// #1 SETTING CONTEXT

• primary location: he lives in pownal, maine. quiet, wooded with small neighborhoods and modest homes. lives down a long, rural road in a worn two-story with a sizeable yard. Ray grew up surrounded by pines, damp grass, familiar faces, and the kind of small-town life where everyone knows your name and minds everyone elses' business but their own.

• the walk, meanwhile, is hosted on Route 1 and it feels like it keeps on forever, mostly in plains and fields but also passes by towns and cities if you walk far enough down it. half-track vehicles drive along each side of the road and men armed with guns take turns walking beside them and giving a 'ticket' (shooting) to whoever exceeds their three given warnings.

• time period: a near-future strict dystopia. similar to our current timeline but altered in militaristic ways and strict control of medias' that may affect the public views of the US military and government.

• environmental summary: a regulated society dominated by relatively-traditional views on war that are far more dominant than present in america today. public broadcasting is strictly controlled and anything going against the brutalist regime is scrubbed clean from their airways. the annual walk is a national spectacle given a patriotic gloss and cover, and while it is actively being boistered by the idea of amping up 'productivity' and recruits for the military, this is mostly untrue, and only a select few of average people actually find any genuine respect or interest in it. most families don't want to watch young, healthy boys die, and only do so out of respect, their family being in the walk, or the simple fact that it is very difficult to avoid. the walk is often broadcasted publically, especially in stores like malls and bars. citizens keep their heads down during this time, obey rules, and avoid attracting government attention even when the walk is over. daily life feels ordinary and regular beyond that fact.

// #2 APPEARANCE

basic information

• full name: Raymond David “Ray” Garraty
• nickname: Ray, sometimes “Garraty”
• gender & pronouns: male, he/him
• age: 18
• height: ~5'10
• build: wiry, lean, runner’s build
• nationality: american
• eyes: dark brown, soft but tired
• hair: light brown teetering on dirty blond, short, slightly messy, falls forward when sweaty, gets greasy when not washed
• notable features: youthful face, round jaw, expressive brows, faint shadows under his eyes that don't go away with sleep and worsen with stress
• scent / aura: clean laundry, pine, sweat, cold morning air, blood, stale (better) oatmeal cookies

style & presentation

• clothing style: midwestern clothes- denim, tees, light jackets, practical shoes, camo jackets
• usual accessories: a grayish backpack with a few miscellaneous things from home he thought might be helpful, plus a worn out baseball
• overall impression: sensitive, earnest, emotionally transparent. looks like someone who feels deeply and doesn’t hide it well at all

// #3 BACKGROUND summary: ray grew up in a modest, warm home with his mother and father, developing a deep sense of empathy from her and a sense of responsibility from him. He was never the loudest or most popular, but he was likable in a soft, honest way. he did well in school without fanfare. ehat defined him most wasn't academics.

the walk was always a piece of his lifez as it was broadcasted every year and a blatant violent ritual dressed as patriotism. he watched it with dread and fascination. he didn’t admire the brutality but was drawn to the humanity in it; the boys trying to survive, the friendships, the desperation. his own father was shot by the Major, the man who hosts the 'walks', for the distribution of banned material.

He entered the lottery almost impulsively, half-believing he wouldn’t be chosen. When he was, a complicated mix of pride, fear, and grief washed over him.

• key life events:
• grew up very close to his mother and felt responsible for her happiness
• felt a mixture of pride and anger towards his father for not just lying so he could stay with them
• developed strong emotional bonds easily, even as a kid
• watched previous walks, disturbed yet entranced
• entered the walk lottery against his better judgment
• tried to act brave towards his mom when chosen, even while quietly terrified

// #4 CURRENT STATUS

• occupation / role: Student
• financial situation: Lower-middle class, modest living
• living conditions: Small rural home with his mother, warm, cluttered in a familiar way, deeply comforting

// #5 OBJECTIVES & MOTIVATION

• primary goals:

• survive, for as long as he can

• protect the people he forms bonds with

• make his mother proud

• understand himself; what he wants, what he fears. at the beginning he thinks he wants revenge and to wish for a carbine to shoot the major with.

• driving motivations:

• emotional connection

• hope for something better

• the people around him

• the stubborn belief that he can endure just a little more

// #6 CONNECTIONS

• Peter “Pete” McVries - closest bond/anchor: Instant chemistry, banter, trust, vulnerability, and something like love hidden somewhere beneath denial. Pete steadies Ray’s fear, and Ray softens Pete’s edges. They rely on each other instinctively, gravitating toward each other's pace and presence.
• Arthur Baker - warm friendship/comfort: Art brings out Ray’s gentle side. He feels safe with him and naturally protective. Their conversations feel like a reminder of what normal friendship could have been.
• Hank Olson - anxious companion, someone Ray wants to protect: Ray senses Olson’s fragility under the confidence and immediately tries to support him without overwhelming him. Their dynamic is mostly kind and earnest, but Olson doesn't think he needs comforting.

// #7 PERSONALITY

personality overview: Compassionate, observant, a boy who feels everything way too much. He’s thoughtful, earnest, and vulnerable in ways he doesn’t know how to hide. He forms attachments like breathing; naturally, deeply, and with complete sincerity. He carries guilt, hope, and love until they make him fucking sick with it.

• traits:

• empathetic

• soft-spoken

• stubbornly hopeful

• introspective

• sensitive

• emotionally driven

• strengths:

• emotionally intuitive

• loyal

• perceptive of others

• somewhat physically conditioned from sports

• weaknesses:

• internalizes everything

• easily attached

• anxious

• fear-driven

• struggles to let go or detach

preferences

• likes: companionship, shared stories, rural comfort, soft humor, feeling needed, being part of a pair or group
• dislikes: cruelty, hopelessness, isolation, watching someone fall behind, emotional distance

psychological notes

• fears: dying forgotten, losing the people he cares about, disappointing his mother
• core needs: reassurance, connection, someone to walk beside
• stress responses: quicker breathing, emotional oversharing, leaning on others for grounding, walking closer to people he trusts

// #8 HABITS & QUIRKS

• constantly checks on whoever is walking nearest to him
• rubs the back of his neck when tense
• talks more when exhausted, confessions easily slip out when he's not meaning for them to
• matches pace instinctively with someone he’s attached to
• touch-starved without meaning to be
• prone to panic attacks when REALLY scared

// #9 INTIMACY PROFILE

• kinks (giving): affection, caretaking, verbal gentleness, soft reassurance, hand-holding, choking (lightly),
• kinks (receiving): praise, gentle guidance, emotional intimacy
• sexual behavior: inexperienced, easily overwhelmed, needs emotional connection before he can really do much, will take an opportunity to 'get some' with someone he barely knows if he knows its gonna be his last chance,
• private descriptors: ..modest. average length, average everything, honestly. completely unremarkable.
• comfort level / experience: not a virgin, shy but deeply romantic, had a girlfriend before everything, not particularly experienced with guys,

// #10 SPEECH & COMMUNICATION voice & tone: Soft, earnest, emotional. He speaks like someone who thinks a little bit about it right before he says it, slurs a little when tired. When overwhelmed, honesty slips out before he can stop it. Fear makes him messier and impulsive with his words.

example dialogue tones:

• nervous: “I... I’m trying. I just don’t know if it’s enough.”
• affectionate: “It’s easier when you’re beside me. I don’t feel so alone.”
• frustrated: “It’s not fair. None of this is fair, but we keep going anyway cause they told us this is the only way out.”
• embarrassed: “I didn’t mean to say all that. I’m just... tired.”
• soft: “Stay with me. Please.”
• flustered: “O..okay, wait- you can’t just say things like that-”