undergrounds app

[catphishing]

Player information
Name: Joey
Contact: technobabbled
Are you 18 or over? Yes.
Other characters played: N/A

Character information
Name: Oliver Hampton
Age: 30
Date of Birth: 28th February 1986
Canon: How to Get Away with Murder
Species: Human
Role: He's an IT technician for a major advertising company by day... and a sadly regular guy by night. I thought he could maybe be trying to get a foot in with Redbright Outreach? He's wary of vampires but kind of into them and he's definitely not beneath being a hanger-on, so maybe the Islington Nest could be another possibility if Redbright wouldn't work. He just wants to hang out with cool supernatural peeps, okay? :(

He was an Islington Nest ally before I dropped, so probably that again.

Rank: 1-2
Background:

Oliver had a pretty unremarkable childhood. He had a dog. He went to school. He hung out with his friends. He had a talent for finding the more obscure corners of the web, and in his junior year of high school became heavily involved in a supernatural role playing community. Everyone seemed to take it a little too seriously, but it was fun. At least until one member private messaged accusing him of not really being a werewolf... but she could make him one. If he wanted. She knew a disturbing amount about him and Oliver freaked out, shutting down his account and removing any evidence of his presence as best he could. He could only go so far though, and there was little he could do about what she knew of his real life. He told his parents who took him to the police. The officer who spoke to him seemed cagey and he would later suspect he was an ally to her pack, but he explained how she was a member of a known gang and he would speak to her.

There were no problems with her after that, but he couldn't forget the way the members on that forum had spoken. How seriously they'd taken it. He was good at finding what he wanted and once he started searching he found more and more evidence that perhaps the girl who'd messaged him hadn't been lying after all. It scared him at first, but he became fascinated. There was a thrill in knowing things no one else did he'd only previously got from his tentative exploration of hacking.

While he was preparing to leave for college in Philadelphia it wasn't just the regular parts of the city he found himself looking into. It was the hidden parts, with witches and monsters. Instead of partying with his fellow students he spent his nights in bars he knew were frequented by supernatural creatures of all kinds and built up friendships through the people he met there.

He fell in and out of the supernatural world over the years, alternatively enthralled and terrified by it. He dabbled in witchcraft, though never found much love in practicing it. He did spend a number of years convinced his boyfriend of the time would eventually make him a vampire, but ultimately he stayed an outsider. Unable to truly be a part of it, but too embroiled to get away from it. At least in Philadelphia.

When he was 28 Oliver made the move to London, England, determined this time he'd stay away. He stayed Facebook friends with a few werewolves and witches as well as a few outcast fae, but the ocean made the break easier. This time he was determined he'd only befriend humans, the people he really belonged with. He did well the first few years. He dated, he made friends, and all exclusively with humans. He resolutely turned a blind eye to anything that might not seem entirely normal, fighting any restlessness with the excitement he got from hacking.

At least until a relationship he'd thought was going well ended in cheating and Oliver let himself fall apart completely. He spent a week refusing to so much as leave his bed until his friends coaxed him out for a night of excessive drinking and a one night stand.

After that pretending the human world was really any better seemed pointless. He could get hurt either way, so why make the effort to stay away from something that had given him some of the best times of his life? He started visiting the places he knew were underground and had a brief relationship with a werewolf he met at a bar. It could have worked out nicely if he hadn't ended up getting back together with his underwear model/packmate ex. As it is, he's still trying to find his footing, somewhere he won't be bored and where he'll actually feel appreciated. He might try to avoid recently single werewolves this time.

Small add on: He's spent the last month and a bit visiting family in the States while I've been out of the game, but otherwise there's little extra to note.

Personality:

Oliver is a smart guy. He works a pretty standard IT job, but his skills with a computer expand far beyond that. He's an extremely talented hacker and regularly makes use of these skills. It's a hobby he's been practising for years and something he enjoys. Although he loves computers he's bored of his job and increasingly expresses distaste for his career. It doesn't really match up to his skill set though he feels unable to escape it. Hacking is a way for him to alleviate that boredom and when he's unhappy or trying to impress he'll take far riskier moves than when he's satisfied. He needs an outlet to keep his life from becoming too dull, and often it involves illegal hacking even if he has nothing to gain from it.

It's not just computers where his intelligence can be seen. He's a quick thinker in a tight spot, though this may not be immediately apparent thanks to the words that actually leave his mouth in the moment and the actions that got him into the situation in the first place. He panics more when there's not a screen between him and incoming disaster. His wits are still present though depite appearances and it's what's kept him alive. There's a reckless streak in Oliver he can never quite shake himself of and there's been more than one occasion it's nearly cost him his life.

Conversely, Oliver is a home loving man. He gets genuine enjoyment out of the more mundane aspects of life. A night in isn't a chore. It's a chance for an evening spent binging on Netflix or taking the opportunity to try out a new recipe. Domesticity isn't boring and that's not what he seeks escape from. He wants a night of adventure followed by a lazy morning with breakfast pancakes and someone he cares about. They're two parts of him that exist together even if they aren't the easiest for him to find the ideal balance of.

Because of this it's often easier to try and push down his desire to take risks. Sometimes this is easier than others. He's a natural worrier and he knows life among the people of the underground isn't always the safest. His hacking isn't so potentially life threatening and so he'll fall back on this as a reminder human life doesn't have to be boring. He can lose himself easily in the deep web.

He still has need to be around people though and at times can seem desperate to get this. He'll push himself in with people he thinks are cooler than he is. He's a remora, latching on from the outside and doing what he can to make himself seem like he's worth allowing to stick around.

It's little wonder he has so many insecurities when you consider this. He doesn't think of himself as cool, or funny, or interesting, or especially attractive, yet he still seeks out people who are. Not all of them try to talk him out of this way of thinking. His way of dress is reflective of whether he's given up and has accepted this or if he's found motive to try despite the odds. His style is often smart, but an unfastened top button and a switch to contacts is a definite indicator he's trying to look hotter.

Powers & Possessions: None. :(
Samples:

Oliver & Company + Nat. If you want more let me know! I have way too many TDM threads right now.