Corbin Gray
His parents are Raymond and Juniper "June" Gray, a hippyish and quiet couple living a little ways outside of Portland, Oregon. They've been together for about 35 years, but didn't marry until Corbin was five. Corbin is an only child. If at all possible, his father is even more reserved a man than Corbin is. His mother is a large woman who wears linen skirts and bakes organic bread. She also makes wind chimes, and she sells both the bread and the wind chimes at local craft shows. His dad is a carpenter, and specializes in sunrooms. Corbin calls home about once a month, plus holidays and birthdays, which he never forgets.
The closest Corbin ever knew to heartbreak in his past was a high school girlfriend, Sophia Lamott, who was a grade older, and broke up with him when she went off to college. He cared about her a lot, and he quickly decided that he was simply not cut out for this kind of emotional turmoil, especially with all the moving around he planned to do in his future. So he devised a system of maintaining a series of friendly sex-partners rather than actual romantic relationships. He was too busy with his studies to focus on relationships anyway. But he cared about all of them deeply, and was always very honest about his intentions, though he doesn't doubt some of them hoped for more or got the wrong idea. (In honesty, he got a little attached to a couple of them as well.) He managed quite well at this game, through his twenties and early thirties, until Leila Watts smashed his whole world view into another dimension.
character tag: corbin
name means: raven (English)
birthdate: March 18, 2051
age: 32 as of March 2083
zodiac: pisces
MBTI: INFP - the idealist
character traits: honest, good, idealistic, smart, caring, reserved
appearance:
- height: 5' 11"
- hair: medium brown, longish, worn in a ponytail
- eyes: rich brown
- body: strong but lithe, very healthy
- dress: organic fibers, likes earth tones, flexible and rather sporty
- distinguishing features: a prominent nose, cleft chin, and well, the body ;)
romantic history:
- first kiss: doesn't remember her name, but she was wearing cherry lip gloss, at age 13
- v-card goes to: Sophia Lamott, at age 17
- notable relationships: Sophia Lamott (age 17, nine months, she broke up with him when she went to college), Christa Midlock (age 24-28, 4 years while they both taught at Takemizu. No plans, but she was the closest of his "casual" girlfriends. He kept in touch with her until she got married and she decided they shouldn't talk anymore.); Amelia Bradshaw (age 31, a very brief tryst that was quickly brushed off for friendship instead. The two remain close friends to this day.), Leila Watts (age 32, an intense romantic friendship/affair. He fell ridiculously in love with her, it couldn't be helped. She broke it off to reflect on the state of her marriage.)
- number of partners: He honestly doesn't keep track, but it's probably not as many as you would assume. He prefers serial familiarity over truly casual encounters. If you made him guess, more than 10, but probably less than 20.
romantic present:
- currently: kind of single
- love/not seeing each other: Leila Watts, 1 year
- dating: Emmy Masuko, 6 months, casual
family:
- parents: Raymond and June Gray
- siblings: none
- children: none
- BFFs: Justin Kim, Amelia Bradshaw
lifestyle:
- TS2 aspiration: knowledge/romance
- hobbies: traveling, reading, learning new sports or recreational activities, making love
- job: professor of history, philosophy, and health education at Lake City University // yoga and tai chi instructor, massage therapist at Lake City Lotus
- education: undergraduate at Portland State University class of 2073 (History), graduate work at Takemizu Academy 2076 (Masters, Philosophy/Eastern Medicine), PhD studies, Exercise Science/Physical Therapy at Lake City University.
- drugs?: he's tried a few things, but nothing stuck
- sex?: he's skilled and intense, prefers a mind and body connection, but is guarded with his heart
- god?: he believes in a lot of things, but doesn't feel the need to commit to any one idea
- his parents?: are some of the most genuine people he's ever known
loves: sleeping late on a rainy morning, preferably with a beautiful woman at his side // adrenaline // the feel of his heart pumping // bare skin on skin // kissing // the endlessly open and undefined experience of life // teaching what he knows // learning what he doesn't know yet // the great quest for meaning // reaching moments of epiphany // going somewhere he hasn't been before (metaphorically too) // being in love // and being loved // truth and honesty // Leila's mischievous, gap-toothed smile // and the soft breath of surprise she takes when he touches her
hates: dancing // he doesn't really hate much of anything else at all... just dancing
theme song: "Marquee" by Greg Laswell
(click for full size)
1. name: Corbin
2. grew up: in a small woodsy town outside Portland, Oregon
3. favorite food: steak and potatoes (organic)
4. favorite color: rich shades of green
5. favorite weather: crystal clear starry nights
6. favorite drink: green tea
7. currently reading: the third draft of his doctorate dissertation on physical therapy and eastern medicine
8. most important job: teacher
9. if he had one wish: to spend his life showing her everything there is to see
10. thing he loves most in the world: the soft breath of surprise Leila takes when he touches her
11. one word to describe him: limitless
12. something else: too soft for his own good
*If you can't read it, the caption on the photo for #9 reads: "now, take my hand, and we could run away." <-- I thought that suited him well, lol! [mosaic credits]1. Honesty Tattoo, 2. beckon., 3. New York Steak, 4. Reflect - Self - Reflect, 5. Walking under stars, 6. Energy Herbal Tea, 7. writing dissertation, 8. Physics !, 9. September 9, 2009 (Explore), 10. Untitled, 11. ., 12. Kittytails
I really love these profiles. A lot of these details are ones you might not get the chance to work into the story at all but they somehow really add to the whole picture anyway.
ReplyDeleteI've said before that I think Leila did the right thing staying with Matt but that doesn't mean that my heart isn't breaking for Corbin. #9, #10 and #12 pretty much just kill me. Those four pictures on the bottom are so beautiful as well.
On a lighter note, Corbin's a steak man! Had you asked, I would have assumed he was a vegetarian. But of course, if Corbin was going to eat meat, it would be organic meat!
Carla, I know, the steak was a big surprise for me too back when I first discovered it, but he insisted it was true! (And then he asked me, "Why does everyone always assume I'm vegetarian?") I guess he needs the extra protein for all that physical activity he gets ;)
ReplyDeleteBut yes, organic of course, lol!
Oh, good, I'm glad you liked the bottom row of pictures! Those were SO hard to get right! Took me an eternity!
I confess I was never all that fond of Corbin, but this has made me change my mind. For all his limitless learning endless landscapes meditation and so on, he has very human limitations. He fell in love.
ReplyDeleteAlso very surprised he eats meat. I had to check that twice to make sure I wasn't reading it the wrong way!
the last row of pictures is astonishing. I have no idea what you had to search on to find such incredible and truly perfect photos.
Wonderful, perfect details!
Beth, like his kryptonite, lol! No, he isn't Superman though - he might have thought he was for a while, but he's been sufficiently humbled now, I think.
ReplyDeleteThanks, on the last row! He's such an abstract kind of guy that it was really hard to find the right images. Especially for those last three. #9 though, that was actually the first image I found for him, and I just knew I had to use it! :)
You know I think the reason why everyone has been surprised by the meat is because he is such a healthy man, and so spiritual. I guess for some those can't go hand in hand, you know, how can someone be sound with their body and soul, and their enviroment and eat meat.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a surprise for me though! For me it just fit that he's a meat kinda guy. But for some reason the green tea was a surprise for me! lol And I have no idea why. Go figures.
I still believe that Corbin will find someone else, someone more suited for him. Leila, and by suited I mean not married with three kids. LOL
That's my only draw back with him. That he (and she) could be so selfish and not take into account the children and where they fit into all of this, and what would have happened (happen) if they turned their world upside down.
Riverdale, the meat made sense to me too, lol! Athletes need protein? And carbs too - the potatoes. Or maybe he just likes it, lol! ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly how Leila is looking at it, and has been looking at it, all being for her children. And she will continue to think about what's best for her children. But I do have to say, what's best for the children doesn't always fit neatly into a standard box.
And Corbin, he can't help what he wants, and he can't help where his heart is. But he'll honor her decision, even if he doesn't agree with it. So I wouldn't call that selfish. He's not exactly beating down her door, lol!
Yes, I agree with you. What's best for the children isn't always best for the mom or dad. But it's dubbled edged for me, since for me, I can't validate someone leaving a marriage for another person. That is being selfish. If one leaves because they no longer loves the person they are with, I can live with. But to know that you left because someone else slithered (yes, I used that ROFL) their way into your heart. That's just wrong.
ReplyDeleteI know peopl come and go in your life, and some change you for the good. Some touch you in such a way it leaves you wondering what if. Leila needs to find herself. A lot of women don't know who they truly are until they are in their 30's, but she doesn't have to do that by leaving her husband.
Ack! I guess I am the happy ending girl, but I'm always chering for the hubby. LOL
See, my thing with Corbin is, he knew she was married and yet he still went after her in his own way. If he really is so worried about karma and all that then he would have stayed away. Period. Nos tolen moments. No pie. Nothing. And yet he didn't. And they've both caused this huge mess and the aftermath is still left to be seen.
Riverdale, I actually don't disagree with anything you're saying, lol! I just think we don't have all the information yet. Let's get the next piece out and see if that makes anything clearer.
ReplyDeleteAll, ah, the meat, I just thought of how it makes sense!
ReplyDeleteHe's really full of all these lapses in his own world view, lol! (Spiritual, but loves steak. Honorable, but in love with a married woman. He keeps casual relationship to keep his heart untangled, but ends up getting his heart broken all the time anyway, lol!)
But of course he would lapse, because anyone who holds sky-high ideals for himself, like he does, couldn't possibly live up to them all. Like Beth said, he is human after all.
So the meat - it's probably another one of those things he struggles with, the idea of what would be "good" or "right" in terms of how he should live. But when it comes down to it, he just wants to eat a big fat juicy steak, lol!
"he just wants to eat a big fat juicy steak,"
ReplyDeleteLOL DOn't we all! YUM!
As for Leila, I can't wait for the next update. But you knew that already.