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merrock · 5 days ago

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CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Taylor Kinney

full name: Everett Ellington

nickname(s) / goes by: Rhett

pronouns & gender: cis man, he/him

sexuality: heterosexual

birth date: July 15th, 1980

birth place: Merrock, Maine

arrival to merrock: local!

housing: Rural Countryside

occupation: Part Time Fire Safety Consultant & HVAC Specialist

work place: City Hall/Fire Hall (I’m not sure if there’s anywhere in town that he could be contracted out for the HVAC specialist so I’m going to say for now he’s self employed through that and works as a fire safety consultant through the fire hall still.

family: Daughter - (Isla Ellington [27]), Younger Brother - (‘Joe’ Ellington [37]), Younger Brother - UTP Ellington [39], Younger Brother - UTP Ellington [40], Older Brother - UTP Ellington [48]

relationship status: Widowed

PERSONALITY

Rhett is known as someone with a pensive personality. He’s often known to reflect on the hardships in his life that has brought him to where he is today, while also dwelling on the things that have become most important to him over the years. He isn’t one that takes personal events and life’s struggles or changes lightly, but yet he embraces them with every part of him; there’s a likelihood that those around him would never know the difference as his demeanor wasn’t usually one that changed if he was stressed, happy, sad or excited. Growing up, Rhett would often be found helping all of those in need, doing anything he could to help others; between helping elderly people at the grocery store, to helping neighbors build things like bird houses, fix fence posts or even plant things in gardens. He wasn’t really a kid that enjoyed his home life too much, and while his family was always good to him, he’d just much rather be out helping others do whatever they needed help with than to be sitting at home. Friends and family often describe him as diligent and humble. Just ask Theo Browning about the time that Rhett made it all the way to the state level with his historical research project and he barely made an announcement he was going before his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment from the attention. Or the time that he received a medal from the bus driver for saving someone from a choking incident; but of course Rhett wasn’t one to announce it until his photo was in the school newspaper. Despite the good things that people say about him, Rhett is also known to be secretive and moody. Truthfully if you get to know him he’s not really either, but, he doesn’t like to talk about his feelings which makes people think he’s a bit secretive. Without at least three cups of coffee to start his morning, he is known to have a bit of an attitude but that won’t last for too long. Just talk to him post his morning coffee and you’ll see that’s the truth. If you’re ever curious about what he does around Merrock, a few places that you could check to find him could be Mack’s downtown where he’s likely trying to convince himself to get the double decker burger he’s heard everyone talk about. It supposedly pairs well with a chocolate strawberry milkshake, but, he tries to avoid drinking dairy if he can help it. On Saturdays he’ll even go down to Page Turners to check their stock on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle collection he’s been collecting since he was a child. Cassidy’s Candies has become a staple for him throughout the last few years; he’s usually buying wax bottles and bottle caps that he likes to snack on throughout the day. Wednesday’s is his grocery store runs and he typically starts it out with a trip to The Fish Market if they’re open; he even makes cod and asparagus if the market is open. If it’s not, it’s definitely off to The Little Corner Market where he buys the supplies for a steak and potato night; he’s truly a man that would follow the ‘meat and potato diet’ regularly if you let him. Friday mornings are typically started off with a visit to Flour Co. where he buys two chocolate eclairs and a cup of black coffee on his way to his duties for the day. His weekends are spent fishing on the water, and Great Outdoors is always his go-to for updated gear, fishing lures or bait. And if you’ve checked those places and he’s not at work, maybe go by Pinecrest Cemetery where the love of his life is buried. He could be sitting on a blanket keeping her up to speed on his life lately after placing a fresh bouquet of flowers on her grave.

WRITTEN BY: Katelyn (she/her), EST.

BACKGROUND / BIO

triggering / sensitive content warning: Loss of a spouse, abandonment, grief, disownment, financial struggles, teen pregnancy, death, spousal death, fire-related death

July 15th, 1980: The Birth of The Broken Bird

Everett "Rhett" Ellington’s life began in a fire hall in Merrock, Maine, on July 15, 1980. He was abandoned there shortly after birth, left without family or a sense of belonging. Just two days later, the Ellington family—a couple with a son of their own, Alan JR. (AJ) —adopted Rhett and welcomed him into their home. The family was loving, though struggling to make ends meet. Alan - Rhett’s adoptive father - worked hard, but they were far from well off within their later years. Especially once they adopted what was once known as ‘The Wilson boys’- Rhett’s two younger brothers Bobby and Billy, and then later on when Rhett was seven and his baby brother Joe came into their lives. The family’s house was small for what became a family of seven, and growing up in tight quarters meant Rhett spent most of his childhood on the bottom bunk in the bedroom he shared with his AJ. Though they were never without food or clothing, the house felt too cramped for the five growing boys, and the confines became stifling.

Rhett’s mother - Susannah - , a stay-at-home mom, kept the family in order, shuttling her children to school and extracurriculars. They were an extremely religious household, heavily involved in their local church. That had been were Bobby and Billy came from; their mother had been a young girl who had hit a bad patch in her life and Susannah and Alan had graciously taken the boys in to raise and provide for them. And while the church community had always been really close knit, and a huge part of Rhett’s childhood, Rhett’s faith was never truly his own, but his parents' commitment to their beliefs shaped his upbringing. The family attended services twice a week and on holidays, and Rhett and his brothers participated in various church activities and were also heavily involved in the youth there. Although he never shared the passion for church that his parents did, Rhett found a sense of purpose in the historical aspects of the faith. He even participated in church plays, and it was during the Christmas play that Rhett first met Naomi Tyler.

1989: A Bond Like Brotherhood

Naomi wasn’t the only friend that Rhett would make in his childhood that would make a lasting impression on him. When he was nine, Rhett met Theodore Browning, and an immediate bond that would turn into more of a brotherhood would form. It had been the first day of school and the class was engaging in one of those traditional ‘who are you’ get to know you activities, and Rhett had gone after Theo. After introducing himself to the class, an innocent encounter at lunch had formed something beautiful. Turned out that Theo’s brother’s middle name just so happened to also be Everett - a really cool coincidence for nine year old children - and that had been reason enough to prompt the other into asking Rhett to play with him at recess. The rest was truly history. They’d spend hours outside together, playing, laughing, dreaming about their futures. It was truly the start of something great; two boys that would always be there for each other.

1993: Finding His Future in Her Eyes

Rhett was thirteen years old when he played the role of Joseph in the church’s Christmas play. That was the year he met Naomi Tyler, a twelve year old girl whose quiet confidence immediately caught Rhett's eye. Their relationship started innocently enough, with Rhett doing everything he could to get Naomi's attention—picking flowers for her, slipping drawings of hearts with her name in them. By the time they were teens - him fifteen, her fourteen - they were inseparable, falling in love amidst as easily as if they’d been doing it all their lives. His romance with Naomi blossomed quickly and rapidly, causing the church to raise a brow at how much time the two were spending together. Whispers of “you shouldn’t be spending so much time with a girl, you’re much too young.” or “don’t you run away with that boy now Naomi, you’ll get yourself into trouble.” but they didn’t care. The only thing that they cared about was that they were in love; Naomi would do anything for Rhett and the same for him. Naomi was the most important person to him, and he knew even at the age of fourteen that she was who he was going to spend the rest of his life with. The two took their relationship to the next level sophomore year of high school after homecoming, sealing a bond that would never truly be broken.

1997/1998: And Then Everything Falls Apart

College prep was in full swing as Naomi and Rhett began thinking of their future with college. Rhett had decided he wanted to join the fire academy to become a firefighter, which he could do from anywhere at any time. Naomi had dreams of becoming a doctor, wanting to travel the country to help out wherever her heart took her. He’d follow along, even if that meant going to college somewhere out of state. He didn’t mind as long as they were together. The two studied hard, making mostly A’s, acing SAT’s and ACT’s and any other test they could need to get into good colleges around the world. However, their lives changed when at the age of seventeen - sixteen for Naomi - they found out she was pregnant. Their lives that had been so carefully planned out, were abruptly thrown into disarray. Immediately picking up more shifts at the pizza place he was already working at, Rhett began doing everything he could to save up for their baby. His deeply religious parents, however, were unable to accept his choices, disowned him and kicked him out of the house. Homeless and about to become a father, Rhett moved in with Naomi’s family determined to create a life for the family they were creating. It was at this point Rhett began to withdraw from the church, heartbroken by his parent’s rejection. He still believed faith as a whole was important, but to him, being a good person mattered more than the stigma of the church.

Shortly after his eighteenth birthday and graduating high school, Naomi gave birth to their daughter, Isla Kate. The couple juggled work, caring for their newborn infant, and attempting to balance the demands of school, work and their new family. They somehow made it work, getting married in a tiny ceremony in Naomi’s family’s yard after her eighteenth birthday.

2002: Pursuing A Dream - The Fire Academy

By 22, with Isla now four years old and preparing for school, Rhett and Naomi decided to pursue their dream of becoming firefighters. Rhett had earned an Associate’s degree in Fire Science, and with the support of Theo, who had also joined the fire academy, the two friends embarked on a rigorous and transformative journey. Naomi joined them after many years of tending to a child solely (giving up many dreams she had of becoming a travel nurse), and though they faced many challenges—balancing training with family life and financial strain—their efforts paid off. The academy marked the beginning of a career that would change their lives. Rhett became a firefighter and eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant, while Naomi stayed on as a firefighter. In 2005 when Rhett’s youngest brother turned eighteen, he asked if he could move in with him and Naomi to live his life with the brother he’d always been closest to. While it was tight, the couple made it work and took in Joe - who had a disability requiring him to be unable to live on his own - now giving themselves more responsibility along with raising Isla. Though, having Joe in the house was a blessing in itself. Isla was crazy about her Uncle Joe and oftentimes she’d prefer him over her parents anyways. It truly felt as if the family that had once abandoned him was being rebuilt through the eyes of his daughter and his youngest brother.

2012: It All Went Out in a Blaze of Glory

Living life as a firefighter you put your life on the line every single day. There wasn’t a day you attended duty that you weren’t risking your life to save someone else’s. It was what made them heroes at the end of the day, and while having two parents in the field was scary enough, Rhett and Naomi made a great team. They worked for opposite shifts so that there was no chance of anyone saying anything about their relationship given Rhett’s rank, which often helped out with Isla and Joe; someone was always home. It was what seemed to work best for them and despite the fact that they rarely saw each other, the love they had never faltered even when things were tough schedule wise. It was on Christmas Day, 2012 that Rhet’s world shattered. A devastating house fire broke out, and Naomi, despite Rhett's pleas to stay home, volunteered to respond to the call. Rhett stayed behind with Isla, but the fire quickly spiraled out of control. Naomi and two other firefighters lost their lives that night. The grief was unbearable. Rhett took a three-month leave from the fire department, struggling to cope with the loss of his wife, his best friend, and the future they had worked so hard to build.

Rhett's grief was all-consuming, and the subsequent months were filled with mourning and trying to navigate life as a single father to Isla, who was now fifteen years old. Despite the profound pain, Rhett eventually returned to work, though his role had shifted. He could no longer work in the same capacity as before. Instead, he transitioned into fire safety inspections, focusing on preventing the kind of tragedy that had stolen his wife from him.

2013 - Current: Always Gotta Move Forward

Rhett’s healing process was slow and difficult, but over time, he managed to start living again. He bought an old farmhouse in the rural countryside, a home he had planned to share with Naomi, and began making it his own. He became certified in HVAC to save money on home repairs, and while he continued working with the fire department in his new capacity, his life was far from what he had envisioned. Dating proved difficult, and though he tried a few times, none of the relationships ever felt right. His focus was on Isla, Joe, and building the life he and Naomi had dreamed of.

As time passed, Rhett slowly began to realize that he could still live a meaningful life, even if it wasn’t the one he had imagined with Naomi. The memory of her, and the love they shared, remained a powerful force in his life. Now, with a renewed sense of purpose, Rhett started to embrace the life he had ahead of him. He had lost so much, but he had also gained something new—a sense of resilience, and a deep understanding of the value of love, sacrifice, and living authentically.

Now in his 40s, Rhett is learning to live the life he should have all along. Though the scars of his past will always be with him, he is determined to honor Naomi’s memory by living a life that is full, meaningful, and true to who he is. His journey is one of redemption, healing, and the slow, steady discovery of happiness once more.

#merrockbio #everettellington #abandonment tw #teen pregnancy tw #death tw #spousal death tw

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