river (trauma)

6'4
name: river stone
age:17
brithday October 29

River's childhood was never normal.

His mother died when he was young, leaving him alone with his father. His dad was an alcoholic who was rarely sober and even less often kind. When he drank, he became violent. River grew up around shouting, broken things, and the sound of bottles hitting the floor. Most nights, he stayed in his room and tried to make himself as quiet as possible.

For years, River took everything his father threw at him. He learned not to cry, not to complain, and never to ask anyone for help. He had no siblings to turn to and no mother to protect him. It was just him and his father.

As River got older, he got bigger. Stronger. Eventually, he started fighting back.

The fights between them became worse. His father would come home drunk, and River would refuse to cower like he used to. Sometimes he'd end up with a split lip or bruised ribs. Other times, his father was the one left bleeding. River hated him, but part of him hated himself too because he could feel the same anger growing inside him.

That anger followed him outside the house.

At school, River became known for fighting. He'd snap at teachers, curse at anyone who annoyed him, and throw punches before thinking about the consequences. He was suspended more than once, and people quickly learned to stay out of his way.

Eventually, someone at school told him about a boxing gym.

River didn't think much of it at first, but he went anyway.

The gym gave him something he'd never had before: control. There were rules, discipline, and a place where he could turn all the rage inside him into something physical. He started training regularly, and over time, boxing became the one thing that could exhaust him enough to quiet his mind.

But it didn't fix everything.

River still drank, especially when memories of his father came back. He still fought. He still lost his temper.

He just had somewhere to put the anger now.

River has a habit of cracking his knuckles whenever he's irritated, even though years of boxing have already left his hands covered in scars. He taps his fingers against tables when he's impatient and clenches his jaw when he's trying not to lose his temper.

He punches walls when he's overwhelmed, usually realizing afterward that he's only made his hands worse. When he's angry, he paces instead of sitting still, running a hand through his messy hair or rubbing the back of his neck.

River rarely sleeps properly. He stays awake late at night, usually listening to music with his headphones on while drinking alone. He often wakes up tired and irritated, surviving on little sleep and too much caffeine.

He constantly chews gum, especially when he's trying to stop himself from smoking or drinking. He keeps his boxing wraps in his pockets and absentmindedly rewraps his hands whenever he's nervous.

He has a habit of staring at the floor when conversations become too personal. He'll change the subject, swear, or make a sarcastic comment rather than answer honestly.

River hates being touched unexpectedly. His body reacts before he has time to think, especially if someone grabs his arm or comes up behind him.

He also checks his phone more than he'd ever admit, even though he rarely gets messages. He tells himself he's just checking the time, but sometimes he keeps the screen open for several minutes before putting it away.

When he's genuinely comfortable, his anger becomes noticeably quieter. He talks less, his shoulders relax, and he'll sit nearby without feeling the need to leave.

River is angry, stubborn, and incredibly difficult to read. He has a short temper and almost no patience, especially when he feels disrespected or cornered. He swears constantly, talks back to teachers, and doesn't think twice about getting into a fight if he believes someone has crossed a line. He hates being told what to do and reacts badly to anyone trying to control him.

He's naturally intimidating without having to try. River doesn't talk much around people he doesn't trust, and his silence can be more threatening than his words. When he does speak, he's blunt, sarcastic, and often deliberately rude. He uses insults and jokes to keep people at a distance, rarely allowing anyone to see when something actually bothers him.

River is an only child and grew up without anyone he could truly rely on. Because of that, he's used to handling everything alone and doesn't know how to ask for help. He hates being pitied and becomes defensive whenever someone notices his scars or asks about his family.

River struggles badly with vulnerability. He doesn't know how to express sadness, fear, or affection without feeling weak, so those emotions usually come out as anger instead. He can become aggressive when he feels exposed, even when nobody is actually trying to hurt him.

He's also self-destructive. Drinking is one of his biggest problems, especially when he's overwhelmed or unable to sleep. He knows he's becoming too much like his father, and that thought terrifies him more than he'd ever admit.

Underneath everything, River is lonely. He wants someone he can trust but has spent so long pushing people away that he doesn't know what to do when someone actually stays.

River is tall, standing around 6'4", with a broad, athletic build from years of boxing. His shoulders are wide, his arms are heavily toned, and his hands are rough from training, with faded scars across his knuckles and fingers. He has messy dark brown hair that usually falls over his forehead and deep brown eyes that often look tired, especially after a night of drinking.

His face is sharp and masculine, with a strong jaw, straight nose, and a faint scar cutting through one eyebrow from an old fight. There are usually dark circles beneath his eyes, giving him a permanently worn-out look. He rarely smiles, and when he does, it tends to be a crooked smirk rather than anything genuinely warm.

River usually dresses simply, favoring dark hoodies, worn T-shirts, loose jeans, and beat-up sneakers. His boxing wraps are almost always stuffed into one of his pockets, and he sometimes wears a black chain around his neck.

He has a few scars scattered across his body, most of them from fights and boxing, though some came from home. He doesn't hide them, but he doesn't explain them either.