Post by Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford on Mar 21, 2008 16:03:54 GMT
Name:
Russ Benjamin Ford
Age:
17
Physical Description:
Tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome, Russ seems to stand out amongst many guys for girls. He’s about 6”3, with a well-built body to go with his height, a result of working out and heavy labour that he does – he often performs odd jobs about farms and towns as a way to earn extra money, meaning that he can not only drive a tractor, but fix one as well. His hair is dark and longish, with a wave to it, and is always in need of a cut. His eyes are onyx black, darker than his hair, with a gleam to them that make women weak at the knees. Of course, when he gets angry, he gets that gypsy fire in his eye, which while dangerously attractive, can be rather terrifying.
His skin isn’t especially pale, but isn’t especially tanned either. It suits his Romani looks perfectly, and his overall effect makes him very distinctive. And very, very attractive.
Clothing Description:
He doesn’t really care about his clothes – at all. They’re always dark; dark jeans, dark shirt/top, dark jacket… it suits his overall darkness. His clothes are always more than a little scruffy, but he pulls it off well. His shoes are always dark Converse or Vans.
Personality:
Dark, just like his outer shell. Russ is broody, dark, and has a temper like a bear at times, and has sarcasm nailed down to a fine art. However, catch him on a good day, when he’s in a good mood, and he’ll be perfectly charming, with a wicked smile and a sense of humour to match. He’s always up for a laugh – although, his devil’s angel’s attitude, similar to that of many members of his family can prove to be very, very dangerous. Russ isn’t one to turn down anything – and this has led him into some sticky situations in the past. He has a bit of a soft spot for Jack Daniels, Budweiser and attractive girls, who swoon for him, whether he intends them to or not. Despite this, Russ has been able to avoid having a reputation as a womanizer, because a few girls learned that they’re not likely to get anything serious from it (though he has had a few quite serious girlfriends), but probably mainly because he moved so much… and anyway, he sticks to a girl per camp. However, Russ has a very strong moral code, and while some of his morals don’t quite match up to those of other people, he tries to do the right thing. However, his nature sometimes doesn’t quite let him do that…
Russ is fiercely proud of his heritage, and loses his rag easily with people, like Madeleine, his ex and cousin, who try to hide their background. Russ sees being different as something to hold your head up high about, come what may, and when you try to hide it, you’re lying (that’s another thing – Russ never, ever lies about anything, even in those times when honesty isn’t always the best policy). His pride about his heritage also means that it is not a good idea to question his Romani roots because his skin is too light, as he will tell you exactly where to shove those thoughts.
His main downfall is his temper. Gypsy men are stereotypically hot-tempered, and while Russ resents the stereotypical slur, he can’t really deny that he fits that one easily. He loses his temper quickly, and badly, and things can go wrong because of his red-hot rage. However, the good thing that can be said about this is that he doesn’t hold grudges… often...
History:
The story of Russ’s dramatic life started before he was born. At the age of nineteen, a gypsy girl, Imogen Ford, met a gypsy man a fair bit older than her, a man whose name Russ didn’t ever find out. Imogen was rich – well, really rich. Her father had been a successful horse dealer, much more successful than most. He’d died a few years before, and had left Imogen all of his money, which she had only recently come into. She was careful with it – saving it for a rainy day and all of that.
Then, she met this man. Russ never found out the details, but somehow, he managed to con her out of everything – and left her pregnant.
Nine months later, the dark-haired bundle of joy was born. Not without incident, though. It was a difficult labour, and Russ was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.
He was alright, though, but the first few years of his life weren’t easy. They had no money, and few people were prepared to offer a job to a 20 year old single mother – and a gypsy at that. Moves were very, very frequent, and Russ’s earliest memories are of moving, which explains so much about him, especially his stir-craziness, which can be pretty much constant (and sometimes similar to withdrawal symptoms if he’s trapped in one place too long).
However, things picked up when he was about six. Imogen discovered a talent for crafts, and started to earn money at fairs by selling things she made, like cards, jewellery and other things like that. This made her happier, as she wasn’t stuck in horrible jobs at horrible hours, and life became much more positive.
Then, when Russ was nine, she met Oliver Doyle. The young Russ wasn’t too aware of this at first, but then, as their relationship blossomed, he knew that he really liked ‘Uncle Oliver’, and had a funny feeling that he’d end up with a stepdad – and Oliver really would be a brilliant one. He was laid-back and had a great sense of humour, and had a motorbike (his guilty pleasure, as he called it).
His prediction proved correct, and Imogen and Oliver got married quietly, and for a while, life was good.
The teenage years weren’t as idyllic. Russ proved to be a little bit… well, very reckless, especially when it came to things like drink. And girls. Imogen did get pissed whenever Russ came home slightly drunk. But Russ didn’t care. He liked living life just on the wrong side of the tracks, reckless enough to keep him happy, but safe enough to keep him out of major trouble … most of the time. That was how he made his circle of friends, including a girl named Madeleine Baudelaire. She was easily just one of a long line of girls that he had… but he kept going back to her, and usually for a much longer time than anyone else.
Then, her bare-knuckle fighter brother, Shaun, someone Russ looked up to, found out and informed them both that they were cousins. This was the only clue towards his fathers identity that Russ ever got – that he was the brother that Stephen Baudelaire never talked about. Madeleine didn’t even know about him, and Shaun didn’t know his name. He and Madeleine then very quickly broke it off.
After that, Russ went to Imogen and asked his father’s name. Imogen responded that she didn't want to tell Russ, in case he ever tried to trace him, but Russ persuaded out of her that his name was Daniel Baudelaire, and that he looked very like Russ. However, Russ swore then, and still swears, that he'd never, ever try to track down his father.
Life was okay for a while, aside from the arguments he and his mother had over his lifestyle – then Oliver left suddenly when Russ was fifteen, citing that he was joining Marius Hoodham’s army. Of course, at the time direct violence hadn’t broken out between the school and the army, but fights were going on elsewhere. Even if it was only passively, people had to choose a side to stick with. Imogen passively chose Major – and in anger, Oliver upped and left to actively join Marius.
It was like the world had fallen apart. Russ wasn’t able to deal with his mother’s grief as well as his own, and he started acting out. He originally wanted to stay out of the war, but he got into a lot of fights – 99% of the time with supporters of Marius. His mother bewailed this, asking if he was going to do that, why didn’t he just join Orchid Hill? Of course, the answer to that was that Russ didn’t want to be following someone else’s orders. He was his own man.
Secretly, he started making plans to become a bare-knuckle fighter – like his apparent cousin Shaun, who had died at the same time Oliver had left. With the discovery that his father was Madeleine and Shaun’s uncle, Russ was able to learn a little of family history, and about the legacy that was in his bloodstream. And like Shaun, he wanted to follow that. Of course, Madeleine went one up and became Head of the Warriors, but what could he do about that?
However, Imogen found out – and was not a bit happy. She screamed, and she huffed and she puffed... She was sick of it, sick of his fighting (“just like your father...") and his recklessness, and said it was driving her to an early grave - and eventually told Russ he had a decision to make – he could go to Orchid Hill, or she’d turn him into the police for his fighting.
Some choice. Russ decided it was better to take orders (even if it was from his ex-girlfriend) than to go to juvie and then later prison, and then went to Orchid, dreading going to the life he didn’t want to have…
Of course, now that he's there, he's intending to stir things up, just a little bit...
Gifts:
Magnetism, wood and combustion at any distance. Russ can blow anything up – including himself, a part of his power that he can never use.
Pets:
Russ is followed everywhere by his two year old black and brown Bernese Mountain Dog, Jake [clickety here].
Other:
He aspired to become a bare-knuckle fighter, but things didn’t work out…
Group:
Warriors
Russ Benjamin Ford
Age:
17
Physical Description:
Tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome, Russ seems to stand out amongst many guys for girls. He’s about 6”3, with a well-built body to go with his height, a result of working out and heavy labour that he does – he often performs odd jobs about farms and towns as a way to earn extra money, meaning that he can not only drive a tractor, but fix one as well. His hair is dark and longish, with a wave to it, and is always in need of a cut. His eyes are onyx black, darker than his hair, with a gleam to them that make women weak at the knees. Of course, when he gets angry, he gets that gypsy fire in his eye, which while dangerously attractive, can be rather terrifying.
His skin isn’t especially pale, but isn’t especially tanned either. It suits his Romani looks perfectly, and his overall effect makes him very distinctive. And very, very attractive.
Clothing Description:
He doesn’t really care about his clothes – at all. They’re always dark; dark jeans, dark shirt/top, dark jacket… it suits his overall darkness. His clothes are always more than a little scruffy, but he pulls it off well. His shoes are always dark Converse or Vans.
Personality:
Dark, just like his outer shell. Russ is broody, dark, and has a temper like a bear at times, and has sarcasm nailed down to a fine art. However, catch him on a good day, when he’s in a good mood, and he’ll be perfectly charming, with a wicked smile and a sense of humour to match. He’s always up for a laugh – although, his devil’s angel’s attitude, similar to that of many members of his family can prove to be very, very dangerous. Russ isn’t one to turn down anything – and this has led him into some sticky situations in the past. He has a bit of a soft spot for Jack Daniels, Budweiser and attractive girls, who swoon for him, whether he intends them to or not. Despite this, Russ has been able to avoid having a reputation as a womanizer, because a few girls learned that they’re not likely to get anything serious from it (though he has had a few quite serious girlfriends), but probably mainly because he moved so much… and anyway, he sticks to a girl per camp. However, Russ has a very strong moral code, and while some of his morals don’t quite match up to those of other people, he tries to do the right thing. However, his nature sometimes doesn’t quite let him do that…
Russ is fiercely proud of his heritage, and loses his rag easily with people, like Madeleine, his ex and cousin, who try to hide their background. Russ sees being different as something to hold your head up high about, come what may, and when you try to hide it, you’re lying (that’s another thing – Russ never, ever lies about anything, even in those times when honesty isn’t always the best policy). His pride about his heritage also means that it is not a good idea to question his Romani roots because his skin is too light, as he will tell you exactly where to shove those thoughts.
His main downfall is his temper. Gypsy men are stereotypically hot-tempered, and while Russ resents the stereotypical slur, he can’t really deny that he fits that one easily. He loses his temper quickly, and badly, and things can go wrong because of his red-hot rage. However, the good thing that can be said about this is that he doesn’t hold grudges… often...
History:
The story of Russ’s dramatic life started before he was born. At the age of nineteen, a gypsy girl, Imogen Ford, met a gypsy man a fair bit older than her, a man whose name Russ didn’t ever find out. Imogen was rich – well, really rich. Her father had been a successful horse dealer, much more successful than most. He’d died a few years before, and had left Imogen all of his money, which she had only recently come into. She was careful with it – saving it for a rainy day and all of that.
Then, she met this man. Russ never found out the details, but somehow, he managed to con her out of everything – and left her pregnant.
Nine months later, the dark-haired bundle of joy was born. Not without incident, though. It was a difficult labour, and Russ was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.
He was alright, though, but the first few years of his life weren’t easy. They had no money, and few people were prepared to offer a job to a 20 year old single mother – and a gypsy at that. Moves were very, very frequent, and Russ’s earliest memories are of moving, which explains so much about him, especially his stir-craziness, which can be pretty much constant (and sometimes similar to withdrawal symptoms if he’s trapped in one place too long).
However, things picked up when he was about six. Imogen discovered a talent for crafts, and started to earn money at fairs by selling things she made, like cards, jewellery and other things like that. This made her happier, as she wasn’t stuck in horrible jobs at horrible hours, and life became much more positive.
Then, when Russ was nine, she met Oliver Doyle. The young Russ wasn’t too aware of this at first, but then, as their relationship blossomed, he knew that he really liked ‘Uncle Oliver’, and had a funny feeling that he’d end up with a stepdad – and Oliver really would be a brilliant one. He was laid-back and had a great sense of humour, and had a motorbike (his guilty pleasure, as he called it).
His prediction proved correct, and Imogen and Oliver got married quietly, and for a while, life was good.
The teenage years weren’t as idyllic. Russ proved to be a little bit… well, very reckless, especially when it came to things like drink. And girls. Imogen did get pissed whenever Russ came home slightly drunk. But Russ didn’t care. He liked living life just on the wrong side of the tracks, reckless enough to keep him happy, but safe enough to keep him out of major trouble … most of the time. That was how he made his circle of friends, including a girl named Madeleine Baudelaire. She was easily just one of a long line of girls that he had… but he kept going back to her, and usually for a much longer time than anyone else.
Then, her bare-knuckle fighter brother, Shaun, someone Russ looked up to, found out and informed them both that they were cousins. This was the only clue towards his fathers identity that Russ ever got – that he was the brother that Stephen Baudelaire never talked about. Madeleine didn’t even know about him, and Shaun didn’t know his name. He and Madeleine then very quickly broke it off.
After that, Russ went to Imogen and asked his father’s name. Imogen responded that she didn't want to tell Russ, in case he ever tried to trace him, but Russ persuaded out of her that his name was Daniel Baudelaire, and that he looked very like Russ. However, Russ swore then, and still swears, that he'd never, ever try to track down his father.
Life was okay for a while, aside from the arguments he and his mother had over his lifestyle – then Oliver left suddenly when Russ was fifteen, citing that he was joining Marius Hoodham’s army. Of course, at the time direct violence hadn’t broken out between the school and the army, but fights were going on elsewhere. Even if it was only passively, people had to choose a side to stick with. Imogen passively chose Major – and in anger, Oliver upped and left to actively join Marius.
It was like the world had fallen apart. Russ wasn’t able to deal with his mother’s grief as well as his own, and he started acting out. He originally wanted to stay out of the war, but he got into a lot of fights – 99% of the time with supporters of Marius. His mother bewailed this, asking if he was going to do that, why didn’t he just join Orchid Hill? Of course, the answer to that was that Russ didn’t want to be following someone else’s orders. He was his own man.
Secretly, he started making plans to become a bare-knuckle fighter – like his apparent cousin Shaun, who had died at the same time Oliver had left. With the discovery that his father was Madeleine and Shaun’s uncle, Russ was able to learn a little of family history, and about the legacy that was in his bloodstream. And like Shaun, he wanted to follow that. Of course, Madeleine went one up and became Head of the Warriors, but what could he do about that?
However, Imogen found out – and was not a bit happy. She screamed, and she huffed and she puffed... She was sick of it, sick of his fighting (“just like your father...") and his recklessness, and said it was driving her to an early grave - and eventually told Russ he had a decision to make – he could go to Orchid Hill, or she’d turn him into the police for his fighting.
Some choice. Russ decided it was better to take orders (even if it was from his ex-girlfriend) than to go to juvie and then later prison, and then went to Orchid, dreading going to the life he didn’t want to have…
Of course, now that he's there, he's intending to stir things up, just a little bit...
Gifts:
Magnetism, wood and combustion at any distance. Russ can blow anything up – including himself, a part of his power that he can never use.
Pets:
Russ is followed everywhere by his two year old black and brown Bernese Mountain Dog, Jake [clickety here].
Other:
He aspired to become a bare-knuckle fighter, but things didn’t work out…
Group:
Warriors