Personality: Topher is an all around nice guy. Once you get past his heavy hick accent people find that he is all too eager to help and to be liked by pretty much everyone. He finds himself 'closer to Jesus' when he treats others with respect that he wishes to be treated. He does, however, have some racial and sexual hang ups as far as WHO he will treat with respect. He doesn't quite like 'colored folk' and is uncomfortable around them as well as he hasn't had much experiance with them. He believes what he has been spoonfed, colored people are all gangsters, hookers, and drug dealers and he doesn't want in with that crowd. It is possible for him to start warming up to other races once he knows the person but he is still very likely to remain uncomfortable around them. He also is homophobic and while the idea of lesbians is pleaseing to him, women should love men as it's in the bible and it's just normal family values.
Topher is a southern baptist. While not thoroughly religious, he goes to church around once a month to get his religion spoonfed to him. Most his politics, beliefs, and actions are effected by what is preached. Therefor Topher is anti gay marriage, anti abortion, pro church and state, pro Bush (but the church started to critisize the war on Iraq so that has waved, he still voted for the man) and votes straight ticket Republican. Democrats lack in family values and while Topher has no clue what those are, he figures family and values are good things so Republican is the way to go.
He's not the brightest person, more ready to listen to what he is spoonfed than check his information. While he made decent grades in high school, he got them more out of sucking up than doing the work. His charisma tended to get him places in that small town, but he has been hard pressed for it to work anywhere else.
Topher's downfall has to be his love for women. He is a HUGE flirt and comes off as charming and romantic but tends to flirt with any woman that looks good in a pair of boots. This has gotten him in trouble quite a few times, and tends to be what he considers his big addiction. He also loves to drink and smoke cigars. Once he was addicted to cigarettes but cut down to cigars and only smokes 1-2 a day.
Topher loves to sing country music and plays the guitar quite well. His dream is to be a famous country singer and currently Topher is working on that goal. He hasn't had much luck and has been getting frustrated by this. Still he is stubborn and continues to try despite the odds of being discovered.
Background: Topher was raised as a farmboy in Decauterville, TN a town with a population of 849. Him and his family were well known as farmers and for their quickness to help in town politics and situations. Growing up in the school, Topher was a big fish in a small pond, his personality good looks and 'money' made him go far. He was a star player in the school baseball team and frequent winner of school talent shows.
While Topher was no where near rich, he had a middle class income which in such a poverty stricken rural area made him appear rich to others. Any farmer in the area was looked up upon all the town dwellers as a pillar of the community. They kept the area going and the economy going, they were the people who kep the lights on in such a small town. For a small town, it did rather well considering it had an elementary, middle, and high school, public library, a courthouse and was only six miles away from a airport.
When Topher graduated high school, he worked for a small local shop as a mechanic and stayed in Decauterville, despite many of his friends moving to larger cities or going off to college. He did what his family wanted him to do for some time, but the lure of fame finally caught up to him when he was 20 and his fiance had left him. In a desperate attempt to eventually 'win her back' Topher took his guitar and saved funds to Nashville in hopes to land a record contract someday.
Topher's parents constantly contacted him with wishes that he would come back and inherit the farm when they retired. But Topher never listened, and eventually things ended in a bad fight where his mother disowned him. He hasn't had any form of contact with his parents in a year.
How he got onto the island:Topher was out having a few drinks with some friends at a local strip club one night. When all his friends left he had planned on calling a cab, but found all his cash had been tucked in the strippers bikinis. He tried to be careful, but was caught with his tail lights busted on his pick up truck. Smelling strongly of whisky and beer, the cop gave Topher a breathaliser in which he failed and was stuck with a DUI.
Since Topher really didn't have enough money to pay bail AND the fines, the cops gave him the option of rehab hosted by feral labs or jail. Topher chose rehab of course as going to jail would be a HUGE mark on his record if he had ever made it big. They insured him it would be on a island and it would be very low key.
Topher thought he got out easy, but did he?
