Cassius

PERSONALITY

Cassius is laid back and easy-going. He's a bit playful if not sarcastic and blunt. He has very little respect for authority, except for those he actually respects and has a very short fuse when it comes to being challenged. Despite his short fuse, he's very cunning and sly. He is very perseptive and observant of others even if it seems like he's in his own world. When there is that person he likes, he puts them on a pedistal and acts like a loyal dog to them. Likewise, with people he doesn't like he is very crass, rude and abrasive, almost finding joy in making them mad. He's a jerk and I love him.

CONTENT WARNING

parental death, child abuse, drug use, military mention

Story
Start.
Cassius was born to a young couple. He was not planned, but it didn’t matter, he was loved. His parents married while his mother was pregnant, and the three lived in a very small flat for some time. Cassius’ mother painted, and stayed at home with him, his father taught piano, but soon had to look for work elsewhere. His mother had mild complications during birth, but nothing extreme.
When Cassius turned five, his brother was born. The doctors warned his mother, that another pregnancy could be deadly. Cassius was instantly protective of his younger brother, and adored him. The family grew larger, eventually his father had to stop teaching piano, and had to seek employment from his Cassius’ wealthy paternal family. On the condition that Cassius’ father would inherit his grandfathers company, they were provided with a new home, as the young family quickly outgrew their flat.
Their father taught them to play piano, and their mother tried to teach them to paint, but the boys favored music most of all. Cassius’ mother had another unplanned pregnancy, this time with a baby girl. She decided to carry the baby even if it meant her life, she had faith in medical miracles, despite the people in her life suggesting otherwise. Cassius’ mother died during childbirth due to complications. Cassius was 7 and his brother, Christian was 3. Cassius’ empty family moved in with his paternal grandmother, who helped raise the children. Cassius had always been an anxious and hyper child. While his grandmother, Cynthia, tried to cut his hair he continued to squirm, she hated long hair on boys. Eventually, she held him still with force, and chopped, gutting a piece of his ear off in the process.
Cassius’ father withdrew and became distant after the death of Cassius’ mother. He began drinking heavily, and the pressure from his work continued to pile onto him. The man no longer played the piano with his sons, he rarely interacted with his newborn daughter.
When Cassius was 10, he tried cutting some gum from Charlottes hair, his drunken father came home early, for once, and in a rage, ripped Cassius away from the toddler, breaking and dislocating his arm as he threw him. His father would regret that night until the day that he died, however, Cassius would never know.
After this, a court trial was held on behalf of the maternal grandparents who applied for custody of Cassius, and won. The last time Cassius ever saw his father alive he glared through tears and said, “I hope you rot in hell for what you did to me”. Custody was awarded easily, Cassius had always been one of Cynthia’s least favorite grandchildren, she didn’t care for all three, but he who looked the most like his mother was her absolute least favorite.
Middle school
Cassius moved to the outskirts, and began attending a new school. He told the kids about his broken arm and the “dirt bike” accident that it caused. He took his grandfathers advice and found the biggest, tallest kid, and decided to beat him up. After getting beat up himself, Cassius and the boy, Trevor, became best friends. They shared their first kiss together in middle school. By this time, Cassius and Trevor met Jackie, and defended her from other school bullies. They weren’t close, but Jackie felt relieved to have an ally.
Freshman year.
Cassius and Trevor had transferred schools together, their district only went up to 8th grade, they had to take a much longer bus into the city. This school happened to be the one his brother attended. A combined Middle and High school. Cassius and His brother began to hang out again, Christian had been learning instruments and trying to form a band, Cassius would bring him home after school for a safe place to practice much to the chagrin of his paternal family.
Junior year.
Cassius and Christian are called into the office. There was an accident, their father had been involved in a wreck, and was pronounced dead on the scene. Their family has been alerted and were coming to pick them up. Cassius told them to cancel his ride, and he would finish the day out as normal. In the hallway, Christian and he began to fight, which ended in a physical altercation. Cassius didn’t attend the funeral.
Sophomore year.
Cassius was absent a lot of his Sophomore year, He began drinking and experimenting with drugs, and began smoking. He was 16 now, and had his license. As a favor to his grandfather, he began attending school regularly again. In the hallway he met a girl, a Freshman who bummed cigarettes off some of the kids Cassius would call “friends”. He decided not to talk to her, girls like that were trouble, but, he was interested.
Senior year.
Cassius was getting tired of school, it all felt boring to him. The cigarettes, the booze, the drugs, nothing made life worth living anymore. One member of the football team invited him to a party out at an abandoned barn that October. Cassius turned him down, until he learned, “Newport Girl”, his name for the mysterious Junior, was invited. He got a pit in his stomach. And made a mental note about the location.
He arrived at the party and approached her. Advising her not to stay here. The two fought for a moment, before a party guest handed her a drink. She drank it fast and never took her gaze from Cassius. He lingered by her side, and she began to feel woozy, not from the drink but from whatever was placed in it. The boy who handed her the drink offered to take her home, but Cassius got in the way. He picked her up over his shoulders and began to walk. She slammed her heavy fists into his back, screaming to be let go, until … she passed out.
Cassius looked to his motorcycle as he felt the weight of the girl and grimaced. He began walking through the wet, cold October field to his home, 6 miles away. He laid her gently in his bed, shutting the door before being berated by his grandfather, who had the entirely wrong idea about what just happened. Cassius slept on the couch in his clothes, even his boots. He was awoken with a slap from the girl from last night.
The two had a less than casual conversation, that didn’t end with apologies or new understandings. They walked back to the barn, 6 miles again, and Cassius brought her home on his motorcycle. She turned to him before she went inside, and borrowed a cigarette, and told him her name was Alice.
Before leaving, Cassius watched her walk up the stairs to her home, and listened to the berating from her parents, before leaving.
Cassius would drop out of school before graduating and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Trevor drove him in his beat-up Chevy to the Recruit Training Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina. They left each other with a warm hug and Cassius waved away his old life.
Bootcamp.
Cassius met a boy named Caesar. Initially the two hated each other, however, their rivalry blossomed into a friendship which soon became something more…
Home
After one tour of duty, Cassius came home. He never saw combat, and was only stationed in a base in South Korea for about 6 months. Overall he felt the experience was a waste of time, and never truly believed in whatever it was he was supposed to be fighting for. Cassius and Caesar lost touch, and Cassius returned home and picked up where he left his life.
He spent his days fixing motorcycles with Trevor, fishing with his grandpa on the river, visiting his grandmother at her tattoo parlor, and lazing about. Until the checks stopped coming.
The Bar.
At 20, Cassius picked up a job at a place called ‘O’Leery’s’. He bartended and even sang a little. Helped repair the dive and met Thomas Rotner, or “Coach”. Coach immediately took to the boy, the two had a very playful relationship, and Coach felt it right to help guide him and take him under his wing.
Cassius began exploring new drugs. Ones that made him sleep and dream of his mother, he liked those kinds of dreams. He began using Heroin regularly to escape.
Alice.
At 21, he met Alice. Rather, he met her again. Under Coach’s direction, he began trying to repair his relationship with his siblings. One day while visiting their home, Charlotte had brought home a new friend. Alice was 19, and homeless, trying to finish her senior year on her own. Her parents had kicked her out. Her dream was to become a hairdresser, but it seemed like it would never happen. Charlotte was saved by Alice, by someone attempting to mug her. To show her gratitude, Charlotte invited Alice to stay with her.
Cassius and Alice immediately recognized each other, and for some reason or another a spark was lit between them. Cassius cleaned up and stopped using as he and Alice began seeing each other regularly.
Cassius and Alice began seeing each other off an on for the next three years
Currently.
Bruno and his family move to the same neighborhood as Christian, immediately he and Cassius make a connection for better or for worse. Nathan Yung, Christians neighbor, is forced to have his brothers move in from across the country. Initially Cassius and Niel do not get along, but he begins to be a plug for Nolan, the oldest in the set of triplets. Cassius begins having an affair with Etsuko, Bruno’s wife.
Niel begins working at the bar, playing piano effectively taking Cassius’ spot. Bruno finds the bar and makes it his own personal hang out spot, inviting his younger secretary to drink with him.
Sabrina gets fired from her job as a secretary for her affair with her boss, Bruno. She begins working at the bar as a bartender. Cassius begins developing feelings for her as Alice breaks things off for good with him. Etsuko breaks things off with Cassius, as she finds out about Sabrina and Bruno and proceeds to file for a divorce.
Cassius starts using heroin again on the anniversary of his mothers death, but mistaking his tolerance level he overdoses and is rushed to a hospital. Currently he is in therapy, and has started to develop feelings for his therapist, Belladonna and has been having reoccurring dreams about his lost love, Caesar.