Welcome to Hickstead, home to both Seven Oak Stables, and Blue Acre - two rival stables. Both offer opportunities for their clients to reach the highest level of excellence. Each stable differs from the other, so choose wisely and never forget, loyalty is everything... Meanwhile as the stables battle it out, there's trouble brewing at the university. Be careful, if you don't pick a side you may get caught in the cross-fire...
This is an chilled out rpg with a super friendly and relaxed atmosphere! Remember to sign up with your characters full name in all caps and don't forget to do your claims! Thank you and Welcome, we've been established since 10th March 2009 but unfortunately have had to close guest view of our boards due to multiple sites ripping off our hard work, such a shame! Come chat to us in Discord before joining if you like!.
Dustin moved past Joe in the silence, switching the kettle on once he could see there was still enough water in it for a cup. "Would you like one? It's peppermint tea, it helps sometimes." He offered, taking down a mug and sticking in a tea bag as the water began to boil. He was usually a coffee man, and relished in the stuff - inhaling it like oxygen during the day. But it didn't help for night terrors, if anything it made things worse. He'd learned over the years the triggers to avoid and the best way to settle things down. Tea helped, peppermint tea for him seemed to do the best.
He poured in the water, glancing over his shoulder as he heard Joe move away - assuming he had gone back to bed. Dustin sighed and ran a hand over his face, annoyed at himself, No, he hadn't snapped, but he'd been less gentle than usual - less sympathetic. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, trying to force himself to let it go. They couldn't tip toe around Joe forever, he had to know that they were here to help, but they life didn't halt for him. Dustin and Avery were still fighting the fight to be 'normal' every day, they still had things going on that they had to deal with him.
Dustin leant against the counter for a moment, blowing on the top of his hot drink as steam curled from the surface, before taking a scalding sip. He was about to take a second when he heard a clatter. It was only by training that he didn't jolt the hand with his mug and burn himself, instead he put it down with a calm swiftness and hurried to the source of the noise. At first he was ready for a fight, as was his first instinct to any noise these days, but at the sight of his little brother curled helplessly on the floor at the foot of the stairs, that hard exterior melted away, softening as he knelt down to help him. "I can't, I can't." Dustin couldn't be sure what 'can't' Joe was referring to, but he offered him his hands to sit up, looking him over critically to check that he hadn't broken himself by the fall. "Hey, it's okay, come on, let me help you."
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
Dustin ignored the gesture, not wanting Joe to think he was here to start a fight - it had been coincidence, or whatever you wanted to call it; his senses may have woken him, but he wasn't trying to check up on anyone. His eyes followed his brothers movements, unable to help himself - he analysed people all the time, even now. The downside of not only being in the army, but also having a higher rank - you had to know your people, know who needed that extra nudge to get moving, who was likely to turn tail and run, who was and wasn't going to make it. He noticed the tapping, but thought nothing of it; an anxious gesture, the way people bit their nails or their lips.
He caught the shake of his brothers head, wondering what exactly he was denying. He couldn't deny Dustin's experiences; as much as he wanted to think nobody understood him, his brothers could at least. They had been through it all before, and though the memories might be slightly different the effects were the same. "I-I'm fine. I'm adjusting...I just have to be aware of where I am, and the fact that cars back fire..." He gave a slight nod, his arms folding across his chest as he let out a slow sigh, chest rising and then slowly falling with the long exhale. "It's not always easy to do, things like this, they stick with you, for a long time. But the new normal ingrains itself eventually - for the most part." He didn't want to promise anything he shouldn't, but he didn't want Joe to think he would never be able to relax.
Dustin had been about to step forward to put the kettle on, thinking a tea might be best, when he noticed Joe's change. The grip on the counter, the tension along his shoulders. He frowned, wondering what he had done to cause it. "Go back to bed Dustin, Please... just go." His frown deepened, entire brow furrowing. "I didn't come down to check up on you, I couldn't sleep, I came down to settle my own thoughts." He knew Joe was having a tough time, but he had to know that they weren't all tip toeing around him all the time. Dustin was going about as he would any other day. "I want to make a cup of tea, sometimes it helps. You are welcome to go back to your own room." His words were not unkind, but firm. He had his own demons still too, he would not be dictated to, to be told to get out when he had his own routine that helped him.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
His words woke the boy, and though he'd tried to do it in a way that would wake but not startle him, it hadn't quite had the desired effect. A wooden spoon was pointed to his throat, and Dustin gave it a cursory glance before disregarding it. Anything could be a weapon in the right hands, but even then a spoon made of wood was not up there in his list of things to be concerned about. Instead, his gaze went to the rest of what he could see - what was bared to him for the first time; his brother's arms and hands. He had yet to see his brother without a jumper on, despite the warmer month of June, and now he understood why. A wealth of sadness welled from the bottom of his heart, that Joe felt such a need to hide himself, to hide what had been done to him.
"Don't do that!" Dustin stayed put, giving him his space. He raised his hands in surrender, his look apologetic. "I'm sorry, I thought you had heard me." He hadn't wanted to bang a door and wake up the house, and he knew something wasn't right with his brothers hearing, but he hadn't intended to scare him. Dustin's eyes flickered down the length of Joe's arms, following the traces of every scar, every mar, landing on the fingers missing from his hand - where he always wore the glove. He wanted to say he was sorry, for everything that had happened to him, and to tell him it was okay, that he didn't need to feel ashamed or to hide anything. But this wasn't his place to say. Joe would talk when he was ready - perhaps this incident might nudge him to.
"Am I still a threat?" Dustin shook his head, forcing his own body to observe the situation and shake of the residual tension still humming almost dormant through his limbs. "No, it's an old habit. One I know I am unlikely to shake off." He shrugged. "I was like you, when I came home. One wrong move, one loud noise and..." He trailed off, thinking to the times where he had flipped his shit, where he had threatened someone he loved by acting before his brain could catch up. He remembered Avery coming home to tell him about when he'd done it to Holly, nearly killed her in her their bed from the frenzy of a nightmare. He knew one day things like that would cease to bother him, but he didn't think he'd ever stop being so alert. "I am worse when I wake from bad dreams, it's as if they linger."
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
Dustin woke abruptly. His eyes flew open, though he didn't make a sound or any other movement. It was how he often woke. Nightmares were no different, though they plagued him a lot less frequently than they used to, and occasionally caused him to lash out in his sleep, he still generally woke up like he was paralyzed. It was from his time in the army, and though he'd been free of it for some time he could never escape the training that had been gruelled into him. This wasn't even something they taught, but something he had learned; to wake up without movement and without sound. The slightest noise or the smallest sight, and his brain would trip, sensing something and pinging open his eyelids without a second thought. And that was it... he was awake. Ready to assess the situation and react as required. Nowadays it was screaming babies or yelling siblings, less than the shooting of guns, but old habits died hard.
He didn't know what it was that he'd sensed tonight - or this morning he amended as his eyes flickered to the clock - but something was amiss. He gave a quiet groan as he sat up, as careful as possible not to disturb the sleeping woman next to him. Dustin folded the covers back over his empty space, tucking them up a little more around Hayden before he left the room. Yawning, he stretched his arms above his head, feeling the old muscles pull and then release in a satisfying manner, before he headed for the stairs. He limped as he went, the ruined muscles in his thigh and knee complaining, as they always did when he first got up. Some days were better than others, but he was used to it, he had lived with pain most of his life, it was background noise to him now - a reminder of all the shit he had made it through in life.
Heading for the kitchen, he automatically switched. He knew it was likely family but there was always that little inkling in the back of his mind that it could be someone else, and he would be ready for it - always. Nobody would hurt his family again. The tension eased along his shoulders as he rounded the corner and saw Joe, poised halfway to getting a class. His body relaxed a little, but not completely, something reminding him there was still the possibility of threat- wary at the way his brother wasn't with him right now, and for what might happen as he spoke softly but firmly, "Joe?"
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
He watched her cautiously, trying to anticipate what kind of reaction he was going to get. Sometimes, people never realised how hard it was, being the head of a family. Not only had he just received a call from the blue threatening to upturn his life, without room to argue, when he would never had pain free mobility of his injured leg, not only was he having to get on a plane to get to France for tomorrow for a meeting he was likely to come out on the wrong end of, not only was he looking at leaving his family and loved one's behind to fight for a country that no longer looked after him, but he had to argue with his other half for it, had to argue with his sister for it. It was hard. He had to put aside his feelings, he had to be strong and to do the right thing, he had to lay down the law and pretend that it wasn't killing him to do it, or killing him to go. It might hurt for them to hear what he had to say, but sometimes he wondered if they ever considered what it was like for him to be the one saying it - actually, he didn't want them to have to think about it.
"then we go. we go somewhere they can't find you." Dustin sighed, summoning his usual cool headed, patient demeanor. "Heather, that's absurd." And she knew it, and he knew she knew it - what would they do? Go on the run with a gaggle of kids? And then the rest of them - either leave behind Holly, Jasper.. Sam? They would have to come, and then what? Ask them never to contact their families again? Living on the run was hard enough, but there was no way you could do it with a horde. And all for the sake of Dustin running from his army duties? It wasn't worth it. "then i'll just follow you. this isn't something you can do alone" He gave a small nod to Hayden as she kissed his cheek and left, catching her parting words. He had no intention of going off on Heather. She was escalating to hysterical, he just needed to get her to calm down, to know it would be fine. "and if they don't let you out of it .. i'll stay there. they need people to take photos in france. or i'll just join the army. at least then you'll know that someone's there."
Dustin stepped forward carefully, "Heather," He said gently, trying to get through her head. "i won't sit by the phone waiting to hear if you're dead dustin. you can't ask me to be okay with losing another parent!" He sighed quietly, he understood it, and he felt a wash of sadness as he stepped forward again and went to pull Heather in, wrapping his arms tightly around her, giving her no choice. "It won't happen. I won't leave you," Though he didn't clarify if he meant for the army or by getting himself killed. He didn't bother to knock aside her ideas, she'd been rambling, irrational, and he knew she wouldn't. He would strap her down before he let her follow him to that place, not that they would allow her into the compound regardless. He'd made sure she didn't do anything stupid like sign up - he'd have Avery and Kara to keep on that. Even Sam if he had to use emotional blackmail to get there. "It'll be fine. I just need to go talk to them and I'll sort this mess out." He couldn't lie and promise her he wouldn't have to return to the army, but he would promise her a thousand times over that he would be okay. He'd get himself back here if it killed him.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
He felt Hayden melt against his body and he pulled her a little tighter to him, a silent apology - not just for the argument, but for the situation. He hated hurting her, and this was doing exactly that. He took a small step back as Heather abruptly entered the conversation, letting out a heavy sigh. "you don't get to warn me about boundaries and privacy dustin." His expression shut down slightly, as was always his habit whenever he had to do something unpleasant - steeling himself for firm or difficult conversations. "Yes, I do." He might not be Heather's father, but he was as close as he could get - since their parents had passed several years ago, he had taken care of his siblings as a brother and a father would, taking on both roles with utmost care and a slightly heavy heart - he hated being the bad guy, but somebody had to.
"tell them you can't go. you've been out for years. they can't just call you back now." Dustin pressed his lips together, if only it were that simple - but Heather wasn't part of the army, and he'd always kept that part of his life as separate as possible to his siblings; there were things they didn't need to know. "you don't even live in france anymore. what do they want you to do? just ... drop everything and go." Dustin nodded, "Yes, it's not as simple as saying 'I don't want to'. I could be labelled as a deserter if I don't go, and that would be worse." It would mean jail time, going back would be difficult but not as difficult as being behind bars. "and you want to go alone?" He nodded again. "I am." His voice left no room for argument, as with Hayden, this was something he would be entering into alone - he would not drag his family to France and back for a meeting which may not even amount to anything.
He felt Hayden's touch at his back and he shot her a grateful look, though he couldn't afford to melt right now. His youngest sister was the most difficult of all the others, and he knew this could turn ugly if he wasn't careful - shut it down early with no room for argument. "how about we do this over dinner? you both take some time to think and then once everyone is home you can talk about it?" Dustin frowned slightly. "This isn't something up for discussion. When everyone is home later I will let them know and confirm the arrangements, but it's not a debate." He warned, he would let them know everything they needed to, roughly where he was going, how to contact him or if they could at all, and when he was expecting to be home.. and what to do if he wasn't back. He knew Avery knew most of it - for example, Dustin had a secret account with money in for emergencies and Av knew how to access if he suddenly disappeared and didn't return - along with all the paperwork for his accounts, his will and the deed to the house.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
He squeezed her fingers back, the fight leaving him as he felt it leave her - tension slowly seeping out, leaving behind a numbing unhappiness. He thought he had been able to leave the army behind but he realised now that had been naive. They would never let him leave, not really - he was too useful. Avery was safe, they couldn't call on him after his accident, even though he was walking again - but Dustin with his minor injury was able to be called upon whenever they required. It was shit, nothing else to say for it. "it had better be. God leave it to the army to ruin what should be a happy time." He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, resting his chin on the top of her head. "It'll be fine, I promise you."
"what's wrong? where do you have to come back from?" Dustin frowned and pulled back from Hayden as he heard his youngest siblings voice, glancing over at her in the doorway. You shouldn't have been eavesdropping." His frown deepened, brows almost pulled together. He didn't want to do this here and now - he'd wanted to bring all of his siblings together to tell, when he'd had time to compose himself, but he knew Heather, she'd be a dog with a bone until he told her what was going on. "The army have called me back," He hesitated, letting it sink in a for a moment. "I'm going back to discuss with them, but I'll be gone for a couple of weeks whilst I sort this."
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
"don't." He clenched his jaw, then unclenched, trying to release some of his frustration. He wasn't saying these things to hurt her but to get her to understand. She didn't know this world, he did. He had lived it for years, and he could be living it again. There had been a reason he'd been single in the army and this was it, because he knew army wives out there, and their lives were miserable. It didn't matter that they were in the same country as their husbands, they were still on their own, still had no news for weeks when their husbands went to the front lines, it made no difference except that out there their worlds were so much smaller. He didn't want that for Hayden. She was better here, with his siblings, where they could all look out for each other, help each other, take care of each other, love each other. He needed that. He couldn't have her holed up out there with nobody but him, and then he wouldn't be there. It wasn't the kind of life he wanted for her, or his son.
"if he did stay here i'm sure between holly, avery and heather he'd be fine. he's been without us before so don't act as if he'd fall apart if we weren't there for one night." He shook his head. "It's not fair. You don't pick me over him. It's him, every damn time." He ground out, frowning. He was a big guy, he could look after himself, it wouldn't help him to have her with him, he needed to have his head clear for the meeting, not muddled. Their son should come first in this, hands down. He would pick his son over everyone. No matter what. "my reasoning is i don't want you to have to handle this alone. you shouldn't have to worry about this on your own." He sighed, some of the tension easing from his shoulders, his neck aching with the strain. "Even if you were there, it's still something I have to sort out on my own. It would only make it worse if you were there, because I would have my mind and my heart split worrying about you, when at least here I know you're all safe."
"i don't want to." He let her grab his wrists, gently easing them out of her hold to take her hands in his instead, his touch soft, voice quietening as the argument came to it's end. "i'm not strong enough to say goodbye to you." He shook his head once and caught her gaze in his, firmly. "It's not a goodbye. Just au revoir. It's not a goodbye, it means see you again. I'll be coming back." He promised.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
"i'm not letting you go alone." He shook his head, hating that she was arguing him on this. He didn't get more animated when he was saying no, not like some of his siblings did, he didn't shake his head adamantly or stomp his feet, he just got firmer, more solid, more statue-like. "You don't get a choice." he sounded harsh, and he didn't say it nastily, but he said it with no room for argument. "This will be no place for a woman, sorry, but no, and it certainly won't be any place for a child...or had you forgotten our son?" He wasn't playing fair, but he was being honest. He couldn't bring her with him, it would only make things worse for him, and he certainly couldn't bring Dean. "We can't just leave him here on his own without his parents overnight, and I'm sure as hell not uprooting him and flying him to France for one evening for the sake of my meeting. Sorry, not happening."
He stepped away from her, needing his space for a minute. Pushing him was just making it worse, this pent up frustration and he raked a hand through his hair. He could appeal all he wanted but he already knew what the answer would be. If they wanted him back, they'd take him back. He wouldn't get a choice, and they'd wrap it up so tightly in legal jargon that even a laywer from Suits wouldn't be getting him free. "and i'm sorry but what if they don't let you come home. what if they want to keep you in france?" His eyes went hard, he couldn't argue that they wouldn't, but it made it all the more important that she wasn't with him. "So that's your reasoning for coming? So you can live in a hotel room for weeks on end until you give in and come home anyway?" he shook his head. If they didn't quit it would become a full blown row shortly. "i can't say goodbye to you in the next few hours, let you go overseas and be terrified that i won't get to see you again for months. don't ask me to do that dustin." He sighed, and for a moment placed his hands on her cheeks, drawing her eyes to his. "You have to."
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
"they need you there tomorrow?" He nodded, glancing at her to get a proper gauge on her reaction. Her voice hadn't given much away, which meant she was either holding it carefully in rein because of him, or she didn't know what to think of it yet. He could see the thoughts whirling behind her eyes, and he knew what she was going to say before she did. It wasn't happening though, she was absolutely 100% not coming. This was something he needed to do one his own, it was a quick trip in and out of the army and he couldn't have worry in the back of his mind about her - about the travelling, about the baby, about the fact that he wouldn't be able to take her to the meeting with him and she'd be on her own. It wasn't a holiday, this was work, and she just wasn't coming.
"okay." He felt a swell of surprise. Maybe he was wrong, maybe she was just going to accept it for what it was. "okay then we go to france tonight." and there it was. Of course it was. He understood, she loved him, and if the situation was reversed there's no way he could let her go alone... but it was different, because he was a guy. Perhaps it was a sexist view for him to take, but the truth was it was different for a man to travel alone and a women to, particularly a three month pregnant woman. He sighed heavily and shook his head, folding his arms. "No." he said simply, firmly, with no room for argument. "This is work, I need to get it sorted and come home. Sorry Hayden, but it's non negotiable." he'd lock her in the house if he had to, but he wasn't budging an inch on this.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
"dustin?" He sighed, running a firm hand on his face and for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his forefinger. He knew it. He knew she'd have heard that - it was his own fault for being that stupid but he'd let the rage get the best of him for a minute, like it did on occasion. He released his hand and let out a long exhale, feeling as though he'd just ages ten years in the last ten seconds. When was this going to end? If it wasn't his problem with the army it was one of his brother's. He'd joined because he'd once believed in the cause, but he didn't anymore. The army had failed, he'd been driven out of his home, he'd seen people die - kids die - for the sake of other people's fights, and he'd had to practically smuggle his family into another country and start afresh all over again. He had family to look after, he had a permanent limp, he didn't love the army like he once had as a young man, and he never would again. He couldn't go back.
He looked across as Hayden reached him, her hand on his arm. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to be calmed right now, he needed to sort this out. He gently pulled away; it wasn't personal, but he just needed a little space to sort himself out. "babe, what happened?" His mouth twisted slightly, a quick internal debate about what he wanted to tell her and what he wanted to keep to himself. He didn't want to lie, he hated lying, but he wasn't prepared to worry her if he could fix this. "I have to go to France for a meeting tomorrow with my army superiors." He said, keeping it short and simple, he could fi this and it would be all sorted by the evening, and then he could explain it to her without her having to panic.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
Dustin frowned as he heard the ringtone of his phone, debating answering and then deciding against it. His hands were covered in oil from the truck engine he was bent over and if it was important someone would leave a message. Turning his attention back to his rust bucket he returned to tinkering with it, trying to fix its latest issue. The truck was old, it had been the only car he could afford when they came over and though it was slowly falling apart it was sentimental to him, and he was old fashioned in the way he disliked spending money liberally if it could be avoided. He was good with cars so it was cheaper to keep patching it up than it was to scrap and buy a new one.
His phone rang again. This time Dustin straightened up, careful not to smack his head on the bonnet, and grabbed a cloth to wipe his hands on. A sense of foreboding hit him as he hurried over to catch the call. It was unusual for it to ring twice, and he would be pissed it happened to be a cold caller. Checking the number his brow furrowed. He knew that number, and dread settled in the pit of his stomach. Why would they be calling? Answering it briskly he exchanged brief hellos with his commanding officer. "I won't beat around the bush Officer Mccarran, this is not a social call. You are required back in service as of 14th May."
Dustins heart threw itself into overdrive. What?! Returning to active duty? Impossible. "I'm on indefinite leave, sir. Due to injury. This must be a mistake." his voice was firm and cool despite the fact he felt anything but inside. "no mistake, mccarran. This is a direct order, you will be returning to active duty in two weeks." Dustin shook his head. This was ridiculous. Two weeks to pack his life up and go back to France to fight for an army that was forcing him to do so? He tried to argue but he was getting nowhere. He wasn't entirely sure how legal this was but he was willing to find out. He couldn't leave now, not with the babies, not with Holly and Avery, and Heather. In the end he managed to get one tiny bit of leeway and set up a meeting with those in charge of the decision... A meeting booked for tomorrow. He would have to find his way to France tonight. It wasn't ideal but he couldn't just accept this and leave. Hanging up once the conversation was over he put the phone down, frustration taking over. He couldn't help himself as he grabbed a spanner from the work top and threw it across the garage, watching as it clattered into a shelf and sent everything flying.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
GENDER: dude AGE: twenty-seven D.O.B: 3rd march SEXUALITY: straight STATUS: dating PLAY-BY: lucas bernadini HEIGHT: 6ft4 HAIR: dark brown EYES: hazel/brown
"THE GIRL THAT CHANGED MY WORLD. I DON'T"
TATTOOS: "tu me manques" on his ribs which means this. this with initials of his fallen friends on his right bicep SCARS: several DRINK: on occasion SMOKE: on a rare occasion when stressed - has been giving it up DRIVE: yep GLASSES: none HOME: oldaker avenue, number ten BORN AND RAISED: autoire, france
"KNOW JUST HOW SHE'S DOIN' THAT. SHE'S ON"
cool headed, analytical, fierce, protective, helpful, intelligent, strategic, loyal, calm, collected, is good in a crisis, a quick thinker, natural born leader, can have a temper when he's really pushed, responsible, stoic, stubborn, will do the hard thing if he needs to
LIKES: justice , cake - especially carrot , his conrads , helping people , peace , his dog - Diesel , summer , open spaces , quiet places , sleep - especially dreamless nights , going on hikes , open water swimming , his home in france DISLIKES: war , death , fighting , politics , seeing others injured , dancing , alcohol , loud noises , needing to get a hair cut , arrogant people , winter in england , people who liter STRENGTHS: strategic , strong swimmer , compassionate , protective , high pain threshold WEAKNESSES: seeing those he loves hurt , seeing innocent people at risk , coffee , cake FEARS: the things he's seen will haunt him forever , going back to the army, but also .. not going back SECRETS: he joined the army under-aged , he misses his parents and has nightmares every night about their deaths
"MY MIND. SHE'S TAKING MY TIME, I'M LOOSING"
STATUS IN SOCIETY: working class OCCUPATION: retired sergeant, now helps as a training sergeant in the british army EXPERTISE: escaping from dire situations , strong swimmer , hand to hand combat , excellent shot WEALTH: moderate PROUDEST MOMENT: he has many to choose from, there's no specific memory at the moment, but mostly he's proud to see how far his family have come since their lives were uprooted. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: when he first joined the army he once tried to be a little cocky and show off how fast he could put his gun together - he managed to do it wrong and nearly blew his foot off oops.
"MY WAY BUT NOW SHE'S BRINGIN' ME BACK"
FATHER(S): jonah mccarran -- deceased MOTHER(S): rosanna mccarran -- deceased STEP-PARENT(S): none OTHER HALF: dating - HAYDEN MAY JAMES - 26 - dancer SIBLINGS:AVERY ROCKE MCCARRAN - 26 - youth worker KARA LYRA MCCARRAN - 24 - dancer/teacher Joseph Khair Mccarran - 21 - student - army officer HEATHER TALLIS MCCARRAN - 19 - photographer CHILDREN: dean mccarran - 6 (hayden and daz's child) unborn child
Dustin had a somewhat normal childhood. He was the oldest in the horde of kids his parents had but he accepted the role of big brother graciously. He helped as much as he could and tried his best to be a good brother - it helped that he was an easy child himself, and patient with even the youngest of his siblings. His education went well however, he made the decision to join the french army aged fifteen because he wanted to help people. He was underaged, and his parents protested but he refused to accept it, and left on less than brilliant terms.
He finally came home three years later to find that the little french village his family lived in had been invaded (there were problems going on in that part of the country ((this has no relation to RL)) little to his knowledge) He contacted the friends he had made in the army and some of his friends from home and they searched what was left, finding his family safe for now but terrified. Dustin managed to evacuate some of the villagers that had remained, along with his siblings, but his parents never made it out.
He helped his siblings move to england, doing his best to get them their safely no matter what the cost, and settled them in a decent location, setting them up with a nice house and enrolling the youngsters in school. He accosted as much money as he could in order to find them somewhere more permanent, then rejoined the army - he sent back all his money in order for them to survive and live comfortably, not caring about how he got by in the trenches. A few more years down the line it came to an end when he got caught on a raid and tortured .. they managed to get him out but he refused to be sent home, insisting he was fine. They were just more memories to add to the nightmares, and he needed to keep sending money to his siblings.
He managed another another year before his time was up. Outnumbered in their post, their team was overrun with the enemy and barely any of them made it out alive. Dustin lost his best friend. He tried to save him and almost died himself, lucky that he wasn't left for dead when they sent out another team to scout for survivors after the enemy had moved on. Dustin was sent home to recuperate or leave the army permanently if he so wishes. He took several years to confirm his decision, having been told that he may be called back if he didn't - he was unsure what to do with his life and ended up enrolling as a trainer for the british army - confirmed which his previous french employers - so that he could stay closer to home but still help. He no longer wants to return to the army and is unlikely to be called back, but the threat hangs over him all the same.
