Background & History~
Aug. 4th, 2014 09:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
warmeryouthName: Bailey Austin Harper
Age: 23
Species: Siren, of the Selkie variety.
Background & History:Bailey was born to two siren parents, Amelia and Richard Harper, in the suburbs of New York City, the twin of his sister, Adelaide. His parents divorced when Bailey and Adelaide were five years old; his mother retained full custody of her children, with their father having them on the weekends. Only a year after the divorce, Richard returned to his native England, to the city of Bath. He wrote letters to his children, sent them cards on their birthdays. Apart from that, Bailey and Adelaide hardly ever hear from him, an absence Bailey feels keenly to this day, especially once he heard of his father’s second marriage and family, little more than a year after the divorce.
He grew up in the same apartment his parents first moved into together, sharing a room with his sister. Amelia eventually began dating again, but she swore off marriage, and she never stayed with a man longer than six months. She threw herself into caring after her two children, more than anything else. Adelaide and Bailey grew close as well, becoming each other’s best friends within their close knit family.
She also took care to make sure to teach them of their siren abilities from a young age, teaching them how to transform into their seal-form and how to control their abilities to compel others with their voices; she also put them into voice and swimming lessons to help with their powers. Bailey and his family lived in an area full of fellow Selkies, who came together a couple times a month for potlucks, gatherings, and the like. While Bailey has other, human friends, even one witchy one, his closest friends are all part of his selkie group. They all look out for each other, without any sort of head Siren or matriarch, a concept Bailey doesn’t understand to this day.
Bailey struggled with the fallout from his parents’ divorce at first, to the point where he attended therapy to address his sadness. At the age of 10, he was able to stop going to the sessions, throwing himself instead into music. Apart from voice lessons, Bailey began taking piano lessons, nurturing the musical aspects of his siren heritage, whereas Adelaide, who much preferred swimming to singing, seemed to develop in the opposite ways.
Adelaide came out to him as a lesbian when they both turned 16. Bailey hugged her as soon as she confided in him, promising to always love and look out for her. She eventually told their mother, six months later, after an incident at school left Adelaide with a broken nose in trying to defend herself. While shocked at first, Amelie eventually reinforced what Bailey had already told her.
High school, for the most part, proved to be some of the happiest times of Bailey’s life; he did well in school, almost always managing to make it on the honor roll, with the occasional C. He joined the swim team along with Adelaide, doing well enough there. Music, however, remained the best opportunity for him to shine. He joined the choir and auditioned for the spring musicals his school put on every year, managing to always obtain a solo and/or a significant part.
College proved more of a challenge for Bailey, as he attended a small, New England college many hours away from home. The distance made him realize two things: one, how much he relied upon his family, even after all these years, and that he wanted to be able to provide support to other people for a living. Even though his biggest dream was (and remains) to record his own album and/or write and produce his own musical, Bailey pursed a major in music education. He graduated magna cum laude and, on the day of his graduation, learned that his father and his new family moved back to his old town.
Immediately, Bailey knew he couldn’t return home, so, upon his sister’s research, decides to branch out to Siren Cove, a place whose name intrigues him, especially being so close to the water. He usually took to swimming in pools, growing up practically in the city, and the idea of salt water calls out to him with all the pull of a lover. He takes his time getting there, however; he’s easily distracted by the call of the water, the loveliness of the countryside, and any woman with a story that might inspire a song or an act.
He wants to make a new beginning for himself, forget about his negligent father, and hone his siren abilities, all the while teaching music and beginning to write his own, original musical and/or record his own album.
Personality: Above all else, Bailey is a determined young man, sometimes stubbornly so. He has always been fairly social, but in his own words, he is “absolute shit” at dealing with his sadder emotions in a healthy way, a struggle he has been coping with ever since graduation and learning of the return of his father to America. His strategy for that is generally shoving said feelings to the side and piling over them with his music. Adelaide, of course, always gives him crap about this, and tries to get him to face his problems more. Now that Bailey lives further away from his sister, who remains in New York in spite of their father, he finds himself falling back into habits his therapist helped to break him of in his youth.
Bailey is an idealist; though he’s seen the crappier side of life, he always strives to find the good in a situation, even if, internally, he’s giving in to thoughts of despair. He teaches because he loves music, and he wants to teach others to love it, too.
He is an avid musical fan, and though not pursuing acting as a profession, will most likely audition for community productions if given the chance. He’s not fond of exercising that isn’t swimming, but he goes for a walk every morning, regardless.
Bailey is determined, but he can also be stubborn, and he has little patience for those he thinks are belittling others. He can become bitter, closed-off, and withdrawn when others speak of having happy, well-adjusted families. He doesn’t let things go easily, a habit he keeps trying to break, with little luck. He smokes when especially stressed, and can sometimes get heated in arguments, especially in regards to homophobia, an issue close to his heart because of his sister.
Bailey’s a loyal person, but once someone breaks his trust, it is rather difficult for them to earn it back. For this reason, and others, his sister jokingly refers to Bailey as a modern ‘Mr. Darcy.’
Opinion of the Rivalry: Newly arriving to town, Bailey remains blissfully ignorant of the rivalry for the moment. When he does discover it, he will find himself disgusted with both parties for hurting so many innocent people over a family feud. Though he won’t admit to finding himself compelled and/or inspired by the love affair that began it all.
Lifestyle: Having just recently graduated from college and obtaining a job as a music teacher in the Siren Cove public school system, Bailey is struggling, but able to make ends meet. He lives in a cheap apartment in the poorer section of town; he’s not ashamed of his situation, having grown up in an apartment and sharing a room with his sister his whole life.
He doesn’t necessarily prescribe to any one religion, but Bailey does like to set aside time every day for meditation, to help clear his thoughts and relieve his stress. He’s fond of herbs and trinkets, wearing the odd necklace or two engraved with runes for goodwill and calm. He likes tarot cards, though he doesn’t read them himself. He has a collection of occult paraphernalia right alongside his record and poetry collections.
He loves the water, and now that he lives near it, can be found there every morning, especially at sunrise. He adores his seal form, but is also cautious enough not to let anyone catch him in it. He typically grabs his coffee right after, being something of a caffeine addict, and while he enjoys the Quill, his snobbish New York side knows there’s much better coffee to be found elsewhere.
He loves going to see live theater, especially musicals, and concerts as well. He can be considered an artistic type, having a penchant for museums as well. Mostly, he likes to wander, dreaming about a lovely girl he can’t remember if he met or dreamed up, or the beauty of nature. In his songwriting attempts, he also tries his hand at poetry.
His sense of style is best summed up as ‘hippie-esque,’ lots of tan trousers, worn jeans, and a copious amount of tie-dye. Yet, his gentle, artistic appearance can be deceiving; he is quite able to hold his own in a physical fight, if the need ever arises.
Powers & Abilities: Bailey is a siren, specifically of the selkie variety. He changes into a seal in the water, and is able enough to do so when he so chooses. He has a beautiful singing voice, and is able to use it to persuade people if he chooses. Sometimes, he writes songs specifically for the purpose of lifting peoples’ moods or encouraging empathy in others; he has been known to write songs to help people find what it is they’ve lost. Typically, he is able to manage this ability so as not to inspire a crowd to fall in love with him. However, occasionally, when he feels especially sad, he has been known to let out a twinge of control, just enough to inspire others to leave him positive feedback when he needs it most. He also has the ability to bring people good luck, a fact he does not advertise to any who he does not know well. He’s only used this ability a few times, most notably when Adelaide came out to their mother. He cannot use this power on himself. As a selkie who has honed his abilities his entire life, Bailey is quite comfortable with who and what he is, and will get defensive when anyone challenges him on it.
Age: 23
Species: Siren, of the Selkie variety.
Background & History:Bailey was born to two siren parents, Amelia and Richard Harper, in the suburbs of New York City, the twin of his sister, Adelaide. His parents divorced when Bailey and Adelaide were five years old; his mother retained full custody of her children, with their father having them on the weekends. Only a year after the divorce, Richard returned to his native England, to the city of Bath. He wrote letters to his children, sent them cards on their birthdays. Apart from that, Bailey and Adelaide hardly ever hear from him, an absence Bailey feels keenly to this day, especially once he heard of his father’s second marriage and family, little more than a year after the divorce.
He grew up in the same apartment his parents first moved into together, sharing a room with his sister. Amelia eventually began dating again, but she swore off marriage, and she never stayed with a man longer than six months. She threw herself into caring after her two children, more than anything else. Adelaide and Bailey grew close as well, becoming each other’s best friends within their close knit family.
She also took care to make sure to teach them of their siren abilities from a young age, teaching them how to transform into their seal-form and how to control their abilities to compel others with their voices; she also put them into voice and swimming lessons to help with their powers. Bailey and his family lived in an area full of fellow Selkies, who came together a couple times a month for potlucks, gatherings, and the like. While Bailey has other, human friends, even one witchy one, his closest friends are all part of his selkie group. They all look out for each other, without any sort of head Siren or matriarch, a concept Bailey doesn’t understand to this day.
Bailey struggled with the fallout from his parents’ divorce at first, to the point where he attended therapy to address his sadness. At the age of 10, he was able to stop going to the sessions, throwing himself instead into music. Apart from voice lessons, Bailey began taking piano lessons, nurturing the musical aspects of his siren heritage, whereas Adelaide, who much preferred swimming to singing, seemed to develop in the opposite ways.
Adelaide came out to him as a lesbian when they both turned 16. Bailey hugged her as soon as she confided in him, promising to always love and look out for her. She eventually told their mother, six months later, after an incident at school left Adelaide with a broken nose in trying to defend herself. While shocked at first, Amelie eventually reinforced what Bailey had already told her.
High school, for the most part, proved to be some of the happiest times of Bailey’s life; he did well in school, almost always managing to make it on the honor roll, with the occasional C. He joined the swim team along with Adelaide, doing well enough there. Music, however, remained the best opportunity for him to shine. He joined the choir and auditioned for the spring musicals his school put on every year, managing to always obtain a solo and/or a significant part.
College proved more of a challenge for Bailey, as he attended a small, New England college many hours away from home. The distance made him realize two things: one, how much he relied upon his family, even after all these years, and that he wanted to be able to provide support to other people for a living. Even though his biggest dream was (and remains) to record his own album and/or write and produce his own musical, Bailey pursed a major in music education. He graduated magna cum laude and, on the day of his graduation, learned that his father and his new family moved back to his old town.
Immediately, Bailey knew he couldn’t return home, so, upon his sister’s research, decides to branch out to Siren Cove, a place whose name intrigues him, especially being so close to the water. He usually took to swimming in pools, growing up practically in the city, and the idea of salt water calls out to him with all the pull of a lover. He takes his time getting there, however; he’s easily distracted by the call of the water, the loveliness of the countryside, and any woman with a story that might inspire a song or an act.
He wants to make a new beginning for himself, forget about his negligent father, and hone his siren abilities, all the while teaching music and beginning to write his own, original musical and/or record his own album.
Personality: Above all else, Bailey is a determined young man, sometimes stubbornly so. He has always been fairly social, but in his own words, he is “absolute shit” at dealing with his sadder emotions in a healthy way, a struggle he has been coping with ever since graduation and learning of the return of his father to America. His strategy for that is generally shoving said feelings to the side and piling over them with his music. Adelaide, of course, always gives him crap about this, and tries to get him to face his problems more. Now that Bailey lives further away from his sister, who remains in New York in spite of their father, he finds himself falling back into habits his therapist helped to break him of in his youth.
Bailey is an idealist; though he’s seen the crappier side of life, he always strives to find the good in a situation, even if, internally, he’s giving in to thoughts of despair. He teaches because he loves music, and he wants to teach others to love it, too.
He is an avid musical fan, and though not pursuing acting as a profession, will most likely audition for community productions if given the chance. He’s not fond of exercising that isn’t swimming, but he goes for a walk every morning, regardless.
Bailey is determined, but he can also be stubborn, and he has little patience for those he thinks are belittling others. He can become bitter, closed-off, and withdrawn when others speak of having happy, well-adjusted families. He doesn’t let things go easily, a habit he keeps trying to break, with little luck. He smokes when especially stressed, and can sometimes get heated in arguments, especially in regards to homophobia, an issue close to his heart because of his sister.
Bailey’s a loyal person, but once someone breaks his trust, it is rather difficult for them to earn it back. For this reason, and others, his sister jokingly refers to Bailey as a modern ‘Mr. Darcy.’
Opinion of the Rivalry: Newly arriving to town, Bailey remains blissfully ignorant of the rivalry for the moment. When he does discover it, he will find himself disgusted with both parties for hurting so many innocent people over a family feud. Though he won’t admit to finding himself compelled and/or inspired by the love affair that began it all.
Lifestyle: Having just recently graduated from college and obtaining a job as a music teacher in the Siren Cove public school system, Bailey is struggling, but able to make ends meet. He lives in a cheap apartment in the poorer section of town; he’s not ashamed of his situation, having grown up in an apartment and sharing a room with his sister his whole life.
He doesn’t necessarily prescribe to any one religion, but Bailey does like to set aside time every day for meditation, to help clear his thoughts and relieve his stress. He’s fond of herbs and trinkets, wearing the odd necklace or two engraved with runes for goodwill and calm. He likes tarot cards, though he doesn’t read them himself. He has a collection of occult paraphernalia right alongside his record and poetry collections.
He loves the water, and now that he lives near it, can be found there every morning, especially at sunrise. He adores his seal form, but is also cautious enough not to let anyone catch him in it. He typically grabs his coffee right after, being something of a caffeine addict, and while he enjoys the Quill, his snobbish New York side knows there’s much better coffee to be found elsewhere.
He loves going to see live theater, especially musicals, and concerts as well. He can be considered an artistic type, having a penchant for museums as well. Mostly, he likes to wander, dreaming about a lovely girl he can’t remember if he met or dreamed up, or the beauty of nature. In his songwriting attempts, he also tries his hand at poetry.
His sense of style is best summed up as ‘hippie-esque,’ lots of tan trousers, worn jeans, and a copious amount of tie-dye. Yet, his gentle, artistic appearance can be deceiving; he is quite able to hold his own in a physical fight, if the need ever arises.
Powers & Abilities: Bailey is a siren, specifically of the selkie variety. He changes into a seal in the water, and is able enough to do so when he so chooses. He has a beautiful singing voice, and is able to use it to persuade people if he chooses. Sometimes, he writes songs specifically for the purpose of lifting peoples’ moods or encouraging empathy in others; he has been known to write songs to help people find what it is they’ve lost. Typically, he is able to manage this ability so as not to inspire a crowd to fall in love with him. However, occasionally, when he feels especially sad, he has been known to let out a twinge of control, just enough to inspire others to leave him positive feedback when he needs it most. He also has the ability to bring people good luck, a fact he does not advertise to any who he does not know well. He’s only used this ability a few times, most notably when Adelaide came out to their mother. He cannot use this power on himself. As a selkie who has honed his abilities his entire life, Bailey is quite comfortable with who and what he is, and will get defensive when anyone challenges him on it.