Post by Lori on Sept 19, 2016 18:27:59 GMT
Full Name
Declan Alexander Mackenzie
Nicknames
None
Age/Birthday
He will turn 21 on December 14
Zodiac
Sagittarius
Reputation
Declan is most known as a charmer and one night stand. He'll mostly win girls over with his smile and rock hard abs. Basically, getting in their pants is pretty easy for Declan. If a girl is hot and good enough, he'll probably sleep with her multiple times. But he's not into commitment.
Job
None. The point of him going to Metric was to get out of working.
Declan Alexander Mackenzie
Nicknames
None
Age/Birthday
He will turn 21 on December 14
Zodiac
Sagittarius
Reputation
Declan is most known as a charmer and one night stand. He'll mostly win girls over with his smile and rock hard abs. Basically, getting in their pants is pretty easy for Declan. If a girl is hot and good enough, he'll probably sleep with her multiple times. But he's not into commitment.
Job
None. The point of him going to Metric was to get out of working.
Class
Freshman at Metric College. He's a year older than most of his class.
Major
Studio Art. He'll also take some acting classes as electives to keep his game up.
Grades
Mediocre at best. Declan has...other thoughts. His best subjects are art, which doesn't involve much thinking. But classes like science, math, history, English...you know, 'those' types of classes, he needs help.
Friends
Pippa Scott is probably the closest person to a friend. Her bubbly/happy-go-lucky/over-friendly/good/girl/naive personality keeps him as in check as he can be. Though he would like to bang her at some point. But as long as she doesn't screw his chances with any other hot girls, he's good.
Throughout his senior year at Metric High, Declan had a number of hot hookups with Robyn Bunker. She was hot, she was good, and she very much liked what he was doing. She no longer attends Metric, which means one less person Declan can find at the club for a good time. But if she ever dropped by and wanted to revisit old times, heck if Declan would turn it - he means that - he means her - down.
Another consistent hookup for Declan is Amy O'Neal. She is also hot, has a great butt and always shows him a good time. Neither of them are looking for a commitment or are interested in anything so if they happen to run into each other, it's only a matter of time before the next stop is someone's pants.Did he mention that - they - she was also hot?
Hallie Gray was a one night stand of Declan's and, although he hasn't seen or hooked up with her since, he'd definitely be open to doing them - her - it - her again. Declan doesn't consider himself to go for seconds with someone a lot; Amy is one exception so maybe Hallie will be as well.
Enemies
Other than his family and ex?
Well there is probably Cliff Arkwright, who happens to be Pippa's cousin. Apparently he gives Declan dirty looks when he's around her or something? Pft. Declan doesn't care what this guy thinks; he'll probably get her sooner or late anyway.
Another not fan of Declan's is "Peter" Parker, who is somehow also friends with Pippa. Declan doesn't get it. He doesn't know the guy too well himself, but he doesn't appreciate being called a harasser or whatever Peter calls him. If Pippa wanted Declan to back off entirely he'd do it. Probably. Maybe. Mostly not. But please, like Pippa can't handle herself!
Interested in
Girls
Relationship Status
Single and loving it
Freshman at Metric College. He's a year older than most of his class.
Major
Studio Art. He'll also take some acting classes as electives to keep his game up.
Grades
Mediocre at best. Declan has...other thoughts. His best subjects are art, which doesn't involve much thinking. But classes like science, math, history, English...you know, 'those' types of classes, he needs help.
Friends
Pippa Scott is probably the closest person to a friend. Her bubbly/happy-go-lucky/over-friendly/good/girl/naive personality keeps him as in check as he can be. Though he would like to bang her at some point. But as long as she doesn't screw his chances with any other hot girls, he's good.
Throughout his senior year at Metric High, Declan had a number of hot hookups with Robyn Bunker. She was hot, she was good, and she very much liked what he was doing. She no longer attends Metric, which means one less person Declan can find at the club for a good time. But if she ever dropped by and wanted to revisit old times, heck if Declan would turn it - he means that - he means her - down.
Another consistent hookup for Declan is Amy O'Neal. She is also hot, has a great butt and always shows him a good time. Neither of them are looking for a commitment or are interested in anything so if they happen to run into each other, it's only a matter of time before the next stop is someone's pants.Did he mention that - they - she was also hot?
Hallie Gray was a one night stand of Declan's and, although he hasn't seen or hooked up with her since, he'd definitely be open to doing them - her - it - her again. Declan doesn't consider himself to go for seconds with someone a lot; Amy is one exception so maybe Hallie will be as well.
Enemies
Other than his family and ex?
Well there is probably Cliff Arkwright, who happens to be Pippa's cousin. Apparently he gives Declan dirty looks when he's around her or something? Pft. Declan doesn't care what this guy thinks; he'll probably get her sooner or late anyway.
Another not fan of Declan's is "Peter" Parker, who is somehow also friends with Pippa. Declan doesn't get it. He doesn't know the guy too well himself, but he doesn't appreciate being called a harasser or whatever Peter calls him. If Pippa wanted Declan to back off entirely he'd do it. Probably. Maybe. Mostly not. But please, like Pippa can't handle herself!
Interested in
Girls
Relationship Status
Single and loving it
Body
Six foot even. Starting out as a pretty masculine little boy, Declan maintained that figure growing up. He’s still into certain sports. Basketball, baseball, soccer, and probably toss a Frisbee or football his way he’ll go long. Once in a while, to let off some steam, he’ll hit the weight room. And if his muscles are any indication, he’s got really good upper body strength. His abs do not lie.
Eye Color
Blue
Hair
Brunette. Growing up it was more of a messy style but as he matured, specifically in the last couple of years he’s cleaned it up. It usually looks well-kept and is occasionally styled into a mini-mohawk of sorts. His hair grows slowly so he hardly needs to cut or style it.
Style
Jeans and t-shirts, mostly. Growing up he started with a more ‘sporty’ style like sweat jackets and jerseys, which evolved into a more ‘artsy’ style in middle school. Declan continues the ‘artsy’ style to an extent, keeping the designs on his clothes simple with stripes or polka dots. Sometimes he’ll wear one of his old t-shirts with paint splatters to impress the creative girls. Mostly he likes wearing t-shirts, jeans and sneakers. He’ll throw on a sweatshirt, too, if it gets chilly. On really hot days he'll go for a tan top or wifebeater with comfortable shorts. He’s trying to evolve his style into more of a bad boy type but it isn’t exactly working out. He’s just not that much of a bad guy; luckily his personality makes up for that where he really gets to win someone over. But don’t expect anything flashy, bright, pink or any shirts with sayings on them from Declan; you will be disappointed. And, for the record, he's a boxer guy.
Playby
Robbie Amell
Six foot even. Starting out as a pretty masculine little boy, Declan maintained that figure growing up. He’s still into certain sports. Basketball, baseball, soccer, and probably toss a Frisbee or football his way he’ll go long. Once in a while, to let off some steam, he’ll hit the weight room. And if his muscles are any indication, he’s got really good upper body strength. His abs do not lie.
Eye Color
Blue
Hair
Brunette. Growing up it was more of a messy style but as he matured, specifically in the last couple of years he’s cleaned it up. It usually looks well-kept and is occasionally styled into a mini-mohawk of sorts. His hair grows slowly so he hardly needs to cut or style it.
Style
Jeans and t-shirts, mostly. Growing up he started with a more ‘sporty’ style like sweat jackets and jerseys, which evolved into a more ‘artsy’ style in middle school. Declan continues the ‘artsy’ style to an extent, keeping the designs on his clothes simple with stripes or polka dots. Sometimes he’ll wear one of his old t-shirts with paint splatters to impress the creative girls. Mostly he likes wearing t-shirts, jeans and sneakers. He’ll throw on a sweatshirt, too, if it gets chilly. On really hot days he'll go for a tan top or wifebeater with comfortable shorts. He’s trying to evolve his style into more of a bad boy type but it isn’t exactly working out. He’s just not that much of a bad guy; luckily his personality makes up for that where he really gets to win someone over. But don’t expect anything flashy, bright, pink or any shirts with sayings on them from Declan; you will be disappointed. And, for the record, he's a boxer guy.
Playby
Robbie Amell
Positives
Good looking; Laid back; Athletic; Charming; Strong; Confident; Detail-oriented; Adventurous; Decent enough actor; Can think on his feet
Negatives
Arrogant; Impatient; Competitive; Insecure; Stubborn; Full of himself; Doesn't think a lot; Easily scared; Can be manipulative; Occasionally careless
Likes
Girls; Showing off; Sports; Drinking; Girls; How I Met Your Mother; Hooking up; Partying; Girls; Cheeseburgers; Action movies; Girls; Painting; Freedom; Andy Warhol and Piet Mondrian; Heat (gives him an excuse to take his shirt off); Girls
Dislikes
Commitment; Work; Kiddie shows; Fruit Salads; Pink; Guilt; Valentine's Day; Soap Operas; Trivia; Rodents; Guilt; Moving; Change; Being forced to do things he doesn't want; Getting close to people; Van Gogh - WAY overrated
Good looking; Laid back; Athletic; Charming; Strong; Confident; Detail-oriented; Adventurous; Decent enough actor; Can think on his feet
Negatives
Arrogant; Impatient; Competitive; Insecure; Stubborn; Full of himself; Doesn't think a lot; Easily scared; Can be manipulative; Occasionally careless
Likes
Girls; Showing off; Sports; Drinking; Girls; How I Met Your Mother; Hooking up; Partying; Girls; Cheeseburgers; Action movies; Girls; Painting; Freedom; Andy Warhol and Piet Mondrian; Heat (gives him an excuse to take his shirt off); Girls
Dislikes
Commitment; Work; Kiddie shows; Fruit Salads; Pink; Guilt; Valentine's Day; Soap Operas; Trivia; Rodents; Guilt; Moving; Change; Being forced to do things he doesn't want; Getting close to people; Van Gogh - WAY overrated
Family
Father- Elias Mackenzie, Stay-at-home dad – A man who most often keeps to himself. The almost loner-type style Declan had become accustomed to growing up may be attributed to his father’s personality. Elias was not always the most social man and was always perfectly fine staying at home doing chores or taking care of what needed to be done. He never quite had the affinity for travel that his wife did. Elias and Declan have never really been close. Him being the stay at home parent as opposed to Dusty caused Elias to think about the roles of gender in society and how he didn’t want his children conforming to anything. Ultimately that plan ended up backfiring as Declan was definitely interested in more masculine activities and had no desire for anything girlie. It didn’t help that Elias never understood Declan’s art, let alone shared any interest in it. While he became disappointed in his son’s choices later in life, he accepted Declan for who he was and welcomed his granddaughter with open arms – even though it was much sooner than he expected. And if he’s being completely honest, Elias does enjoy having a little girl around to spoil rotten.
Mother- Dusty Mackenzie, Military Mom – Dusty had always been a tough girl who knew what she wanted from a young age. And that was to go into the military. She enrolled after earning an Associate’s Degree and trained or deployed wherever she had to go until she met Elias. After that the only times she didn’t travel for extended periods of time were shortly after they got married and when she was pregnant with and gave birth to Declan. Dusty hadn’t been around as much as she wanted to when Declan grew up. But she always had a strong appreciation and love for her family that uprooted their lives just for her career. In return she tried to make everything as comfortable and painless for them as possible. She just never realized how much it affected Declan. And although she attempted to understand and support his artwork in high school, it was too little too late. Dusty blames herself for her son’s failed relationship with Jocelyn and his daughter, not to mention what feels like an estranged relationship she and her husband have with Declan. She hopes that agreeing to let him attend Metric for the next five years will straighten him out and allow him to realize what he’s really missing out on.
Ex-Girlfriend- Jocelyn Rhodes – Jocelyn was Declan’s first and only serious relationship. She always had a little crush on him and was super excited when he asked her out. The time they spent together had been amazing and Jocelyn couldn’t have asked for a better guy at the time. That is, until she got pregnant. Part of her was excited because it was what she and Declan had been hoping for – that he’d be able to stick around and be with her. But it backfired completely when he moved. She tried contacting him numerous times. The stress she felt from his lack of attention, support and interest caused her to go into false labor three times. Ultimately she ended up giving birth to her daughter two weeks late after all was said and done. She was hoping that, against her parents’ better judgment, by giving her daughter Declan’s last name it’d cause him to realize there was a little person counting on him. And it failed. Even when his parents moved everyone back to Florida nothing could keep Declan interested. Jocelyn wanted so badly for Declan to be excited for their daughter and for them to be family like they planned. And despite all he’d done to hurt them, she still loves him. Even with him checking out other girls and his personality having a completely 180, Jocelyn couldn’t shake off her feelings for Declan and just wanted him to be happy. That was why she agreed to let him go to Metric and convinced their families it was the right thing to do. She’s hoping that in the end he’ll realize what he missed. Maybe she’ll stop by and visit with Everly one day. Or maybe she’ll meet someone else. Even though Jocelyn knows she should move on she clings onto that hope. She’s a hopeless romantic at heart and at the end of the day is just a sweet, naïve girl who wants everyone to be happy and let everything work out the way it’s supposed to somehow.
Child- Everly Jade Mackenzie – Born to Declan Mackenzie and Jocelyn Rhodes when they were seventeen and sixteen, respectively. Everly is two years old and overall a good girl. Her favorite things are ponies and princesses. She spends every day with Jocelyn and relies on her for everything, though the Rhodes’ help out a lot and the Mackenzie grandparents are nothing short of supportive. Everly knows little about Declan and doesn’t have a relationship with him. Declan missed her first steps and words and it concerns Jocelyn that Everly is starting to say 'dada'. Declan's first year at Metric left him completely uninterested in his daughter when he came home from the summer and with four more years to go a relationship is looking less and less likely.
Backstory
Declan was born to a military mother and a stay-at-home dad. Ever since he was young his parents tried to raise him to be open-minded. Don’t turn away something because it’s girlie. It’s ok to play with dolls or watch princess movies. Cars, trucks and planes weren’t all that. Fluffy bunnies were just as good as tigers or bears. Don’t be ashamed to try on nail polish. Declan’s parents were very much into bending gender norms. Declan absolutely hated it. He liked doing guy things like sports and playing with cars or wrestling. Secretly he just thinks his parents wanted a girl and were disappointed they got him instead. Whatever, it never really bothered him. It probably didn’t help much that because of his mother’s work, Declan and his family moved around a lot. He was born in Kentucky but started preschool in Washington. Spent about a year in Delaware. Then moved to Georgia before packing up six months later to switch schools to California. Texas barely lasted three months; he got held back a year because he struggled to keep up with the rest of his class after that. The longest amount of time he spent anywhere was Florida. That was where he met his ex. More on her later.
Because Declan moved so much, he appreciated the things he had; seeing as how they were the only consistent things in his life besides his parents. Declan grew a fascination for the simple things. That was probably how he got into painting. It didn’t always have to be extravagant; it could be a finger painting or a line painting or a scenery or dots or whatever. He especially became interested in the works of Mondrian and Warhol. Warhol considered a fricking soup can art. And painting it in four different color schemes was ‘art’. It couldn’t get much better than that. The only trick was to pick colors and try to mimic the can exactly four different times! Painting still life became a piece of cake for Declan. He’d paint his basketballs or his clothes or his action figures or whatever he had. Instead of wasting his time trying to make friends at every single school he just decided when he got home, he’d lock himself in his room and paint his stuff. If only he put as much time and effort into his other classes; he’d be a pretty smart kid. Declan recalled one summer they were in New Jersey visiting family - his mother had been on leave for a while - he and some relatives took a train into New York City and visited MOMA and the Met. Ok sure, they couldn’t cover everything in one day. But that was when Declan saw some of the paintings of Mondrian. They were nothing but squares painted in primary colors or black or left white. Ok, so the trick was to balance out the painting with composition and whatever. But somehow just staring at those colored squares and rectangles made Declan feel at peace. It became another subject he focused his art on. He tried showing his parents his art a couple of times; but his dad didn’t understand it and his mother was so busy she wouldn’t be interested. Ultimately Declan decided to keep it all to himself. All in all, with the way things were going, he considered himself to be doing just fine.
After moving from Pennsylvania to Florida in middle school, things got real. He actually was staying there for all of high school. At least, that’s what his parents said. Declan didn’t believe it. So he kept on doing what he was doing. He didn’t join any clubs or go to any major school events or even let his teachers show his work in an art show. Why should he when they’d just leave again? But they stayed. He finished middle school there, started high school there and lasted until sophomore year. It was still the longest he ever stayed in one place. He finally thought his parents meant what they said. He started finally trying to make friends and getting involved in high school. This is where we get to his ex.
Jocelyn was his first and only girlfriend. They had some classes together in high school and Declan always thought she was cute. When he realized they were in Florida to stay, he finally made the move and painted her a picture and asked her out. She said yes. Things went pretty well; they were a cute little couple. They were each others’ dates to the next few dances, they went on picnics in the park and just experienced puppy love. And then Declan got the news he’d been dreading all along; his mother was being transferred again which meant they’d have to move. Just when things were finally falling into place for Declan he had to leave it all behind. He fought his parents tooth and nail to stay in Florida but they just wouldn’t budge. Their hands were tied. Except Declan and Jocelyn were in love and wanted to be together no matter what. So they took the next big step and slept together. They were that in love that even though they were just sixteen, they felt ready to express that kind of love. Neither wanted that feeling to ever be with anyone else. They spent as much time together as they could until Declan and his family moved, not wanting to be apart. They were just hoping that some way Declan could stay. That they could be together. And all that hope paid off when Jocelyn told Declan she was pregnant. That was what the couple wanted, wasn’t it? For Declan to be able to stick around? For the two of them to be together? For nothing to get in the way of their love?
At first Declan was excited. He and Jocelyn started planning everything together. What their future house would look like. What their baby would look like. What names they’d pick. What to decorate the nursery. Even about getting married. But then Declan went with Jocelyn to tell her parents. To say they were disappointed was an understatement. Actually, they were plain furious when it was implied the young couple was planning on having a baby. On the bright side, they agreed to let Declan move in. The down side was that there were conditions. Talking with the Mackenzie’s aside, there was the matter of finishing school and starting college. Paying for college. Buying baby supplies. Supporting the baby as well as Jocelyn. Paying rent. All that meant getting a job and doing well in school. Which also meant Declan’s desire to do any sort of art career in the future? Out the window. And let’s not forget all the responsibilities that came with having a baby. Neither of them could go out willy-nilly. They’d have to raise their kid with little help from the parents. They’d have to change diapers and buy as many supplies on their own as possible. Which also meant managing money and being good at math. Which meant having no life whatsoever. Declan wasn’t ready to go back to the life of not having a life. He wanted to have a life. A life with Jocelyn. Just…without the strings attached. And for someone who was only seventeen, Declan wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility. He’d never even had anything like that before and he was just suddenly expected to plan everything? To support everyone? Ultimately, Declan ended up doing what he did best. He ran away. Because he’d moved around so much, what else was he supposed to do? He was never in one place long enough to actually have a life. Any ‘friends’ he ever made when he was a kid in elementary school? Yeah like those lasted for more than a year. As soon as he left and lost contact, those friendships were gone. His relationship with Jocelyn was no different. So he packed up and left with his parents to the next place his mother would be stationed, not even mentioning to his parents what was going on.
That is, until almost nine months later. Jocelyn called to say she was in labor – turned out to be false labor. Declan didn’t return any of her calls. He didn’t want her or that kind of attachment anymore. He had to get away from it all. Declan ended up confiding in a classmate who happened to be a girl. She promised to make him feel better and help him forget all about his ex. One thing led to another and they ended up sleeping together. Declan actually liked the suddenness of it all. He liked feeling the comfort from a girl he barely knew. He liked experiencing something different. And he liked that he didn’t feel the need to be with her as much as possible. So he tried pulling the pity card on another random girl. It worked like a charm. Over the next couple of months, Declan worked out a couple of different stories to get with numerous girls. He played the pity card, that he was away from his girlfriend and he just wanted to feel loved. He pulled the I-want-to-make-my-girlfriend-jealous card. He got a couple of girls to believe his long-distance girlfriend was cheating on him and he wanted to get back at her. Yes, most of them were just girlfriend excuses. But they worked. The next time Declan actually acted like his family was going to up and move again; he flirted with a cheerleader from another school and said how he admired her from afar and now he was never going to get the chance to be with her or confess his feelings. Worked like a charm. And he would have kept these stories going…had it not been for his parents bursting his bubble. Declan left his phone at home one night to charge and missed yet another call from Jocelyn. A call that his father picked up. Turned out that almost three months earlier she gave birth to a baby girl. Declan’s father was furious and even found a way to bring his wife back home. Declan got an earful after that. How disappointed his folks were that he didn’t talk to them sooner. How he wasn’t even comfortable enough to tell them he was being intimate with anyone. How he could keep it a secret for so long. Not to mention who was going to support the kid. It got to the point where his mother up and quiet her military job - or took a leave of absence, something like that – and moved the family back to Florida.
Declan thought he hated moving around a lot. He thought he hated having no life and no friends. But being forced to move back and play daddy and give money to a kid he didn’t even know was by far the worst. He was forced to spend his junior year working part time shoveling weeds out of gardens or mowing lawns or dusting or doing whatever random small money earning job he could to support a baby. The free life he briefly experienced? Gone. The only perk was sneaking a few sips of alcohol when cleaning neighbors’ houses. No, he didn’t become an alcoholic after that. Yet. But the guy needed some sort of compensation for all the **** he was being put through. Declan tried whatever he could to make it clear he wanted nothing to do with his daughter. He didn’t even like the name Jocelyn picked. Everly? Seriously? It sounded like some fake over-the-top girlie name! She even had the nerve to give her his last name! But his parents enjoyed every minute of it. They were such doting grandparents and did whatever they could for her but Declan had to do everything else. He just needed to find some way to get out of it.
Finally, he did. When the topic of colleges came up in junior year. And how it’d be a good idea to spend the summer researching schools and whatever. Declan saw it as his perfect way out. He could go away to school, act like he was getting an education, and get out of supporting and spending time with the baby. Everyone was against the idea, saying how he had to earn money for his ‘family’ and he had to be there for his daughter and watch her grow up and blah blah blah. Declan had enough of it. So he pulled on the tactics he used when it came to getting girls. How he just wanted a chance to pursue his dream and set a good example for his daughter. How he needed this chance to grow up and earn a degree that could get him a good job. He tugged at the heartstrings of his and Jocelyn’s parents. It took a lot of convincing and, in the end, it ended up being Jocelyn that said he should go. She knew this ‘family’ that she and Declan planned a year ago wasn’t what he wanted anymore. He shouldn’t be forced into it. But she wouldn’t say that to their parents’ faces and disappoint them. After all, with everything they’d all been through there were a lot of expectations for Declan and Jocelyn to be together. So Declan applied to whatever schools far away from Florida he could find. One of them happened to be Metric. And somehow, despite his lackluster grades, his eye for composition, attention to detail and artistic abilities in general got him in. So he packed up and moved to Salem where he could finish high school at Metric and start college the very next semester. Finally Declan could go back into developing as his own person and getting the life he always wanted – the single, father-free, responsibility-free and carefree life he’d been waiting for after so long. Who knows, maybe this could even give him the chance to try some new material with the girls. ‘Cause there’s no way anyone would turn down a nice guy who wants to do right by their baby girl. Wink, wink.
Father- Elias Mackenzie, Stay-at-home dad – A man who most often keeps to himself. The almost loner-type style Declan had become accustomed to growing up may be attributed to his father’s personality. Elias was not always the most social man and was always perfectly fine staying at home doing chores or taking care of what needed to be done. He never quite had the affinity for travel that his wife did. Elias and Declan have never really been close. Him being the stay at home parent as opposed to Dusty caused Elias to think about the roles of gender in society and how he didn’t want his children conforming to anything. Ultimately that plan ended up backfiring as Declan was definitely interested in more masculine activities and had no desire for anything girlie. It didn’t help that Elias never understood Declan’s art, let alone shared any interest in it. While he became disappointed in his son’s choices later in life, he accepted Declan for who he was and welcomed his granddaughter with open arms – even though it was much sooner than he expected. And if he’s being completely honest, Elias does enjoy having a little girl around to spoil rotten.
Mother- Dusty Mackenzie, Military Mom – Dusty had always been a tough girl who knew what she wanted from a young age. And that was to go into the military. She enrolled after earning an Associate’s Degree and trained or deployed wherever she had to go until she met Elias. After that the only times she didn’t travel for extended periods of time were shortly after they got married and when she was pregnant with and gave birth to Declan. Dusty hadn’t been around as much as she wanted to when Declan grew up. But she always had a strong appreciation and love for her family that uprooted their lives just for her career. In return she tried to make everything as comfortable and painless for them as possible. She just never realized how much it affected Declan. And although she attempted to understand and support his artwork in high school, it was too little too late. Dusty blames herself for her son’s failed relationship with Jocelyn and his daughter, not to mention what feels like an estranged relationship she and her husband have with Declan. She hopes that agreeing to let him attend Metric for the next five years will straighten him out and allow him to realize what he’s really missing out on.
Ex-Girlfriend- Jocelyn Rhodes – Jocelyn was Declan’s first and only serious relationship. She always had a little crush on him and was super excited when he asked her out. The time they spent together had been amazing and Jocelyn couldn’t have asked for a better guy at the time. That is, until she got pregnant. Part of her was excited because it was what she and Declan had been hoping for – that he’d be able to stick around and be with her. But it backfired completely when he moved. She tried contacting him numerous times. The stress she felt from his lack of attention, support and interest caused her to go into false labor three times. Ultimately she ended up giving birth to her daughter two weeks late after all was said and done. She was hoping that, against her parents’ better judgment, by giving her daughter Declan’s last name it’d cause him to realize there was a little person counting on him. And it failed. Even when his parents moved everyone back to Florida nothing could keep Declan interested. Jocelyn wanted so badly for Declan to be excited for their daughter and for them to be family like they planned. And despite all he’d done to hurt them, she still loves him. Even with him checking out other girls and his personality having a completely 180, Jocelyn couldn’t shake off her feelings for Declan and just wanted him to be happy. That was why she agreed to let him go to Metric and convinced their families it was the right thing to do. She’s hoping that in the end he’ll realize what he missed. Maybe she’ll stop by and visit with Everly one day. Or maybe she’ll meet someone else. Even though Jocelyn knows she should move on she clings onto that hope. She’s a hopeless romantic at heart and at the end of the day is just a sweet, naïve girl who wants everyone to be happy and let everything work out the way it’s supposed to somehow.
Child- Everly Jade Mackenzie – Born to Declan Mackenzie and Jocelyn Rhodes when they were seventeen and sixteen, respectively. Everly is two years old and overall a good girl. Her favorite things are ponies and princesses. She spends every day with Jocelyn and relies on her for everything, though the Rhodes’ help out a lot and the Mackenzie grandparents are nothing short of supportive. Everly knows little about Declan and doesn’t have a relationship with him. Declan missed her first steps and words and it concerns Jocelyn that Everly is starting to say 'dada'. Declan's first year at Metric left him completely uninterested in his daughter when he came home from the summer and with four more years to go a relationship is looking less and less likely.
Backstory
Declan was born to a military mother and a stay-at-home dad. Ever since he was young his parents tried to raise him to be open-minded. Don’t turn away something because it’s girlie. It’s ok to play with dolls or watch princess movies. Cars, trucks and planes weren’t all that. Fluffy bunnies were just as good as tigers or bears. Don’t be ashamed to try on nail polish. Declan’s parents were very much into bending gender norms. Declan absolutely hated it. He liked doing guy things like sports and playing with cars or wrestling. Secretly he just thinks his parents wanted a girl and were disappointed they got him instead. Whatever, it never really bothered him. It probably didn’t help much that because of his mother’s work, Declan and his family moved around a lot. He was born in Kentucky but started preschool in Washington. Spent about a year in Delaware. Then moved to Georgia before packing up six months later to switch schools to California. Texas barely lasted three months; he got held back a year because he struggled to keep up with the rest of his class after that. The longest amount of time he spent anywhere was Florida. That was where he met his ex. More on her later.
Because Declan moved so much, he appreciated the things he had; seeing as how they were the only consistent things in his life besides his parents. Declan grew a fascination for the simple things. That was probably how he got into painting. It didn’t always have to be extravagant; it could be a finger painting or a line painting or a scenery or dots or whatever. He especially became interested in the works of Mondrian and Warhol. Warhol considered a fricking soup can art. And painting it in four different color schemes was ‘art’. It couldn’t get much better than that. The only trick was to pick colors and try to mimic the can exactly four different times! Painting still life became a piece of cake for Declan. He’d paint his basketballs or his clothes or his action figures or whatever he had. Instead of wasting his time trying to make friends at every single school he just decided when he got home, he’d lock himself in his room and paint his stuff. If only he put as much time and effort into his other classes; he’d be a pretty smart kid. Declan recalled one summer they were in New Jersey visiting family - his mother had been on leave for a while - he and some relatives took a train into New York City and visited MOMA and the Met. Ok sure, they couldn’t cover everything in one day. But that was when Declan saw some of the paintings of Mondrian. They were nothing but squares painted in primary colors or black or left white. Ok, so the trick was to balance out the painting with composition and whatever. But somehow just staring at those colored squares and rectangles made Declan feel at peace. It became another subject he focused his art on. He tried showing his parents his art a couple of times; but his dad didn’t understand it and his mother was so busy she wouldn’t be interested. Ultimately Declan decided to keep it all to himself. All in all, with the way things were going, he considered himself to be doing just fine.
After moving from Pennsylvania to Florida in middle school, things got real. He actually was staying there for all of high school. At least, that’s what his parents said. Declan didn’t believe it. So he kept on doing what he was doing. He didn’t join any clubs or go to any major school events or even let his teachers show his work in an art show. Why should he when they’d just leave again? But they stayed. He finished middle school there, started high school there and lasted until sophomore year. It was still the longest he ever stayed in one place. He finally thought his parents meant what they said. He started finally trying to make friends and getting involved in high school. This is where we get to his ex.
Jocelyn was his first and only girlfriend. They had some classes together in high school and Declan always thought she was cute. When he realized they were in Florida to stay, he finally made the move and painted her a picture and asked her out. She said yes. Things went pretty well; they were a cute little couple. They were each others’ dates to the next few dances, they went on picnics in the park and just experienced puppy love. And then Declan got the news he’d been dreading all along; his mother was being transferred again which meant they’d have to move. Just when things were finally falling into place for Declan he had to leave it all behind. He fought his parents tooth and nail to stay in Florida but they just wouldn’t budge. Their hands were tied. Except Declan and Jocelyn were in love and wanted to be together no matter what. So they took the next big step and slept together. They were that in love that even though they were just sixteen, they felt ready to express that kind of love. Neither wanted that feeling to ever be with anyone else. They spent as much time together as they could until Declan and his family moved, not wanting to be apart. They were just hoping that some way Declan could stay. That they could be together. And all that hope paid off when Jocelyn told Declan she was pregnant. That was what the couple wanted, wasn’t it? For Declan to be able to stick around? For the two of them to be together? For nothing to get in the way of their love?
At first Declan was excited. He and Jocelyn started planning everything together. What their future house would look like. What their baby would look like. What names they’d pick. What to decorate the nursery. Even about getting married. But then Declan went with Jocelyn to tell her parents. To say they were disappointed was an understatement. Actually, they were plain furious when it was implied the young couple was planning on having a baby. On the bright side, they agreed to let Declan move in. The down side was that there were conditions. Talking with the Mackenzie’s aside, there was the matter of finishing school and starting college. Paying for college. Buying baby supplies. Supporting the baby as well as Jocelyn. Paying rent. All that meant getting a job and doing well in school. Which also meant Declan’s desire to do any sort of art career in the future? Out the window. And let’s not forget all the responsibilities that came with having a baby. Neither of them could go out willy-nilly. They’d have to raise their kid with little help from the parents. They’d have to change diapers and buy as many supplies on their own as possible. Which also meant managing money and being good at math. Which meant having no life whatsoever. Declan wasn’t ready to go back to the life of not having a life. He wanted to have a life. A life with Jocelyn. Just…without the strings attached. And for someone who was only seventeen, Declan wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility. He’d never even had anything like that before and he was just suddenly expected to plan everything? To support everyone? Ultimately, Declan ended up doing what he did best. He ran away. Because he’d moved around so much, what else was he supposed to do? He was never in one place long enough to actually have a life. Any ‘friends’ he ever made when he was a kid in elementary school? Yeah like those lasted for more than a year. As soon as he left and lost contact, those friendships were gone. His relationship with Jocelyn was no different. So he packed up and left with his parents to the next place his mother would be stationed, not even mentioning to his parents what was going on.
That is, until almost nine months later. Jocelyn called to say she was in labor – turned out to be false labor. Declan didn’t return any of her calls. He didn’t want her or that kind of attachment anymore. He had to get away from it all. Declan ended up confiding in a classmate who happened to be a girl. She promised to make him feel better and help him forget all about his ex. One thing led to another and they ended up sleeping together. Declan actually liked the suddenness of it all. He liked feeling the comfort from a girl he barely knew. He liked experiencing something different. And he liked that he didn’t feel the need to be with her as much as possible. So he tried pulling the pity card on another random girl. It worked like a charm. Over the next couple of months, Declan worked out a couple of different stories to get with numerous girls. He played the pity card, that he was away from his girlfriend and he just wanted to feel loved. He pulled the I-want-to-make-my-girlfriend-jealous card. He got a couple of girls to believe his long-distance girlfriend was cheating on him and he wanted to get back at her. Yes, most of them were just girlfriend excuses. But they worked. The next time Declan actually acted like his family was going to up and move again; he flirted with a cheerleader from another school and said how he admired her from afar and now he was never going to get the chance to be with her or confess his feelings. Worked like a charm. And he would have kept these stories going…had it not been for his parents bursting his bubble. Declan left his phone at home one night to charge and missed yet another call from Jocelyn. A call that his father picked up. Turned out that almost three months earlier she gave birth to a baby girl. Declan’s father was furious and even found a way to bring his wife back home. Declan got an earful after that. How disappointed his folks were that he didn’t talk to them sooner. How he wasn’t even comfortable enough to tell them he was being intimate with anyone. How he could keep it a secret for so long. Not to mention who was going to support the kid. It got to the point where his mother up and quiet her military job - or took a leave of absence, something like that – and moved the family back to Florida.
Declan thought he hated moving around a lot. He thought he hated having no life and no friends. But being forced to move back and play daddy and give money to a kid he didn’t even know was by far the worst. He was forced to spend his junior year working part time shoveling weeds out of gardens or mowing lawns or dusting or doing whatever random small money earning job he could to support a baby. The free life he briefly experienced? Gone. The only perk was sneaking a few sips of alcohol when cleaning neighbors’ houses. No, he didn’t become an alcoholic after that. Yet. But the guy needed some sort of compensation for all the **** he was being put through. Declan tried whatever he could to make it clear he wanted nothing to do with his daughter. He didn’t even like the name Jocelyn picked. Everly? Seriously? It sounded like some fake over-the-top girlie name! She even had the nerve to give her his last name! But his parents enjoyed every minute of it. They were such doting grandparents and did whatever they could for her but Declan had to do everything else. He just needed to find some way to get out of it.
Finally, he did. When the topic of colleges came up in junior year. And how it’d be a good idea to spend the summer researching schools and whatever. Declan saw it as his perfect way out. He could go away to school, act like he was getting an education, and get out of supporting and spending time with the baby. Everyone was against the idea, saying how he had to earn money for his ‘family’ and he had to be there for his daughter and watch her grow up and blah blah blah. Declan had enough of it. So he pulled on the tactics he used when it came to getting girls. How he just wanted a chance to pursue his dream and set a good example for his daughter. How he needed this chance to grow up and earn a degree that could get him a good job. He tugged at the heartstrings of his and Jocelyn’s parents. It took a lot of convincing and, in the end, it ended up being Jocelyn that said he should go. She knew this ‘family’ that she and Declan planned a year ago wasn’t what he wanted anymore. He shouldn’t be forced into it. But she wouldn’t say that to their parents’ faces and disappoint them. After all, with everything they’d all been through there were a lot of expectations for Declan and Jocelyn to be together. So Declan applied to whatever schools far away from Florida he could find. One of them happened to be Metric. And somehow, despite his lackluster grades, his eye for composition, attention to detail and artistic abilities in general got him in. So he packed up and moved to Salem where he could finish high school at Metric and start college the very next semester. Finally Declan could go back into developing as his own person and getting the life he always wanted – the single, father-free, responsibility-free and carefree life he’d been waiting for after so long. Who knows, maybe this could even give him the chance to try some new material with the girls. ‘Cause there’s no way anyone would turn down a nice guy who wants to do right by their baby girl. Wink, wink.
Random
≠Although Declan most enjoys painting simple things like squares, he’s also a great observational painter.
≠His favorite artists are Mondrian and Warhol. Other artists Declan’s interested in are Picasso (to an extent), Lichtenstein, and Pollack. But he pretty much despises Van Gogh – too over the top and fancy for him.
≠Declan’s mother is Canadian and his father’s a mix of Irish, Italian and American.
≠Between all his moving growing up, he got held back one year in elementary school. His mother had to move three months into the school year, which threw Declan horribly off course when he switched schools in another state. His grades have never been – or are – the best, but it was proven the sudden change of classes and environment was the reason for Declan failing that year. This explains why he’s a year older than almost every other kid in his class.
≠States that Declan’s visited or lived in include Kentucky (born), Washington (preschool), Delaware (kindergarten), Georgia (first grade), California (second grade and now Metric), Texas (third grade), Massachusetts (third and fourth grade), New Jersey (summer), Maine (graduated elementary school), North Carolina (summer vacation and one winter break), Pennsylvania (middle school), Florida (middle school and high school) and Louisiana (a little less than a year).
≠If you see anyone hooking up, making out with or grinding against someone, (or drinking, for that matter) at a party, you've probably found Declan.
≠His parents talked him into keeping a picture of Everly in his wallet and continue to email him with updates including pictures and her development. Declan knows jank about Everly’s personality, except that she likes pink ponies. She has Jocelyn’s tan skin tone, Declan’s hair color and somewhat of his hair style (she doesn’t have a lot of hair yet), hazel eyes and dimples. Really, Declan could care less but he does try to use these things in his favor at Metric.
≠Whether or not Declan is ever lucky enough to hook up with Pippa, he is and always will be extremely protective of her. Sure, it's ok for him to sleep with as many girls as he wants, but he'd better not catch Pippa in some random guy's bed!
≠Declan is typically good with 'wrapping it up', though he has more slip-ups down the road. Eventually he'll have fathered numerous kids aside from Everly; while Declan will either not know of them or choose to acknowledge them, it will be Pippa who secretly plays daddy to his kids (mailing them a little something for their birthday, a nice card here and there, etc). He won't be forced to be a father again until after the 10-year reunion at Metric when a seven-year-old girl Ashlynn shows up at his apartment needing her daddy...though even then, Pippa will still be doing all the heavy lifting!
≠Including the multiple kids from one night stands down the road, Declan will also have three kids with two girls from Metric. After Pippa goes behind his back and adopts Ashlynn, the two start hooking up and eventually conceive twins, which Ashlynn will eventually name Dipper and Mabel. While contact with Robyn Bunker will be sporadic throughout the next number of years, Declan will continue hooking up with her and unknowingly father a girl named Jordyn who he will never meet. One less kid for him to deal with!
Music
≠The Bang Song - How I Met Your Mother
≠Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars
≠Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
≠Poker Face - Lady Gaga
≠Exes and Oh's - Elle King
≠Including the multiple kids from one night stands down the road, Declan will also have three kids with two girls from Metric. After Pippa goes behind his back and adopts Ashlynn, the two start hooking up and eventually conceive twins, which Ashlynn will eventually name Dipper and Mabel. While contact with Robyn Bunker will be sporadic throughout the next number of years, Declan will continue hooking up with her and unknowingly father a girl named Jordyn who he will never meet. One less kid for him to deal with!
Music
≠The Bang Song - How I Met Your Mother
≠Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars
≠Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
≠Poker Face - Lady Gaga
≠Exes and Oh's - Elle King