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[ | 08 May 2010 · 9:14pm | | ] |
Your Name: Amber
Contact Info: n/a
Age: 22
Holds: John Krasinski, Phys. Ed Teacher under tayloranne and _ryann_
Writing Samples: n/a
Character Journal: ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) connor_gates / connor_gates
Character Name: Connor Nicholas Gates
Age/Birthday: 32 / September 11, 1979
Sexuality & Relationship Status: Straight & Single
Job: Elementary School Phys. Ed. Teacher
How did they find Heritage Lake?: He's had family living in Heritage since the Lodge was built, his many greats grandfather the architect.
Appearance: Being tall and lanky tends to let Connor stand out in a crowd, a six foot three inch tall man not exactly easy to hide. His parents have no clue where the height came from seeing as he's at east six inches taller than both of them, probably some crazy repressed gene that skipped every three or four generations. The medium length dirty blonde to light brown hair sits on his head and does absolutely nothing. About the most he can get it to behave is if he gels the hell of out it then comes it back and out of his face, something he doesn't do often because he goes nowhere that needs it. Despite the hairs unwillingness to behave he will not cut it any shorter, not yet, he likes it the length it is, thankyouverymuch. When it comes to dressing he tends to be more straight-laced. Polo shirts, jeans, khakis. There are button up shirts, some sweaters in the winter, nothing crazy preppy, but nothing over the top either. He's just a pretty normal guy with average looks and a nice smile.
Portrayed By: John Krasinski
Example Images: http://johnkrasinski.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/Photoshoot35F.jpg
http://johnkrasinski.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/26~2.jpg
http://johnkrasinski.net/coppermine/albums/uploads/PhotoshootsAllie/JohnShoot18.jpg
Personality: The first impression most people get of Connor tend to lead to them thinking he is a nice guy, and they aren't wrong. He really is a nice guy! If you need a favor he won't hesitate to help if he can, ready to save the day as if he was Superman...too bad he can't stop speeding bullets. Not only will he help his friends out with a few favors but he helps complete strangers, running a charity of his own to help small town kids keep sports at their school. Being active is a hug epart of a childs life and he knows it, what kind of person would he be if he just stood idle on the sidelines just watching schools struggle to keep their sports programs. Everyone is always worried about the arts, sports can get cut too.
Sometimes being nice comes back to bite him in the butt though, Connor having been taken advantage of one too many times. Still, he can't help but give everyone the benefit of the doubt regardless of if they'd already stepped on his toes. Second chances, someone has to give them so it might as well be him.
Even nice guys have flaws, no matter how hard they try to hide it. This guy is a big one for eaving wet towels on the bathroom floor and not cleaning out the sink after shaving. There is also the cracking of knuckles and various other body parts, especially when nervous or angry. Oh, he is also addicted to the Food Network, an addicition that he isn't planning on quitting anytime soon. How else is he going to learn to cook?
History: 1] Born only twelve months after his older brother, Connor had been a surprise to both his parents. They'd always wanted a bigger family but they'd been expecting the kids to come a little more spread out, giving them more time to adjust to the new lifestyle. Stephen was positively thrilled at the idea, Maggie not so much. Exactly twelve months to the day after Timothy had joined the world, his little brother Connor took his very first breath. A week after that Maggie was gone, her half of the closet hastily packed with a note that simply read 'I can't' in her handwriting.
2] When he was five his father remarried, his new stepmother bringing with her three children from her previous marriage. The merge wasn't happy at first, Connor feeling left out now that he wasn't the youngest anymore and instead the middle child, the change drastic to someone so young. It took two years for all the bugs to be worked out but eventually they all became a very happy family, him even taking to calling Becky, Mom. The thing that cemented it was when his baby sister, Alison was born in 1987.
3] Around the age of 8 he started to play soccer at school during lunch, from there he begged his parents to let him join an actual team. They didn't really have the money but they scrounged enough together to pay his portion of the dues, and in turn they had the happiest eight year old alive. Connor would practice in the backyard every day there wasn't practice, annoying his siblings by asking them to help be the goalie so he could work on his kicks. Eventually his father just built him a net out of some old wold and a few ratty sheets his mother didn't need anymore.
4] During the summer of seventh grade Connor broke both his feet after falling out of a tree. For a kid who was constantly moving and being active this nearly killed him. A wheelchair wasn't his thing! Unable to do his normal hobbies he started to take up others like reading and drawing, he was even watching shows that weren't mind numbing because after four weeks of doing so the things got old. It was during this time he realized he actually liked learning. Weird.
5] After spending an entire summer in a wheelchair, discovering that he could really enjoy learning, Connor was more than eager to go back to school. Immediately his parents noticed a change, going from being an average student to one getting straight A's. At first they thought he might be ill, but after some time without it changing they realized that their son had just grown up enough to take his responsibilities with school seriously. It was also during this time Connor decided he was going to become a teacher, he wasn't sure what he'd be teaching but he was going to do it.
6] High school is when he started to really embrace the instinct in him to teach, starting to volunteer at the local after school center. Most of his time was spent out on the field throwing or kicking around, starting up games of football or soccer. Soon enough he convined the center to start up a soccer team, one he would coach without anything to gain. Conner didn't even stop there, he helped coach all the teams that would start up; Basketball, baseball, wrestling, football...if he'd taken part in the sport at one time or another he was happy to lend a hand.
7] As it came time to pick a college he went for one that was out of state but still not too far away. Washington State University offered him both an academic and athletic scholarship, meaning it made the most sense for him to go there based on the money issue alone. It only took about two weeks in the dorms for Connor to realize being out of the small town was allowing him to thrive in ways he hadn't at home, more friends, more freedom, more everything. For the first time he was letting himself date around, figuring out things with women he enjoyed and others he just wouldn't tolerate.
8] Sophmore year he happened to find a girl that fit all his expectations, one Danielle Gerhard. They dated for two years, even getting an apartment together as soon as the school allowed them to no longer be required to live in a dorm. On their anniversary he proposed to which she accepted without a second thought, and three weeks later they found out she was pregnant. At first everything seemed just find, both were happy in the turn of events their lives had taken. It was until he woke up to find her gone he realized something wasn't quite right. All her stuff was still in the apartment but she was nowhere to be found, wasn't answering her phone, nor was she making any effort to contact him. Three days after waking up to find her gone there was a call from her brother saying she was fine, and to not try and contact her. Connor wouldn't listen, he tried finding her, went to her family's house but it was all pointless. They wouldn't tell where she was at or anything about his unborn child. After months of trying he finally gave up hope, diving into his schoolwork and soccer, staying away from everyting else.
9] Senior year brought about an even bigger change for Connor, one that was life altering. After one particular game he was approached by the recruiter for The Portland Timbers, offering him a spot on the team. FInding himself rendered speechless he was informed the decision didn't need to be made at that moment, that he could call the umber on the car when he had things figured out. Three weeks of thinking, weighing his options led him to the choice of turning it down. He played the sport for fun, not for money. The call to spread his love of the game was stronger than one to play it for millions of fans.
10] Once graduation was done and over with, he started searching around for a job. There were plenty in Washington, the place he'd called home for the last four years but something wasn't right about them. Finally calling back home to vent his frustrations to his father he found out there was an opening for a Physical Education teacher at the local elementary school. That was a done deal. Moving back wasn't a second thought, his bags were packed and he was gone.
11] Heritage was just as he remembered it, the small town life welcoming him back with open arms. College life had done its best to help him mature, it'd done it's job. Now was the time for him to do the rest. Staying with his father his first year back he saved enough money to put a downpayment on a small two bedroom house near the outskirts of town. That has been his home ever since, Conner fixing it up here and there, renovating the kitchen and basement. More sweat, blood, and tears have been poured into that house than he cares to admit.
Fears: Dying alone, snakes, drowning
Desires: Have a family with at least four kids, to know what happened to Danielle and their unborn child, win a game of Bullshit against his father
One Secret: He has two gifts saved in his attic for every year he hasn't gotten to celebrate his childs birthday. One for a boy, and one for a girl.
Random Facts:
% Inherited a cat when he moved into his house. He has named him Oliver.
% Rarely drinks so he can't hold his liquor well at all.
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