A Closer Look
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"Sometimes even to live is an act of courage."
― Lucius Annaeus Seneca
GABRIEL
גַבְרִיאֵל | God is my strong man | HebrewHENRY
Heimirich | Home ruler | GermanicSHERIDAN
Sirideán | Searcher | Irish -
B A S I C S
◖BIRTH NAME◗
Gabriel Henry Sheridan.
◖NICKNAME◗
Both his parents and most of his friends refer to him as Gabe, at work he is primarily referred to as mr. Sheridan.
◖ALIAS◗
None.
◖BIRTH DATE◗
24th October 1989.
◖AGE◗
30 years old.
◖OCCUPATION◗
He's an archaeologist at The British Museum working on their Roman exhibitions and does a bit of teaching on the side as a part of it.
◖RESIDENCE◗
A flat in central London.
◖ALIGNMENT◗
Himself, his family, his work.
◖BIRTHPLACE◗
London, England.
◖NATIONALITY◗
British.
◖RACE◗
Human.
◖ABILITIES◗
He can defend himself, being physically rather fit. Otherwise, he's a quick thinker and a good problem solver in general, which helps him out on multiple occasions.
◖HEIGHT◗
1,91 m.
◖BODY TYPE◗
Athletic, well built, defined.
◖EYES◗
Green.
◖HAIR◗
Short, dark brown.
◖COMPLEXION◗
Fair.
◖TATTOOS◗
He doesn't have any.
◖SCARS◗
Plenty. Some are simply from practical work and being out in the field, but he has some major ones that he covers up at all times. He has no interest in telling about them.
◖HANDEDNESS◗
Right-handed.
◖ZODIAC SIGN◗
Scorpio.
◖SEXUALITY◗
Homosexual.
◖RELATIONSHIP STATUS◗
Recently single.
◖LIKES◗
A good book, history with a preference for the Roman Republic and Empire, travelling, feeling the sun and the wind against his skin, cycling, keeping everything neat and tidy, though he doesn't mind getting his hands dirty out at a dig site, cozying up in the evening with a good movie, studying, languages, ancient civilisations, being active, running, physical training, swimming, going on, soft touches, taking notes on paper.
◖DISLIKES◗
Small rooms, enclosed spaces, darkness, he has a difficulty sleeping, getting too drunk, he's not very fond of losing control of himself, though he can enjoy a glass now and then, coffee, strong smells, cars and public transport, loud noises, politics. He's pretty good with technology, but he's not the biggest fan, he prefers analog any day.
◖FACECLAIM◗
Oliver Jackson-Cohen. -
B A C K G R O U N D
archaeologist
noun | ar·chae·ol·o·gist | ˌär-kē-ˈä-lə-jist
1.
someone who studies the buildings, graves, tools, and other objects of people who lived in the past
F R E E D O M
When you are stripped from it, you finally realise its worth.
___________________________________________
Gabriel Henry Sheridan was born as the eldest son to Henry and Marie Sheridan in London, England. His childhood was what most would deem as normal when you have two carrier-minded parents. While his father was working most nights as a higher ranking police officer, his mother had a hard time letting go of her work as a family psychologist when she came home. At least he had his younger siblings, Jacob and Christina, though there were a few years between all of them. One thing that his parents encouraged throughout their childhood was to find something you love and go for it, though they also emphasised the importance of an education. His father had always hoped for his son to follow in his footsteps, but Gabriel never had any interest in law enforcement - luckily for him, his younger brother decided early on to go for the police as well, letting Gabriel off the hook. Instead, he found a profound love for books and anything old. It started with a fascination with Egypt when he borrowed a book from the local library simply because it looked interesting. From there, it took him to Rome, Italy, and Greece, and his love for history became very focused on the Mediterranean area. As soon as he heard that archaeologist was an actual thing - mainly introduced by Indiana Jones - he was elated. His parents had to keep him out of their garden to ensure that he didn't dig all of it up in the search for treasures of olden times.
Gabriel did well in school, excelling particularly in the humanities, but he had no issue with maths and sciences, while sports came naturally to him as well. He played field hockey through most of school and could have continued doing so if he wasn't set on studying archaeology. He work hard towards attending Oxford University and managed to get in as well, which was no surprise considering his grades, his field work and experience that he had already gained as a volunteer, and his overall motivation. He was made for the course and university was like a dream, nothing less. It was exactly what he wanted and he only made that clear by being exceptional. While he had a dream of eventually working at a museum, he loved field work and that was the first thing he jumped into, fresh out of university. He had been at a lot of digs throughout university as a part of his degree, but now he was a real archaeologist, ready for the world. He worked on collaborations between the British and the Italian government assisting and eventually leading dig sites, which led to him being hired to scout a location in Turkey and conduct surveys with the intention of uncovering Roman settlements.
He never made it to the site. It all happened so quickly. The car in front of them was stopped and suddenly they were swarmed from both sides - he heard gunshots and yelling, then an explosion, and all went dark. When he woke up, he was alone, darkness engulfed him, and he was chained to a wall by the neck and both wrists. He had no idea what had happened, how long he had been out for, or what had happened to the others. From that moment, nothing was the same. First, he feared that it was some sort of terrorist group, but he later on realised that it was nothing of the sort. It was all about the money, someone hoping to cash in some quick, large sums of money. What followed was anything but quick. He was kept isolated and only moved a few times - every time it happened, he hoped that he was being freed, only to find himself in a smaller, worse cell. He had nearly no contact with anyone during the first year, only when he was fed and given something to drink from time to time. After being moved for the third time, this changed. It seemed like the kidnappers got desperate, probably due to the fact that they had yet to see any money. Gabriel knew that he was not alone, that others had been taken as well, but he still had no idea who and what had happened to the others in case that they hadn't taken all. They did everything to keep them separate, but one night he was woken up by screaming of what he recognised as some of his colleagues. He quickly learnt what prompted the screaming - and he still cannot forget it.
He was held captive for a little over two years. He tried escaping on more than one occasion, but nothing worked. Eventually, the ransom was paid and they were rescued. By then, he was severely malnourished, scarred physically and mentally, with little to no will to live. Apparently, it had been a huge case in the media, especially because the British government were so reluctant to pay, even after videos were sent to them displaying the torture and beating of the captives. He survived along with four others, but he lost two colleagues - one never made it out the car, another succumbed after a year. Gabriel spent years recovering, first at the hospital, then at a rehabilitation centre, all while he did all he could to avoid journalists. The only thing that kept him going was his family, the reunion with them was all he really needed to keep going. His recovery went surprisingly well, probably because he was in a good, physical shape before the kidnapping, but he was no where near the same person as four years ago. He eventually managed to get back to work, landing a job at The British Museum, which caused a bit of drama since people saw it as a way of trying to cover up the mistreatment of him and his colleagues by giving them well-paying jobs within the government and its institutions, but he could care less, he knew he was the right person for the job either way. He has been working there for a year or so and life seems to be somewhat normal again. -
C O R E T R A I T S
➣ K I N D
adj. | kind | ˈkīnd
Gabriel is a kind, straight-forward person who's generally really liked. He has a calmness to him and treats everyone in the same kind manner, no matter the person. He was brought up in this sense and while certain people sees it as naive, his kindness is not blind. While he values treating people equally, he cannot ignore everything. He is in general rather fair when it comes to the treatment of others, but he is first and foremost kind. He will let their actions determine how he treats them rather than prejudices and hearsay. He is a people person, though, and while he savours time alone, he likes being around people.➣ P E R S I S T E N T
adj. | per·sis·tent | pər-ˈsi-stənt
Gabriel's persistence has kept him alive. He's not sure where he would be if he wasn't extremely persistent and steadfast. It's something that keeps him good at his job, but also makes him want to stay alive whatever it takes. He's not the type of person who steps down or let others walk over him, he's a fighter in the end. He was raised to keep on going no matter what and in a competitive environment it was proven to be valuable. It also makes him somewhat proud, sometimes too much. He doesn't like losing face, but is prepared to do so to stand up for what he believes in.
➣ C U N N I N G
adj. | cun·ning | ˈkə-niŋ
Gabriel is great at using the things around him for his advantage. He's clever and has a talent for reading people, and his intellect benefits him greatly. He is not someone who holds back if he has to, especially if he knows that he can gain the upper hand. He does this cleverly, though, and his cunning nature has made him a naturally good liar as well. While he is normally a rather honest person, he has no issue with switching things up if the situation demands it. He's a problem solver above all else, something that reflects on his daily life, routine, and personal life.➣ C L O S E D
adj. | closed | ˈklōzd
Though he is kind and an people person, Gabriel is rather closed up. He can open up, but only to a certain degree and it puts a strain on his relationships with others, when he suddenly shuts off. He likes to keep people at a distance, both physically and mentally. This has been proven to be the easiest way for him to cope, even if it's not the healthiest option. It's almost worse that he can open up slightly, since people don't expect him to close off all of a sudden, because it happens out of nowhere mostly. He's not the best of setting up boundaries so it usually happens on the spot, and people have a tendency to leave him alone after that.
