brightdays_darknights

Name: William Theodore Bright, Jr.

Age: 37

Gender: Male

Type: Dreamer

Appearance:

William, or Bright, as he is usually called, is a long, lanky man, made up of angles and edges. He is extremely particular about his clothing, always well-dressed in a tailored suit, complete with a matching handkerchief in his pocket and band on his fedora. His brown hair is always parted and slicked back, although he’s less careful with his facial hair, often allowing a few days’ worth of scruff to build up before he can be bothered to shave. Most noticeable, however, is the fact that Bright heavily favors his left leg and walks with a polished cane.

Personality:

Although an alcoholic suffering from immense guilt, that truth is something that Bright prefers to leave at home. When out-of-doors, Bright appears to be a laid-back sort of guy, although quiet and somewhat reserved. He has enough of his younger, hedonistic self in him to be charming enough with a smile or a witty quip, but for the most part he hangs back and lets his piano do the talking for him.

However much he tries to keep his issues out of the obvious picture, they break through when Bright gets frustrated or when he very rarely gets drunk in public. He has a short fuse, and when the few things that he hates set him off, he’s explosive, and his stubbornness keeps him from apologizing quickly enough to soothe anyone who might have been burnt.

Underneath his “I’m all right” mask that he does his best to keep in place, Bright has a number of issues that he ties down and deals with in alcohol because it’s easier to drown them out than to work through them.

Sexuality:

Heterosexual, although he’s not so staunchly straight that he’s afraid to tease or joke.

City History:

William Bright was born into a dying family. Bright, his parents, and his younger brother are all that’s left of the wealthy Bright line. As such, his mother and father doted on their sons with all the love money could buy. Bright, a musical prodigy from a young age, was happy enough with his piano, while his younger sibling, Bartholomew, struggled for the same love and attention Bright got with seemingly no effort. Although Barty thought that being the favored son was all lollipops and rainbows, Bright was only aware of the constant pressure to carry on the family name and the incredibly high standard his parents held him to. His childhood was at all times a prison he couldn’t wait to escape from.

And at nineteen, he finally did. Bright was accepted into a prestigious music academy and left Eidolon City for seven years to study there. He returned changed from the mild-mannered boy he had been into a product of hedonistic culture, happy to enjoy nothing but strong alcohol, loose women, and fantastic music. It was this extravagant lifestyle that landed Bright in the situation that irrevocably changed his life.

After a night of partying, Bright stumbled home, only to make it just far enough to fall down drunk in an alley. He woke up to screaming, but when he went (still very drunk) to investigate, the murderer knocked him out and made a run for it. When Bright woke up again, it was next to the mutilated body of Anna Foster, a young girl from a middle-class family. Bright was immediately apprehended as the most likely suspect (lying in a pool of the victim’s blood would do that) but he was quickly dismissed when it was obvious none of the evidence pointed to him. This quickly put a damper on Bright’s careless lifestyle—he was haunted by the sight of Anna’s battered body, as well as suffering from inexplicable dreams of another world, especially of some kind of family he appears to be the center of. Anna’s murder wasn’t as widely publicized as it might have if she were from a wealthier family, but it was well known enough that a good number of people recognized Bright as having been a suspect—citizens as well as police. When no murderer was identified, Bright was run down by a car; he recovered from all of his injuries, except the damage to his left leg. The accident was barely looked into, and the driver was never found.

For the past decade since the accident, Bright has been in a state of limbo. He plays his shows at whatever lounges and piano bars and clubs will hire him (and most will), and he goes home to drink himself in a stupor, day in and day out. He is estranged from his widowed mother, who constantly frets over him and wishes he would visit, while Barty continues to struggle to outshine a brother who is barely even alive anymore.

Special Skills and Abilities:

Bright is a fantastic pianist and picks up on new songs quickly. In general, he has an excellent memory, much to his detriment when it comes to his strange dreams.

Weaknesses:

Disabled – Bright’s mangled left leg is a source of chronic pain. His movement is severely impeded and he cannot walk very far or stand for very long without the help of his cane. Running is completely impossible, and even walking quickly is difficult.

Alcoholic – Bright has a lot of things he’d like to be too drunk to think about. He spends every day restocking his liquor cabinet, and every night emptying it out again. If he doesn’t have someplace to be, he’ll have the scotch half-empty by noon. His alcoholism is tied closely to a general feeling of depression due to the overwhelming guilt he cannot escape in either world.

Stubborn – He has a bad case of “Don’t tell me what I can’t do.” He hates to be pitied for any reason, and if he takes a tumble in the street, he’d sooner struggle for ten minutes to get back to his feet than accept a helping hand. His insistence to do things for himself, even if they are difficult for him with his disability, often ends with him snapping at perfectly well-meaning people.

Hassled – Although Bright was quickly eliminated as a possible suspect in Anna Foster’s murder, the cops still don’t think he’s entirely innocent. Although they have much likelier suspects now, there are still some that believe he’s the killer. He’s still liable to get stopped or pulled aside for just limping down the street, and God help him if he ever needs actual police assistance.

Strengths:

Jaded – Something of a weakness as a well as a strength; Bright has been around the block a bit. He’s had a lot of crap things happen to him and therefore nothing really affects him anymore. He’s surprised by very little and has a pretty good idea of when something’s too good to be true. As world weary as he is, he’s content to take most things in stride: being accused of another murder? Yeah, what else is new?

Decent – Although Bright is no saint, he’s still a decent person, something of a commodity among the corrupt and the violent. He’d help out a kid that fell off his bike, feed a stray cat that planted itself on his doorstep, and leave a nice tip for the waitress who looks like she needs it. That said, he’s not gullible and he’s no hero or martyr—he’s not going to buy just any sob story and he’s not going to plant himself in front of a bus to save an old lady.

Family or Connections:

Bright’s mother, Margaret, and his younger brother, Bartholomew.

Residence:

A large brownstone on the bad side of Fontaine Park. Although Bright has more than enough money to fix the place up or move somewhere nicer, it’s barely decorated and cluttered with empty bottles and glasses. He has five pianos situated throughout, often in otherwise completely unfurnished rooms.

Career:

Besides coming from a wealthy family, Bright makes his living playing piano at various establishments throughout the city.

PB: Ralph Fiennes