Lucas Brady

[Slam]

Name: Lucas Nathaniel Brady
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Hobbies and Interests: World affairs, politics, card games, Magic: The Gathering, fishing, glamping, investing.

Appearance: Lucas stands at 5'6" and weighs 108 lbs, giving him a skinny build, which he describes as lean-muscular. He is white. Lucas has dark blonde hair styled into side-swept pompadour, that he has maintained on a fortnightly basis by the local high-end salon. He has an angular jawline and a narrow mouth. His blue eyes are average in shape and size, and his nose has a strong bridge but narrow nostrils. His features sit low on his face, giving him a large forehead. Although he used to suffer from as stubborn five o’clock shadow above his lip, spa treatments have since managed to achieve him a smooth-faced look to go with his blemish-free skin.

Lucas opts only to wear the latest styles, obtained through the services of a personal shopper and modified through a tailor. He prefers a semi-formal look that most would describe as preppy, enjoying shirts, chinos, blazers, waistcoats and leather shoes. He also has a collection of silk ties, one of which always accompanies his outfits regardless of whether it suits the look.

When abducted, on his upper half Lucas was wearing a frost blue shirt under an Aegean blue waistcoat with tawny brown checker lines and buttons, a walnut brown tie with tawny brown stripes, and a silver Rolex. On his bottom half he was wearing a pair of stone chinos and walnut brown dress shoes with white socks imported from London.

Biography: Lucas was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to parents Alan Brady, a plumber, and Tamara Brady née Jordan, a secretary. He is the oldest of two siblings, with a younger sister, Helen, who is four years his junior. The family moved to Saint Paul when Lucas was six years old, in order to be closer to Tamara's parents following a cancer scare with his grandmother, Joy. There were no follow-on scares since. Due to Alan’s toxic relationship with his parents, Lucas has never known his paternal grandparents.

Growing up, Lucas was always a gifted child. He never struggled with any class in elementary school and was well ahead of his peers in social studies. This was fuelled by his interest in the world around him, and he started reading newspapers by age seven. Though he wasn't able to understand many of the articles, he was still reading well above his grade level. Socially he was withdrawn, preferring to read over running around or playing games, but could still be coaxed into joining in with group activities when needed. It was because he enjoyed talking to adults about the things he'd read in the newspapers more than interacting with people his own age.

He developed a particularly strong relationship with his maternal grandfather, Gerald, with whom he shared a passion for world affairs. Lucas loved watching the news with his grandfather during his visits, and his grandfather would take the time to explain the context of many events to the young Lucas, though he would still censor certain elements that were too mature for a young boy.

Another activity he enjoyed with his grandfather, as well as his father, was fishing. It became a regular event for the three Brady men to head out for an afternoon to spend time in the sun, and while Lucas wasn't as into the activity itself when he was young, enjoying it more for the company it offered, over time he grew to appreciate fishing as a great way to unwind from his own concerns and stresses.

Lucas inherited his interest in card games from his grandfather, who introduced him to Solitaire when he was eight. Lucas has since branched out into numerous other card games and enjoys their strategic nature. He became particularly interested in Magic: the Gathering in middle school, joining regular sessions at a local gaming store. Lucas would spend a great deal of time studying the meta online, though he lacked the means to acquire the most in-demand decks. He leaned towards blue decks, due to his perception that they required more complex strategies to pull off.

The relationship with the rest of his family was typical for a young boy: he enjoyed spending time with both his parents and tried to look out for his little sister when they weren't fighting. His maternal grandmother would dote on him and his sister, bringing him ice cream and her husband bourbon during their time watching the news.

The Brady Bunch were semi-practicing Protestants, attending church on holidays and keeping a bible on the living room bookshelf. Lucas and Helen both attended Sunday school for a period, but while Lucas agrees with many of the teachings of the bible, he doesn't consider it a major part of his identity.

In adolescence, Lucas struggled to connect with peers who didn't share his passion for world events and politics, often resulting in heated arguments. Feeling isolated, he turned to online forums and social media to find like-minded individuals. His right-wing family background reinforced his political leanings, but he became hesitant to discuss his views with classmates for fear of ostracism.

Worried about his trouble relating to others, he sought his grandfather's advice. Gerald emphasized the importance of commitment to one's viewpoints but also the value of diplomacy when discussing them. Taking this lesson to heart, Lucas decided to engage more with his peers by exploring pop culture to find common ground. He found it helped in making new, albeit shallow, friendships.

It was during middle school that Lucas would receive his asthma diagnosis. Though he had had wheezing spells before, they were minor and had been written off as allergies. However, on his way to school one day Lucas found himself suffering a full-on asthma attack which led to his formal diagnosis. To manage his condition, he naturally takes precautions and carries an inhaler. This would cause him to develop a deeper appreciation of his fishing hobby, due to it giving him the opportunity to get out of the city into the clean air of nature.

In the summer between middle school ending and high school starting for Lucas, the Brady’s financial situations would change dramatically. Tamara had always been an avid lottery player, but it was in the summer between middle and high school for Lucas where the family would win a sixty million dollar jackpot in the state lottery. Overjoyed with their new wealth, they would quickly start living excessively. They moved into an opulent home, invited Tamara’s parents to live with them, and took every opportunity to embrace their new wealth.

While Lucas was as excited as anyone would be to suddenly find himself with such wealth, he was also apprehensive. The sudden and radical changes in his life caused him anxiety and uncertainty. With high school looming just around the corner, and the memories of his previous struggles to connect with peers still fresh, Lucas grappled with questions about how best to navigate his altered circumstances. These emotions, combined with his existing sense of social isolation, led him to a significant shift in his behaviour.

Lucas began overcompensating for his prior social difficulties through ostentatious displays of wealth. Despite his lack of interest in fashion, he sought out designer outfits and expensive styling work, and adorned himself in opulent accessories. His school supplies were all high-end stationary, and he bought a top of the line new MacBook for note taking. When he started high school, he wanted everyone to be able to tell instantly how rich he was and be drawn to him because of it.

Despite the family’s gratuitous spending, they insisted on Lucas attending the public Aurora Bay High School rather than going into private education. From his parents’ perspective, it was a way to show that they still wanted to keep their kids grounded in their humble roots. Lucas was fine with this arrangement: he was already nervous enough about presenting a new image in high school, he didn’t need to be competing with a bunch of other rich kids who could invalidate it.

Lucas’ strategy of buying respect and interest from his peers had mixed results. While some students were happy to take advantage of his compulsive need to spend on food, drinks, gifts and outings, there were plenty who were repulsed by his shallow nature. Not helping the fact was that Lucas responded to these rejections with a superior attitude, concluding that he wasn’t just smarter than these people, but richer than them too. Unsure of how he could make friends his own age, Lucas rejected those who wouldn’t accept him for the materialistic ploys he could execute.

Lucas continued to maintain his academic performance despite the changes in his social status, and has achieved a 4.0 grade point average throughout high school. Though he has been tempted to cheat at times or buy completed essays, he can honestly say that his work and achievement has been his own. He insisted on this honesty both to retain some sense of inner identity by reassuring himself that he was still academically gifted, and due to the virtue of diligence his grandfather encouraged in him. He has a good relationship with most of his teachers, around whom he feels less pressure to flaunt his wealth and instead naturally discuss his academic interests. His favourite subject is social studies, a natural result of his interest in world affairs. His least favourite class is gym: he would regularly use his asthma to excuse himself from it, and dropped the class at the first opportunity.

Lucas considered a range of careers building off the back of his GPA and expertise in world affairs, and settled on studying political theory. To that end, he tried to run for student council president in his senior year. While he took the time to prepare a sound election speech and had it reviewed by a professional speechwriter, he attempted to further buy support from his peers by throwing a wild teen party the day before elections. Unfortunately, he failed to anticipate that many of the attendees would be hungover the next day and not in the mood for school politics. This no doubt contributed to his loss, which he blames on the speechwriter he hired over anything else.

Lucas would delve into the world of investing in high school. His fascination with how world events influenced financial markets became a personal passion. He found great joy in witnessing his investment choices responding in line with his predictions to current events and, to his credit, managed to maintain a stable return on his portfolio. Although his investing strategy wasn't flawless, he would attribute losses to market volatility rather than failed predictions on his part.

Lucas’ other hobbies evolved with the family’s wealth. He continued to play Magic: The Gathering, taking advantage of his money to buy the most modern decks and rare cards in order to show off. He would become lazier about strategizing, instead attempting to replicate the most successful decks without really learning why they worked. His fishing trips would evolve into glamorous camping, or 'glamping', and yacht trips out for fishing on the nearby Great Lakes with his dad and granddad. A part of Lucas misses the rougher nature of their old trips, but he doesn’t want to admit this and question his own materialistic mindset. Due to his frequent involvement in fashion and maintaining his apperance, Lucas has developed a mild interest in what makes different combinations of outfits and colours work on different body types, but he doesn't share this interest with anyone else and considers it a trivial hobby at best.

His relationship with his family has stayed healthy and hasn't changed much since he was a child, even with the gain in wealth. His parents are very proud of his academic achievements, and while Helen spends more time with her friends than her family, she still comes to him for help with homework and to discuss concerns she doesn't want to approach their parents about. Lucas enjoys going on shopping and coffee trips with his mother, who retired from her job after the lottery win. Tamara is generally the worst of the family when it comes to spending excessively, to the point that even Lucas tries to make her reconsider purchases. She tries to placate him by saying that they still have plenty of money, but Lucas has been attentive enough to the family's outgoings to question this. He enjoys discussing investments with his father; while Lucas is a better investor than his dad, Alan is eager to talk about the different companies he boasts having stock in, and Lucas is happy to relate them to his own theories around the markets. He also shares a strong bond with his grandmother who continues to dote on him, though she also tends to treat him as being younger than he actually is. He reminds her of his actual age but otherwise tolerates the misunderstanding out of good faith.

Lucas's connection with his grandfather is still robust, with their discussions maturing over the years. They can now engage in lengthy conversations about single events and their broader implications. However, Gerald has expressed concerns about Lucas's materialism and the money's impact on the family. While Gerald has enjoyed the benefits of wealth, he tries to emphasize to Lucas that his love is for the person Lucas is beneath the trappings of opulence. Despite this, Lucas's insecurities prevent him from fully embracing the humbler aspects of himself from before the family's newfound riches, and Gerald remains concerned.

These days Lucas identifies politically as a Republican, which is further supported by the family keeping company with other wealthy party supporters. He would be described as moderate right-wing rather than a hard-liner, despite some of the online forums he engages with. His beliefs include, among others: free markets lead to strong economies, but some regulation is important in areas such as environmental control; it's good to support the needy, but too much welfare leads to lack of growth and people not pulling their weight; the LGBTQ+ community have rights, but marriage as a religious institution should be between a man and a woman and you can't force religions to act otherwise; and that life is sacred and abortion should be avoided as much as possible, except for the possible exception of when the mother or child's life is at risk.

Lucas has been accepted for a place at Georgetown to study political science, which he attributes to a combination of his GPA, excellent standardized test scores, and an internship with the Saint Paul city council in the summer between his junior and senior year. Said internship was acquired thanks to his father’s contributions to the councillor’s re-election campaigns. While he is apprehensive about moving away from his family and having to integrate with a new collection of peers, he is also excited about studying his favourite subject at such a prestigious institution.

However, a looming financial crisis threatens the Brady family's extravagant lifestyle. Despite their substantial lottery winnings, they are on track to deplete their wealth within a few years. Lucas is acutely aware of this impending reality. Over the past couple of years, he has secretly saved a substantial sum of money in a personal account, enough that combined with his investments he can continue his own comfortable lifestyle throughout college and for a few more years afterwards. While he is willing to support his family when the financial tide turns, his top priority is to maintain the facade of affluence for as long as possible.

Advantages: Lucas is a very intelligent young man, and a lot of his knowledge revolves around human behaviour and group mentalities. Despite his need to be validated by his peers, he is quite comfortable by himself and will be fine operating alone for extended periods. Lucas is used to experiencing stress and anxiety, making him more prepared to experience it during the game. Lucas' experience on fishing trips also gives him some survival skills out in nature.
Disadvantages: Lucas has poor stamina and is generally weak, partially due to his asthma and partially due to a lack of interest in exercise. His asthma will also impact his ability to remain quiet should a wheezing spell hit, and losing his inhaler will make things especially difficult. While intelligent, Lucas lacks self-awareness and charisma, and he is very likely to overestimate his ability to influence his classmates. He is obsessed with how he presents himself to other people, and this may impair his ability to make prudent decisions.

Original Profile: Here.
Permission: He’s my kid so I own his rights in perpetuity until stated otherwise.

[MurderWeasel]

Heya, Jack! Lucas is looking pretty solid—just a few things to take care of before he's ready to go.

La Crosse is actually only about two and a half hours from Saint Paul—not a nothing drive, but relatively reasonable for a short trip, and even doable round-trip in a day for events. Nothing really major has to change, I'm just slightly questioning the characterization of it being hard for him to have much of a relationship primarily due to that distance.

Could I hear just a bit more about what Lucas' political beliefs actually are? Right now, that's glossed over a little bit.

It's stated that Lucas' family finances changed during high school, but later that Lucas was anxious about the changes due to high school coming up. Could we maybe pin down precisely where the big win landed for them?

Is Lucas still following fashion exclusively for the image angle, or has he come to care about it more personally after years of incorporating it into his life/image?

"social studies" would probably be the more accurate term for classes focusing on politics!

Is Lucas actually going sea-fishing (presumably through trips to one of the coasts), or are his yacht trips instead on one of the nearby Great Lakes, which also offer involved maritime experiences but more locally?

"He reminds her of her actual age" <I think should be "He reminds her of his actual age" based on the context.

Post when you've got that hammered out, and we'll give Lucas another glance. Thanks!

[Slam]

La Crosse is actually only about two and a half hours from Saint Paul—not a nothing drive, but relatively reasonable for a short trip, and even doable round-trip in a day for events. Nothing really major has to change, I'm just slightly questioning the characterization of it being hard for him to have much of a relationship primarily due to that distance.

Removed the line about them not having much of a relationship before hand as the simplest way to avoid this. Damn American geography and my lack of exact state locations.

Could I hear just a bit more about what Lucas' political beliefs actually are? Right now, that's glossed over a little bit.

Added detail in paragraph 22. Mostly lifted from the original profile, conveniently.

It's stated that Lucas' family finances changed during high school, but later that Lucas was anxious about the changes due to high school coming up. Could we maybe pin down precisely where the big win landed for them?

Fixed this: the time was supposed to be the summer between Lucas finishing middle school and starting high school, but the detail must've gotten lost in the editing process.

Is Lucas still following fashion exclusively for the image angle, or has he come to care about it more personally after years of incorporating it into his life/image?

Added some detail about this to the end of paragraph 19. He has a mild interest in why some things work better than others, but it's purely academic.

"social studies" would probably be the more accurate term for classes focusing on politics!

Now I know! and now the profile says that instead.

Is Lucas actually going sea-fishing (presumably through trips to one of the coasts), or are his yacht trips instead on one of the nearby Great Lakes, which also offer involved maritime experiences but more locally?

Changed to specify Great Lake rather than sea-fishing. Not that he couldn't afford the latter, of course.

"He reminds her of her actual age" <I think should be "He reminds her of his actual age" based on the context.

Another editing blooper.

Should be everything then.

[MurderWeasel]

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