Writer Info;
Writer Name/Handle: Jeannie
Are you (the Writer) 18 years of age or over?: Yes

Character Info;
Town Opening: Antique Store Employee - Lou's Unpaid Intern
Housing: Above the Antique Store - Lou's Unannounced Lodger
Character Journal name: cantbehave
Character Name: Casey Donovan
Character Age: 34
Character Played By: Kit Harington
Character Personality & History:

Casey Donovan, one of many children, both adopted and biological (he, himself, being one of the latter), always enjoyed standing out. Where his parents were neglectful and dismissive of most of the children they acquired through various means, he took it upon himself to dote. Little brothers and sisters to look after, band-aids to apply, last bowls of cereal to give up willingly; somehow, some way, despite not having many examples of doting and caring at home, Casey learned how.

He soothed babies as they arrived, from a young age. He beat up bullies when they picked on his siblings. He commiserated over evil boys who broke hearts. He gave fashion advice where warranted. He learned to paint nails, and do hair. He played games, and let people win, when it was warranted. He taught more than one how to count to a hundred, and those closer in age learned to read with him as he practiced.

He tried extra curricular activities with them all, football, ballet (more on that later), singing lessons, and instruments. He learned how to sew a pillow with a sister, and learned how to shoot clay pigeons with a brother. Because of this, he's marginally good at a lot of different things. But he also learned through trial and error that he was somewhat exceptional at other things. Dancing, singing, and playing instruments came naturally to him. Piano, guitar, violin. He even taught himself the drums (much to his mother's horror).

Singing, that was another instrument he had, his voice was better than good, girls in school swooned when he got solos in school programs. When he sang in the school musicals. Though, by the time he was 15, he was very clear with anyone who would listen that he wasn't interested in making girls swoon, as there were plenty of boys around who liked the dancing boy with broad shoulders and curly black hair.

Dancing started a bit older than most, he was ten. He started in a beginner class with a sister a few years younger who was feeling shy. Casey was never shy. Ever. He didn't care what anyone said about him, and while he didn't take it too seriously at first, and was there mostly for moral support, he turned out to have a knack for it. Even after his sister lost interest, he stayed in the class. He also picked up tap dancing, and jazz dancing.

Casey, as he grew up, wasn't what you'd expect at first glance. With his unruly dark hair, rock band tee shirts, and leather jacket and boots, he looked more likely to beat up a choir boy, than actually be one. And yes, he had dance shoes in his bag, but he still got caught smoking pot in the bathroom at prep school.

When he wasn't trying to keep his grades up, preparing to be the next Broadway sensation, looking after his siblings, or getting into trouble, he was writing music, starting a ridiculous high school rock band, or out a rock clubs with a fake ID getting shit faced. Needless to say, Casey was always one to keep himself busy. The busier he was, the less he saw of his parents. The less he saw of his parents, the better, in his view. And probably in their view as well.

Casey knew, that unless he got into a prestigious art school his parents wouldn't take his future plans seriously, and would impose some kind of restrictions on him. Because he knew, they viewed all of them as reflections of themselves. He didn't want to continue his education, he wanted to go out into the world and make his way in it, get his hands dirty and work his way up to being the greatest performer in the world. Etc. But he also knew that he needed to remain on good terms with his parents if he was going to keep close with most of his siblings. So it was for their sake that he even bothered getting good grades in school, and while he got into trouble, he tried to keep it to a dull roar as much as he could.

Casey's master plan worked out for him, after an arduous process he was accepted to The Julliard School, and while the prospect of leaving his family an entire ocean away was painful, he knew it was the best of both worlds. Parents appeased? Check. Higher education? Check. Life on his own? Check. So, at just barely 19 years old, Casey left Scotland and moved to New York City.

To say that it was a rough start, would be putting it lightly. He wasn't the best, brightest, or toughest. He wasn't even the most original. He was put in his place more than once, knocked down to size, and eventually lifted back up as the kid emerged a handful of years later as something close to a man. He found work, off- off - off broadway. He did workshops, he did more classes, he taught some classes, he found work off - broadway. He was in a few commercials, he started a band, he played in some clubs, he was in a few background scenes on TV, he worked and worked. And he left broken hearts everywhere he went.

He sang on a soap commercial. He sang on a car commercial. He auditioned for bit parts in plays, some he got, some he didn't. He waited tables, he delivered pizzas, he sang on the street when times got really rough. Eventually, the small break came, the musical theater dream was being realized as he was cast in a background role in a Broadway production, also as an understudy, then he was the one performing the role one night a week, then he took over for the lead when he left. Another medium sized break came, when he was cast in a supporting role.

Surprisingly, his big break came back on the other side of the pond. A West End production. Lead role. All his. Singing, dancing. And it was all his. He was nominated for an award for that one, and while he didn't get it, he did get plenty of recognition. And a lot of partying, cocaine and booze. But he kept it under control, and no one was the wiser. Another West End role followed, and then another, and he stayed on in London for a couple of years, before Broadway called him back to New York.

It was on his second time in New York, that things began heading a little south. A back injury during a performance, not career ending, but he had to leave the show a few months in to recover. And it was painful enough to require pain killers for a while as he recovered. He focused this time on his rock band, which did well, but wasn't good for him in his current state. The parties, the access to drugs, the prescriptions he already had, it all started an opiate addiction that no one saw coming. Even after he recovered fully from the injury vicodin had turned to oxys, oxys turned to morphine, morphine turned to heroine. And heroin pretty much ruined his life.

He lost touch with his family almost completely during this period, would disappear for weeks at a time, friends were concerned they'd find him dead. One time they very nearly did. He was in the papers quite a bit for his antics, trouble with the law, trouble with the band, trouble with the tour, and trouble with his declining health. Eventually, Casey went to rehab.

And unlike many others, he's never looked back. He did everything he was supposed to do, and continues to do everything he's supposed to do. He goes to meetings, he helps others, he's honest when he struggles, he is aware of himself and his troubles. He takes things one day at a time. He's been sober five years, he's still a rock star, he's still working, he's got a Tony Award, and he's just dropped a solo album that he hopes everyone will like. He's playing a lot of smaller venues around the US currently. But, he cut his tour short, when Sam called to tell him that his brother, Louis, needed some looking after.

Town Connections;

Old friend: Someone who knows Casey that would be really weird to run into around here!
Fangirl/boy: LOL yes, you can have his autograph
The broken hearts club: Casey leaves broken hearts everywhere he goes, in a nice way. He's the best boyfriend ever, he's just really bad at making things stick.