The Man
Name: Mathias White
Nicknames: None at the moment
Age: 25
Birthday: Aug 11th
Sign: Leo
Blood Type: A-
Fav. Food: Steak and Eggs
Hated Food: Anything green
School: Graduate of DCU with a B.A. in Fine Art
Hobbies:
Painting: Mathias loves to paint, any medium, any type of paint. He's very much an abstract painter, not a believer in the more traditional styles of painting. He also finds inspiration in the strangest of places.
Free running - When in the city he follows the path of least resistance when he moves, jumping over fences, barricades, walls, etc. This hobby began when he started sneaking out of the military installations he lived on, and he has a paint spattered denim jacket that he uses to cover the razor wire on top of the fences. He enjoys the rush he gets from dodging cars and the law while running through the urban jungle, the exhilaration of making that almost impossible jump from rooftop to rooftop. Granted, this hobby is not without it's own risks, Mathias has had his fair share of brushes with the law and other security services for being places he shouldn't be. For the most part, he banks on the fact he's way too out of the way for anyone to seriously pursue him to make a quick escape - however, on the rare occasions he does get caught - or arrested - he knows he can rely on his mother to bail him out if he's out and about town, even hire a good lawyer for his defense - if they press charges. If he's on his father's duty station and gets caught, he knows he'll just be brought to his father so it's not so big a deal.
Mixed Martial Arts: Mathias often goes to the gym early in the morning before school and then again after to practice on his mixed martial arts. He wants to break out into the scene someday and prove that he's got what it takes to go pro. This is more a possible means of employment down the line than an actually hobby per say, and he takes it rather seriously.
Gemstone: Peridot
Virtues:
Dutiful: Usually, when Mathias puts his mind toward a task, such as studying or an important project, it becomes a duty and he will try to follow through on it. He sets goals for himself and strives to achieve them - viewing them as duties for him to accomplish. This tends to keeps him focused while working on things that are difficult for him, which keeps him from stressing out completely under pressure. This sense of duty stems from being raised in a very duty driven environment, more than once having to be the 'man' of the house while his father was deployed. Should he fail at the tasks he assigns himself, he is very harsh with himself, seeing it as a failure of his character as a whole, and strives to do better the next time. He will almost never give up on his mission, even if failure is inevitable, unless he has no other choice. He doesn't usually turn down duties assigned to him by his betters, even if he dislikes them, but he will push them aside or make them less a priority. He will avoid overloading himself as much as he can, but if he ends up with too much on his plate, he simple reassesses the priority of his duties and pursues those that are the most vital at the time. There are occasions where he as been unable to focus on tasks, but they are rare and usually the result of when he is under a lot of stress. He follows a rather established code (see respect where it is do) – but that is not to say that he is a saint and follows this code to the death. Mathias has his moments of weakness, even given his drive and view of ethics. If given a task he views as morally wrong, he will more than likely argue against such action or go against the standing order. This is less likely to happen if he agrees with this task, or he feels that it serves the "greater good" – even if in a roundabout way. His drive can be used against him just as much as for him, and he has in the past fallen prey to hoisting himself on his own petard.
Disciplined: Having been raised by a military family, he has been kept to a higher standard of fitness than most kids. He was held to a strict code of conduct where children should be seen and not heard and was expected to keep a level of military bearing at home and school. A portion of this discipline has carried over into his daily life mainly in the form of his routine and fitness. He wakes early every morning and is usually out of his dorm before the sun is up to go and work out at the gym before class. Once he finishes working out, he heads off to class on the weekdays or out and about on the weekends (he hits the gym about 6 days a week, taking Sunday as a rest day) and usually doesn't return to his dorm until well after the sun has set. Once he gets home, he finishes any upkeep or homework he needs to complete and usually heads straight to bed. He was raised to respect others and follow orders as they were given; however, as he has grown and matured, this was tempered somewhat by a growing rebellious streak brought on by the growing hate of his father. He can put on his game face when needed and become a cold-stone faced automaton when the need arises, but like most who are connected to the military he spends the majority of his time as 'himself.'
Witty: Mathias is a firm believer that humor is the great equalizer. Laughter is disarming, and he tends to have something funny to say about almost any situation. One-liners, the occasional off-color joke, even dark humor – if it might possibly elicit a chuckle from someone, he's more than willing to test the waters. That's not to say that he doesn't sometimes take things too far and venture into offensive territory. Sometimes his off-color jokes are too off-colored, sometimes his gallows humor a bit too soon. He's not above making a fool of himself if the need arises to break the ice, and sometimes he can rub people the wrong way with his sense of humor. If someone tells him he's taking it too far, or people act offended, he usually shuts up and backs out of the conversation, taking a back seat.
Repsectful: Mathias will respect those that have earned his respect or should naturally have respect due to their position. (IE His elders, those who hold a higher 'rank' – they get this due to their position and it is automatically so) However, those that lose respect in his eyes will often find it almost impossible to earn it back. First impressions are paramount with Mathias, who has moved around so much he rarely has the time to really get to know people. Those that lose his respect or fail to earn it, will often find Mathias to be a near constant thorn in their side. He is not above getting physical with someone he doesn't respect, especially if he feels they are crossing a line. He has gotten suspended more than once for mouthing off to teachers he thought were idiots or getting into fights with other students. People who are honest about themselves and come off as good people quickly earn his respect, while those that front and pose as something they are not easily raise his ire. If he thinks someone is stupid, he is not afraid to let them know it – regardless of who they are. Mathias was raised under three core values – Integrity First, Service before Self, and Excellence in all you do. Simply, he believes in being trustworthy and honest, helping those that need it and doing what you do well. Those who are not willing to put in the effort to do what needs to be done will lose respect in his eyes, as well as people who prove to be untrustworthy. That is not to say that Mathis isn't above lying or being self serving, he is human and sometimes he has his failings.
Flaws:
Stubborn: When he gets an idea on what he is going to do, it almost takes an act of god to make him change his mind. He tends to see life is black and white, there are winners and there are losers, and he hates to lose. He will often dig in his heels if he feels that people are trying to make him change his point of view, and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty to support his position. He's not great at arguing points, and his opinions aren't always based on facts, but they're his opinions and he sticks by them. When presented with facts that blow his opinions out of the water, Mathias is usually forced to reconsider his stance, even if he fights the entire way. He is more than willing to agree to disagree with people, however, he will occasionally poke at them if he believes they are wrong until evidence to the contrary is provided. His opinions can and have changed in the past, especially when it involves matters that influence his life directly.
Loudmouthed:Having a solider for a father has left Mathis with one unsavory habit. If he thinks it, odds are he's going to say it, even if it is the most politically incorrect and horrible thing ever devised by the human language. It doesn't matter who he is talking to, his grandmother, his superior officer, the pope or his dog, they all get the same torrent of one-liners, which he tends to believe is building rapport. In the presence of superiors he tries to curb this by either mumbling or biting his tongue, but it rarely works, and he will often say what is on his mind. He views this as a blessing and a curse, but more a curse, mainly because of his mouths habit of outrunning his brain. He has lost jobs and a few friends over his inability to shut up, having said things he shouldn't to customers or to his friends, and he has taken these events in stride. Having grown up around a more open squadron, he saw and heard superiors and subordinates shooting insults and curses at each other, as well as off-color jokes. He knows that there is a time and place for these things and very rarely he does save himself from making a complete a** of himself – but nine times out of ten, he will speak his mind, even if he regrets it later.
Tactless: He has manners but sometimes he decides not to use them, usually in the presence of people he dislikes. He is not above cussing people out when the need arises. Once he becomes comfortable with someone, he tends to lose any and all manners as a matter of course, thinking that social traditions really aren't needed between 'friends'. To his friends, he is crass and rude, asking probing questions and teasing them relentlessly. It's all meant in good fun, but can come off as being hurtful. Swearing for him is natural as breathing, it doesn't matter who is around. He tends to side with superiors and attempts to be polite and professional around them; he tends to take much better to female authority figures though. If called out on his lack of manners, he often goes on the defensive, pointing out that if he didn't like his friends, he wouldn't be so open with them, and feels a tad hurt. In a work/class environment and amongst strangers, he tends to be as polite as possible, but oftentimes his true self slips through the cracks in his facade.
Vengeful: Mathias holds grudges, if someone gets on his bad side, he is not one to forgive and forget. He will go to open war against those he considers his enemies, and isn't above actively sabotaging them at any given turn. His list isn't very long, mainly his father and those who have really earned his ire, but when someone's name is added to his list of grudges, it is almost impossible to get off. Once he has a grudge, he will not give up on it until he is absolutely certain that 'justice' has been served. Very rarely can someone talk him out of it, but it is possible, it just takes a lot of time and effort to break past his stubborn streak and his desire for vengeance.
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