#b. rathbone

[downxbyxthexbay]

Where: Uptown High Whom: && ?? @turtlebay-starters

The classroom was quiet. Bastille sat at the upright piano, shoulders relaxed, and finger moving with easy familiarity over the keys. “Maybe far away…” he sang softly, voice low and unguarded. He didn’t expect anyone to hear him. “Or maybe real nearby….” The melody filled the room, gentle and hopeful, lingering on the last note as his hands slowed, letting it fade instead of cutting it off.

That was when he heard the movement in the doorway. He glanced up, fingers still resting on the keys. He offered a small sheepish smile - caught. “Ah…” he said lightly, clearing his throat as the song fell away. “Hello there… What can I do for you?”

[downxbyxthexbay]

Where: Uptown High Whom: Mariposa Acosta @illustratemyillusions

The last few piano notes of "Silent Night" drifted into silence. Bastille let his fingers linger on the keys a moment longer, feeling the vibration hum through the old upright before he slowly exhaled. The teenage chatter filled the space almost immediately as everyone began to move to begin to clean up their spaces. "Alright, cherubs," he called out, clapping once as he moved to stand up. "same time Monday! And remember - no pop remixes of Jingle Bells. I mean it, Daisy, none!" His tone was firm, but also teasing.

When the last of them filtered out, he leaned over to turn off the light at his desk. He rubbed the back of his neck. The rehearsal room was quiet now, leaving only him and Mariposa remaining. It wasn't often he admitted to needing help, but where choreography was concerned - he needed all the help he could. "You know, I'm starting to be haunted by Christmas carols now. They are in my dreams..." he chuckled a bit, "I heard they've got that Halloween thing going on over in the countryside..." He had heard, but also he drove past it on his way home every night. "Hayrides, cider... You feel like escaping the 'fa-la-la's for a bit... and trading them for something spookier...?"

[downxbyxthexbay]

Where: Uptown High What: Be the one getting the lesson or walk in on it. This is not a school event. @turtlebay-starters

“Don’t think about getting it perfect,” he said, his voice soft and gentle. “Perfection’s boring. Music breathes when you let it hurt a little.” He leaned over, pressing one finger gently to the sheet music. “Here,” he murmured. “Don’t fight the rest. Let it be quiet before you come back in…”

“Again,” he said, “from the top. Let’s make it mean something.” He let his gaze lift toward the window, watching the sun outside. It was such a fitting song to play with the sun shining into the parlor.

[downxbyxthexbay]

Where: Macy's in the Mall Whom: Mariposa Acosta @illustratemyillusions

Bastille's fingers lingered on the keys, letting the last note of Jingle Bells fade into the hum of the mall. He liked coming Christmas shopping and taking over the piano. He glanced up, catching sight of Mariposa. He smiled softly.

"It's a wonder to see you here..." he said softly, letting his fingers linger on the piano. The crowd around him began to buzz again as they began to wander off. "I didn't think I'd get to see anyone here with the way Santa's line consumes everyone..."

[downxbyxthexbay]

BASICS:

full name: Bastille John Rathbone

nicknames: Bastille

age: 54

dob: October 5th, 1971

hometown: Charleston, South Carolina

current location: Turtle Bay, South Carolina

neighborhood: Countryside

occupation: Music Teacher @ Uptown High

gender: Male

pronouns: He/Him

sexuality: Pansexual

relationship status: Single

Positive Traits: Witty + Gentle + Artistic

Negative Traits: Perfectionist - Detached - Cynical

theme song: One Song Glory from Rent

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

face claim: Matthew Lillard

hair color: Dirty Blond

eye color: Blue / Green

height:  6'4"ft

weight: 141 lbs

build: Tall & Skinny

tattoos: None.

piercings: None.

FAMILY:

mother: Barbara Rathbone

father: Carlisle Rathbone

siblings: None.

children: None.

pet(s): None.

BIOGRAPHY:

[ Trigger Warning: Rape, Murder, Suicide ]

• Born in Charleston, South Carolina; Bastille grew up with southern manners and Sunday choirs, the kind of boy who could charm a crowd with a song and a half-smile. He was passionate about music and acting. As soon as he hit 18, he was gone, across the country searching for bigger things.Hollywood came calling and it ate him alive, chewed him up, and spit him out.

• He fell in love with a fellow co-star, but that dream curled into a nightmare when a powerful director assaulted him. His lover's desperate act of vengeance resulted in murdering the man who had hurt him and ending up in prison himself where he did not make it. He killed himself in the first month.

• Bastille ran. Not home - never home - because he was too ashamed of everything that had happened. He moved to Turtle Bay instead, hiding there and calling his mom every few weeks. He lives in a quiet cottage on the outskirts of town and keeps his distance. His students adore him, but he's so afraid that if he gets too close the parents will scream for his head. A gift from the director... he ended up with AIDS and he takes great care of himself and is immensely careful.

• He still wears the ring his ex gave him, hidden on a chain beneath his shirt.

[downxbyxthexbay]

Tag Drop / Bastille Rathbone :

Fame was fleeting, fear was cruel, but music... music remains, even when the world tries to break you.