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 Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 5:55 pm
Name:
Nathan Darrow
Nickname:
Nate, Narrow
Age:
17
Birthday:
June 5
Sign:
Gemini
Gemstone:
Pearl
Blood Type:
AB
Fav. Food:
Microwaveable meals
Hated Food:
Chocolate
School: –
He left school early in his high school years. If he goes back, he’ll apply for a GED or some kind of completion course at a community college somewhere, but the chances of him going to college are low.
Hobbies:
Slacking Off:
One of Nate’s favorite things to do is any-and-everything that’s not what he’s supposed to be doing. He isn’t the most diligent of young men, with no apparent work ethic and no motivation to correct that issue. He wastes his time at all times, never engaged in anything particularly taxing or creative. He can often be found playing video games, or reading books, drawing or causing trouble. Very much his father’s son in that regard, though it has much more to do with where and how he was raised then genes, he very often fills his nights with deviant activity. But just because he has no goals doesn’t mean he’s not at least cultured about it. He reads a lot, writes a lot, plays music just as much as he plays video games, and hangs out at the park or the gym more often than he is locked away in his room. He’s a well rounded slack off, doing anything that isn’t important and doesn’t feel like a chore.
Music:
Singing. Humming. Playing. Dancing (badly): Nate likes it all. He is not, however, an ‘aficionado’ on the subject. He does not pride himself on his ability, or know any extensive history on the subject. He can’t read music, and has no idea who the ‘big names’ are. He won’t talk to anyone about technical things, because he doesn’t know about them. All he knows is that he likes music, likes the way it makes him feel and helps him escape. He likes playing his guitar and piano, by ear unless someone can eventually teach him more. He never had any money for lessons or even books to teach himself. He’s not good, per se, but he’s passionate and dedicated as much as he knows how to be. To practice, however, to study and learn would make it a chore or an obligation, and he is just not good with those.
Paintball:
Is hella fun. Nathan adores paintball because it lets him be violent, allowed him to shoot people, is a great vent for frustration and his harbored sense of betrayal by both of his parents, and thus also a great way to forget how lonely and dejected he feels whenever he spends too long alone, or doing the same thing. Those moments between instant satisfactions. Paintball is his escape, where even music fails. And maybe getting hit, those small bursts of pain that protective gear fails to prevent, adds a different kind of help. He isn’t great at it, but he’s not bad either, and he owns a lot of gear. How he managed to accumulate these possessions is any one’s guess, not coming from any place with money, but they’re his and the few things he really owns. He cherishes them more than anything else. He doesn’t maintain a schedule for when he hits the paintball course, since that would seem too much like a structure or requirement, but he goes whenever it feels like it’s time.
Virtues:
Fealty:
Thought he might not be very good at making friends, the concept of loyalty is key with Nate. Unlike his father and mother, at least as far as Nathan has known growing up, he believes that being loyal to some one is the most important thing a person can do with their life. Finding something, someone, to dedicate ones self to is the pinnacle of accomplishment, and the one thing he actually really wants to do, but the only problem is he has not yet found that person or thing. It’s private, so no one can ridicule him for this depth of heart, because once he finds that person or thing he knows he would be able to pledge himself to it without risk of failure or embarrassment. It’s an ideal, this perfect fantasy with no shape or name, that one day will give his life some kind of meaning. The truest part of his character can only really be explored when he finds that ‘one true thing’. Or person. Or whatever.
Propitious:
Inheriting more from his father than he knows, Nathan has an innate sense of benevolence. If he sees someone in need of a favor, something small that might make their day or give them a bit of a boost, he’ll do it. With a stoic face, probably, but the gesture means the same. He likes people better if they’re having fun or in a good mood, and if he has to do something to help get them there, he will. It’s easier to focus on others, on helping them with their problems and maybe even letting himself get invested in their failures and try to fix their problems, than it is to put himself at risk of being in the same place. Meaning, he would much rather help someone who is already down than take a risk and put himself there. He will help the person being ridiculed or pitied before allowing himself to be that person. So his own life is simple, uninspired and not destined for anything by his own design, but he might help others go for more than that.
Analytical:
Though his hoodlum attitude and actions don’t seem to reflect it, Nathan is a rather observant and thoughtful kid. He is smarter than his limited efforts in the education system let on, but he keeps it to himself. Good at reading people, he is a bit of a people watcher and likes to take stock of those around him. In this way he can be more aware of someone’s feelings and situation than the typical thug kid. It is important to him to have this awareness because he is not malicious, and doesn’t do things to be cruel. He cares about people, and considers most of his actions before he makes them. Like any kid, he can get wrapped up in the moment and fail to make a good decision, but for the most part he considers the pros and cons of any situation, and responds fittingly. He might be good at psychology or philosophy, if he ever bothered to go back to school, and applies loose interpretations of these theories in his day to day life, as he meets people or starts something.
Flaws:
Capricious:
Not flighty in a way that makes him want to go ride bikes in the middle of a video game session, but he does not keep to one thing for long. He can play a video game for a few hours, then want to go outside and vandalize something, or go find some friends to hang out with. Or make new ones that he won’t keep for very long. He’s an instant satisfaction kind of guy, and likes to have fun in the moment, and changes his tactics when the previous activity isn’t as engaging any more. His affections for people are also liable to shifts, depending entirely on what that person had done or said that day. It’s easy to piss him off, but it’s also easy to win him back. He doesn’t know how to make lasting friendships, so everything is shallow and fleeting, from one person to the next.
Unreliable:
Nathan is not the kind of person who likes to feel the weight of obligation. In a large or a small sense: anything that becomes more than ‘doing it for fun’ or ‘because I want to’ he doesn’t want to do. He has never done very well in school, but not because he isn’t smart. He just coasts through on his intelligence and the bare minimum of work, often making deals with his teachers. There’s an art to getting through school, to playing the parts he needs to play, taking advantage of his disadvantaged upbringing to shuffle his way through without having to apply himself or push any of his limits. This apathetic attitude applies to work and pretty much everything else. He does things because he wants to, and for no other reason. If the slightest hint of having to do something slips in, he stops. This includes when he’s helping someone: if they start expecting things from him he will either get upset about it, like they’re taking advantage of his kind gesture, or panic under the pressure of responsibility.
Disenthralled:
His risk taking is not the typical kind. He will do dangerous things, he will try new things, he will be adventurous and think out of the box: but it always has to be on his own terms. Anything that someone expects him to do he will immediately take a dislike to, or outright refuse to do it. Not because he’s of the ‘you can’t tell me what to do’ mentality, though he uses that as a shield. In reality, he fears failure and, worse yet, making a fool of himself. He hates people laughing at him for not being good enough, already well aware that he falls short in comparison to just about everything else. His hard attitude toward life, school and work, then, is just a compensation tool to keep him from having to try to succeed. If he makes everyone believe he doesn’t want to do anything, no one expects anything of him. And those, at least, are expectations he knows he can fulfill. In this way, he is free of the bonds that are such expectations.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Eyes:
Random color, whatever his mother’s might have been. They’re older than they should be, and seem darker because of it.
Hair:
Messy. Not really his biggest concern, he probably spikes it up with gel and goes on with his day. Short. Light brown with a shock of white in the front. Buzzed on the sides.
Face:
A squarish face, like his dad, with soft features.
Clothes:
He’s a bit of a punk, so his fashion reflects his drop-out, no-good attitude. Probably something easy to pull on and liable to get him stared at in public places like he’s obviously a thief. Which he might be. Spikes and belts. He wears a bowler cap, if that’s cool, far back on his head.
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Posted: Sun May 09, 2010 4:45 pm
Eep! I apologize for not leaving a comment before! I didn’t know if you wanted any or not!
It looks like you put a lot of time into this! Hopefully I’ll be a little helpful?
One thing I was curious about is: why did he leave school?
I feel like his hobbies are very relatable. I like how he’s a well-rounded slacker. I feel like that way, sometimes. And I understand the fascination with music and paintball.
I also like the idea of him looking for something to devote his heart. Hopefully he’ll be willing to pick up the “slack” once he does find that thing worth devoting all his time and effort to!
Um, yeah, I really don’t have any “critiques” that will be helpful for you to change anything. I think he’s a well thought-out character and I appreciate all the thought it appears you put into him. Although, more power to you if it all came naturally! The things I do want to know more about, but probably don’t matter in the long run, is why he left school. I'm also curious about his favorites and hated foods. It made me laugh, reading them. Also, I'm assuming he lives with his parents? How do they feel about him not being in school? Do they make him do anything, like work? Although... I guess he wouldn't like that too much, would he? Other than that, I think you’re good. Best of luck to you!
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Posted: Sun May 09, 2010 8:25 pm
He left school because his mom wasn't much of a mom and they essentially 'parted ways'. Which is pretty much him running away, except without anyone wanting to come look for him. So he stopped going to school to professionally bum around. -shifty eyes- He was raised in a low income, crime heavy area anyway, so his motivation for education has always been very minimal.
When he finds Tony, his father, he'll start living with him. For now he lives on his own, bumming around with 'friends'. They're mostly ruffians he pulls cons or 'jobs' with, that let him stay at their places for short periods of time. But yeah, Tony won't approve of him wasting his life and potential, and will pull the overbearing Father card on him, most likely. He will probably try and make Nate work at the library with him.
Which will most likely result in Nate doing everything but working in the library. =D
<3 Thank you for the comment though! It was helpful just to write some of the extra things down and think them out. ^^
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Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 2:46 am
I really enjoyed reading this. I got a great sense of the character, and something about your writing just flows. Nate sounds like a very good addition to the shop. 
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Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 11:13 am
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 12:03 pm
Whoot for Nathan! One more stamp to go!!! As you know, I love him, I love him, I love him!!!
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 2:27 pm
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 9:58 am
Honestly, I'm having trouble finding anything wrong with him. I think he's eloquently written and a well thought out character. I honestly don't see anything that screams "this doesn't make sense" or anything. The ONLY thing I can think of is the loyal thing -- I know it's been mentioned that loyal is used a lot. But honestly, I don't think it's fair to expect people not to use it if it applies to the character, so to me, I say he looks awesome how he is, don't change a thing.
Overall, thumbs up, can't wait to see him in action <3 (sorry for my fail crit)
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Interesting Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 10:10 am
Huh! That might be a good point. Hmmm. I'll change it up if it does turn out being too overdone. I hadn't even thought about that. Whoops! Thanks Nata. ^^ <3 It's not a fail crit!
Maybe I'll clarify that Nate isn't loyal to just anyone. Even friends and family (-glares at Tony-). He has to be invested, which is rather difficult for him considering his not wanting to do anything out of obligation, which is the whole point.
So... I could take out the line about it being interlaced in his every day personality, maybe?
Hmm!
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 10:12 am
The one thing I can think of to say, and this is really searching for things to crit, is...
Fealty. You have this listed as his very first virtue, but as far as I can tell, this is only a concept to him. He is loyal... theoretically? Does this loyalty, this fealty apply in more than a 'to that one thing or person' way? Does this ideal qualify as a virtue, and if so, is there a practical application for it? You mention that his proclivity toward loyalty is interlaced in his every day personality, but how does it show itself? Do other people notice this tendency in Nathan, or is this another one of those things that is for his eyes only, so to speak?
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 10:19 am
It's only listed first because it was the first thing I wrote, not because it's his most important one.
But, no. It's not a virtue that other people can see in day to day life. And I don't think it has to be, unless I'm... wrong. A person can have one good part of themselves that even they don't know about until the moment is right, or the person is right. And when that comes out, things change. I don't think anyone knows every aspect of themselves from the get go, and since he's only 17 years old I don't think it's something he'd be aware of.
So. Yes. Loyal theoretically, for the sake of RP. But I can always write up a more tangible and obvious virtue for him to go with that one?
Anywho, the more I think on it the more I think at least taking out the line about it being in his every day attitude is a good idea, if not changing it. Hmm.
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 10:25 am
Honestly, I think that if it's in his every day attitude, it can just have examples (or even an example) added. If it's not, then perhaps taking out that part would solve everything? Either way, Nathan comes across very well throughout.
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 10:30 am
GG! Took it out, it didn't make sense to have it in there and I'm not really sure why it was there at all, lol. Thanks guys. ^^ <3
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 4:19 pm
I just got one question, in his virtue set you have him being caring, but then in his flaw set you have him as apathetic? I like how flighty and detached that is, but how does the caringness tie into it, can you demonstrate that in his profile a bit?
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 4:28 pm
Weeeeell, his caring (the propitious virtue) his kind of an apathetic one. He does nice things for people if his impulse, an innate sense of kindness, tells him to. But like with everything else, he doesn't do it if he feels like he's being made to, or expected to, or if someone else wants him to. So just because he's an unreliable person and disenthralled, he's still... not a bad guy. It's another way for him to escape his own obligations, by shifting his focus moment by moment to someone else, which ties into the capricious flaw as well.
Should I write something like that into the profile at bit more?
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