Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2013 7:36:12 GMT -8
ZALEANTEONPIERCE
<<Played by Shae>>
Shide a light through an open door
Full Name>>Zale Anteon Pierce
Nicknames>>-
Age>> February 12 1984; 29
Staff or Student>> Staff; Head of Yellow Ribbon House & Art Teacher
House>> -
Gender>> Male
Sexuality>> Bisexual
Face Claim>> Chris Watrin
Turn away 'cause I need you more
Personality>> Zale is a very kind and friendly individual. He’s a gentle person by nature, though if need be he can and does hold a firm hand. Zale’s not got much in way of a temper, either… in fact, he’s a bit sensitive and when upset, he tends to get emotional and somewhat irrational.
He’s very much in tune with the way things look, taste, sound, feel, and smell. Artistically inclined, Zale has a very strong appreciation for art and he’s unusually gifted at creating things, though to some he may seem a bit immature, as one of his favorite past-times is throwing darts at paint filled balloons and he more often than not has paint, charcoal, or other art mediums streaked across his skin and clothing.
Zale is an animal lover, and he especially likes cats. He’s very independent and carefree. In addition to being perceptive and aware of others, he’s a warm and sympathetic person who genuinely cares about people and tries to make things fun for everyone. He’s a good listener, but isn’t the best advice-giver and really doesn’t like conflict or fighting. Zale is tolerant of things, flexible, laid-back, and confidant in his own abilities.
He’s the type of person who can go for ages without noticing the dirty dishes in the sink, but his art supplies, home in general, and riding things will never have a speck of dust on them. Not saying he’s messy, Zale usually keeps his home pretty clean, just some small things he doesn’t pay attention to if he thinks it’s not that big of a deal.
Zale’s an optimistic person who loves to have fun. He’s spontaneous, outgoing, ‘goes-with-the-flow’, and generally likes everyone he comes into contact with. He’s upbeat and enthusiastic about life in general and likes to live by the saying “You only live once.”. Even though he tries to like everyone he meets, if he’s crossed, he’s likely to make very strong judgments against that person and may not forgive and forget easily.
He does have a fine taste in art, be it food, wine, or actual ‘art’. Zale’s home is quite like what one would expect an artists home to look like, with unique pictures hanging here and there, sculptures on the shelves, books stacked on the in-tables, and random bits of personal artwork on rotational display. Everything in his home shows his personality as ‘artsy’.
Zale’s a great team-player and he lives in a ‘world of possibilities’. He can get very excited and passionate about things and loves to inspire and motivate others. He has excellent people skills and places a huge importance on inter-personal relationships. He takes his responsibilities quite seriously and is a dependable, warm, and energetic person who isn’t shy about expressing his own opinions.
Likes>> Drawing/sketching/painting, curling up with a good book during thunderstorms, cooking, trying new things (such as food, etc…), mountain biking/rock climbing/camping, etc…
Dislikes>> Being caught outside unawares in rain showers, chipotle peppers, spiders, ‘ankle biter’ dogs (such as Chihuahua’s, etc…), grape jello/grape jelly/anything grape flavored, etc…
Fears>> It’s a little embarrassing, but Zale is absolutely terrified of spiders (arachnophobia) and he’s not too fond of flying (aviatophobia). He also, due to a traumatic experience with a closet as a child (see ‘History’), suffers from claustrophobia (fear of confining spaces) and cleisiophobia (fear of being locked in a confined space).
Hopes>> Zale is hoping to turn his time as a teacher at Blue Ridge into a successful career and he also hopes that, one day, his estranged son will want and decide to give him a chance and get to know him.
Secrets>> Zale has a twelve year old son who wants nothing to do with him whatsoever (for more information, see ‘History’)
It’s the way I’m feeling I just can’t deny
Appearance>> Let’s start from the top, shall we… Zale’s not the tallest guy around. In fact, he’s considered average, standing at only five feet and ten inches in boots. Combined with his lighter weight of one hundred and sixty-five pounds (when soaking wet)… well, let’s just say he’s not really that intimidating. Not that he tries to be, of course. Zale likes to be considered approachable and friendly, not ‘scary’.
His hair is naturally dark blond-brown (and usually just brushed and let do whatever with), though it’s quite obvious that he regularly applies highlights, and his blue-green eyes shine with life and laughter… and a bit of a mischievous twinkle at times. One of the cutest things about him, Zale has dimples when he smiles, and he smiles often! It’s next to impossible for him to go very long without smiling or laughing, he’s just that type of person.
Zale has slightly aristocratic features, though not ‘pointed’. He features a strong jaw and usually has a bit of five o’clock shadow, as he oftentimes forgets to shave regularly. In most people’s eyes, though, the stubble just gives him a cuter, more adorable look, instead of a ‘rougher’ and less groomed appearance. Maybe it’s because of how ‘boyish’ he looks… One of Zale’s most embarrassing moments to date is when he used to buy cigarettes back when he smoked (when he was twenty-three until he was twenty-six), he always got carded at the service stations and wal-marts.
Markings >> Zale only has one ear piercing (in which he usually wears a studded earring). The only other marking he has is a thin scar across the first knuckle of his right hand (though he doesn’t remember how he came to have that scar).[
But I’ve gotta let it go
Medical History>> Zale’s been lucky in that he’s always been a rather healthy individual. He can count how many times he’s had the common cold on one hand and he’s been fortunate in the aspect that he’s never broken or dislocated a bone.
Criminal History>> -
Full History>> The family Zale was born into was, in society’s eyes, a wealthy, nice (if not a little snobby), and ‘ritzy’ family. You know, the type of family where the women tend to gossip amongst themselves about their neighbors and the men grew up to be bankers or lawyers or businessmen… that type of family. Zale was born in Michigan, but when asked, he’d say he’s from California, because that’s where he remembers and thinks of when ‘home’ is mentioned. Sunny, sandy, hot California… where the beach is just a few blocks away and the city stays high on the nightlife. But let’s backtrack to the beginning.
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, it’s a boy.”
Ehh… not really an exciting affair. His parents, upon finding out about the unplanned pregnancy, had contemplated terminating it, but how would that look in society’s eyes? Best just keep it and hope it’s a girl. They already had one child, a son, nearing ten years old, who was, in their eyes, the ‘center’ of their nice little family and the one who would inherit whenever they lived no more. So, they hoped for a girl. At least then, it’d look better and Mrs. Pierce would have a daughter to dote on and dress up.
Alas, no. Zale was, inevitably, born male.
“I don’t wanna play nice with him!”
Jealousy was to be expected. After-all, roughly ten years separated Zale and his older brother Zeke (short for Ezekiel). Neither boy really wanted anything to do with the other, there was just too much of an age difference between them. Too much difference in how they were raised and treated, also. Zale was left to a nanny during his younger years, an accidental child and a boy at that, when the family already had an ‘heir’… He was raised well, but never spoiled like his brother. Zeke, on the other hand, was raised at the knee of his father and clinging to the tails of his mothers dresses. ‘Spoiled’ was his middle name and ‘I expect it to be given to me just because’ was how he thought.
Even with Zeke’s bad attitude about it (more like throwing a tantrum kicking and screaming on the floor), Zale was, at the insistence of the ‘nanny’ hired to care for him, encouraged to join in on his brother’s extracurricular activities. From a young age Zale took swimming lessons, horseback-riding lessons (which he fell in love with and actively pursued all through his schooling), and etiquette lessons (which he learned, but, to date, has never applied).
“Private school? Where…?”
Possibly the biggest mistake his parents ever made was sending Zale away to be schooled. Even though it was private school, with uniforms and all that jazz… and as far away as possible… it was ‘away’. Away from his family. Away from the gossiping of women who had nothing better to do that talk about people. Away from the father who pretended to care and the mother who pretended to love. Away from the grandmother who obviously favored the elder son, and away from the brother who regarded him with casual disdain.
Being sent to a place where he knew no one really wasn’t that daunting for a person with Zale’s personality. He made friends quickly and easily and, though he was teased mercilessly for his ‘accent’, he took it in stride and teased his schoolmates back just as mercilessly about their ‘Brit talk’. During summer and Christmas breaks, Zale often found a friend to stay with just so he wouldn’t have to go back home. He wasn’t too fond of flying, see… And his family were quite willing to let him stay in Europe, as they didn’t particular want him back either. With him gone, they could go back to their perfect little world and not have to face the fact that a mistake in birth control had resulted in the worst ‘black mark’ in their family. Forget the fact that he consistently brought in excellent grades and his teachers never had to jump his case about anything, Zale Pierce was, to those who shared his surname, a mistake they could never swim away from. Best to pretend he didn’t exist.
All through his private schooling, Zale kept up horseback-riding, which was a hobby he’d fallen in love with as a youngster. He found that he had a knack for riding, especially eventing, and made it onto his school’s riding team (though he never owned his own personal mount until he turned twenty-two and was in college). He also found that he had a special love and interest for art and took every available art course, both in school and out, that he could find.
Mine! Bu-but you’re my sister-in-law!
The biggest mistake in Zale’s life, and one that he’s tried very hard to fix, happened just a few months after graduating from high school and moving back to the United States. The move back wasn’t really planned, but more mandatory of him, as his brother was getting married and he was ‘required’ by the family to be in attendance, though if his brother had had a say in it, Zale wouldn’t have been invited to the wedding at all.
Surprisingly, Zale found that he got along with his future sister-in-law quite well. She was only a few years older than he himself and, though devoted to her fiancée, she and Zale became good friends over the course of just a few weeks.
However, all good things must come to an end… in a sense. Being invited out with her and several of her friends, both male and female, Zale didn’t expect to wake up with a major hangover, he didn’t think he’d drank that much. Likewise, he didn’t expect to wake up in a bed next to his future sister-in-law, but alas, these things happen. Tensions were running high for the next few days, but when they finally took time to talk it over, they agreed that nothing could have happened, as they’d woken up still partially clothed. They agreed to never tell either of their families about the incident, but things weren’t as well as they were before the incident. Relationships were strained.
His brother’s wedding went off without a hitch. Thinking all was well again, Zale began making preparations for leaving, planning on going back to England, where most of his friends were. He was derailed like a train-wreck by an angry visit from his brother ad sister-in-law. The reasoning… his sister-in-law was pregnant, and too far along for it to be Zeke’s child.
Through the course of several hours, with many disapproving looks and screaming coming from the parents, the story was brought out. Any form of a relationship, even a strained one, between Zale and his brother was gone and Zale found himself at odds with his entire family. Terminating the pregnancy was out of the question. What would the friends of the family and the neighbors think!? His family tried to force him to sign over all rights to the unborn child, thus allowing Zeke to step in, though reluctantly, as a father… relegating Zale, the true father, to the post of ‘estranged uncle’, as him seeing the child after he or she was born was out of the question. He resisted, even with the threat of being legally disowned hanging over his head. They’d never disown him; it’d be another black mark on their family that they wouldn’t risk.
“I don’t care what you ‘think’… I’m going to be a teacher.”
In the end, Zale chose to stay in the US instead of moving back to England, where he felt more at home. He made the choice to go to college, majoring in Art Education. It was this decision that was the ‘straw that broke the camels back’ between him and his family. Things were already tense between the Pierce’s, and his decision to major in something so ‘menial’… well… things got crazy. Ended up with Zale and his father getting into a screaming match and Zale storming out. The only ‘bright spot’ on the horizon for a long time was horseback-riding. Luckily he’d gone to a college that had an equestrian team, and he’d made the team after trying out. It was during this time that he bought his own horse. Not from a sale or anything, but from another college student who found she could no longer keep the big, four year old gelding. Leon’s been Zale’s companion ever since, for seven years now. It was also during college that he picked up the habit of smoking as a stress releaser. Hated that he did so, but did so anyway. It took him several years, but he managed to quit smoking with the help and support of close friends. When he finally graduated college with his degree, the only people happy for him were his friends in England.
“Yes, I’m ‘dragging you to court’!”
Not being allowed to see his own son hurt. Knowing that it was his families’ doing hurt even worse. Knowing that his brother’s hatred towards him would likely be shared by his son caused him to take action. Determined to at least get visitation rights or something, Zale took them to court. What he hadn’t factored in was the small detail that he had been cut off from the Pierce’s money and his brother had full access and could afford to slip money to the right people. Though Zale drug them to court time after time, paying his own fees out of pocket, he never gained an inch in terms of seeing his own child. What he did gain, though, was insight over the years… and a Maine Coon Cat that he adopted form the humane society. When he finally was allowed a few minutes to speak with the child when the boy was seven, he agreed to drop all court dates and even signed over all rights to his brother after hearing from the boy’s own mouth how much he hated him and never wanted to see him.
Mr. Pierce, I’m afraid the art program is being cut. I’m truly sorry, but you must be packed and gone by the end of the week.
As an art teacher, Zale found that he enjoyed motivating others to get creative and make things their own. He thought outside the box and tried to get his students to do the same. He liked laughter and, in his opinion, art wasn’t something you could learn in typical settings. It had to be fun. Art was fun. If there was no fun, no laughter, no messes… well, it just wasn’t art. He taught that art was everywhere; you just had to squint your eyes and tilt you head to find it.
Oftentimes, after his classes were over, his classroom would be so messy with paint and charcoal, etc… that it’d take him half the night to clean it up. A few parents complained over their children coming home streaked with art mediums, but the kids were having fun. When the art program at the school was cut to save money, Zale felt as though the world had dropped out from under him. He truly adored teaching and inspiring kids, and he got along quite well with the students. Plus, that was ‘home’ to him…
”I’m moving. You’ll never see me again… not that you really care.”
After being ‘fired’ (in a sense), Zale applied for a job in several other schools, even going so far as to apply to places online in different states. He thought about up and moving back overseas, and told himself that if no one seemed interested in hiring within the next couple months, he would move back to England. However, luck seemed to be siding with him, for not long afterwards he received the notification that Blue Ridge was considering him. He hoped he’d get on at the academy not only because he’d be able to bring both his horse and his cat with him and it was located far away from California and his family, but also because it’s a top-of-the-line academy.
We found love in a hopeless place
Pet Name>> Shasta
Registered Name>> -
Age>> 5
Gender>> Female
Species>> Feline
Breed>> Maine Coon Cat
Registry>> -
Personality>> Shasta is your typical cat… she thinks she’s ‘gods gift to people’. She seems to think she’s ‘better’ than everyone around her and is rather standoff-ish to everyone, even her owner. Shasta’s not a ‘loving’ type of cat unless she wants to be petted an loved on. It’s got to be her decision. She’s rather like a spoiled child, everything revolves around her, not the other way around. She comes and goes as she pleases and thinks the entire world belongs to her. Her personality is so ‘prissy’ and ‘stately’ that her owner often jokes that she must have been a queen in a past life.
History>> Shasta has belonged to Zale since she was a kitten. She was gifted to him by himself, as he adopted her from the humane society. Throughout her life, she’s been spoiled rotten by Zale and her attitude shows it. Shasta was spayed as soon as possible after Zale got her and she’s never been overdue for her shots. She hasn’t been declawed, though, as she loves exploring outside and Zale thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to take away her ‘weapons’ since she’s constantly in and out.
Appearance>> Shasta
