And if you've been mislead

[There's a brief silence before:]

What do you want, Chris?

[And then a beep.]


(OOC: yeah awesome. i can't remember how he even got it but I bet I can blame handy.)

COMM: break in
VERSE: canon
WORD COUNT: 841



It was something he learned as a kid.

Ray stalked around the car, tapping his knuckles on the hood and roof as he passed them by. He hadn't had reason to do this often - he usually hotwired his own car when he lost his keys, or in very, very rare cases, hotwiring the Cortina because Gene was somewhere without it, and the call had come in to get the hell where Gene was. Employing that little used, but well honed talent, on something other than the Guv's car and his piece of shit one was a right treat.

He stopped at the driver's side door and jiggled the handle to no avail. He smiled to himself. Getting to smash in a window was always fun to do, and he removed his jacket to wind it around his elbow. Windows never broke in movies, Ray knew that, but he also knew how to break them. Ray aimed his elbow at one spot in his window, pulled it back, then slammed it down with all the force he could muster.

Pain spiked up his arm, but the glass cracked and began to give. Ray gave it one last smash and the window collapsed in, little bits and pieces folding inwards like some weird sheet. He stuck his hand in and yanked open the door. He brushed his hand across the seat and flopped in without much care. It was just a matter of getting things open to get at the wire, and that was a piece of cake.

Plus, he came prepared. All he needed was a screwdriver, and bam, it was open, providing him access to all the wires he needed. He tapped the ashes of his fag out the broken window, cracked his fingers, and got to the delicate work of hotwiring. A wire here, one crossed there. All and all it was confusing work for anyone who didn't know jack shit about cars and theft.

"Carling? What're you up to?"

Ray lifted his head up calmly, and flashed a smooth, guilt-free smile at the man. "Just messin' around, Tony. Figured you weren't usin' this junker for anythin', and it were me day off."

Tony sat down on the hood and smirked. "Thought you weren't into that anymore."

He crossed another wire and the engine roared to life. "Nah. Still into it, just can't do it. Guv'd have my head if I went 'round stealing cars." Ray slid back out of the car to speak to the man face to face.

Tony was a dark haired, wiry, shady sort of bloke dressed in grease covered overalls. He owned the car, he owned the other cars around the lot, and worked as a mechanic as a hobby. The man clapped Ray on his shoulder and tried to lift Ray's cigarettes off him with his other hand. Before he cleaned up his act, Ray remembered, he was an ace pickpocket. Ray stole cars, and Tony stole wallets.

"You coulda told me you were coming to visit," Tony said as he removed both his hands, Ray's pack of cigs in one of them. "I could have done something about that piece of shit you drive."

Ray laughed and snatched his pack from Tony's hand. "Yeah, maybe. But I wasn't really gonna make it a social visit." He tapped two cigarettes out and passed one to his old mate. "Just needed to see if I could still do it on sommat other than my car."

"Oh, so you were gonna make me out like the poor folks you used to steal from, eh?" He snatched the cig from his hand and produced Ray's lighter from apparently nowhere, causing Ray's ire to rise a bit. "I'm hurt, Carling. I thought we were mates."

"I think you're bein' a bit of a hypocrite, Tony," Ray said, taking his lighter back. "Your motor's still here. And I'm the one havin' to get my stuff back."

Tony took a deep drag. "So where's the kid what runs with you now? That Skelton bloke."

Ray shrugged. "Visitin' his mum."

"Momma's boy, huh? Sounds like a shite excuse for a copper."

His smile went from something amiable to something almost more sinister, just a bit more disturbed. "You insult him, you insult me, Tony. I'd watch your tongue if I were you."

"Hey, hey, no offense meant, Carling. I were just sayin'-"

"What you were sayin' is 'I'm a twonk who never learned to shut his bloody mouth'." Tony held his hands up in surrender, and Ray let it go, tossing his old fag to the ground and replacing it with the one he had tapped out only moments before. "How much to replace the window?"

Tony shrugged. "Don't worry 'bout it. S'just a window."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Ain't gonna cause me a problem."

Ray grinned and slung his arm around Tony. "How 'bout we get out of here and have us some fun? Almost like old times."

Tony tilted his head to the side, then nodded. "Like old times."

COMM: n/a
VERSE: realityshifted
WORD COUNT: 622



It was 1975.

Sam Tyler was still DI. Ray Carling was DS. Things had smoothed out between them, and CID was more or less a sort of family. Sort of dysfunctional, but a family. It had been one of those days, too. The case was rough, and Tyler was being a right prat about something or other. Ray spent the time grumbling to Chris about how if he were DI, there'd be none of this talking malarkey and they'd get straight to business on the case.

But when the day ended, he and Chris headed on home. No night at the Railway Arms this time; the Boss had gotten the Guv in a sour mood and Ray didn't fancy being on the bad end of Gene being frustrated over something Sam did. It were bad enough that he had gone and forgotten about the Plane and what all that went on.

Ray didn't like the idea of keeping his mouth shut about it. It wasn't something they were supposed to do - keep their mouth shut - but Ray had just come to a silent conclusion that if Tyler had off and forgotten about it, and refused to remember despite being reminded, it might've been for the best. That was one point Ray kept himself from latching onto like a rabid dog. Some things were better left alone.

He had resigned to his bedroom, not for the night, but just for a quick clear of his head and to take the medication he had been given by Sid. Chris would hound him all night if he didn't, especially since they weren't right pissed. Couldn't take them when drunk, so he usually found himself only taking half (at best) of what he was supposed to.

In one of the other rooms of the flat, he could hear the sound of Sandwich (which was a terrible name for a cat, so he called her Sandy) running at full tilt. The louder thumping noises behind him, he guessed were Chris doing a very animated and exaggerated run after the cat.

For a moment, he closed his eyes. Chris had moved in full time only a short while ago, and Ray had up and decided to move to a different flat. He had reasons, one of the being he was tired of Chris hogging up his couch all the time. Another was that he had a niggling suspicion if anybody found that Chris were living with him official like and there was only the one bedroom, he'd be called a poof or some shit like that. It was one thing for a bloke to be staying on your couch for a while. It was another for a bloke to be living with you and on the couch.

He sat down on his bed and had just removed his suit jacket when a furry blur darted into his room. Sandy leapt onto the bed, onto his shoulder, digging her claws in, then leapt onto the opposite floor. Chris appeared in the doorway moments later, hair tousled and a wide, gleeful smile on his face. He posed as if ready to dart in any direction.

Ray couldn't help but grin a bit, especially as Sandy arched her back at Chris, fur standing out all on end. Chris started at her, trying to provoke her into running. The cat shot straight up as if she were on a trampoline, and as soon as she landed, bolted faster than any criminal he'd seen in his life. She dashed between Chris' legs and disappeared out of view - and Chris chased after.

He popped the two pills in his mouth and dry swallowed them.

Things hadn't turned out so bad after all.

COMM: justprompts - Fight
VERSE: canon
WORD COUNT: 600
NOTE: blahblah shit set during when Ray was younger because I feel like it



The kid went tumbling down onto the dirt and the gravel. Any sound his fall might have made was drowned out by the sound of teenage boys taunting and jeering at him. The boy who had sent him down - younger than most of the other boys with him, by a scant few years - stood over him with a smirk.

Ray always did love kicking the shit out of people. He didn't have much problem with the kid whose nose he had just broken, but, hey, when an opportunity presented itself, he wasn't the sort to back down. Especially when the rest of the gang was around. Really, having them there only spurred him on. There was an added rush to having people cheering for you, for people encouraging violence, for people wanting you to bust some bastard's face in.

"Come on, Ray," one of the boys - Nicholas, who preferred to be called Nick - said. "Show him what for!"

He wasn't going to let them down. The boy, who Ray was certain was named Will or Bill or something, was trying to get back up in his feet; but Ray put a quick stop to that with a quick stomp-like movement placed right on his back, meant to pin the kid back onto the gravel. Bill (or Will, whichever it was) went down with a cry, and the group let out a raucous whoop.

Immediately after, Ray kicked the kid in the side, hoping he might break a rib. That would be something to brag about. Anyone could bust somebody's nose, but breaking a rib, that was something else. He wasn't sure if he heard a crack or not, so he gave it another kick for good measure. If it didn't break, ah, well. No big loss.

Bill (Ray started to lean towards using that, pretty sure it was the right name) cried out again and began to cry, his breathing laboured with coughing and sputtering from the pain of the stomp and the two hard kicks; not to mention the assortment of punches he had been subjected to prior.

"Get the hell up, you sodding little faerie." Ray's smirk turned into a disdainful sneer. If the fight was going to turn into him versus some crying little girl, then there'd be no more fun in it. Granted, he could mock Bill for it, but it didn't have the same reward as kicking him in.

Bill didn't get up.

"You hear me?"

The crying quieted, replaced by rapid breathing with the occasional sniffle.

"I said get the hell up!" Ray moved to kick again, but felt a firm hand on his shoulder and halted. He short a glare back to whoever was only loosely restraining him.

The hand belonged to the makeshift leader of their group - a tall, lanky, dark haired teen named Terry. "Enough, Ray. You already beat the shit out of him, you ain't gonna get much more fight now."

Ray's shoulders slumped, and he stepped back. If Terry told him stop, he stopped. He sure as hell didn't want to, but he knew better than to challenge the bloke in charge. Besides, Terry was right. Bill wasn't going to give him much more of a fight no matter how long he taunted and teased him.

"Fine. Whatever you want, Terry." With that said, he stepped away from the main group, which was already beginning to dissipate a bit. Ray glanced around for Nick. He felt in need of a damn smoke, and like hell was he going to wait until later for it.

COMM: justprompts - Lost
VERSE: realityshifted
WORD COUNT: 713


Ever since things had gone right to hell, Ray had been even rougher on the people he knocked around. He never said why, never made any mention of anything, but it was plain to see that he put more force in his punches, in his strangleholds, in his restraints. He seemed just barely on the verge of snapping and doing permanent damage to whatever poor sod found himself on the receiving end - and Ray knew it.

The bloke who was now sporting a broken nose was starting to realise it a bit as well. It wasn't an interrogation, and the violence that Ray was using was uncalled for, but he didn't particularly care. The man had pissed him the hell off, and Ray was going to do whatever he felt like, especially if it meant turning the man's face into a bloody pulp. He didn't even know the man's name. It wasn't important. Not nearly as important as throwing an arm up to block a punch, then using his other to send a blow to the gut back to his opponent.

The man doubled over, and Ray grabbed him by his shoulders then proceeded to yank him upright. Ray took only a moment to look the man in the eyes before he smashed his head against his victim's. The shock and pain tore through his skull, but he ignored it as he threw the man to the ground seconds after.

Ray managed to get a few kicks in before someone dragged him away; he was sorely tempted to start being the shit out of them as well, but decided against it. His hands were already a bit sore, and his head was aching. He was better off calling it quits for now - if he felt like continuing, he was pretty sure he could find both of them to finish the job.

* * *

He was still brimming with the need to hit something when he got home. He slammed the door behind him, which was enough to snap Chris (who was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the wall) out of his stupor. Ray didn't pay him any mind and ignored the curious stare and simply stalked by, headed off to his room.

Ray stood directly facing the wall and drew back his fist. With one quick motion, he slammed it into where he knew there was a stud, and was rewarded with the painful shock of flesh, muscle, and bone against a good, solid wall. He drew his fist back, and hit it again. Again. Again. Eventually, the pain started to fade away as it was replaced with adrenaline, and all he focused on was the hard sound of his blows hitting the wall.

He didn't want to think about things. It was nicer to just indulge in violence. Thinking about it made him feel weaker, like something had been taken from him, though he couldn't pinpoint what exactly. Thinking about it meant-

He smashed his hand into the wall again, leaving a small smear of black.

What the hell did it mean, anyway? If he thought about it, was he admitting he was weak? Because shit, he knew he wasn't. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't as if he had any way of-

Ray threw his fist again and fixed his eyes on the growing smear of black. It didn't look like blood - blood was red, blood flowed differently, blood smeared on walls differently, he wasn't bleeding. It reminded him more of motor oil than anything else; motor oil some queer tossed glitter in or something.

He seethed through his teeth and continued with the assault. Ray picked up the speed, turning his stuttering blows into a furious staccato, and with each hit the black on the wall spread. It wasn't blood; he was fine. His hands felt the thud and the dampness, but none of it came together to register that he was bleeding.

"...Ray?"

Ray stiffened at Chris' voice, but didn't turn. Neither did he throw his fist again, holding it back for now. His reply was half snarled. "What?"

"You... okay? I were just... well- I were just wonderin', 'cause you didn't say anythin', then-"

"'m fine. Nothin' you need to worry 'bout."

COMM: justprompts - Appearances can be deceiving.
VERSE: open
WORD COUNT: 10324
NOTE: Part 1 of ??. For Kisha (I promise it'll end up with Ray/Chris someday.)

( Cut to spare your flist.Collapse )

(blahblah charloft blahblah this)


1. What is your height?

173cm 184cm.

2. What is your weight?

84kg.

3. What body type(s) do you identify yourself with?

Tall. Strong. Stuff like that.

4. How do you feel about your body?

Fine with it.

5. How do you think others feel about your body?

Women love it. Thats all that matters.

6. How does the media portray those with your body type?

Don't care.

7. What could you change about your body if you could?

Height Nothing. Fine the way I am.

8. Has your body had any drastic changes?

No.

9. Have you ever had an eating or body image disorder?

No.

10. What piercings/tattoos/other modifications have you done to your body?

Doesn't apply.

11. How in tune are you with your body's signals - can you tell when an illness is coming on, for example?

Sorta. Don't get sick much.

(For an older charloft prompt, found here.)


The following is handwritten in a cheap journal that looks generally NOT taken care of at all.


Therapist says I gotta write. Answer questions and stuff he gives me. He don't look at it none so I don't see the point. Questions he always gives are loaded. Stuff about emotions and stuff I think about or what I'd do if something happened. Like this.

WOULD YOU KILL 1 PERSON TO SAVE 1.000.000 OTHERS?

Whats that got to do with anything? Mean, sure, I'd do it. Makes sense, yeah? Cause I'd've just saved a bunch of other people for offing just one. Hell, it don't even say who its gotta be. I could just kill some bloke off the street or a druggie or a fella that's gotta rep for assault.

Boss'd say it were wrong, I bet, but it don't matter what he'd say. I was the one who kept all them people from dying. Ain't no way he could say it were right letting them all die if I could stop it. Specially since I wouldn't be killing anybody who didn't deserve it anyway. Not like I'm gonna go into somebody's flat and off them.


WOULD YOU KILL 1.000.000 PEOPLE TO SAVE SOMEONE IN PARTICULAR?

Damn right I would. If it were the Guv or Chris, I'd do it. Maybe even for the Boss. The Guv'd have my head if I didn't. Dunno how I'd do it, but I'd give it a try. Probably end up locked up before I could hit ten though. Ain't like I got anything that could kill that many people at once. So I'd have to do it one at a time or sommat. And nobody's that good.

You don't even kill that many people fighting in a war. Bloke like me, might be able to work a bit from the inside, muck about with stuff. Make it look like somebody else did it, but the Guv'd figure it out quicker than I could get it done.

Or the Boss. Both of them, likely.


WOULD YOU SACRIFICE YOURSELF TO SAVE 1.000.000 PEOPLE?

Think there were more on there, but it don't matter. I got one answer for this.

Fuck no.



Makes me a bad person, don't it? Not offing meself to save others or killing one bloke or killing a bunch of people to save the Guv or the Boss or Chris, yeah? Bet my therapist'd have a fuckin feild day with this.

Don't care. I don't feel 'bad' about any of the decisions. Nothing. Zero, zip, nada. Don't regret a thing either.

Not like it matters. Its just questions and questions don't mean a thing.

(For an older charloft prompt, found here. :| Just doing a bit of fleshing out with Ray on various things, NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG.)


A Collection of Things Found in Raymond Carling's Pockets (And On His General Person)

2 packs of cigarettes (one half empty)
1 Zippo lighter
3 packs of Juicy Fruit gum
1 keyring (with 7 keys)
1 warrant card
48p
2 1/2 pieces of paper (complete with phone numbers)
unknown quantity of string/thread
1 pen

☆ Threadhopping with this character - yes/no/maybe so?: Yes!

☆ Backtagging with this character - yes/no/maybe so?: Yes.

☆ Hugging this character?: Ray isn't big on hugging. But go ahead!

☆ Giving this character a kiss?: Ray will accept it from any and all women, and if you're a dude, he will kill you.

☆ Punching this character: DO IT.

☆ Is there anything ought not be mentioned near this character?: :| No?

☆ Is there anything you need us to know about interacting with this character? Special physical features, fighting abilities, STUFF: Ray wears four inch heels sometimes.

☆ Anything else, please mention here: :|

Player Name: Dero
Player LJ: derogative
Email and/or AIM: auron12001@hotmail.com (or) auron12001@gmail.com; xx derogative xx
Timezone: EST
Other Characters: The Master (demnify), the Brigadier (barelyemoting)

Character: DS Raymond Carling
Series/Fandom: Life on Mars
Deviance: d1

Age: 38 38 38 (Birthday: April 30th, 1933/1939)
Gender: Male
Species: Human

Canon Used: Life on Mars, info from Ashes to Ashes

Appearance:

After the events of this comment thread, Ray now has a scar running under his right eye and down his face, a scar across his stomach, and a scar on his lower back from where he was stabbed.

Psychology: To most appearances, Ray Carling is not a complex man. He likes drinking, good looking women, and plenty of fags. He's crass, boorish, an aggressive womaniser, and has no problems putting people in their place. Technically, that's all true. Ray does love a good night out at the pub with friends. He loves looking at gorgeous women (though with Ashes to Ashes hinting he might actually be gay, that might just be an act. Or he's bisexual. Who knows). He loves smoking, and is probably well on the way to lung cancer.

Ray keeps up this appearance with most people. He shows off his more crass side because it establishes him as a strong person. He can take the rough and tumble just as well as he can dish it out. It's gotten him along his whole life, so there's no reason for him to put down the defenses. Why ruin a good thing?

While he's not the brightest bulb in the box, Ray has a bit of wit to him, along with a few random bits of knowledge. He never got far in education, so the stuff he knows isn't that advanced. Basic english, maths, sciences. About the stuff you learn when you're 11 or 12 or so. So he's of an average intelligence, but he doesn't have that much knowledge - and he's not going to change his ways for anyone. He knows what works.

He can be a right stubborn git when he wants to be; the aforementioned resistance to change is one of those. He knows how things are and how they work. He's strong in his convictions, and by god you'll have to spend ages trying to convince him of something he's against. Most people don't have the tolerance for it, because he'll resist it with every fibre of his being.

Carling isn't much prone to extreme shows of emotion, especially rage. He almost never gets angry, which is a bit unnerving at times, since you can't really read what he's up to. He could be pissed beyond all belief but wearing a faint grin. It's only when he attacks that his feelings are made aware, but even then, he still has that cold, removed demeanour. Ray Carling doesn't show anger, he doesn't show rage, but he feels it - extremely. Ray can be an angry man when it comes down to it, but you'll almost never find out why, or just how much.

He tends to express his displeasure in things more subtly, or with barbed comments. He'll bump into people he dislikes. He might knock papers to the floor 'on accident'. Things that are acts of aggression and shows of power, but not overt and obvious signs of rage. His commentary is similar, with snide remarks and pointed commentary that is meant to elect laughter in other people while thoroughly frustrating the target of his ire.

All and all, the persona Ray shows to the world is that of a bully. And not just any bully, he's one of those bullies who somehow keeps getting all the chicks, or so he claims. And he isn't even classy about it; as his idea of things to happen on a first date involve 'downstairs inside', ie, putting his hands down her panties. Ray moves quick - or he's just trying to assert himself as heterosexual, if you believe Ashes to Ashes' hinting.

But that's not the end all of Ray. That's just what he shows to most everyone. The select few Ray gets close to (Chris comes to mind) get to see a completely different side of Ray. They get to see a fairly compassionate man, someone who cares about the people he works with and the people in the city. Ray may be a callous prick to the world and the people in it, but it doesn't mean he doesn't internally care. He just can't afford to, not on the job. He has to do what is necessary, and even then, he doesn't want to seem frail. So his better side is private, and rarely seen.

Along with that side is a heavy dose of silly, something that frequently comes out with colleague and best friend Chris Skelton. He'll get involved in such antics such as lighting farts on fire, or attempting to anyway. They goof around, they tease each other, and all and all Ray allows himself to relax. Ray without his defenses up is a very different animal, almost a complete opposite of the bully he shows. Oh, he's still a jerk and a prick, but you can actually see he has good traits, and he's a decent human being.

(And while we're briefly on the subject of Chris, let's take a moment to look at how he views the man. There's a significant age gap between Ray and Chris, fifteen years total, but it doesn't seem to show when they act. The two of them are on the same mental wavelength - and arguably the same mental age. Ray is... very attached to Chris, always has been and always will be. It's multiple parts how he views him. You've got one part seeing him as his much younger (and much beloved) younger brother, whom he must defend/protect from things he doesn't approve of. There's the part of him that views him as his best friend; someone who he can always turn to when he needs support or companionship. There's also the young rookie he took under his wing and is in the process of training to be a good copper. Then there's one other bit that loves Chris in some weird way, except Ray won't admit it and will just write it off as caring about the div, 's all. If there's one person Ray cares about the most in the world, it's Chris. Sometimes he lets him down, he knows it, but he does care, and he'll do just about anything for him. That is, suffice it to say, if you hurt him, Ray will smash you into pieces. The easiest way to get Ray's ire, after all, is to be mean to Chris. Then you're doomed. Saying Ray is 'protective' is putting it very, very lightly.)

Good luck getting to see that side of Ray, it's nearly impossible. You pretty much have to rank right up there with Chris to get to that bit.

Another bit about Ray is he's fiercely loyal. He'll do just about anything for the people he's devoted to. Ray would have to be pushed to extreme limits to legitly betray anyone in CID (except maybe Sam, but that'd tick the Guv off), and even then he wouldn't do it willingly. So if you at least win Ray's loyalty, you're golden, and you'll have an ally for nigh on forever.

Ray also has a bit of a significant jealous streak going on; not just over the loss of DI position, but over a perceived threat that Sam would take away the two people closest to him - Chris and Gene, who in turns are his best friend and the man he looks up to the most. He dislikes people moving in on what/who he considers 'his', even if he doesn't really mean to be possessive of them. He doesn't like the threat to him - in a sense he doesn't like the potential instability, and fears that he'll be left behind. Whether or not this is some huge insecurity of his is really unknown, but it's worth noting that there is a niggling fear in his mind that he'll be dumped for something newer and better. This is probably why he doesn't have many friends, too.

Another thing is that Ray tries to emulate Gene in as many ways as possible. He wants to make the man proud, and he's willing to do just about anything to garner Gene's approval - including one instance that resulted in a cell death. He'll do whatever he thinks his Guv would do in a situation, which isn't exactly the way he should be going about things. After all, he isn't Gene, no matter how much he tries to be like him. You can say there's a hefty dose of idolising here with him, and there's no other man in the world Ray wants to be more like than his very own DCI.

Towards the cell death, it showed off another facet of his personality or rather showed one put to it's very length. Ray caused the death of a man in his care, but he showed no remorse about it. He even went so far as trying to destroy the only evidence that would point him as being guilty of manslaughter. In fact, one could almost say Ray showed off a degree of sociopathy or psychosis, but odds are he was just hiding behind his established dickish persona. Though the fact he was almost grinning as he was talking to Sam about the tape is a bit worrying...

But anyway. After the events of 2x03, Ray has been suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has a few nightmares, gets a bit uneasy around anything explosive, and sometimes goes into brief fugues. His manifestation of it is through numbing, essentially turning off his emotions and shutting things out as a means of coping. While he's getting a handle on things and is at least functioning as he would normally (he has to keep up appearances), he is still trying to deal with it in private. That sort of weakness he won't let anyone see ever again, not under any circumstances.

Despite all his bad bits, he's still a decent person and a damn good cop. People love hanging out and talking with Ray, and he's got one of the best arrest records in CID. So he must be doing something right.

Also, while I'm thinking of it: passive-aggression. Ray has plenty of it.

PS: Ray didn't seem particularly thrilled at Sam saving them from bent copper status. He seemed more annoyed, actually. So either he didn't care or he was enjoying the perks that came with being a bent cop. :|

Other Skills/Abilities: Ray, to put it rather bluntly, is more brawn than brains. His skills are more geared toward the physical, for taking and receiving blows. If Gene's a lion, then Ray is a bear, and he has absolutely no problems showing off all the brute strength he has at his disposal. Just for a bit of reference? He can chuck a locker across a room, and that type of locker had to have a base weight of around 250 pounds. And that's if it was empty. So, suffice it to say, Ray is damn strong.

Going with that, he's not the sort of man you want to tangle with. Nine times out of ten, Ray'll win whatever fight he's dragged into, if only out of the fact he has experience, the tenacity to keep fighting, the strength to break people (literally), and enough stamina to keep him fighting as long as he needs to.

To things that aren't fighting or crushing people with his mighty fists of doom, Ray is actually a damn fine singer. He doesn't do it often, and usually when he does it's to mock someone else, but he has a lovely singing voice. If he had different aspirations in life, he probably could have had a career as a singer.

As well, he had a bit of a rough and tumble youth, one where he hung about with the wrong crowd. He picked up a few skills from them, but he's let most of them fall into disuse. He's a cop now, after all; he doesn't have any need to know any breaking and entering skills, or stuff like that. Though he's still a damn fine lookout when he pays attention. He just doesn't.

Now, according to Gene, Ray has caught more villains than the whole department put together. So it's easy to assume he's a damn hard worker and despite moments where he seems like a bloody idiot, he's a good cop, and one who always gets his collar. He has years of experience and know-how, and he knows more of the 'old' procedure inside and out. He can sniff up evidence where other people might not (or he'll bang things about until he gets said evidence; either way, he gets what he needs). Not to mention his ability to intimidate is very handy in getting people to talk.

As of his most recent death, he has unknowingly gained an ability to manipulate fire.

Other Weaknesses: Due to the education system at the time, Ray doesn't have much of a formal education. He knows a bit about some things, but otherwise has the skills of a young boy towards things such as science and maths. And by young boy, I mean '11 year old'. He was, after all, sent to a secondary modern, where he was taught skills meant to shove him right out into the work force to do some menial job. But he gets by with what he has, even though it's not particularly stellar.

As a result of this, Ray has pretty shoddy handwriting. It can be read, but he never really took the time to hone it once he got past 12 or so. Thus, when it comes to writing, it's a bit messy. Then again, Ray doesn't write much, so it doesn't hold him back. Plus he can make Chris write stuff for him. Chris! Chris, go write things for Ray.

Despite Ray's totally awesome physicalness, he's not exactly the pinnacle of health. He's been smoking since he was a teenager, so he's pretty much addicted to nicotine. Along with it come the various perks of lower lung capacity, higher blood pressure, so on and so forth.

He also has been drinking for years. Possibly a decade or two. He often drinks to excess and sees very little problem with it (though he'll never drink while on duty, only when off). If he hasn't become an alcoholic yet, Ray's well on the way. Odds are he doesn't care.

And one final, last note: Ray is painfully human.

History: Ray Carling was born April 30th, 1933, in the great city of Manchester, to a working class family. His very young childhood went relatively uneventful; his dad worked a lot, and his mum did her best to raise him right. It went well enough until World War II, where upon his father was conscripted.

His mum took up a job to try to keep things going at home, but women weren't paid that well, even with a good chunk of the male work force gone. Ray was put into school and for a year they struggled along. Then when he was seven, on Christmas, Manchester was bombed. Ray made it through, but his mum didn't. So, not having any other family (as far as he knew), his mum dead, and his father still fighting in the war, he was stuck in an orphanage. Only temporary, they told him. When his dad came home, he'd be sent home to live with him. Ray clung onto that idea.

Pity for him his dad got killed in the fighting in 1942. Ray was nine at the time. That sealed his fate, more or less. He would not be going home to anyone, so he pushed the idea out of his head and, even as an adult, never mentions his parents. No point in mentioning what he doesn't have and what he can barely remember. But life went on.

In 1944, when he was 11, he went to take his 11+ exam to see where he'd be 'sorted' in the tripartite system. Ray didn't keep much up on his studies as a boy, so it wasn't much of a surprise as he got relegated to a 'failure school', a secondary modern. He stayed with it for a few years before leaving completely at the age of 14, in 1947.

Ray worked odd jobs here and there to make money, and he fell in with a bit of a rough and tumble crowd for a few years. He never broke the law personally, but most of the people he hung about with did. He was the de facto look out when they took him a long, and became well acquainted with running and hiding whenever the law came by. That went on until Ray was 17, when he was conscripted to serve National Service.

That was in 1950, the year the Korean War started and National Service was extended from eighteen months to a full two years. As a result of the whole thing, those two years were spent in the war itself. He served in a fair share of battles and did a good deal of fighting. He came out of the war in 1952 when his National Service ended, and he was in, more or less, one piece. He was shot once, but otherwise was very good at not getting himself blown up, shot, attacked, or otherwise sent off to hospitals. He was a lucky bastard, basically.

He was 19 when he was back home, and turned his eye to taking up a new area of work. Most of his old buddies had either been conscripted themselves and probably killed or most likely locked up for being trouble makers, so he had, essentially, an empty slate to work with. And after careful deliberation, he joined the Manchester police force, where he's been working ever since. He spent his mandatory time on the beat before putting in a request to transfer to CID. He worked his time as a Training Detective Constable before promoted to a full DC. It's also worth noting that during this time, Ray became friends with Gene and came to view him as a personal hero figure, sort of.

After a few years, Ray was promoted to Detective Sergeant. Ray worked damn hard all those years, earning himself one of the best arrest records of CID current. No one could argue that he wasn't a damn fine copper and he didn't do his job well. Also during this time (or even before he became DS) he started taking bribes.

By the time he was at least 38 or so, Chris Skelton was added to the team as a new Detective Constable, and Ray fell in with him rather quickly. He and the younger man became fast friends and good working partners - not to mention, Ray sort of went about teaching Chris the ropes. Things went on rather well, the lot of them working with each other nicely. Sometime before February of 1973, Ray put in for a promotion to Detective Inspector. He might've gotten it too, if it weren't for Sam Tyler. Thanks, Sam.

Also ps: I am doing it in clear list order so I can keep track of it otherwise I will go OH NOEZ INTERNET

1x01: Things were going nicely until DI Sam Tyler stepped into things, thus promptly killing Ray's chance at the promotion. Stupid Sam. Anyway, a series of murders had been going on, involving young women being garroted with a thin wire/rope/thing, no sexual assault, blahblah. Presumably Ray and Chris were two detectives on the case, seeing as they knew a bit about it. Anyway, in comes Sam with his crazy. Perhaps Ray could have tolerated it. Except then Sam was mean to Chris and that was it. Through the rest of the episode Ray spends his time being mildly antagonistic and wondering wtf is going on with Sam. He also demands a striptease from Annie.

Then he disappears for the rest of the episode, because Sam is crazy and he didn't want to hang out with Ray. Then again that's silly, because Ray was actually doing other work he was supposed to be doing. Yep.

1x02: Robberies! Fun. Or, well, not fun, as Sam let the lead suspect go and that got June, one of the girls that worked at CID, shot. Ray is mostly doing his own things in this episode but he does make brief appearances to tell a crowd to get away from a crime scene, bring a lady Gene describes as 'tits in a jumper' into CID for questioning (he also got her a ride home on the bus), strong arm a guy into giving them information... then he and Chris are supposed to do surveillance to keep an eye on Annie and Leonard, but the skip out to go play darts against C Division.

1x03: Oh, this is fun. This one has murder (or so everyone believes)! Ray, uh, still doesn't do much. Though he gets to be racist! Also Gene sends him off to find a blade that doesn't exist and he does it because he loves his guv. Though he also roughs up Dodds a little, and hangs around while Sam does the bit with trying to catch the person who was buying guns. It failed and Ray was annoyed. :| THEN THERE IS A GUNFIGHT WOO AWESOME.

1x04: Ray ...still doesn't do much but he's around. He does a bit of betting, he insinuates that Joni is, uh, generally dirty (I mean, 'wash your hands' comments? :| Really). Though there are about two scenes that are important. One is the one where they find Joni's body. You can just barely hear Ray explaining things to Chris. The lines are this:

"You can't mess around with Warren and get away with it. (Something here I still can't make out.) That's just how it goes."

Then when Sam approaches, Ray snarks loud enough for him to hear, generally making barbed commentary that the only reason Joni was dead was because of Sam. The lines "If you don't play the game, people get hurt. You didn't play the game, and she paid the price." are significantly telling. ...Then Sam tries to smash his head in.

Then at the end Sam arrests Warren and CID is saved from corruption and everyone is happy. ...Except Ray. He's sort of annoyed.

1x05: Ray fakes sick, skips work to go see Manchester United play against City, and then Gene chases him down the streets to bust his ass for faking sick. Oh, and he arrests someone for cattle rustling. Good job, Ray.

1x06: Ray has a birthday party thrown for him, stands around with a gun, makes a comment on donuts, gives Sam tea, momentarily frets over Gene, and then is totally proud of Gene at the end.

1x07: OH MY GOD AN EPISODE RAY IS IN FOR MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES HOLY DAMN.

Okay. Let us attempt to be coherent. This episode is one of two that actually, you know, feature Ray prominently. Note, the first episode that does show him a lot paints him as a villainous sort. You see, Gene wants to have dinner with Sam some few hours after they arrest a drug dealer/streaker. (Ray's car is shite, too.) So, Gene leaves Ray in charge.

Thing is, when they get back? Dude is dead. Everyone except Ray is generally upset or traumatised. Ray is just cool with everything and his normal prickish self. Things go on as Ray does his job and Sam goes around trying to figure out why Billy Kemble is dead.

Ray trusts a tape to Chris. Chris fails at destroying it. Sam finds said tape, and Ray reveals how psychopathic he really can get. He proceeds to try to beat the shit out of Sam and he throws a locker. Sam cheats and wins the fight.

The truth is revealed: Ray killed Billy Kemble with Chris' assistance. It wasn't murder, but it sure as hell was manslaughter. As a result? Ray was demoted down to Detective Constable and had his pay halved. This was, suffice it to say, devastating.

1x08: Ray is allowed to go on a case, yay! Anyway, Ray gets to manhandle Sam's daddy a little bit, threatens him a little, gets yelled at by Sam, blahblah. He contemplates going toe to toe with Sam before backing off. Then at then end, he wins a bet! :D With Chris. Because Ray bet Sam would pull a gun on Gene, whereas Chris bet Gene would pull a gun on Sam.

2x01: Ray shoves around reporters. Ray also sings for a bit to mock Sam and his evidence searching team. Chris and a few other CID detectives join in. It's a lovely bonding moment that possibly annoys Sam. Ray also assists in tossing around a vase of human ashes. He even pretends to drop them and points and laughs. Ray is totally the best. RAY GETS PROMOTED TO DS hooray. Chris and Ray also make fun of Sam's silly little invention for blowing up tires.

Also RAY mentions getting a warrant, shock and awe. Ray arrests Crane, he has the murder weapon checked for prints (so he says), he and Chris arrest some Hungarians, then Ray and Chris drag Crane out to the funny farm.

2x02: Ray, with Chris, make fun of a guy for having sex with a sheep. Also more racism. Ray also sleeps at his desk and pretends to be a customer at a post office.

2x03: SAM FUCKING BLOWS RAY UP WITH A CAR BOMB JESUS CHRIST. No seriously that's what happens. Ray is hospitalised (and apparently is supposed to be off work for at least a few weeks, possibly remain in hospital for that time), but he lets himself out early. And guess what? PTSD, okay. He blanks out, he goes numb, so on and so forth. He ends up shooting an innocent man, too. Then to top it off? He gets held at gunpoint. This is, uh, pretty major. Especially since Gene was goading the guy to shoot Ray, and Ray was pretty much frayed to start with. He almost cries, really. :| Not the best moment ever. But at the end he seems more or less okay, as the guy gets arrested and then everyone is all nice to Ray. Awesome! :D Also Chris is a div.

2x04: Sexy parties that Ray did not participate in. But this does feature Ray giving Chris totally awesome (and totally bad) dating advice! :Db Also there is silliness in the dark, started by Ray. Seriously, he starts it by waving his flashlight in Chris' face and giggling like a little boy. Also he sets up a radio in the women's bathroom. Good job, Ray. Surveillance. Then darts at the end and Ray demands to know how far Gene got with Missus Luckhurst. Ray loev hearing other people's sex lives.

2x05: Sam is on drugs! But no one cares. Ray attempts to make a man not commit suicide. Ray hasn't been to the pub in 36 hours. This is hell. He whines that he was busy but uhhhh he was sleeping. Most of this episode was in THE PAST so. It is in the past. Uhhhh stuff. Ray reveals he really doesn't like it when people go after kids.

2x06: Ray fails at identifying living or dead bodies. Fail. Ray also is assigned to keep an eye on a witness in a coma. Fail there too, as the guy gets killed. That's about it.

Reality Description: Manchester, England. 1973. This, my friends, is our basic setting. Now, allow me to elaborate.

Manchester is a working class city, for most part. Sure, as time goes on, there'll be a few big scientific advances going on, but for now, it's mostly a city of hard working people. A city of factories, of smoke, of mills and all sorts of things.

It also is a city of murderers, drug dealers, prostitutes, bombings, robberies, gangsters, illegal pornography and the ilk. Fun, isn't it? Good thing the city has damn good cops. (I like saying 'damn good', apparently.) You've got your good and your bad, and the people work with it.

It also happens to be 1973. What does this mean? It means totally awesome 70s fashion. It means totally awesome 70s music. It also means everything has a sepia filter, because the past always has sepia filters. This is all you need to know about 1973 specifically. Though I suppose it'll be 1974 soon. But 1973 information still applies.

A particularly significant location in the reality is CID. It's a biiiiig police place. Well, I doubt the building itself is CID since everybody seems to hang about and there's different floors, but only CID is important and everything else is silly and in the mystical ether. Now, CID. CID has the best in everything. And by best, I mean typewriters, messy collator's den, and some chalkboards. And a thing they can tack stuff into if they don't wanna use the chalkboard. Also phones. 1970s phones. Also booze and cigarettes. Also there's a bathroom around there somewhere. And some holding cells! Totally awesome, man.

Another place happens to be The Railway Arms. It is a pub. That is why it is important, because Ray can often be found there if he isn't at CID. It is run by Nelson, who is awesome. :| Anyway, it has booze. Totally even more awesome. Ray even has a certain spot he likes hanging out at near this one sort of pillar thing. Don't sit there. ALSO? There's a TELLY! A telly! So yeah that makes it even more totally sweet.

Ray also has a flat but we never see it. Presumably he sleeps there sometimes. And has a couch and stuff. He lives alone, too, because ...because he's Ray. Though sometimes when he has a girlfriend (or so he claims) she moves in for a bit before they break up and she takes off somewhere.

UHHHHH I think that is everything. :|