deacon avery steele
CHARMING CARPENTER
Deacon is a good ol' southern boy, a reliable rock of a man that has the patience of a saint and a heart of gold. Originally coming to Ashdown to help out his best friend in a bad situation, he decided to set down some roots when he liked what he saw and set up shop. He's a hands-on type, from his work in carpentry to his never ending projects at home, always upgrading, always fixing, and he'll do it for you if you ask nicely. If you're looking for that special, custom conversation piece or just want a one-of-a-kind furniture set, he's your guy.
THE SILENT TREATMENT
For all his patience and warmth, Deacon does not do confrontation. At all. When faced with serious dilemma, the easy smiles disappear and his expression becomes rather cold and detached. It's not personal - it's how he's learned to cope. It just...becomes personal when he wont talk, wont discuss, wont acknowledge the problem. It's all about avoiding the issue at hand and staring at it until it goes away or ignoring it entirely.
In his personal life, it can be a real issue if there's a serious disagreement to be had. All communication can be halted to non-existence and left unaddressed, which isn't exactly the most conductive way to maintain a relationship of any sort. His friends and family know when they're treading too close and can typically work around it, but it can be a shock to someone who doesn't know better to try and bring up a heavy debate and find themselves talking to a brick wall. He wasn't always like this, but his stint in the services made it his default, self-preservation not allowing for arguments or emotions around it. It has cost him approximately two girlfriends and an almost-fiance, whose ultimatums were met with an arctic sheet of nothing and left for it.
It's not impossible to approach him later about an issue - he wont hold a grudge - but it has to be smoothed over and presented in a way that isn't confrontational or he'll clam up again in a never ending vicious cycle. Most people don't stay around long enough to learn his habits, but if someone does, he's not hard to get along with, so long as one can approach him mindfully.
HANDYMAN
Whether he's working on a new piece or fixing up his house, if he doesn't have the exact needed tool in his vicinity, there will always be something else he can use. He may have to MacGyver pieces together to make it functional, but he'll find what he needs to make it work.
ANYTHING ELSE?
- hello, this is Lucas' best friend
- he is 28, 6'2", chiseled face, mid-back length straight blond hair, clean shaven, baby blue eyes, has arms for days. Think a clean shaven and well kept Thor.
- also ex-Army; his Trouble is a direct result of his attempt to deal with his time serving (note: he does NOT have PTSD).
- new transplant to Ashdown
- will accumulate animals in the way that people accumulate knickknacks
- does have a tuxedo cat named Cricket
- hard worker; if he's not doing carpentry or working on his house, he's working on his modest garden
- hell of a cook
- money savvy in terms of investments
- has a tattoo of an oriental dragon winding up his right arm from elbow to shoulder
- being friends with this guy is like Christmas year round; if he can buy you a thing that will make your day, it will be bought
- born in Louisiana, we're talking plantation home-type old money
- still has a faint accent when he's excited or being goofy
- speaks English, French and Louisiana-Creole; might call you cherie or cher
