Ryker

[    quixotic  ||   curious   ||   spirited   ||   sheltered   ||   principled    ]

Ryker remembers almost nothing of his life in Germany. He was still a very young pup when both of his parents passed away, and an adoption agency helped place him in his new home, with a sharkdog named Penelope, who lived in the United States and had no children of her own. Her home had once been a plantation. It was a massive, impressive building with beautiful grounds. Since she lived alone, for most of her life she had run the place as an inn or bed and breakfast. The place seemed haunted to him, its rooms and gardens like a maze. 

At first, Ryker was sad and withdrawn, putting up walls and refusing to build a connection with Penelope. But it was hard. Penelope was like sunshine. She was patient and understanding and careful with him, and her smile warmed him from the inside. As he gradually began to learn English and start communicating with her, she began to instill in him her love for reading. He absolutely adored books, and he used books to express himself. He would dig through her extensive collection of books to find ones that matched his mood, and give them to her to read, and through the stories, she came to understand him. The older he got, the better he could speak with her, their roles switched, and he would spend hours reading to her. He came to see her as the world in his eyes. 

He also came to appreciate the guests that passed through their home, too. Like a sponge, he absorbed every detail of their lives, and he imagined them all as protagonists or antagonists of their own books. Their stories filled him with wonder and an appreciation for adventure, as well as a vivid imagination. 

Ryker is a talented water polo player. He dreams of playing in the Olympics one day, and he is well-known in the water polo world for being a potential up and coming star. 

Ryker doesn't understand why, but he has been in communication via the Internet with a mysterious stranger named Stolz who lives in Berlin. He, at Stolz's suggestion, has always kept their weird friendship a secret from Penelope. Ryker harbors a secret crush on Stolz, although he is uncertain of Stolz's intentions and refuses to meet up with him. 

Relationships

➥ Penelope - Ryker's surrogate mother Penelope is his world. She can do no wrong in his eyes. She taught him everything and nurtured every good quality in him ever since the moment he was placed in her custody. While he may have fun traveling sometimes, ultimately he would never leave Penelope for too long. Wherever she is is his home, and he is drawn back to her with a magnetic pull.
➥ Gamble - Gamble is one of his mother's friends who comes to stay at the inn a lot. Ryker doesn't understand totally how much his mother is in love with Gamble, but he knows that she is hurt by Gamble's behavior - he comes and goes with no announcement, he spends years with no communication only to pop back unexpectedly in their lives, he is apparently oblivious to Penelope's feelings. For all of these reasons, Ryker has a resentment towards Gamble that confuses him. Ultimately, Gamble is a lot like him. They both are filled with dreams and curiosity about the world around them. But whereas Gamble roams untethered like a free spirit, Ryker is very much tethered to Penelope.
➥ Fog - Fog owns a lighthouse that isn't too far from Penelope's and Ryker's home. He is a constant in their lives. He isn't exciting enough to draw Ryker's attention and excitement, but he serves almost like an uncle to Ryker.
➥ Stolz - Ryker was a young teenager when he was initially contacted by Stolz online. Stolz was interested in his life, always asking questions and giving him advice. Stolz became a person that Ryker could always rely on. As time went on, there was definitely a romantic and sexual charge to their communications, but Ryker couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, and so he was never willing to give out his information or meet Stolz in person.