Name: Henrik Valentine KasparAge: 23
Gender: Male
Facial expression: Big smile!
Hair: Dark and kept short. Perpetual 5 o'clock shadow.
Eye color: Vibrant blue.
Skin color: Swarthy olive-tone.
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210 lbs, muscled but not overly defined.
Outfit:
- Thick black work pants. Like those, but black.
Sleeveless gray shirt. Like that one, but less stylized, more ratty and torn up, even dirty if you like!
Black work boots.
Loose avatar reference.
Personality: Henrik is big. He's strong and muscled. He's pretty to look at if you like real manly men. He's also pretty dumb in a lot of respects, and he realizes that. Henrik doesn't walk around trying to act as if he's smarter than he actually is. He's not world wise or street smart, and Henrik has a very simple view on the world around him. Everyone is his friend, and nobody would do him harm. Of course, this simply isn't true - and if someone he considers a friend does something to slight him or hurt him, Henrik is capable of brushing it off as a mistake, a misunderstanding or a miscommunication. He won't forget, though, about the way he was treated, and a little part of him will always carry that grudge. He'd never really act on it, truly, but if Henrik were to believe that he was slighted on purpose, he might be a little less willing to help out in the future. Maybe.
While he's a big fellow, he'd never hurt anyone unless they tried to physically hurt him first. He's actually more like a very protective older brother to nearly anyone he meets - which can, at times, be a little overwhelming. Small females are more likely to be treated as delicate pieces of fluff, though small men have also been known to be treated that very same way. He has a fondness for strays - cats, dogs, and people - and would gladly give the food off his plate or the shirt off his back for those less fortunate than he. Henrik has run into the issue of rescuing damsels in distress who do not really need rescuing, and it's left him a few times with ringing ears and a burning cheek.
While he does his best to be nothing but a gentleman, Henrik's brain to mouth filter sometimes short circuits, and he speaks without thinking. More often than not he immediately feels bad if he's hurt someone's feelings. His ideas are rarely good ones when this happens, and usually he's left feeling a little foolish. He can be a little crass at times when partaking in a little too much drink, but he rarely imbibes. Overall, Henrik is incredibly gentle despite his large size - especially when he comes into contact with those dealing with loss.
Henrik loves physical work and enjoys his job mostly because of the extreme physical demands it makes on him. He does not mind physical labor; in fact, he finds it entirely refreshing and almost fun. He loves the smell of freshly-churned earth beneath his feet and the fine grit of dirt against his skin. It reminds him that life is something to be cherished. It is not a permanent thing - and the world that he lives in is entirely too chaotic and unforgiving to ever forget that.
Henrik would do anything and everything for those he considers important to him. His family and his closest friends will always be top priority for Henrik, and when it comes to protecting them, he'd willingly give his own life to make theirs even a little easier. He is loyal to a fault when it comes to those he loves. He has no sense of self-preservation when his family or loved ones are at risk, and Henrik will do what it takes to ensure the survival of those most important to him - even if it means putting himself at risk.
This last personality trait/fault will be the reason he eventually enlists. Either his family is killed by titans (leaving him feeling as though he's lost everything), or he feels as though he can make a difference when it comes to saving humankind - and more importantly, his family. Probably they'll die, since I am all about suffering and angst and pain, and I can't wait to see how his personality changes over time. I feel that when his family (specifically his parents) are killed, Henrik will become a little more hardened and probably a little more closed-off, unwilling to care too much for fear that he might lose someone else he cares about. It'll be interesting to see what happens! I'm just putting this here because I do not intend for his personality to be set in stone. He will morph and change as the world around him morphs and changes, and Henrik will adapt in order to cope with loss, death and the world crumbling around him. emotion_bigheart
History:
Henrik was born, raised and currently lives in the Shiganshina District. He is a gravedigger/coffin-maker, and business is always booming. His father was a gravedigger before him, and his father before him, and his father before him. Needless to say it's something of a family business, and Henrik currently works with his brother (who will be customed by troll at some point!).
Henrik had a happy childhood, and his parents are currently living - though his father has retired to take care of their ailing mother. His home life was filled with a bustling household full of home-cooked meals, boisterous dinners around a big wooden table, and spending the rest of his time outdoors. He was never a mischievous boy, and his parents never worried that he might find himself in trouble. He lived poor but he lived well, and never wanted for anything. Life was (and continues to be) simple, and that's the way that Henrik prefers it to be.
These days, Henrik spends most of his time at work. When he's not working, though, Henrik gardens. He has always loved working with the earth (be it gravedigging or gardening). Henrik feels at home when he has dirt beneath his nails and the sting of sweat in his eyes. Gardening is not only a hobby for Henrik, but a means of providing for his family be it by selling the food he grows or putting it on the table for them to eat. With his work being focused on death and loss, it's also very therapeutic for him to see things grow and flourish.
