Declan deGrey

[Declan deGrey]

“Valor is strength, not of legs and arms,
but of heart and soul; it consists not in the worth
of our horse or our weapons, but in our own.”
― Michel de Montaigne

Face Claim: Dominic West
OOC Name: Cassiopeia

CHARACTER NAME: Declan deGrey
AGE: 39
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Tresteria
APPEARANCE: Declan is the eldest of the 'dark' deGrey siblings, and it shows--he's acquired worry and laugh lines over the years raising his two (now teenage) daughters. He has dark hair and eyes, like his siblings, and he is around the same height as his brother (6'0). He dresses well for events, but has some well worn work boots that he wears to go on walks through the vineyard.

MARITAL STATUS: Divorced

FAMILY MEMBERS: ex-wife - Rebekah Dimerci, Daughters: Antoinette (Toni) age 18, and Anabelle (Belle) age 17 mother Theadora deGrey , brother Drew deGrey , and sister @danielle

POSITION/OCCUPATION: Nobleman and Vineyard Owner

GRAMARYE GIFT (if any):  none

PERSONALITY: Declan has always been the 'dad' friend, even before the birth of his daughters. He is a bit of a stick in the mud and was always putting a damper on his younger siblings' adventures. He prefers more serious pursuits, and is irritated by their childish antics. He is clearly the most responsible sibling, and feels that he will be the one to ensure their parents are well cared for as they age, and he's more than content to be the head of his side of the family. Someone has to keep the rest of them in line, after all. He doesn't mind being 'outshone' by the Demarais-deGreys; he feels that the spotlight would be a bit more pressure than he'd really like. He just wants to ensure that his daughters marry good men, and that he can watch over grandchildren and his grapes in his old age.

He did consider remarrying when he divorced his wife five years ago, but hasn't put any real effort into it. 

“But in the end one needs more courage to live than to kill himself.”
― Albert Camus

LIKES: good wine, walking on his land (especially after a good rain), being inside with a hot drink on a cold night, his daughters
DISLIKES: his ex, when the twins make a scene, being embarrassed

HABITS: rubs his eyes when frustrated or stressed, takes forever to wake up in the mornings, calls his family members by their full names when irritated with them
SELF IMAGE: He sees himself as an 'old man' even though he hasn't actually turned forty yet. He's very much focused on being the one sane sibling and making sure that things are held together as he feels no one else can or will do it.
REPUTATION: Declan is known as being a reliable man, who will always come through for you if you need him (although he will complain a lot while he does). He is not much fun at parties.

HISTORY: Declan, as the eldest son of Frederick deGrey, was expected to enter the military like his father before him. After his first actual combat, however, he promptly quit. He refused to take part in such messy violence ever again. Many have branded him a coward for this decision, but he feels that the decision is better for him and everyone else: he froze up that day, and other men were wounded because of his failure. He won't make the same mistake again. 

Since then, he has dedicated himself to excelling at other things. He married well, and almost immediately his wife became pregnant with their first child. Soon after, she was pregnant again with their second. When he realized she was not interested in caring for the children, he hired a nanny and a wet-nurse, and made sure that the children were well cared for. 

His wife ran wild, after that, and while he at first made efforts to rein her in, he soon realized it was a hopeless battle. They fought constantly when she was home, and when she was gone he resented her for leaving her children. She often spent time with friends or relatives on the other side of the island, or visited cousins in Teronna and Arcisea. When she was home, she threw wild parties and acted a fool. She clearly felt that since she was married and had fulfilled her duty to him by having children, she no longer needed to worry about appearances. He spent a lot of time, money, and energy cleaning up Rebekah's messes. 

He bought the vineyard when the girls were 9 and 10, and moved his family there. His then-wife had a whole wing of the massive house to herself, the girls had separate rooms as well as a music room full of instruments, and the house has its own ballroom as well for hosting parties once the girls were old enough to participate. He himself took up wine vintage as his new hobby, and became quite dedicated. Something about seeing things growing on his land, then turning them into something that took years to perfect felt poetic to him. 

Five years ago his wife nearly drank herself to death, and that was the final straw for Declan. He found a lawyer to help him draw up documents stating that his wife was doing irreparable harm to him and the children with her antics, and ended the marriage. She still shows up at his home unannounced and expects to have a place to stay, and he won't turn her away for the girls' sake. He wants them to have their mother, even if she is a hot mess. 
[ Soleil ; Lunari ]