Post by Josh Parker on Aug 12, 2012 11:50:54 GMT -5
| [atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 460px; background-image: url(http://i44.tinypic.com/34fb0ns.jpg);-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px 0px 0px 0px; border: 4px ridge #7a9aa9, bTable][tr][cs=2] joshua arthur parker. twenty-six. wizarding lawyer. chris evans. | |
[rs=2] | Joshua Parker was born on October 5th, 1996 to Ruth Hannah Parker and Christopher Albert Miller. Though he doesn’t know much about his biological father because he left Ruth long before Josh was born because the two weren’t in any type of serious relationship and he was the result of an unexpected pregnancy, he still prides himself on having his mother’s surname instead of his father’s. Once Christopher left Ruth, she was left to take care of Josh on her own. She adapted to the situation quickly and well enough because she had been raised by a single mother herself. Unfortunately, Ruth’s mother, who had happened to be her only real family and source of support, had passed away of cancer before Josh was born, and thus Ruth was on her own when it came to providing for herself and her newborn child. However, Ruth was a resolute woman, strong and dignified and determined to take care of her son, and she did just that. Despite her difficult situation and all the responsibility resting on her shoulders – taking care of her son, paying the rent for their flat by working as many hours as possible at the restaurant she waitressed at, and dreaming of a better life with a husband and more money for both herself and her child – she never complained. It was not in her nature to do so, because the last thing she wanted was to seem weak and vulnerable in front of her peers, including and especially men, so she hardly, if ever, let her emotions show. Ruth wasn't particularly a 'mumsy' mum, but it was evident to anyone around them that he was one of the most important things in her life and she loved him more than words could say. Josh was a good child from the start, as Ruth had taught him to be independent and had given him her ethic of how hard work pays off in the end from a young age. It was clear that he was also a bit reckless and adventurous, but Ruth didn't mind too much because he was very bright and always in high spirits. At the age of five, Josh began his education at a Muggle primary school. Regardless of her lack of money, Ruth made sure to send Josh to school as well-dressed and presentable as possible, knowing that appearances were very important to get ahead in life. A lot of other mothers with the same financial situation as Ruth were unimpressed with her when they saw the way Josh was dressed so elegantly when she brought him to and from school, but this didn't halt Ruth's efforts in the least. Josh, being a generally likable and talkative boy even at the young age of five, settled into school well and had no trouble making friends. He was also more sporty than other children his age, having a talent for basketball and football specifically, and this combined with his adventurous and outgoing nature was well received by all the boys in his class. Josh was very active and after school would often go out after school to play football with the other boys living near him. On the other hand, at home it was usually quiet because all Ruth would want to do after work would be to smoke a couple of fags or watch the television. Consequently, Josh became an avid reader because at nights he had very little else to do. He wasn’t sure when exactly he got to be such a keen reader – it just progressed throughout the years, becoming one of his favorite hobbies and an excellent way to spend his time. His teachers all reported him as a good kid, smart and well-behaved, though like all of the younger boys in his class, capable of causing trouble every now and then. As great as his new life at school was, Josh's first priority was always his mother. He was growing up and starting to realize that things weren't as okay as she made them out to be – she was beginning to work more and more shifts at the restaurant and it came to the point where an older girl who lived in one of their neighboring flats was convinced by Ruth to walk Josh to and from school every day. Josh constantly worried about her, even when it came to the little things. It was becoming apparent that Angeline needed a life partner – in fact, she was trying her best to seek one out, though it was tough because almost any man would've been willing to shag her, but none wanted to stick around for long, especially not when they realized that she also had a small kid. Throughout the years, Ruth would occasionally hire a babysitter to look after Josh for a couple of hours while she went out all dressed up in tight, dark clothing and the pearl necklace that her own mother had given her at the age of sixteen. She never hid the fact that she was going on dates from Josh, because she didn’t believe that lying would help her out at all, especially since not one of the men ever seemed to stick around. Josh wasn't ever bothered by his mother going out on dates, seeing it as a part of life by assuming that that was what all mothers without husbands always did. However, as he was still very young at this point, he never knew exactly what went on in those dates. His mum would blow him a kiss, wave at the babysitter, and then disappear out the door, returning hours later when he was tucked up in bed to press a kiss onto his forehead and wish him goodnight. He expected it always to be this way. However, things shifted from this routine when Josh was eight and Bobby Archer entered his mother's life. He observed that she’d go out far more regularly, and it always appeared to be with the same man. Josh was curious, but not curious enough to snoop. He didn’t have to resort to that anyways, though, because soon enough, his mum brought home a man wearing jeans, muddy boots, and a normal t-shirt. Frankly, he looked nothing like any man Josh had expected his mother to go out with. Ruth introduced him as Robert Archer, but Robert told Josh that he was allowed to call him Bobby. Bobby and Ruth had met through a friend – originally, Bobby was very much taken with Ruth's best friend, but as he was trying to win her affection, he and Ruth became close and eventually started dating. Josh quickly learned that Bobby was the direct opposite of his mother – while she was graceful, collected, and well-dressed, Bobby was loud, brash, and poorly-dressed. In those early days, Bobby was actually quite nice to Josh, treating him as an uncle would a nephew, joking with him, slipping him chocolate bars, buying him ice-cream, watching the telly with him and his mum and even playing football with him. All of this was enough for Josh at the time, but though he would never admit it, he was a little scared of Bobby and how loud and aggressive he could be in certain situations. A few months later, when Josh was still eight, Ruth became pregnant. She told Josh immediately after telling Bobby, because she had no time for secrets in anticipation of the major changes that would take place in her and her son's lives. Bobby moved in to their flat, and Josh was hit with how swiftly they'd gone from a family of two to a soon to be family of four. The baby boy, named William Joseph Archer, was welcomed into the family eagerly. Josh and Bobby were both thrilled to have Will enter their lives for different reasons – Josh was beyond chuffed that he was going to have a brother who he could, in time, teach how to play football and ride a bicycle, while Bobby was thrilled at having his own son, even taking days off work so that he could look after him. Ruth still wasn't quite hands on with Will, just as she hadn't been with Josh. Again, she wasn't a 'mumsy' mum – instead, she treated it all with a weary, 'I'll-do-it-if-I-have-to' attitude. In addition, the years of effort she'd put into her and Josh's survival had token a toll on her, and she was more worn out than ever. Will and Josh both grew – Josh became known for his handsomeness and steady confidence and Will was a boisterous little toddler who worshipped his brother and admired his father. Even though he was only nearing nine years old, Josh was already one of the 'popular' boys at his primary school – he was talented and well-liked, though it was also common knowledge that he had a bit of a temper – it took a while to get him going, but if you consistently irritated him there was a possibility that he'd hit you. He wasn't quite aggressive, per say, but it was obvious that he was slightly rough around the edges and thus good older brother material. It was around this period in Josh's life that he'd already grown tired of Bobby, who seemed concerned with only two things – himself and Will. He never mistreated Josh, but he never paid any particular attention to him, either, and was mainly obnoxious and lazy. When Josh came home from school, Bobby was without a doubt to be found slumped on the sofa with some beer watching television, not wanting to do anything that required effort, and Ruth would already in bed. Josh was always on his mother’s side, feeling the need to protect her. However, one of his worst memories and most ashamed moments was one day when he'd had enough and had gotten angry, stood at the end of her bed, yelling at her for hiding under the covers when he needed her to be awake to take care of him. He screamed himself hoarse in a childish fury, but Ruth did not budge. The next day, though, he found her in the kitchen, carrying Will around and making beans on toast. Ruth never acknowledged him yelling at her, and she looked as weary as ever, but it was a change that had need to be made, and under all the guilt of what he'd done, he also secretly felt pleased that he'd shaken her up enough to wake her up and face the reality and responsibilities of day to day life and what it meant for her. Josh loved Will very much, even if he didn't get to spend as much time with him as he would've liked, as he went off to Hogwarts two years later when he was eleven and Will was three. Bobby had been told about the wizarding world by this time, being forced to keep it a secret, and Josh had told all his friends that he was going to a private boarding school, which was received with a bit of teasing because they accused him of going to a 'sissy school', but he took it all in stride, knowing that they were still his mates. He was only eleven, but of course, already much more mature than most other kids his age. He was sorted into Gryffindor at Hogwarts, which he didn't mind at all – he hadn't had any expectations of where he would get sorted and would've been happy with any house. He fit in easily at this new school, making friends with people from several different crowds – he had his dorm-mates and house-mates, too, because he got on well with both guys and girls. He never exhibited any sort of house bias, either, quickly befriending people from all three of the other houses. His professors all liked him based not only the fact that he was a decent guy, but also his easy charm and unnerving confidence. It was mostly unknown to many people that Josh was one of the biggest partiers in his year – Ruth suspected it, but let it slide. When Josh was twelve and Will was four, their baby sister, Lara Archer, was born. Will also began attending Muggle primary school that year, and Josh was more proud of him than ever, although it bothered him to no end that his brother was registered under the name William Archer – as if Will belonged to not Ruth, but Bobby alone. In contrast to how much Bobby had cherished Will's presence, this time it was Ruth who doted extensively on Lara, her love for her being obvious, as she'd always wanted a daughter. Josh adored Lara, but he was less excited at her birth than he had been at the birth of Will, though this was something that came with his age and interest in things other than playing with his siblings. Bobby was always either working, slumped beside the television, or with Will, and Ruth was completely busy with taking care of Lara. Because of this, Josh’s summer after he returned home upon completing his first year at Hogwarts had a lot of free reign. He could leave in the mornings before noon and then walk through the door around nine or ten and not get questioned as to where he’d been all day. As a result, he managed to fall into the wrong gang. Looking back, Josh considers his choices then not as a rebellion but something he wanted to do to get some sort of attention, or perhaps to have another family, a different kind of family than the one he had at home. The gang he joined wasn’t incredibly hardcore – it was mostly drinking, smoking, and a bit of intimidation every so often. Josh tried drugs and shoplifted a bit, but that was about it. Essentially it was just a group of young lads that didn’t have a lot to lean on in terms of their real families, and had too much aggression and rebellion in them to behave well the majority of the time. Most of the boys in the gang were older than Josh, in their mid or late teens, but Josh was just as canny and smooth as the rest of them, so his age wasn't a concern at all. Strangely enough, when they divulged in illegal activities that Josh didn't approve that much of, he steered clear of them, at which point it could be inferred that he was just there because it was 'cool' to be involved in such a group. During his engagement with the gang, Josh was arrested twice between third and fifth year. However, at Hogwarts he was quite well-behaved, even though his grades were slipping. When Josh was fifteen and Will was seven, Josh was home for the Easter Holidays, which was rare because usually it was only the Christmas and summer holidays he'd leave Hogwarts for. Not knowing that Josh was home, some older boys invited Will to play football with them, and Will hadn't realized that it was only to wind him up and get him furious because he was generally an outcast, and his anger was an entertainment of sorts for many of the other kids in the neighborhood. Josh luckily came to his younger brother's rescue just as Will launched himself at the other boys, and though Will was often treated as a joke, Josh was fifteen, he was cool, he could handle himself, and everybody knew him. The boys who'd planned to bully Will knew that Josh had been arrested before, they knew he was part of a gang, and they knew he could fight if he wanted to, so they retreated. Josh told Will quite confidently that from then on, if he was ever in trouble, he was to come and get Josh to help him out. Around the middle of his fifth year, Josh grew up greatly and was hit by the sudden urge to get his life together – that was, the parts of his life that he could control at the present moment, because the never-ending tensions at home weren't anything that was in his hands to change or make better for his little brother and sister while he was living at Hogwarts (though when he was at home, he was a great diffuser and did well at keeping the dysfunctional family together and as steady and peaceful as possible). Since his desire to do better than he had been in academics for the past four years in order to get somewhere came a bit late into his fifth year, his OWL results were average, though he did receive a few Es, a feat that he couldn't have accomplished if he hadn't started to change his aspirations regarding school in the first place. The summer before sixth year, he transformed himself completely – no longer having any inclination to go back to the gang that he'd considered his other 'family' for the past few years, he instead stayed at home all day and turned once again to reading, a habit from primary school that he'd abandoned upon joining the gang. He was starting to see the point of studying and getting good marks, and although his newfound resolve wasn't noticed by Bobby or even Ruth, who were both too busy with their respective jobs during the day and taking care of Will and Lara in the evenings to notice that Josh was now spending hours in his bedroom reading instead of out in the neighborhood doing drugs and wreaking havoc, he wasn't affected, making up his mind to study as hard as he could once he got back to Hogwarts. He did that exactly, keeping up with all the homework that was assigned to him in his lessons and excelling in all of his assessments as well, changes that were taken with complete and utter shock by most of his professors. Though he'd always been well-behaved in school, never before had he achieved the types of marks that he was starting to in sixth year. Josh hadn't only matured when it came to school and studying – it was finally noted by his family members when he came home for the holidays after sixth year that he was more quiet, thoughtful, and precise. He simply didn't have time for any of his old friends, including those from the gang, some of whom he'd run into on the street at times when going out to get groceries or other supplies for his household and had politely rejected when they insisted that he return to their world. He worked just as hard in seventh year as he had in sixth year, if not harder, and went on to get 10 Os in his NEWTs. This was an astonishing victory, in his mind, to show for all the work he'd put into changing himself to get there. After graduating Hogwarts, Josh immediately began training to be a wizarding lawyer. Ruth had never been more proud in her life, and it was the first time any of her children had ever seen her cry. For the next couple of years, Josh lived on his own, though he still visited Ruth, Bobby, and his brother and sister when he could, but most of his time was spent either at the Muggle library nearby doing studying for the tests required to become a lawyer, or out and about, getting some work experience in the field of wizarding law. He was more distant from his family than he'd ever been, even when he'd been in his gang stage, but he didn't necessarily consider this a bad thing. He knew that he needed some time on his own, and being alone worked well for him – now that he had no other choice but to care for himself, he quickly learned how to cook and do laundry without the help of magic in case that would come in handy some day. By the time Josh was almost twenty, Will was twelve, and Lara was eight, Bobby was appearing less and less around their household. Josh was thoroughly unimpressed with Bobby's behavior, which he heard about from his mother and saw for himself the occasional time that he spent a night or two at home. Thus when Bobby randomly turned up one day in the summer after having been absent for several weeks, Josh was immediately on edge, his disapproval of Bobby's actions no secret to anyone around him. An argument was sparked, during which Josh told Will and Lara to leave the room, with a calm and still demeanor that was very odd for someone who on the inside was so angry – angry that his mother, his absolute favorite person in the world, and his siblings, who he actually loved more than anything, had to put up with the antics of Bobby and had to rely on him to take care of them when he obviously wasn't prepared to do any such thing. Lara obeyed and left, but Will was far more stubborn, proceeding to yell at Ruth, blaming her for everything because he wanted to spend time with his father now that he was there. Josh, for once, did not defend his brother, reprimanding him severely and ushering him out of the room before he could do much more damage. Josh told Bobby that no one, especially Ruth, needed or wanted to deal with his shit any longer, and kicked him out of the house, which wasn't taken well by him because although he was finally being rid of his responsibilities, he didn't enjoy being told off by a twenty year-old who wasn't even his own biological son. It turned out that even after everything, Will wanted desperately to leave with Bobby, but Josh of course refused without any hesitation, wanting his brother to have a chance at a decent life, which he was sure he wouldn't get if he went off with a man like Bobby Archer. Throughout it all, Ruth didn't speak a single word, leaning against the counter, looking out the window and taking a drag on her cigarette. When Josh went into Lara's room with the news, he was pleasantly surprised that she took it beyond well, going as far as smiling and hugging him for the first time in their lives. Josh moved back into the flat, putting extra effort into making Will and Lara happy and making sure Ruth was content – by this time he'd had a part-time job at a Muggle law firm for the better part of the past couple of months, so he was able to support his family both financially and emotionally. He could see that Will was rapidly getting more and more out of control – he was still upset about Josh's decision to put Bobby to the curb, which Josh reacted to with a casual indifference. He went by the philosophy that his brother would have to get over it eventually, learn to live with it, maybe even use it to grow up a bit. He still loved his siblings to death, but he really did want the best for them, and perhaps growing up without a father like Josh had would give them reason to be become stronger, though he wouldn't willingly wish having to grow up with one parent upon anyone. He shut himself in his room a lot, coming out only to stop the arguments between Will and Ruth – if you could even call Will screaming at his mother and her choosing not to respond at all an 'argument'. He knew that Will wanted him to take his side, but that was one thing Josh could never do, because his sympathies would always lie with his mother until the end of time, and he knew that Bobby being out of the picture would benefit his mother as well. During the last month of summer that year, Josh discreetly informed his mother that he was quitting his current part-time job as an office assistant and going away to America, the reason being that it would be easier to continue his schooling and work there. He left unsaid that he wished he could stay and keep helping out with bringing up Will and Lara, but he knew his mother understood – they'd always had a talent for understanding what the other wanted to say without even speaking – that he needed to continue on with his efforts at becoming a successful lawyer in the wizarding world and needed to get away from the hostile environment of their home, needed to make a life for himself elsewhere; and Ruth supported him in this even though she didn't openly say that she did. It was a secret kept between the two of them for a few weeks, until the end of summer, when Josh had to announce his plans to Will and Lara. Both of their reactions were just as Josh had predicted them – Lara kept quiet, not letting her expression betray any emotion as usual, and Will lost it. It was all typical, and though there was a part of Josh that felt guilty for leaving the way that he was, he was also far too determined to back down from his decision. Josh settled in excellently in Chicago, Illinois, deciding to set his goals high from the start by moving to one of the largest urban areas of the United States. Pleasantly enough, he found there to be a good sized wizarding community there, and even though he had an accent, he was intensely charming and it wasn't tough to make himself a common name among potential employers. Chicago, being the extremely expensive city that it was, was difficult to survive in, but Josh worked hard, getting himself the smallest apartment he could afford and working one Muggle job at a cafe just down the block and another wizarding job, in which he worked as an apprentice to a wizarding lawyer who began to train him properly. The skills of cooking and cleaning that he'd taught himself earlier did become useful, but as it turned out, he barely had any time for himself. Between two jobs and how much effort he was putting into his training but sometimes still not having enough to pay the bills, he found that he could easily become stressed, but no matter what happened, he remained strong, never telling Ruth about any of his major problems in the letters he wrote to her. In their correspondence back and forth, Ruth and Josh discussed not only how he was adjusting to the new country, but everything that was going on at home as well. Stress was still high between Ruth and Will, especially since Ruth had gotten a new boyfriend, Samuel Hawes, a bigwig at the Ministry of Magic. Josh was eventually informed that Ruth and her two children were moving into Samuel's grand home, and it pleased Josh that her mother had finally gotten a bit of comfort in her life, considering how rich Samuel happened to be. Later on, in no more than one or two lines, Ruth wrote to Josh telling him that Will had been kicked out of the house by Samuel for her well-being, after Will had continually caused trouble around Samuel's manor. Josh immediately took a dislike to Samuel and any mention of him, despite never having met him and only having heard about him through his mother's letters. He didn't tell her this, though, because his feelings were that of an overprotective son who'd seen his mother get hurt far too many times, hide her feelings far too many times, and then put back on the face of apathy time and time again. He didn't want this relationship to end the way hers and Bobby's had, but at the same time, there was something about Samuel that he found detestable, perhaps because even though Josh was aware of all of Will's flaws and shortcomings, Will would always be Josh's baby brother, someone he had to look after and protect and love, even if his ways of showing it didn't fit that of normal brothers in a normal family – but then again, there was nothing too normal about the way the three children in Ruth's household had grown up. Of course, Will and Lara weren't aware that Ruth and Josh kept contact throughout the six years Josh spent in America, otherwise they would have likely insisted that Josh write to them as well. Though he loves them more than anything and knew he was being a shit brother to begin with by leaving them to struggle all by themselves, he realized that he couldn't write to them, because it would hurt too much to know what they were going through back in England. He knew he couldn't bear it without recklessly rushing back there, something he honestly couldn't do unless he wanted to put all his training to waste before he completed it. From his years in the gang, Josh had gained quite a bit of street-sense and had the ability to get respect from people in a short amount of time after meeting them – not by intimidation or anything along those lines, as one would expect of someone who'd been involved in the types of things that he had, but by his simple charm and confidence, which had also gotten him places during his years at Hogwarts, allowing him to always get on people's good sides simply by initiating a casual conversation with them. This wasn't necessarily manipulative on his part – it was just a trait that came naturally to him and still does, because he can twist his words around to please people that he needs to within an instant and is always sure of both himself and his actions. His confidence is sort of contagious – when people are around him, they tend to feel better about themselves, because he just projects that sort of energy, although he's not too loud or up-in-your-face. Instead, he's got this strange calmness about him, where he's generally quiet and usually only speaks up when spoken to first – depending on the person, though, he may launch himself into conversation with them upon seeing them. He's a very easy-going guy, though not in the way most easy-going people would describe themselves as easy-going – he has the ability to be collected and chill in most situations, but he's also serious a lot of the time, though not in an uptight way. There's also still a great deal of anger built up inside him that can be triggered at any given moment – if someone mistreats him when he doesn't deserve it or generally irritates him on a continuous basis or gets in his personal space or disrespects his mum and brother and sister in any way, they see a whole other side of him, one that can get from cool and apathetic to furious and violent in the matter of seconds. Though he never realized – and still doesn't realize – that there's many noticeable similarities between him and his mother, there definitely are. He eventually gained his persona of nonchalance and weariness towards everyone and everything from her, along with her persistence and boldness. Additionally, before Bobby and Will and Lara had even entered their lives, Ruth had already given Josh some of the most important life lessons that he still holds close in his heart and mind – that even if money can't give you direct happiness, it can certainly give you power and status, which are both important things in the world no matter if anyone says different, and likewise, appearances are deadly significant if you want to make your mark and get where you want to be by first getting the respect of those around you. He had sex for the first time when he was fifteen, to an older girl he met at a neighborhood party he crashed with his fellow gang members. He had been extremely drunk and so had she, so he barely remembered what happened when he woke up the next morning in someone else's home in an unfamiliar bed, but he can still recall how strange it felt – even though he couldn't figure out the details, he somehow felt like a different person afterwards. He doesn't particularly regret that this is the way he lost his virginity, because he doesn't dwell too much on his mistakes of the past. The years he spent messing about and not paying attention to school are basically a blur to him presently – he knows that they happened and that he can't change that, so he always chooses to look to the future instead of giving himself reasons to think about the past. Josh is conventionally good-looking and attractive, something that he recognizes but doesn't ever misuse to take advantage of women – in fact, he's very relaxed about sex and dating, not really seeing the appeal, but also not being completely detached from it either. Normally he'll wait for a woman to approach him, and if she seems genuinely interested, he'll have a go at flirting with her, though it usually doesn't take much effort on his end for the woman to be immediately captivated by him. He's generally not a fan of one night stands – they leave him feeling emptier than usual – though he's had his fair share of those and a few flings in the past, including the girls that chased after him during his early Hogwarts years because of his bad-boy vibe. However, the most important relationships in his life have always been the ones with his family – Ruth, Will, and Lara. No matter how broken apart they currently are, those are the three people in his life he will always think about and protect before anyone else. He doesn't spend much time thinking about romantic love – it's just another thing that exists in life that happens to some people and doesn't happen to others, and he's fairly neutral about the whole thing. He's not overly optimistic and happy-ending oriented, but he's also not overly pessimistic and bearing the "there's no such thing as love" attitude. He just really doesn't care about it either way and has better things to spend his time contemplating. Josh has now completed his training as a wizarding lawyer, and though he's gotten plenty of education and practical experience in the career path, made many connections in America, and can call himself by the title, he's looking to score a job in the Wizengamot if he can. Since he was sixteen, this has secretly been his dream, and he believes he's talented enough to make it come true, not to mention that doing so would give him an excuse to move back to England and get acquainted with his family again. He knows that it's going to be tough, because he's too familiar with the way his younger brother Will will probably react to his returning home after not contacting him for six whole years, though Lara's response is slightly harder to anticipate. He doesn't care, though – he thinks that things can only get better from this point on, not worse, and he's always known that he'd have to go back to England eventually. He's always been a very 'go with the flow' type of guy, taking whatever life gives him and making the best of it because shit happens and everyone's only got so much time to do what they want to do and be with the people they truly care about, so because of this, he firmly considers there to be no better time to be going back home than now. |
hope. a million years old. 1 year rping. est. |
pic © ELLE LIKE COOL @ caution 2.0
