STARTING LINE.

HENRY J.A. BURNHAM. 34. bighorn hills. novelist. adventurer at heart. ❛ recovery is about progression not perfection. ❜

[henryxburnham]

↪ introduction to henry burnham.

BASICS.

full name: henry james ambrose burnham. nickname(s): sunshine, bucky. age: thirty-four. date of birth: 17 january 1990. zodiac sign: capricorn. place of birth: casper, wyoming, united states. ethnicity: white. nationality: american. gender: genderfluid. they/them & he/him pronouns. he'll use them interchangeably and generally wear a pin on his coat/shirt collar/lapel in public if he's feeling one more than another. sexual orientation: pansexual. romantic orientation: panromantic. religion: roman catholic — as an adult henry doesn’t practice his religion all that firmly. he hasn’t been to mass in years but when he was a child his mother took both him and his little sister frequently. education: bachelors in english, creative writing from the university of southern california. occupation: former lance corporal in the united states marine corps. currently a bestselling novelist. language(s) spoken: english ( primarily ). he knows bits and pieces of pashto but whenever he tries to speak either language it’s clumsy at best. accent: he wouldn't consider himself to have an accent and it's relatively neutral other than the fact that he has a tendency to drawl when he speaks.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.

face claim: callum turner. hair color: dark brown. eye color: blue. height: 6′2″. weight: 183 lbs. build: slim, lanky. tattoos: an iridescent raven on his left forearm ( here ), a blue gradient snake tattoo on the inside of his right forearm ( here ), ellie's tattoo from the last of us part 2 on his left arm ( here ), his family’s initials on the inside of his right index, pointer and ring fingers respectively. piercings: a helix piercing in his left ear. distinguishing characteristics: the fact that he always seems to be smiling, the cane he uses to help him walk on days when his leg is especially sore, how easygoing he is.

PERSONALITY.

label: the eternal optimist. positive traits: adaptable, adventurous, articulate, charismatic, charming, clever, compassionate, confident, creative, eloquent, intelligent, passionate, resourceful, witty. negative traits: competitive, sarcastic. argumentative, decadent, haughty, hedonistic, impulsive, obsessive, possessive, rowdy, vindictive. goals/desires: to make people happy, to live in a way that makes him feel like he’s more than his trauma, to fall in love, to be happy. fears: athazagoraphobia ( fear of being forgotten ). hobbies: cloud gazing, people watching, doodling when he can remember to bring a sketchbook with him, writing, reading, gardening, going for walks when his leg isn’t bothering him, playing with his cats, meeting new people, hanging out with his sister, listening to music, playing guitar, anything that lets him be creative, baking, working with his hands, flirting with people when he’s in the right mood. quirks: he chews at the skin around his nails when he’s especially stressed out, he tends to hum some song or another he has stuck in his head while he’s working if no one else is around, he tends to go pretty sharply from being a huge flirt to blushing every time someone smiles at him just right, he can talk about almost anything he's into with almost no provocation, he has a habit of making little daisy chains and flower crowns if he’s spending a lot of time alone or he’s manic– just to put his energy into a productive habit. likes: pretty much every baked good he’s ever tried, the feeling of the sun on his skin, fantasy and historical fiction novels, nature documentaries, finding the best places to nap wherever he happens to be spending a lot of time, making people smile, hot chocolate on especially cold days, rpg video games, video games in general, finishing to-do lists, hanging out with his friends, surfing. dislikes: not being taken seriously, bigoted people in general, having to be patient for just about any reason, being referred to as ‘crazy’, intense cold, nightmares, fireworks, the smell of lit matches, the fact that he smokes regularly, being alone for long periods of time.

FAMILY.

father: thomas burnham. mother: mackenzie burnham née carson. sibling(s): adelaide burnham ( younger ). pet(s): he has a one year old maine coon named luna, a nine-month-old russian blue named lucas and a three-year-old burmese cat named lily. financial status: upper middle class.

BIOGRAPHY.

(TW: mentions of bipolar disorder, injury and amputation, mental health rehab)

Henry Burnham was born in Casper, Wyoming to Thomas and Mackenzie Burnham– his father was a US Marine and had been stationed in Germany shortly before Henry was born Stateside. Henry was their oldest child and he would eventually be joined by his younger sister two years later after the family had returned to Wyoming from Camp Pendleton on orders for his father. He was an incredibly easy going person even in childhood– his mother often told him stories about his temperament as a baby and the fact that he rarely cried or fussed or gave them any trouble at all with temper tantrums and things of that nature. He was quick to make friends and often spent weekends with friends when his parents allowed it.

By the time he was eleven he was well aware that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Marines– his father was reluctant if only for the fact that he’d seen war and knew first hand how it could change a person and he worried constantly about something happening to his baby boy. Still, when Henry turned eighteen he enlisted immediately and was sent overseas for his first tour of duty within a year. Military service was something he took to easily though he had a difficult time adjusting to the violence of it all and the deep suffering the people around him ( both those who served with him and the local populations he interacted with ) were experiencing. He’d always been an empathetic person and it tore him apart the slightest bit not to be able to help anyone or feel like he was overseas for anything close to the right reasons. Still, he served faithfully and returned for a second tour of duty without batting an eye.

It was during a patrol on his second tour that his convoy ran into a series of IED’s that had been placed between sweeps of the road between outposts often traveled. Though he was med-evaced and brought to surgery as quickly as possible the accident eventually resulted in Henry's right leg being amputated just above the knee before he was sent to a military hospital in Germany to recover properly. His family was there to greet him when he finally woke and though their presence was comforting to an extent Henry still fell into a deep depression that seemed to last months before it evaporated in an instant only to be replaced by a mania that his parents took notice of immediately. Several conversations with a psychiatrist later and Henry was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder– resulting in medical retirement from the USMC after his case was reviewed.

He was devastated by the turn his life had taken and he lived with his parents for nearly a year once he’d recovered enough to return to the United States. He relapsed several times in the first six months of being treated and wound up in a mental health rehab facility before he began to take his mental health seriously and threw himself into therapy and sticking to a medication regiment and doing everything in his power to take care of himself. During the course of his recovery he decided to pursue a passion he'd had since childhood and earned a degree in creative writing from USC with the intention of becoming a novelist - to share a part of himself that was so important and know that he was capable of putting something positive into the world. It was his his father who suggested he consider relocating to Providence Peak– where Thomas had grown up– to be in a calmer environment that might allow him more stability in terms of his mental health.

Henry moved to Providence Peak two months later– just shy of his twenty-fourth birthday and bought a fixer upper in Bighorn Hills that he spent every moment he wasn't writing fixing up with the help of his father, uncles and cousins. It took him a few months to get settled but once he did he began to write prolifically and ten years later has three bestsellers to his name. He’s doing his best to maintain normalcy and feel like the same person he was before he’d joined the Marines– it’s difficult even on his good days but he’s never been one to shy away from things and he remains open and honest with his struggles while he’s in the pursuit of genuine happiness in his life as a whole.

[thefluffersblog]

Callum Turner

[hithewalls]

[henryxburnham]

― SETTING: lucky joe's stall, downtown square. ― AVAILABILITY: closed starter for cj welford. ( @cjwelford )

As a general rule, Henry tried to do everything in their power to make any given day a good one; it was easier said than done and sometimes it involved a fair amount of gritting their teeth and putting one foot in front of the other but it had served them well so far. Or, they'd thought it had until they'd turned away from the crowd in front of the stall for Lucky Joe's with a bagel perched between their teeth that promptly tumbled to the ground the moment someone jostled them. "Son of a bi―scuit," They grumbled, mindful of a woman with her kid in tow that was already glaring at them for even considering swearing for a fraction of a second. Henry sighed― collecting their bagel from the ground and chucking it into the nearest trashcan, momentarily disappointed until they caught sight of a familiar face and grinned broadly. "Yo! Ceej!" Henry called, cupping their hands around their mouth so their voice carried before they approached the other man. "What's up, dude? How ya been? You gettin' bagels or just enjoying the... impressive Beyonce discography that seems to be happenin' over here?" They asked brightly, energetic already at the prospect of catching up with CJ even if it was only brief.

[henryxburnham]

― SETTING: frederick's farm, bighorn hills. ― AVAILABILITY: closed starter for rachel hargrove. ( @rachelhargrove )

"― I'm tellin' you, Rach, I've done so much research on how hot air balloons work that I think it's gotta be dumb luck that I'm not terrified of something going wrong when if I ever y'know, actually ride in one. Not that we have to go up in one― they're pretty just to watch but my point," Henry paused in their fairly emphatic rambling to smile crookedly at Rachel. "Is that we could if you wanted to and I wouldn't be even a little scared. Out loud, at least." They were perfectly content to stay firmly planted on the ground and admire the balloons from afar but if Rachel wanted to go then they'd go― and manage the Herculean effort of not wondering why they had such a difficult time saying no to the woman at their side. "Otherwise, maybe we can take a break for a bit? My prosthetic's pinching a little and I gotta catch my breath." They admitted, heat prickling along the back of their neck in spite of the fact that they knew they had no reason to be embarrassed. "How about lemonade and a break?"

[evrimaksoy]

with  henry burnham @ stomias point amusement park.

it's  a  bit  of  magic ,  really :  what  one  day  is  a  vacant  lot  is ,  the  next  night ,  transformed  into  a  forest  of  neon  and  sound  and  movement.  there  is  a  bit  of  danger  too ,  depending  on  the  amount  of  rust  clinging  to  the  rides.  and  knowing  the  impermanent  nature  of  these  events  gives  visitors  the  urgency – you  can  see  it  in  their  excited  eyes – to  take  it  all  in  in  one  exhausting  gulp  before  it  all  fades  away.

and with that gulp of deep breathe comes the  deliciously  sweet  scent ,  reminiscent  of  youthful  days  spent  among  the  bright  lights  of  local  fairgrounds  with  its  characteristically  warm ,  sickly  enticing ,  vanilla - like  fragrance  ,  sticky  yet  powdery  nuances  fills  the  air ;  the  pleasing  taste  of  cotton  candy.

stepping out of line with her puff , the brunette moves for all of ten paces before her head tilts to one side while she registers a familiar face ; the one with all the stories and all of the kindness in the world. ❛ henry , ❜  she  calls when they're close enough to hear as she moves forward through the crowd. ❛ want  to  try  some ? ❜  is the first thing evrim  asks ,  handing  out  the  light  green  puff  of  sugar  to  henry ,  ❛ it's  lychee  green  tea  flavoured. ❜

[henryxburnham]

In spite of all of the ways the world seemed determined to keep Henry from attending the seasonal opening of Stomias Point: their leg ached and they had to take breaks every thirty minutes to stretch it out― which had drawn more than a few curious kids to them with innocent questions they'd been all too happy to field; or the fact that they'd burned the ever loving hell out of their mouth on funnel cake because they refused to wait even thirty seconds to wait for it to cool down or― or― well, those were the things they remembered the most vividly but neither of those things had bothered them enough to drive them from the event.

They were wandering now― debating more funnel cake or the merits of trying a fried Twinkie for the first time in their life― distracted until the moment they heard an all too familiar voice and their face brightened with unabashed delight. Henry might have sprinted to meet Evrim if their leg hadn't protested even the thought of it but their excitement was enough to earn Evrim a strong hug wherein Henry lifted her clear off of her feet― somehow dodging the cotton candy she'd offered them until the moment they'd set her down and plucked a piece of it carefully with two fingers. "Lychee green tea?" They repeated, eyes narrowed as they took in the fluorescence of the treat's color, shrugged, and shoved the whole piece into their mouth.

"S'good," They managed, the cotton candy still in the process of both melting against their tongue and sticking to their teeth. "Where'd you manage to find that? I don't think I've had nearly enough sugar and I was debatin' trying to find somethin' else sweet and potentially artery clogging to munch on," Henry informed their friend with a lazy smile. They opened their mouth again as if to speak― closing it abruptly with a furrow between their brows for a split second before they leaned down to kiss Evrim's cheek and their smile returned. "How's my girl, by the way? Having fun?"

@evrimaksoy

[zeynepxturkmen]

👾​🇿​​🇪​​🇾​​🇳​​🇪​​🇵​ ​🇹​Ü​🇷​​🇰​​🇲​​🇪​​🇳​ & ​🇭​​🇪​​🇳​​🇷​​🇾​ ​🇧​​🇺​​🇷​​🇳​​🇭​​🇦​​🇲​

no gif, horrible wifi still :c

Was Zeynep in the means to adopt a pet right now? No, technically. Was that going to stop them from checking out the adoption event to see the little critters and love on them for awhile? Absolutely not. With her kids in tow, Leia and Meg checking out the kittens while Luke loved on a senior dog, she wondered among the kennels. Cooing at the animals she saw while she walked, willing herself to have as much strength as possible. Unfortunately, that strength began to disappear the moment she saw a five year old corgi. She couldn't stop herself from gasping, carefully heading over to the sweet little baby and moving her fingers between the kennel bars. "Oh, you are so sweet," she cooed. Noticing a nearby person, she said, "This event is torturous and I know they know that. These babies are just so precious!"

🇨​​🇱​​🇴​​🇸​​🇪​​🇩​ ​🇸​​🇹​​🇦​​🇷​​🇹​​🇪​​🇷​⦂ ​​🇧​​🇦​​🇷​​🇰​​🇸​ ​🇦​​🇳​​🇩​ ​🇷​​🇪​​🇨​​🇷​​🇪​​🇦​​🇹​​🇮​​🇴​​🇳​ ​🇦​​🇩​​🇴​​🇵​​🇹​​🇮​​🇴​​🇳​ ​🇪​​🇻​​🇪​​🇳​​🇹​, ​🇩​​🇴​​🇼​​🇳​​🇹​​🇴​​🇼​​🇳​​​​​ ⨾ ​​​🇦​​🇵​​🇷​​🇮​​🇱​ 1️⃣1️⃣​🇹​​🇭​​​​​​ || @henryxburnham

[henryxburnham]

Henry had somewhere between no business and absolutely not even room enough to have a thought that they ought to adopt another animal. Three cats kept them plenty busy and that wasn't even accounting for the animals that found their way onto their property and promptly found themselves taken care of by the novelist whether they knew it or not. Still, it was borderline impossible for them to remember that when they were crouched in front of a kennel bearing a chocolate Labrador puppy that they were thirty seconds away from asking to play with or what the adoption process might have been. Their plans were thoroughly derailed by the sound of someone speaking to them and Henry rose to their full height with a broad, dimpled grin already sparking to life on their features. "God, isn't it? I'm at least three minutes away from trying to adopt this little guy― I think my cats would be alright with it and I work from home so the cons are uh, well, I don't think they exist, actually." Henry laughed, leaning down to glance into the kennel the woman beside them had been looking into. "Aw, man, look at that little dude!" They exclaimed. "You thinkin' about adopting or just looking around today?"

@zeynepxturkmen

[henryxburnham]

some snapshots of henry's fashion / aesthetic during the spring festival.

[jessica-nichols]

where: friday evening cornhole games who: open ( @providencepeakstarters )

There were several rows of cornhole boards set up on the lawn, kids picking out their favorite colored bags to throw, a few adults setting up their own games. Jess couldn't remember the last time they'd played the game themselves, maybe at a birthday party or something back in high school. Grabbing the tub of bean bags, Jess grabbed one out, offering it to someone loitering nearby. "Want to play a game? I have no idea how good I'm going to be. I have pretty good hand/eye coordination, but I haven't played this is literally years."

[henryxburnham]

Social events, by all accounts, were Henry's part time nemesis; it was wholly mood dependent― whether or not they'd have fun or be entirely miserable but their leg wasn't bothering them, they'd spent the better part of the day with their cousins and their children and they were feeling fairly delighted by the way the day had shaken out. Fingers tangled in dark hair, they were halfway through adjusting the baseball cap they'd been wearing― a favorite when the weather was nicer and it seemed more amusing than annoying to have their pronouns posted for all to see if they were walking behind them― their expression brightened at the invitation and Henry offered the woman who'd spoken an easy shrug and an even easier smile. "Shoot, that sounds like somethin' I can't possibly turn down!" They exclaimed, rocking briefly onto the balls of their feet before they settled down again. "I think my aim's somewhere between half-decent and not totally embarrassing so as long as you promise not to laugh if I just get absolutely obliterated by some beanbags― I'd be happy to play. I can't remember― is this a team thing or a free for all they've got going on?"

[rcbertleckie]

masters of the air · part seven

[henryxburnham]

[henryxburnham]

[bastardcompany]

GALE "BUCK" CLEVEN & JOHN "BUCKY" EGAN Masters of the Air – Part Four (2024)

[funeral]

T.S. Eliot, "Burnt Norton" in Four Quartets

[henryxburnham]

&&. tag dump !