OOC: Realised that I have a lot of interactive story ideas planned for Riley before I retire the character so thought I might as well keep everything together in the one place rather than hogging multiple threads.
I've dragged my heels over the creation of this thread for nearly a year. It's still a very delicate topic about one of my favourite people / characters. Please be gentle with me lol





"I once read a quote that said; "The beauty of life is in the small details, not in the big events". I think that sums up the true magic of this journey that we're all on. My life rapidly changed overnight as a teenager and at breakneck speed. I've toured the globe, met world leaders, sold millions of records, won the most prestigious of awards. Don't get me wrong, it's not something I take lightly or for granted. I'm incredibly proud of what the lads and I have achieved. Who wouldn't be? For me, however, some of the fondest and heart-warming memories are the simpler things. Having one-on-one time with my dad on his days off work and watching Farscape with him while I wolfed down his signature dish: potato waffles and baked beans. Playing football out in the street with my mate Paul all evening then coming home all sun kissed and flushed to neck down several Capri-Suns in succession. Living in a tiny box of a flat with the Weekend boys when we first formed, staying up to the small hours cracking the filthiest jokes and forming the origins of inside references and lifelong bonds. The first time my son Orson looked up at me and gave the giddiest, most beautiful little laugh."

"When I look back over things, that's the sort of stuff that still gives me butterflies and little emotional nostalgic pans. The glitz and the glamour barely factors into the equation. I hope that one day when I'm long gone, people remember me not for the #1 records, follower count and accolades but rather my human connection. I want people to remember the laughs, the deep conversations, the advice, the hugs, the times where I was annoying the hell out of them. All the stuff that makes you a fully functional, three-dimensional, well-rounded human and that leaves a true lasting impact. Sometimes, I fear people see the celebrity and product before anything else and that's rather disheartening for me as I have a lot of love to give. In this field, it's incredibly difficult to break through and find genuine people who have pure, good intentions at heart. When I find my people, I hold onto them tightly and make sure that they know they're cherished. When I love, I love hard. I'm not perfect. Far from it. I always try to show up and be there for whoever needs me, however. It's a crazy world and one hell of a ride. We all need someone to get by."

"Years and years from now, when I'm gone, I hope that people think yeah, I was a bloody good mate and that Leeds don't deserve THAT much hatred...sort of."

- Riley Connor Hamilton