Character Registration: Beau Shepherd

[Beau Shepherd]

Name: Beau Shepherd
Age: 149 Years Old (appears 20)
Gender: Male
Species: Vampire
Background:

Beau was originally christened as Beau Puckett in the Massachusetts winter of 1843, to a povert yet religious family of four. His birth was fully planned, as he was the first male child the Pucketts had conceived, and as a result he was dealed the card of favoritism. Of course, he wasn't the last to join the family, as three more siblings followed within half a decade, so coddling made way for heightened expectations to fulfill his duty as the eldest son.

The Pucketts all made meager hourly wages through factory and dock work, and had to subsist on light fare throughout even the smoothest of financial times. As Beau grew older, he took on more hours to assist in paying the family expenses, and often skipped sleep and meals altogether. Because of this, his growth was mildly stunted, and to this day he is of slight build. He was steadily being ignored in favor of the younger Puckett children, and by the time he was nine years old, he contracted a sickness that never quite left his system. Due to the Pucketts' low income, he went untreated, and became susceptible to other illnesses--- somehow, he'd managed to survive tuberculosis and a raging fever a few months afterword.

So, when the family decided to move out west in 1853, they decided that it would be in Beau's best interest to stay behind. He was placed in the care of an acquaintance of his father's, given a small stipend to cover any medical costs, and deserted for good. He stayed with his new caretaker for three weeks before he was dropped off at a seminary for open adoption.

By 1854, Beau was constantly under medical care and didn't keep much track of time. He didn't think much about the fact that his family had left, because his illness kept him pretty drained. It wasn't until Beau was thirteen that he was officially adopted by a wealthy British investor named Grover Shepherd, who honestly cared for the boy in a way that Beau had never been used to. Beau certainly had lost his parents' attention by the age of six (when he started working), and so having a complete stranger look after him in such a compassionate manner was a new and startling experience.

Once in Mr. Shepherd's care Beau made a rapid improvement in his health. He was treated to what only the rich could enjoy, and was able to freely grow into his personality. It was less than a year before he was able to sustain a trip out to California, where Mr. Shepherd was spearheading an ore mining business in Santa Clara. There, Beau lived in comfort, not knowing and forcibly not caring how close his old family was from his new home. To him, he told himself, they were as good as dead. No matter how much he wanted to reciprocate.

Beau was nineteen when he reached his full potential. He had a share in his name through his adoptive father's company, managed a ranch, and charmed the city during his nightly visits to the saloon. Mr. Shepherd traveled often, and left his business to Beau for months at a time. It wasn't anything new, as he'd been leaving for extended amounts of time since they'd arrived in California, but Beau never knew where Mr. Shepherd was going. His adoptive father could often be intimidating, and so he'd never asked. In the meantime, Beau had developed some new "hobbies", and left the business himself every few days to meet his suitors in the next town over. It was all top secret, of course, but somehow word had gotten loose that his actions were less than chaste. When Mr. Shepherd intentionally returned early from his last business trip of the summer, he discovered Beau and the son of a ranch-hand engaging in unsavory activity in his parlor. The ranch-hand's son was thrown out, and in what Shepherd called "facing consequences", Beau was turned by the man who'd hidden his vampirism from him for seven years.

For the next century, Beau worked as a farm hand in the central valleys. He could never stray too far from his "father", though, due to his instilled fear of not being able to survive on his own (courtesy of years of mindf***ing). He was demoted to living a mediocre lifestyle, which greatly humbled him after his decade of decadence, and hid his sexuality from anyone he met. He never regained the ability to trust, and hates how circumstances turned out.

Oh well. Be careful what you wish for, they say. Beau had always wanted to live past twenty when he was dying of illness. He wished for it every goddam day.

Flaws/Personality traits:

Beau had humble beginnings, so he's really a goodhearted guy deep down. But because of his lack of personal care and attention as an adolescent, he thrives off any and all aspects of lavishness. He has been treated to the excess once only to have it all taken away, so when it comes to feeding, he will often go overboard by accident and instinct. Because of this, he also has an enormous conscience, and will dwell on anything that conflicts with his convictions for years. He is one to hold grudges without notice, and will be harsh at times if threatened. However, mostly anything small and unimportant in the long run will be forgiven. At least he knows how to show gratitude if gratitude is due.

He is quite sharp-witted and is good in social environments. He's not afraid to work and dedicate himself to any cause, whether it benefits him or not. However, he is easily manipulated and will bend to anything that proves itself stronger than him. He's definitely a dreamer, and has keen aspirations and ideas. He just needs to get over his paranoia, and he'll make them happen.

Physical description:

Beau is shorter than the average man and stands at 5'7". He's of lean build due to his childhood, but has an enormous amount of endurance. Since he was turned, he also has something of an improved instinct and psyche, as that's all he had to rely on for most of his youth. He has eyes that match his levi's (the same brand he'd been wearing to the fields since 1865) and an average american look in his hair and skin.


Playby: Elijah Wood

Aspirations:

-To make something of himself, now that he's got a nice, full, long, neverf***ing-ending life.

-To separate himself from his adoptive father/master

-To be able to open up to people on a more intimate level

-To, hopefully, find out more about his siblings. Not that it matters much a century and a half later. But for closure.

Where Did You Find Us?: Affiliate
Misc.:

[`Cynthia Gage]

Welcome (again) to Waning Sun Amber!

*locking