Ricou Chapman

**Ricou Chapman** is the lover of Nolan Thair, and one of the first hallowed individuals introduced in show (also being one of the first hallowed individuals post black rains in general). He is the ex-guard of The Resting place Hotel and a friend of Walter Pensive (now deceased)

## Personality

Ricou is a humble individual who enjoys solitude, and doesn't see the need for more than one social connection. He suffers from body image issues, and frequently speaks of himself as 'hideous'. He is a collector of all things shiny (most of which taken after he murdered their original owner) and enjoys swimming, to the point that he became hallowed for it.

## Description

Ricou is described as being a towering man with mossy crests and gills. His skin is ridged and green and he is described as having "growth like fins hung from his arms and clung between his clawed fingers" . He also has webbed feet. His eyes are described as burning with green lights and he has fronds on his cheeks and chin.

## History

Ricou was one of the first people to have ever be infected by the black rains, the occurrence of which is seen in the intro for Episode 30 - Stones, where it is also mentioned him having had a friend and having been a child at the time, he mentions having avoided his family after this in fear of them shunning him for him appearance. At some point after this he crossed paths with The Resting Place Hotel and it's owner Barb, who offered him a cure for his state (which, as later said by Polly was not in his power) if he could beat him in a game of poker. Ricou lost after Barb cheated, and was forced into a contract with him for 20 years of service as what was basically a guard dog for The Resting Place.

### Season 1

Episode 6 - Frogs: Ricou meets and indirectly saves Nolan Thair, when he decides to attack and attempt to drown him when Nolan is in the middle of being about to kill himself. Nolan manages to kick him off, only to realise that Ricou can see him. He points this out, and the two quickly bond over their mutual strangeness and exclusion from society. Ricou invites Nolan for food, stating "*There is no hurry to join the sleepers*". Nolan accepts

Episode 15 - Cards: Ricou returns to The Resting Place Hotel to challenge Barb to a game of poker, with the stakes being his freedom, if he wins he's free to go, if he looses his contract with Barb is extended indefinitely. Ricou wins, by having Nolan look at the other players cards and signal to him their draws. The two leave the Resting Place Hotel in high spirits

Episode 30 - Stones: Episode intro describes Ricou's Hallowing from the perspective of a childhood friend of his. In this, it is revealed that Ricou was skimming stones on the surface of a lake, when Ricou decided to go for a swim. He tried to get his friend to join him, but his friend refused, understanding the dangers of black water. His friend then left, assuming Ricou was flow him, but when he didn't, it was assumed Ricou went swimming anyway. The friend doesn't see Ricou for weeks after that, until one day he returns to the lake, and is attacked by what is assumed to be Ricou.

Episode 31 - Anchors: Ricou and Nolan have retreated to Walt Pensive's cabin up in The Shuddering Peaks. Nolan's siting in the hot spring bellow their new residence with Ricou, when Nolan asks him what he was, and how came to be that way, and Ricou tells him of when he was young and went swimming in the black water. He then continues to talk about his time with Barb, and how he served as his watchdog. Ricou ends with saying that he does not regret spending time in dark places, because no other moment would have led him to this one. He then talks about the storm building over the forest, and how they should go back inside.

Episode 41 - Waters: Rcou and Nolan are, once again, flirting, when they are interrupted by The Omen, who is looking for Walt's collective of Indie influenced books. Ricou tells it that they weren't there's to give, and The Omen informs them of Walt's death, after having been killed by The Instrumentalist. Although this at first shocks Ricou he stands firm and kicks The Omen out. Nolan asks if Ricou is alright, and Ricou opens up and says that “*If there was anyone I might have counted as a friend besides [Nolan], it was Walt,*”. He states that they'd only ever met three times, and that they hadn't seen each other for several years at that point, saying that Walt had been the one who offered him their current place of residence should he ever get free of his contract with Barb. He says that he's sad to hear he was dead, and that fighting The Instrumentalist was 'foolish' (Ricou mistakenly thinking The Instrumentalist is a monster and not a human). Nolan states that Walt meant there were two people who were 'good' in Ricou's life, and Ricou agrees, stating “*There is one less ‘good people’ tonight.*”.

Both Ricou and Nolan were accounted for at the storming of Solomon Reed's House.

### Season 2

Episode 53 - Rivers: Nolan begins asking Ricou about other people like them, after having seen so many at the storming of Solomon Reeds house who were like them. Ricou tells him “*‘Different’ does not mean ‘kind*’,” and that if he was simply looking for 'ugly' friends he should return to the resting place. Nolan tells him that there was no need for them to be along, and Ricou asks him if he made him feel alone. Nolan reassures him that he was happy with him, (with Ricou picking up on the usage of past tense) and that it wasn't Ricou's fault that Nolan wanted more out of life then him. Ricou tells Nolan that they are living a small life, but that it is a safe and happy one. Nolan says that he's leaving back down the mountain, that he hoped Ricou would come with him, but this was a decision he'd been sitting on for weeks.

Ricou turns his offer down, instead choosing to reside in the cabin and wait for when Nolan "*grow[s] tired of this*".

Episode 81 - Fears: Ricou is stressing about how long it was taking Nolan to return, and is having anxieties of Nolan's physical wellbeing, and fears that Nolan may have already replaced him. He considers going back down the mountain to try and find him, but doesn't want to confirm if it is the latter, cursing Nolan for being unable to be happy with him, feeling Nolan had abandoned him. He hears a knock at the door, and gets his hopes up that it might be Nolan, returned at last, but it is The Omen, who is once again trying to take Walt's books. Ricou denies it again, but gives in when The Omen offers to find and return Nolan to him.

Episode 95 - Homecomings: Ricou has left the shuttering peaks and managed to track down Nolan (see Nolan Thair), spending his walk to his new location wallowing in nihilism and self-pity. He knocks opening the front door, and Nolan opens it to greet him. He tells Ricou that he'd be beginning to think that he wasn't going to show up, and that he wasn't sure if he even wanted him to show up. Ricou comments on Nolan having found a home for himself, and that this was a good thing, but Nolan brings the topic back to Ricou having sent the Omen after him by saying that the house looked alot nicer before it [The Omen] had scorched it. Ricou asks if he was alright, and Nolan begins chewing him out for not respecting his wishes, and Ricou confirms this, but tells Nolan that he didn't want to be alone in Walt's cabin anymore. Nolan asks if he was there to drag him back, but Ricou tells him no, he was there to see if Nolan was okay, and to apologise. Nolan tells Ricou that his [Nolan's] travels would have been easier had Ricou come with him, that he would have felt safer. Ricou tells him that he'd missed him, but Nolan tells him that this was no one's fault but his [Ricou's] own. Nolan invites Ricou inside, telling him that he'd finished making dinner, but Ricou turns and begins to leave, saying that he'd done what he'd come there for. But Nolan grabs Ricou, almost tackling him to the ground, and tells him not to go. Ricou tells him that he had to go, as he'd put him in danger and that he didn't deserve to be there with Nolan. Nolan confirms this, Ricou didn't deserve it, but:

"*Nobody deserves anything. And I think if you find something you like in life, you keep it. You don’t have to be good enough or something. If you feel like you could belong here, then stay with me. And if you really don’t care anymore, then leave.*"

Ricou tells Nolan that he did care, but he'd made an irreparable mistake. Wich Nolan once again confirms, but so did everyone, every now and again. He once again invites Ricou inside, his offer being accepted this time.

Episode 96 - Horizons: At what was formerly the Duckworth house, Alice paints a portrait of two—Ricou, and Nolan, and the lake and the cold mountains beyond.

### Season 3

In Episode 99 - Sentries, Ricou books into the Grand Crossroads Hotel with Nolan for a spa treatment, going under Nolan's last name. It is unknown if Ricou is aware of what happened to Barb (see Episode 83 - Hopes), and the pair does not appear in the episode.

Episode 102 - Decadences:

## Known Abilities

* See in thermographic vision, of which he can swap out for humanoid eyesight at will, this is the ability he uses to see Nolan

## Relationships

### Nolan Thair

Nolan Thair is Ricou's lover and partner of close to a year. First meeting when Ricou stopped Nolan from committing suicide, and running away together shortly thereafter. The two went on break a few months into their relationship due to differing opinions on other people and Nolan's desire to explore contrasting Ricou's desire to settle down (this separation lasting several weeks). Nolan temporarily broke up with Ricou (which Ricou was unaware) upon finding out that Ricou sent The Omen after him. The two have since made up, with Ricou experiencing deep regret for his past choices in their relationship, and are attempting to restart their relationship and are once again living together. Ricou is the first and as of current only person who can see Nolan (via his ability to see in thermographic vision). Ricou suffers from body image issues, and frequently speaks of himself as 'hideous', which Nolan is constantly reassuring him he isn't. The two frequently share life stories.

### Barb

Barb was Ricou's captor for several years, after beating him in a game of Poker where the stakes were Ricou's freedom for a 'cure' to his Fish like appearance. Ricou served Barb for nearly 20 years as the Guard-dog to The Resting Place Hotel, but Ricou won his freedom back through another game of Poker. Although Barb didn't treat him poorly during those years, Ricou does not think very highly of the demon.

### The Omen

The Omen had struck a deal with Ricou that if it can find and return Nolan to him, Ricou will give it Walt's indie Book collection to be passed off to Downing Hill Public Library. This failed, but The Omen still took the books without Ricou's knowledge.

### Walter 'Walt' Pensive

Ricou met Walt several years before the his first appearance in the story, and sates that “*If there was anyone I might have counted as a friend besides [Nolan], it was Walt,*”. He says that they'd only ever met Walt three times, and that they hadn't seen each other for several years at they point, saying that Walt had been the one who offered him the cabin up in The Shuddering Peaks to stay in should he ever get free of his contract with Barb. Ricou was sad to when he heard he was, but calls him 'foolish' for fighting The Instrumentalist (Ricou mistakenly thinking The Instrumentalist is a monster and not a human).

## Trivia

* Ricou and Nolan (along with Mort, Diggory Graves, and Percy Reed) were some of the first characters imagined by William A Wellman for Hello from the Hallowoods

## Episode appearances

* Episode 15 - Cards
* Episode 30 - Stones
* Episode 31 - Anchors
* Episode 41 - Waters
* Episode 81 - Fears
* Episode 95 - Homecomings
* Episode 96 - Horizons