy, but due to his particular brand of magic, he cannot carry them if he intends to cast any spells.
-

_{M A G I C}

---

Magic Type: Tempestarius (storm magic)

Basic Effects: Command over wind, rain, thunder, lightning. Keep away from gunpowder (sparks) - alternatively, direct him towards it. Casting it is almost like dancing?

- Can conjure enough wind to fill a sail (extra speed on the ship)? Small rain clouds for fresh water? Or would these be an Advanced spell?

Advanced Spells:

Stormcaller - does as intended. Calls a storm, with all the wind and thunder and danger to ships that it entails. Requires a lot of focus.
Wind Step effectively a 'double jump' because why not.
Witchbolt - lightning attack?

_{E Q U I P M E N T}

---

Fine Coat
Cutlass
Compass?
A journal, filled with sketches and with old entries from his old life.

_{O T H E R}

---

• Colour code is 4682B4
• The war I reference at the start of Rory's history is a real event called the Eleven Years War and is indeed the most destructive war in Ireland's history. I didn't expect this to line up with anything when deciding about Rory's character, but assuming history still lines up, then, well. It still kinda works, I guess. Decided the Confederacy allied with witches because Ireland has that aspect of respecting the fey and the strange, and they were also probably desperate for any advantage they could get.
• A sailing master, traditionally, held two roles - to oversee the navigation and sail of the ship, and to educate and train midshipmen; he would additionally be assisted by the master's mate or mates, who were often 'elderly' midshipmen in their 20s or otherwise elevated sailors. Midshipmen who failed to pass the lieutenant's exam would usually stay on in hopes of earning a later commission, but it was also one of the highest-paying non-officer ratings.
• In the actual time itself, midshipmen were boys 12-14 or so who were training to be officers (lieutenants) in the Royal Navy and it wasn't a rank, just a 'rating' you earned after a year or so at sea as a Young Volunteer - as with many of the other non-officer roles. Since King Charles' reign didn't actually start until 1660 (when Rory would've been 19), I've just... ignored that. Sue me. We're not going for complete accuracy here. Additionally, if you did not pass the lieutenant's exam, you could stay on as a Master's Mate and eventually retake the test.

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

I'm still working on my sheet! I just... got sent down a research rabbit hole

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

@RoseKnightJason Well I was kinda crossed between navigator and ship's doctor (because as far as actual medics go, we have Blood Magic, and Shiara's sewing kit, but also I was just thinking he'd genuinely be able to legitimately navigate a ship.

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

@CollectorOfMyst @AliceInRedHeels are both of you still planning on joining us? It won't take long at all to introduce the two of you in some way once your characters are accepted. You could easily walk in on this scene given the circumstances, or be found in the days before the ship leaves port. (Foreshadowing 😃)

@RoseKnightJason

Still planning on it! I've just had a busy couple of days and have only really had time to plot out the broad strokes of my guy (WIP below if you want a look)

Rory Madden

_{B A S I C S}

---

Name: Rory Madden
Age: 24
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165lbs
Occupation: Navigator?

_{A P P E A R A N C E}

---

Tanned skin, sun-bleached hair, lean muscle, a tattoo and a scar or two - Rory's practically a picture of your stereotypical sailor, and blends in well enough in most ports. Perhaps the outstanding part would be the obvious pride he takes in his appearance - he keeps his face clean and the scant hair on his face neatly groomed; his boots are polished and his clothes carefully fixed of any holes. And particular care is taken with his coat - his protection against the wind and rain. It has no particularly special properties, but it is precious to him nonetheless.

WIP - Necklace, lightning scar, war paint?

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

---

Currently WIP - quiet sort? Serious, for certain. Charming, or stoic? Distrustful of witches using more 'taboo' magic, due to his own past.

_{H I S T O R Y}

---

THE BELOW IS THE BROAD STROKES, NOT THE FINAL WRITE UP

• Comes from Ireland/is of Irish descent.
• Mother's side of the family is witches; she taught him much of what she knew.
  Something happened (likely involving his mother's imprisonment or death as a witch, or his father discovering and terrifying him into not using magic) to make him not use magic for most of his life.
• Tried very hard to live a lawful life - joined the navy.
• Grew close to another sailor, practically brothers (unrequited//oblivious love? Or too complicated?)
• Due to a run in with pirates/a storm/another navy, Rory was forced to (didn't know how else to) save his life with magic.
• His friend turned on him, so he had to flee and is now both a deserter and a witch. And only a few will so willingly take on either.
• Brings him to now?

_{A B I L I T I E S}

---

- Can read and write his letters (traditionally rare among sailors); prefers to draw.
- Has some degree of physical strength.
- Fairly agile, and adept with a cutlass
- He can use a pistol or rifle with some degree of accuracy, but due to his particular brand of magic, he cannot carry them if he intends to cast any spells.
-

_{M A G I C}

---

Magic Type: Tempestarius (storm magic)

Basic Effects: Command over wind, rain, thunder, lightning. Keep away from gunpowder (sparks) - alternatively, direct him towards it. Casting it is almost like dancing?

- Can conjure enough wind to fill a sail (extra speed on the ship)? Small rain clouds for fresh water? Or would these be an Advanced spell?

Advanced Spells:

Stormcaller - does as intended. Calls a storm, with all the wind and thunder and danger to ships that it entails. Requires a lot of focus.
Wind Step effectively a 'double jump' because why not.
Witchbolt - lightning attack?

_{E Q U I P M E N T}

---

Fine Coat
Cutlass
Compass?
A journal, filled with sketches and with old entries from his old life.

_{O T H E R}

---

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

@shylarah Fancy seeing you here

@RoseKnightJason I have a few ideas in mind for power scale, yes! Mostly I just need to actually put the larger body of the character together!

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

Ooh, I'm very interested in this, I've gotta say.

[+]

...Kinda thinking about a weather witch. A very practical kind of magic to have when you rely on the wind to move and need the tide to work with you.