( per aspera ad astra )

[Zackary Holtz]

The Title phrase is an old Latin phrase that means "To The Stars Through Difficulties"

I was a beautiful phrase so I thought I'd use it for the Zack return thread. I love him, always have. Always consider bringing him back and with my re-watching of Psych I have got to bring him back but for sake of getting him to stick, the Zack coming back is a bit different. His face is still the adorable James Roday. Seriously changing him away from Zach Braff was the best thing I ever did. But he's been away and some things have changed.

I was thinking that in his long ass hiatus, since we sort of just said him and Riley were still apartment mates, that maybe he took a trip up to Seattle for a little while, telling Riley is was some family stuff. That way he comes back from Seattle and they're still roomies?
But that sure was a long ass trip to Seattle so what happened? Zack's father died of a heart attack. Now for those of you who dont know. Zack comes from a poor family. Father was normal apart from high cholesterol, his mother was mild schizophrenic, his older sister was blind and his fraternal twin brother is severely autistic. Taking care of the brother turned Zack into this responsible goofball kind of guy and he just became the guy that likes making everyone laugh. But when he started going after a stand up career, his mother and sister were killed in a car crash on the way to one of his shows, and he gave it up. His father and brother moved to Seattle and he went to College to become a teacher and he started out on the site as a student teacher alongside Riley. They became best friends and were roommates/apartment-mates. Oh and Zack's Uncle is married to Jordin's Aunt so they're sort of cousins by marriage.

So here's the deal of why Zack left. He got a call from his uncle saying his father had a heart attack and is in the hospital. Zack, never one to try to burden anyone with issues, just tells Riley there's some family stuff he's got to do. So he goes up to Seattle. His dad is really a fighter and fights to stay alive for a few weeks when he finally goes into a coma. Zack's Uncle and him, decide to pull the plug after his dad was in the coma for over two weeks. (Zack would have called riley, said it was taking longer than he thought and then mailed him his part of the rent). at his father's funeral he ran into his ex-fiance, who also happened to be the only girl he was ever serious with ((I'm looking for someone to play her)) and sees her there with her new boyfriend and while she's not callous or anything because she's a good girl, it was awkward and just reminded him of her cheating on him two years ago. Now Zack's Uncle can't take care of Zack's autistic brother, we're talking severely autistic. He doesn't have the time as well as he travels a lot for business and the state refuses to let Zack try since Zack's a student and just one guy and no steady pay check now that student teaching is over and so the state makes them place his brother in a facility. His brother, Jacob, not used to the change, didn't quite understand what dead meant, only face he feels comfortable around was Zack's. So Zack stayed up there for awhile getting him used to it. He stayed in his Uncle's house while they were away, visited Jacob as much as he could but he was still grieving, he was angry at the state, he needed release so he when invited, he went to a casino. Since then he has lost almost all his savings, dropped out of college, owes some dangerous people, and been taking a lot of odd jobs. He's become reckless. He also gained a bit of a mouth on him. He's still goofy but now he also has a bit of a smart ass quality he didn't have before. His recklessness is really just a way to not think about how completely alone he feels.

Anyways, One night, he loses big and scams his way out of there and disappears off the radar and flees back home to Valkyrie. And that's why he comes back. so he skinny is:

STAYED THE SAME::
- goofy
- enjoys laughing and making others laugh
- flirtatious
- good heart (it's just a bit further down)
- cares about his brother
- his apartment if it's cool with lainey

CHANGED::
- gambling addiction
- bets things he doesn't have
- stupid, reckless behavior
- irresponsible
- drop out taking odd jobs to keep going
- selfish, doesn't really care if he pisses people off or not
- his father died and his brother's locked up
- keeps a cell on him always, a red one on which his brother calls regularly. Zack will always answer it, and if he needs him, he will drop everything to go roadtrip up to see him. kind of like the Laura Linney character in Love Actually. I may get his brother transfered to Valkyrie Hospital

I figure a lot of drama can spawn itself out of his new demeanor plus It'll give me a chance to play with him a bit more. I would love some friendship drama with Riley seeing how much has changed with the both of them since he's been away.

Whatever, the things I need from you all, lovely people of V-Side, are plot ideas and opinions. What do you think of newer more beaten down Zack? Would you like to plot? He's shiny!! And yeah... plots are a big deal. And remember, he lived in Valkyrie before, he's just been gone for a few months, so past relationships are fine. Not so much past romantic ones because he's really only ever been serious with his ex-fiance but still.

[Shay Anderson]

ahhh, yay zack!<333
i don't remember ever knowing him overly well, since we never really plotted with him before. but i did always stalk him and did love him.<3 i love all the outsiders. so yay! i'm really glad you decided to bring him back. it's great you've had the muse for him, too, i think. proves that he was always meant to stick around. (: 'cause, really, him and riley are such an epic dynamic duo - i need to stalk them now. so, anyway. i love what you've done with him. lovelovelove. it's always hard seeing such positive characters go through hard times. but, as we all know, it happens. glad you can play around with him more now<3 it would break my heart to know someone like him have to go through something like that, and end up dropping out and all of that. but it makes for more fun tormenting our characters. which is what a good roleplayer does? rofl. it's a v-side thing, maybe. anyway, i'm ranting now. i love what you've done with him, and i'm totally getting into the plotting with him. let's do it right...NOW. 'cause i have nothing to do, other than eat waffles, and have been needing plots. we need more A&A Productions, anyway.

good news, i have lots of people who can plot easily with him. i'm making a lot of adults in the future, so that makes it even easier. xD first thought? him and my silver need to be friends. seriously, ever since his changes, they've become really similar. especially that whole gambling addiction thing? yeah, that's his thing, too. so not a good thing. i was at the casino awhile ago, and i swear i tapped into that part of his brain. sitting there blankly, just pulling the lever of the slot machine, i can see it. they've both changed due to the fact of a family tragedy, as well. yay for more similarities! although his recklessness is more losing fights on purpose, just to feel something again, but gambling is definitely in there. good scam artist, he can help. so, they've gotta plot in some way or another. friends, bad influences...something. if the time is right, silver could easily bring him farther into addiction. so, we're plotting them fo 'sho. out of the question not to. do i have ideas? pfft. of course not. xD

i could see some interesting plots with him and indiana - gray's sister? i'm changing her face, and she's changing a bunch, too. becoming more bohemian and, at the end, really alternative. if that makes any sense. the mellow drinks and people type. i dunno why, really, but i think we should plot them. i plan on making her soon, probably before the now faceless cassidy, and she'll be needing plots. xD uhm...yeah? i really have no ideas, none at all, but they should plot anyway. if i end up playing her like how i envision her in my head, i think it could be interesting enough. does that make sense? no, probably not. but let's talk. i have waffles!

other than them, a lot of my characters could be friends or something else if you want. pick a flinger, and we'll plot them. gray could be friends with him, same age, debts, all that fun stuff. if he ever actually had the time, he'd probably be the type to gamble, too, if that helps any. my new boy, carter ( who's cassidy's brother ) could probably get along with him as well. they're both the goofy!cynics, although carter's the type to dine and dash, if you know what i mean. not a loyal bone in his body. ah...pfft. i forget the rest of my characters. xD but i am sooo glad you're bringing him back<3 i want plots. lots and lots of plots. (: love his new sig, btw<3

[Sarai Montgomery]

k. so never seen psyche, i know i should, and i didn't know the old zack, but i like this one and yes, we must plot.

i think sarai works best here, simply because i've had her on the brain for weeks and she's driving me nuts. that, and she just kinda fits. i'm thinking maybe sarai kinda knew zack before he left, maybe from a few years back. they were never on epic friendly terms but they were nice to each other and in the few times they've actually talked, zack was great about making sarai smile. i was thinking now that he's come back, he and riley get reacquainted of course, and he and sarai meet up once more, only she's now dating riley. maybe zack sees a lot of his old girlfriend in her and tries to keep distant because he hates the reminder or something? or maybe that brings them closer, that would be up to the way zack would perceive it.

idk who else could work with him. maybe maggie, but she wouldn't be any good in this situation. maybe she finds out how bad he's in back in seattle through her awesome research skills and offers to help him for a price of course. no clue. seriously skimming off the top of my head here.

j.r.'s pretty much a useless blob right now. no clue how he could fit in.

so the final result i leave up to you. destroy, maim, love any of my options. you know how i roll.

[Daphne Hayes]

i am replying. making my rounds now actually. xD

so i'm glad that one - you're bringing zack back and two - riley's roommate is back because they are have the ultimate bromance xD so yeah, i'm completely cool that zack comes back. i love what you're going to do with him. the whole back story of what happened with him. and i'm so looking forward to that thread where they catch up on everything that went down while both of them weren't talking with the other. and i definitely want to plot with him more! i got all my adults besides riley that'd be willing to plot with him. my only adult girls would probably be just hester and violet. and i need to use hester more. so yes. and if he's still gambling, riley would try and help him while like finn would be taking him down to the inferno for some blackjack and poker. and i can't really think of anything else making this post a waste of space but yeah. we'll think of more later. i just really like everything that you changed about him, makes him so deliciously darker <3