Alex Graham

Name: Alex/ander Graham (Birth name Quinn Harris)

Job: Journalist, editor

Age: 23 (June 11th)

Personality: In day to day life, Alex can be often described as warm, caring and passionate when inside he feels broken and hollow. A chatty, friendly young man with the habit to banter; he seems to generally enjoy taking care of people, and all their needs. He's good at remembering the smallest details, always making sure to know everything he can. Alex's bright mind and warm demeanour can get people to open up, and can always be a good person to trust when things are getting rough. He is always smiling, as if he has the inability to stop. Even when his life is threatened, fighting for everything he's worth- he will not stop smiling as if everything will just be okay if he doesn't stop. It hurts him at times, and while his outward person is of a perfect friendly person who wishes to take care of others; his morals don't alone with that at all. He's easy to fluster, getting overwhelmed at the slightest affection or touch. It feels all consuming at the time, making him laugh, or just become a stuttering mess with ease. In truth it's because of a strong anxiety around love, and he can have a breakdown over it.

Alex's moral code mostly boils down to 'me first, everyone else can figure it out for themselves'. Those who mindlessly hurt others with no regard for human life are counted as lowly scum in his mind, and will be treated as such. There has to be a reason. In saying that, he will keep someone around if they prove to be a use to him. Despite his overall selfish nature; he does have a weak spot- children. He cannot hurt a child, or someone with a child-like mind. Though he would never put his life on the line for them, he would feel pushed towards taking a caring role for them. To add to this, he has felt love, and compassion for others, though it seems at his ex's betrayal he had forgotten those loving feelings.

Alex has always been one to cover up his intentions with meaningless phrases and quotes. Though being seen as a reliable source of information, he often lies, cheats, and uses other people to get a leg up in the game of life. He's not passive, nor believes in taking a back seat in life as he wishes to be the centre of everyone's attention. When feeling more 'comfortable', he can become more prone to anger, and often throws around sarcastic or offensive remarks.  Alex is also rather materialistic, viewing 'perfection' to be the kind you see in magazines and will not judge someone for their pursuit on getting rich even if it was to harm him. Though, he would still try to get his own form of revenge on them.

History/Past: Quinn's childhood was a dark on, that's for sure. While his father slaved away everyday in a repair shop to make ends meet- their mother would spend and spend and spend. This left Quinn not getting a lot of food, and she barely took him outside despite what she would tell her husband. The only times he was properly taken care of was on their father's days off, where they would work on small projects together, baking, or just going out to the park The main thing he would remember is his father would tell Quinn blue is the colour of happiness, and that is why everything their father owned was blue. 

Quinn lacked social skills with other kids, often getting picked on due to their ears, or other features. They found the only way to make them stop was to play into it- to be the 'bat boy' everyone called them. They tried to act like they didn't care, becoming a bit of a jokster, but this just lead to more problems. When they were 6, they were told to try and climb a pole to prove they were 'really a bat'. Like any kid peer pressured into something, they did as they were told, and fell down off the pole, hitting their head on the way down. Instead of sympathy, their mother scolded them for being a 'bad child' to get themselves hurt like this. The medical bills meant she couldn't get what she wanted, and she made his life a hell because of it.

His father became more and more withdrawn as his mother's pressure became more and more extreme. It ended up with when she said "I want to put him up for adoption", his father only put up a slight fight. Quickly he was reminded of his place, though, and he was sent out to drop Quinn off. While Quinn was sobbing, asking what he had done to deserve them leaving him, all his father could do was hush him, say that one day they'll find one another again, and Quinn was a good kid. A very good kid, but things had to be this way.

At 8, Quinn arrived at the Spring Crocus Orphanage. It was known to be abusive place; kid's getting branded and abused, yet for some reason it was never shut down. Clearly, he was a lot smarter and more confident than the other kids from the start. While he didn't understand how to socialise, he did work out how to get away with things. Instead of being shy and scared, he suddenly became overly cocky and nasty, the workers unsure what to do with the brat. If they wanted to play hard, he was going to match that. For example, he was told off for being up past bedtime; but pointed out there was no clocks. When they tried to punish him, he just ran, and ran, and ran, until they gave up. He wasn't worth the struggle.

He made a friend at this time; a girl called Grace. She and him were near inseparable from young, and would fight against the world together if they could. She promised they would always be a pair, as long as he wanted her. He promised back that as long as she was loyal to them, then he will always be by her side. Needing a wheelchair, he took her around, and they found ways to play pranks on other's. It was a bit of a struggle to get them apart, and none knew that more than a worker known as Zara. She would turn up late or drunk, barely being there. When she was she would fall asleep, or just slur her words at the kids. But Quinn was different with her, seeing the woman as someone who didn't wish to cause them harm, and therefore- he didn't cause her problems. Things changed for them both when Quinn admitted being a 'Harris' was a shame to him, because a Harris wasn't wanted. She asked if he thought a Graham would be wanted, and he replied "Well I want you!". She requested to adopt him right there and then, and after a week he returned home with her.

Much like back at the orphanage, Quinn was a bit of a snobby problem child. With a new name and identity as Alexander Graham, it was hard to adjust to the 'new normal'. Though Zara wanted to help; he wasn't the kind to put up with anyone's shit so that was shot down quickly. He was an ass, to everyone who wasn't her- the outsiders as he would call them. Instead of killing his creativity though, his new mother tried to push him into the world of writing. She got him his own writing studio, all the equipment and stuff he may need or want. Instead of writing stories about dragons and witches like kids his age often did; Alex wrote about what he saw. His mother's cooking and burning toast. The post man taking locking himself out of his van, when that girl down the street cut off her pigtails in front of him; it was clear he had an interest in what was going on in the moment, rather than the things that was going on in his head. As he got older, his mother noticed, and pulled some strings to get his CV sent to his favourite news paper; The Moon.

At the same time, Quinn was placed into acting classes in hopes that will bring him back to some sense of normality. In these classes, after two years of being without her- he met Grace again. She had such big smile, and now able to walk using a cane- the pair became as close as before. While he had to admit to himself, something felt weird and off about her now. It was like a ringing in his ears, telling him that she was going to do something, but he ignored it. Whenever she did a smaller performance, he always got a role alongside her, and often- they got romantic leading roles side by side.

Alex, at only 15, was already an editor for a big paper but that never seemed to be enough for him. Instead of taking his pretty well paid job for being a new paper editor- he strode towards being a journalist like he always dreamed from a young age. He was able to start some basic work as a journalist, getting Grace's help to get minor scandals in the industry. But there was this huge disconnect he suffered from other people, and struggled to connect on a deeper level to get the really big stories. One is just a cog in the machine of journalism. 

Starting to go over more often, he tried his best to get closer to Grace. He would often get her gifts, hold her hand and whatever else he could do. It took nearly a year but he started to date her. That year was one of the best years of his life, feeling their relationship grow, but he never forgot his goal. Laying at night with her, he could feel almost a tinge of guilt. One night he can recount in detail was when he was unable to sleep, staring at the ceiling. As her breathing got shallow, his eyes darted to her now tear stained face. Reaching over, he grabbed both of her hands and tried to sooth her. In her sleep, Grace made soft pleads for Alex to never leave her; because around him she finally felt whole, and no longer had to act. Kissing her forehead, he swore on his mother that he would never leave her side. Her big, baby doll eyes opened and she questioned if he met it while sniffling. Hushing her, he moved closer and placed a kiss on her forehead 'If the world was ending tomorrow, Grace, I would spend my last moments with you. Over this time, you have become my life, and I am so lucky to have you by my side. . .'

The second he could, he recorded her confessing all of her father's crimes, and some personal details which could ruin her in the industry. Having everything he needed, he thought about maybe doing the right thing but. . . He submitted his paper, and became an overnight sensation. Staying away from the girl he claimed to love, all he could hear was his father screaming at him, shaking Alex as he begged to know what the hell he did that for. Showing a tear stained smile, all he could muster out is a soft, "You always said I had to do whatever was needed to get my goal- so I did it."

After that, Alex moved out into a big city apartment, moving in with Eliot. Though that had at that point only met on online as they both needed a new roommate; the pair became past friends. This was mostly due to their shared interests in movies, webcomics and classic rock. Eliot, while not the most social person, suggested that him and his good friend Émilien. Their first meeting was as a rather crowded party; her rather talking to all her friends and being a bit head in the clouds. But he was able to strike up a conversation, and it quickly lead to him getting her number. Over their next few meeting, the pair grew close and he asked her out about a year before the book takes last.

Likes:

- Bats
- Webcomics
- Mushrooms
- The colour blue
- Classic rock music
- Guitars
- Cooking
- Horror movies

Dislikes:

- Cats
- Beaches
- Fast food
- Boring news stories
- Motherly figures
- Dancing
- Romance movies
- Ballroom dancing

Height/Weight: 5'8, 9 stone 10

Additional Info:

- Alex has a fear of bright lights in dark rooms, love, human touch, and a fear of cameras
- Still lives with that roommate, Elliot, who has become his best friend and the only person he can stand other than his girlfriend
- Him and his girlfriend met eight months before the game at a cafe
- Is more than a bit aware that his roommate is in love with Grace

Goals:

- Money, fame, and fortune
- To be remembered- this is largely due to the belief
- To take down anyone or anything that hurts them
- To get their name as a household name
- Be self-sufficient
- Find their biological family
- To find someone they can see is truly loyal to them

Secrets:

- Alex dates people often to use them as he struggles to truly feel love.
- Despite what he says, he is still in love with Grace.
- He was sold on the blackmarket
- He has been disowned by two families

Roleplay Sample: "There is always two sides to every story, almost like a coin," he started, flipping a coin then catching it in his open palm, heads, "And I know what side I know I would believe. You can take my words as lies, half truths; do what you will. . .But know, I lost everything before of her,"

Quotes:

• "You feel like you know me from hearing one side of my story. Even a journalist has to understand that not even story is as black and white as the pages they write. Every time they pick up their pen, they're holding a weapon in their hands that can ruin lives. I have to have known this when I wrote that story, yet I didn't stop myself, and I don't feel like I should of had to stop myself. He did nothing to hurt me, that's true- but I got payback for every victim of his deals. Call me heartless if you will, I know my story isn't as black and white as you would love to have everyone believe it is"
• "Heh. . . You know, I know what you mean when you say that. . . You want to know more about her. Look, me and Grace? She was my everything, and it's my fault for loosing her but some things just have to come to an end, and that was our end."

Theme song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEbZLhodMks (Queen by Stephen Jerzak)