Michael Courtenay

I am Dr. Hugo Livanos and I will be expanding upon questions in which Michael cannot give adequate information.

Resident Full Name: Michael Courtenay
Resident Date of Birth: July 3rd, 1997
Resident Age: Fourteen
Resident Gender: Male
Current Address: St. Adrian’s Home for Youth- 4 Adelaide Road
City/Town: Felixstowe
County/State: Suffolk
Country: England

Resident Hair Colour: Light brown
Resident Eye Colour: Hazel
Resident Height: 5’2”
Resident Weight: 106 lbs.
Distinguishing Marks: I have freckles on the bridge of my nose, and dimples. It’s kind of embarrassing.

Do you have any ongoing medical conditions for which you require long-term treatment or medications?

No… I mean, I don’t think I do.

Michael does not suffer from any serious medical ailments, but the intake doctor at St. Adrian’s put him down for possible Psychosocial Short Stature, or at the very least, a growth hormone deficiency.

Are you aware of any allergies you may have to foods, medications or environmental elements? If so, please list them below along with age of onset.

Not that I know of.

Do you take any other medications or drugs not prescribed to you, or participate in the consumption of alcohol or tobacco?

No. I wouldn’t want to hurt the ones I care about by doing drugs.


Where were you born and where did you grow up? What was it like there?

The staff told me I was born around Driffield, in East Yorkshire. I was brought to The Children’s Home of Bridlington when I was two, and I know my birth mother brought me there, but I don’t remember her. I lived there on and off until I was fostered into the Rogers family. Life at the home was okay, I guess. Well, it wasn’t really a ‘home’… it was more like a holding place- a place to do your chores and homework and stare out the window for someone wonderful and imaginary. But that’s okay- I longed for a family all my life and I eventually got one, so I’m not complaining.

Please describe your relationships with your biological family, including parents, and siblings if applicable.

I don’t know my biological family, but I don’t view them as my real family. Talon, Aggie, Mother and Father are my real family, because they didn’t give me back- that means they love me, right?

How were/are you in school? How are your grades? Do you enjoy school?

Father never allowed a single grade below an A. If we got anything less, he’d beat us every night until the grades were what he wanted them to be. (No one really noticed because he caned in places that were easy to cover up. I'm pretty sure he'd been doing that for a long time with Talon and Jackson, so he's probably very good at it. That's okay- I deserved every hit.) I actually remember every single grade below an ‘A’ I’ve received in the past three years because whenever I do something bad, it repeats in my head. I’d hear ‘You failed your math test on January 8th, 2010’ over and over again until I fell asleep from studying too much. I guess that’s okay because that made me try harder. I didn’t like it when he beat Talon, though. Once I was fostered, I started having anxiety attacks before tests because I knew that Father would be angry if I didn’t ace it. I’d study every single night- during the week before a test, I’d often wake up facedown on my homework and desk when I was supposed to be in bed. But I worked hard to make my grades the way they were- and I want to make Father proud. I’m not very good at school, though. I think I’m dumb because I have to study what everyone else naturally understands. I was also bullied a lot because I’m apparently a Jesus Freak and look like a ten-year-old. Need I say more?

Michael’s OCD about his ‘crimes’ or ‘failings’ repeating in his consciousness is a product of Timothy’s abuse and brainwashing highlighting all of his faults. It is clear that he didn’t just study ‘hard’, but obsessively. He outlined textbook chapters and did extra work only for studying, completed homework as soon as it was assigned and attempted to memorize pages of material within days… which likely only made him have more anxiety attacks and feel more miserable. Personally, I am concerned with the statement, ‘I want to make Father proud’, not only because Timothy Rogers is abusive, but because both Michael and Talon won’t be in his ‘care’ any longer. The desire to make his foster father happy is still present, and should be closely monitored upon his transfer to a new facility. As a side note, I believe Michael to be smarter than he realizes- he likely has unconventional types of intelligences. He learns kinesthetically and exhibits more spatial and interpersonal understanding than the average for his age group.

Do you participate in any extracurricular activities or belong to any after-school clubs?

I played baseball (As a pitcher.) up until I was eleven, when I was fostered. I wasn’t allowed to play anymore because we went to church and did religious activities there. (I guess that’s okay, even though I would have loved to do something more physically active.) The Church of the True Light split from the Catholic Church because the founders believed that women had too much free-reign. They're quite strict, and very small in number- only a few families are a part of it. When I was fostered, I had to give up Catholicism to be with the family. I agreed so that I could stay with them, but I didn't mind- the beliefs are mostly the same, and it's still Christianity. As long as I was with God, I didn't really mind that I had to switch sects.

If you no longer reside with your biological family, please describe any previous homes as well as your current situation.

I was fostered first by the Wallace’s starting at age nine, up until I turned ten. They were an old couple who didn’t have any children and needed a boy to help them with their farm. It felt awkward calling them ‘Mum and Dad’ because they were in their early seventies, so I called them Granma and Granpa and they were fine with it. Granpa taught me how to garden, work the machinery and feed the animals, and Granma taught me about the Lord and how to clean because she was too weak to do it herself. I spent most of my time with her, because Granpa used to get really angry every time I organized something or cleaned too much. At first, I only did it to make them happy, but it had the opposite effect in the end. Even though they were nice to me, I felt there was something missing. They treated me more like a clumsy adult who was helping out than a kid who wanted a family. They didn’t like spending time with or talking to me much because once I’d tell them I was done doing Chores X, Y and Z, they’d say thank you and send me away so they could read the paper or play solitaire. I spent most of my free time cleaning. One day, Granma got really sick and thus Granpa had to be around me more- I drove him so crazy with all the organizing and cleaning, and once I didn’t close the fence properly because it had to be perfectly straight… even though I checked with nearly every step I took away from it that it was closed. I let the chickens out because it wasn’t, and that was the end of it. Granpa sent me back to the home and I was there for a second time.

After that, I prayed and prayed for a family who would keep me. I told God I didn’t care who they were or how they treated me, as long as I belonged to them. As the year went on, my prayers got a little bit more specific: I prayed for an older brother too- someone to love and look up to. God answered both of my prayers after I turned eleven.

When I first arrived at the Rogers home, I got caned by Father a few times because their rules were much different than the Wallace’s… but Talon helped me. Honestly, Talon and I connected the second we met- I think he needed me because he didn’t have Jackson anymore, and I needed him because I don’t think anyone actually loved me up until then. I not only love him, but I also admire him. Talon didn’t cry when Father beat him, unlike me. He’s so strong despite what he went through.

Mother was kind to me too. She’s tender and gentle, but quite nervous because she always needed to think about how Father would react before she’d do anything… no matter how small. I always offered to help her clean, but she’d say no because Father said that was women’s work. So I’d usually do it without both of them knowing and get hit for it if I were caught. It was my fault for lying, but I couldn’t stop myself. If a book was out of place on the shelf or if the cups weren’t color-coded or if Agnes missed some dust on the floor, my hands would take over. I have no control over it.

Agnes was my foster sister- she’s five years older than me and three years older than Talon, so she’s nineteen. She was nice when we were around each other, but she didn’t seem to like to spend time with me much, probably because I got nervous a lot.

And Father was… utterly terrifying. I was nervous anyway, but before him, I’d never flinch at a hand coming towards me or worry if every little move I made broke a rule. No matter what or how hard I tried, it didn’t seem like I made him happy. But at least he was the one who told me I had a demon in me! That’s a good thing, because now I can take steps to drive it out… hopefully.

Timothy Rogers, in addition to physical and mental abuse, also instilled the belief that there was a demon inside of his foster son, as well as his biological sons for different reasons. The ‘demon’ was his explanation for Michael’s anxiety as well as his stunted growth- extensive therapy is in order to address this issue.

Do you have many/any friends? If so, please describe them.

I had a few friends from the home before I went to live with the Rogers’- Jorge and Molly. But I lost contact with them when I got fostered the second time. Father told me I was only allowed to socialize with those who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. He allowed us to go to public school (Probably because if we were home-schooled, he'd have to see us all the time.), but he ordered us to be careful of who we chose as friends. I don’t think godless people are heathens as father says- but I didn’t question him, of course. Collin used to tutor me for Bible-study and Noreen used to talk to me about everything that was going on in her life, which I didn’t have a problem listening to. Zachary just kept me around to hear all the weird voices I could do. I really only talked to the kids from the Church because kids at school thought I was weird- they either avoided me because of my anxiety attacks or bullied me for it. Talon didn’t like the kids from the Church very much because he called them ‘boring little shits‘ and ‘automoton robots’ on a few occasions. But I saw the good in them.

Are you sexually active? Are you aware of any gender preference, or preferences in intimate practices, activities or situations?

I’ve never had sex, and I’m definitely straight. I would have been in a lot more trouble with Father if I were gay. But Talon’s gay and there’s nothing wrong with him- I don’t see anything wrong with liking boys or girls or both, because God loves everyone, right? But I also think I’d be straight anyway, regardless of Father’s wishes.

Have you ever knowingly committed a crime? Were you caught and convicted? If convicted, what was your sentencing?

I was dared to steal a pack of gum once, and I feel so guilty for it! I mean, I had money with me so I could have just bought the gum and told my friends that I stole it. Now the man behind the register won't have a paycheck to pay his bills and the employees doing piecework in the gum factory won't be able to feed their starving children because of jerks like me who steal due to peer pressure! Every time I see a pack of gum, I can’t stop hearing ‘You stole on August 23rd, 2009. You stole on August 23rd, 2009.’ I hate myself. I really do.


Have you ever been diagnosed with any psychiatric ailments by a medical or psychiatric professional? If yes, please explain below.

I was recently diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Dr. Livanos. I know for a fact I’ve had them both my whole life, but I was never in therapy and I don’t know anything about psychology… so I didn’t know they had names for the things that were wrong with me until then.

Please describe any incidents associated with these ailments, such as antisocial behaviours, social or environmental difficulties, incidents of self harming, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, substance abuse, etc.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder- Michael is prone to anxiety attacks. Some common triggers he described to me include: beating himself up, (Usually over something trivial) test anxiety, and not being able to give into a compulsion- such as fixing something ‘out of place’. When asked to describe what happens right before an attack occurs, he described it this way: “I tremble, stutter, get startled easily, start to look around the room frantically, hold onto my shirt, my eyes get wider, my heart races, I start to get dizzy and I deal with it by either curling up on the floor crying or running away.” (Recorded in session) He reports that he usually doesn’t know when he’s about to fall into an attack until he is ‘right on the edge’, and that it is hard for him to calm down once he’s at that point.


Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

(This list may or may not be comprehensive. The numbers match linked obsessions and compulsions.)

Obsessions-

1. Fear of hurting people and/or doing something ‘wrong’,
2. Order,
3. Checking,
4. Hyper-Responsibility, (Thinking that everything is his fault.)
5. Contamination,
6. Pathological doubting,
7. Fear of abandonment,
8. Over-studying

Compulsions-

1. Whenever Michael ‘hurts’ someone, (Usually instances as small as bumping into someone in the hallway) he will never forgive himself. He mentally lists what he did wrong and the dates of their occurrences, the instance repeating in his head over and over again until he never forgets it. (This comes from Timothy Rogers figuratively and literally beating his mistakes into his head.) He worries about others far more than is necessary- if they get hurt somehow, even when he is not involved at all, he’ll still think it’s his fault.

2. He fixes absolutely everything that is out of place or nonsymmetrical- even things that don’t belong to him, such as a deck of cards every time someone draws.

3. He has a deeply-rooted fear that what he says will hurt someone, so his words pass through multiple content filters in his head so that he can check to make sure what he is about to say is okay. (Saying that he thinks before he speaks is a huge understatement.) ‘Checking’ applies to anything else he is deemed responsible of, such as the chicken coop gate on the Wallace’s farm.

4. Michael over-apologizes and asks for reassurance that something he said didn’t hurt someone, usually multiple times. He is aware that it can get annoying for the other person, but he reports that he ‘just needs to make sure’.

5. He cleans everything he can. If he’s particularly anxious, he’ll wash his hands more than he should, but not enough to injure him. He claims that those times are few and far between, but still present. Michael may also clean to please others.

6. A small example of this is that he doubts whether he does his homework, so he needs to complete it as soon as he gets back from class. He feels anxiety if he thinks an assigned task has not been completed. Sometimes he thinks he repressed the memory that he hurt someone so he over-apologizes to whoever he offended even after they say that he has little or nothing to apologize about.

7. This one has an obvious, and understandable, reason for its causation. Michael isn’t generally clingy, but the fear of being abandoned spikes up particularly when he’s nervous. I once overheard him asking Talon if he would ever give him away. This, too, must be monitored.

8. The obsessive studying started because of Timothy Roger’s nearly unattainable standards, but I believe it has a few other elements to it- Michael does not want to upset/disappoint the ones he cares about by failing and he is a hard worker in nearly all of the fields he is involved in. He told me that when he was in baseball, he threw 100+ pitches every day in addition to regular practice… which injured him on a few occasions.

Have you ever seen a licensed psychiatric professional, psychologist, or counsellor for these ailments? If yes, please list doctor(s) or counsellor(s) below:

I started going to a clinic and seeing Dr. Livanos after I was discharged from the hospital.

Do you take any medications for any diagnosed psychiatric ailments? If yes, please list medication, dosage, and frequency of dosage below:

At the hospital, they started me on 40 mg of Geodon and that’s what I’m taking now. I started taking it in the morning, but all that did was turn me into a zombie. I was sleeping practically all day and when I wasn’t, all I was doing was staring at things and crying. I’m guessing the doctors noticed because then I started taking the medicine at night and I was fine after that. It knocks me out at night, but that’s a good thing.

Have you ever been admitted to a short or long-term psychiatric facility as a result of these ailments or associated incidents?

The first and only time I have was after Talon and I first came to St. Adrian’s. I guess I was nervous because I really didn’t want to go to a children’s home a third time, and I was guilty that I still had the demon inside of me and that Talon- ((The last part of this sentence is scratched out.)) So one day, something that would have ordinarily just made me a tiny bit anxious, (There were a few chairs not aligned in the common area- something stupid like that.) made me have a random anxiety attack- but this one was different. Usually, I have a few clues to tell me that I’m right on the brink, but I was definitely not prepared for this one. And I think it was a combination of all that I was thinking and worrying about exploding in my face. ‘You have a demon inside of you. You have a demon inside of you.’ repeated in my head again and again until I curled up against the wall, started crying and hyperventilating... and passed out too. I woke up in the Nurse’s Station at St. Adrian’s and then they took me to the Xavier Treatment Center for three days and discharged me because they felt that seeing an outpatient therapist was better than keeping me in for something short-term. What’s really scary is that I don’t even remember if Talon was with me when that happened.

The reason for Michael and Talon arriving at St. Adrian's was that Talon wrote a letter to Child Protection Services asking for both boys to be taken away. A day before this, Timothy Rogers and the other elders of The Church of the True Light performed an exorcism on Michael to attempt to drive the 'demon' out of him, cure his anxiety and beat the desire to do more 'women's work' (cleaning and organizing) out of him. They tied him down and beat him with a large wooden cross, a bible, a communion cup and a rubber fish. Talon found out about the ceremony last minute and stopped it at its tail end. Michael was naturally shaken by this cruel and deranged act, but Timothy told him that the reason why he was still anxious was because Talon interrupted the ceremony, thus negating its intended goal.

How do you feel these ailments affect your quality of life or your situation in life?
I know that if I didn’t have anxiety at all, my life would be a whole lot easier. I wouldn’t have to make Talon worry so much or have thoughts and impulses I can’t control or break down crying every time I can’t align something perfectly. But I’ve also been wondering if my anxiety and OCD is a part of my identity- I’ve never been without the disorders, so I’d probably be a new person entirely if I were cured for good.

If you could be cured of your ailments, what would your goals in life be?

I’d really love to help people someday, but I’m not smart enough to become a doctor or a counselor. Maybe I could coach baseball to disabled children. That would be wonderful.

How do you feel these goals would be best attained?

Well, I’d have to be stable before I ever help anyone. So I guess I’ll take my meds and go to therapy and see what that does. Maybe they can drive the demon out of me.

Why do you feel you are being referred to Highgrove, and by whom?

I am referring Michael to the Highgrove Home for Children because living in a non-psychiatric children’s home and going once a week for therapy at my clinic hasn’t been doing as much as we would have hoped. He would surely benefit from a home that is equipped for on-site psychological treatment.


Hello, and thank you for meeting with me today. Our interview today will be recorded for review later. I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and I'd like for you to answer as fully as you are able. I'd like to start by asking you how you're feeling today.

“Questions? Did I do something wrong? Will there be a test later? I’m not very good at tests, and I haven’t even studied for this one- oh, wait, sorry. I’m so dumb. And I’m feeling… er, I guess nervous because this is all very new and so much change went on recently, and… embarrassed, I guess.”

Patient Observation: Before speaking, the patient was fidgeting and biting the sleeve of his jumper only to leap up and run around in a panicky circle. He then paused and blushed as he sat down, staring at his knees.

Okay. And how are you feeling about this opportunity to join our family at Highgrove?

“I really want to, because then I might be able to cure my anxiety and stop bothering people. My life would be a lot easier without my disorders, come to think of it.”

If you could alter one event in your life, what event do you think you would change or remove, and why?

“Um, well…”

Patient Observation: The patient twiddles his thumbs and takes a considerable amount of time to answer.

“I don’t think I can really answer this question. Because if my birth mother never gave me up, I would have never met Granma and Granpa and if they never gave me up, then I would have never met Talon and the Rogers family. The Lord keeps giving me blessings and I keep ruining them by being annoying. And I deserved all of the caning and paddling from Father, so I couldn’t change that. I don’t think I can answer this question because I wouldn’t change anything the Lord wants for me.”

Patient Observation: The patient started biting his sleeve again and looking away, suggesting that he thought of something he’d want to change last minute, but omitted the answer.

If you had to describe yourself in only three words, what words would you choose and why?

Patient Observation: He displays a small, genuine smile.

“This might be a fun question. Hmm, let’s see… you mean besides ‘nervous’? I guess I’m ‘hardworking’, ‘loyal’ and… ‘understanding’. And my reason... well, that’s what everyone else describes me as.”

How do you feel currently about your life so far, and anything you may have done?

Patient Observation: The patient’s shoulders sink and begins to look at his knees again.

“I like my life, really I do. I’m not alone anymore. But I… I feel so guilty that I’m so hard to handle. If I didn’t have any disorders and if I weren’t so annoying, then maybe things would be better. I worry all the time that Talon might do the same thing that my birth mother and Granpa did, but he tells me all the time that it won’t. Still… I shouldn’t have driven people to… to…”

Patient Observation: The patient starts to up in the chair, about to cry in his knees.

What would you do if you found a stranger being attacked by another stranger, and why?

Patient Observation:He sits properly in the chair again and wipes his eyes, appearing embarrassed with himself for getting so upset.

“W-Well, I’d probably run away and tell someone who can do something about it because I’m a coward. I’m not brave like Talon or Jackson.”

What would you do if you were being threatened by a stranger, and why?

“If they didn’t have a weapon or didn’t have their fists clenched, I’d try to reason with them and ask them why they got so mad at me so I could fix it. If they were about to attack, then I don’t know what I’d do because listening to them wouldn’t work at that point. I’d probably just let them beat me up because I’d deserve it if they wanted to hurt me that badly.”

Have you ever deliberately harmed yourself, another, or animals in the past? If so, why do you think that was?

Patient Observation:The patient looks off-guard and slightly afraid that such a question was asked of him.

“No! Never.”

And lastly, what do you hope to find at Highgrove, and how do you think this will help you to learn and grow?

“I really hope I can get over my disorders because all they seem to make me do is cause trouble for everyone. I hope I can be stable enough to do good for the world too.”

This concludes our interview for today. Thank you for filling out our application and speaking with me. We will contact you or your guardian shortly with our decision or recommendations. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your day. Goodbye.


Is there anything your character is not telling us? Do they have any dirty or dark little secrets they're omitting from their application? Please explain below.

Michael, truthfully, has never expressed anger. The most he shows is hatred toward himself or getting frustrated with his speech impediments. (Example: Thermometer is 'fermometer') He fears that he'll hurt someone's feelings or make someone hate him if he shows it. Because of this, he has lots of repressed anger bubbling below the surface- all of which he doesn't realize is there in the first place.

To ease the history confusion:
Brought to the Children’s Home of Bridlington: 12 years ago
Wallace’s foster: 5 years ago
Granpa Wallace gives him back: 4 years ago
Rogers Foster: 3 years ago
Exorcism: 3 weeks and 3 days ago
St. Adrian’s with Talon: 3 weeks ago
Mental Hospital: 2 weeks ago
St. Adrian’s again/Started seeing Dr. Livanos: 1 week and 4 days ago


Player Nickname: Tash
Player Chatango Name: wtfitsTASH
Character Playby: Sean Michael Cunningham

But don't fret! Just follow the steps given to you below and edit your application appropriately. When you're done, please reply to this thread to let us know that the application has been edited, and we will review it again.

• Michael is going to need a little editing before he's admitted to Highgrove. To start, there's a lot going on in the app and I'm finding it difficult to follow. I recommend finding a question or two to tell the story and also trying to make the answers as clear and concise as possible.
  
• The religious aspect seems to be rather important to the story since it got a disclaimer at the top but it's barely mentioned throughout the application. If it weren't for that and the disclaimer I would have assumed he was talking about a straight up Catholic church. Since it's Bre's brainchild I would recommend having a pow wow and figuring out exactly what this church stands for and how it would effect Michael.
  
• Tying in with above, Michael has an obsession with religion and the consequences of straying from it. However, that one is skipped in the list of compulsions and he seems perfectly accepting of Talon and other people. If he's obsessed with the Church of True Light and it's teachings then that should be a large part of his application. Why is he okay with Talon being gay if the church is against it? Why is he okay with befriending people who don't follow the Lord since they would be going to this church's hell? If you wish to keep the religious thought OCD it has to show in the app. Currently, he doesn't seem to really be on board with the idea.
  
• Michael doesn't talk about the exorcism at all and since that's what got the boys taken away it really should be mentioned in the app, even if by another voice. Again, why would Michael stop it or be against it if he's obsessed with the church?
  
• If the boys are going to a public school and being beaten every night for low grades how did no one notice? I feel that if the boys were being this abused that someone would have figured it out before now. For that matter, if the father is so deep in church and controlling why would the boys not be home schooled?
  

Thank you so much for reviewing this, Nebby! You didn't have to do it so quickly! XD I appreciate it. )

I have...

1. ...summarized the history in the non-biological family question, and deleted the snippets of history from other parts for an easier read.

2. ...mentioned the Church more, explained its differences from Catholicism and how it has affected Michael. (That he had to give up Catholicism to be with the Rogers family.)

3. ...added the fact that Timothy is quite skilled at being an abusive father, so he uses the age-old "hitting in places covered by clothes" trick.

4. ...removed the obsession with the Church, as it would f with his acceptance of the human race as a whole and all that jazz.

5. ...added Dr. Livanos' explanation of the exorcism.


Again, thank you! <3

Resident Full Name: Michael Courtenay
Resident Age: Fourteen
Resident Gender: Male
Known Diagnoses: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Dormitory Number: Dormitory 1
Bunk Number: 02 Bottom
Assigned Chores Group: Kitchen Chores
Assigned Therapist: Dr. Gunner Bjorgen

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