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Post by quinn on Apr 24, 2011 1:59:40 GMT 10
-- ELIJAH DANIEL ACKERMAN !
-- NAME: elijah daniel ackerman
-- NICKNAMES: eli
-- AGE & BIRTHDAY: seventeen & april 8th
-- BIRTH PLACE: detroit, michigan
-- ORIENTATION: heterosexual
-- OCCUPATION & SCHOOL GRADE: student & high school senior
-- PLAYED BY: sam whitman
-- PERSONALITY !
-- TEMPERAMENTAL: It's undeniable: he has a streak of irritability, and Eli only wished that was the end of it. The annoyed and frustrated sighs released to the world are the most common stage of his anger issues, but they are unfortunately far from the worst. This annoyance is easily provoked by the stubbornness and argumentative aspects of his persona, Eli finds himself slipping into the realms of the irked and annoyed more often than he would like to admit (granted, it's not entirely that often that these traits decide to make an appearance). And due to the general sardonic demeanor that comes from this, probably more than others would care to deal with. Eli accepted long ago that he was not an easy person to deal with due to the many frustrations on his list, but to the day there's not a part of him that wishes he wasn't so. But, as stated previously, his temperament is not limited to small waves of annoyance that make him wallow in bitterness. Less commonly, and thankfully so, he has an explosive temper that hands down, should not be provoked. Judgment flies out the window, as does any means of control the boy previously held. Anger has been known to push him in directions previously unheard of, and while some subconscious part of his mind – the conscious is unavailable and useless at this point in time – manages to contain any violent tendencies that may exist, every bad trait of his (argumentative, irritable, stubborn, impulsive, etc.) seem to escalate during this time, and he can only lie about never having broken something during this time. Of all the seven deadly sins (and it’s most likely there are traces of all of them lurking in his persona), wrath is both unexpected of the usually composed boy, and conversely the most fitting.
-- COMPOSED: With composure unparalleled (or so he likes to think), the temper is a skeleton kept in his closet, and Eli’s dream is to misplace the key. A calming presence with a tranquil manner, the boy is, until one bears witness, difficult to picture as a tempest of frustrations. Not quiet or shy, yet not loud and bubbly, he has managed to find a spot in the middle of the spectrum that provides a charming deportment, and one worth maintaining. There are many fits of annoyance where the likeable nature circles the drain, but the endearing side of him always resurfaces, and most of the time he’s perfectly decent to be around. However, this level of self-possession and control isn’t limited to the temper hiding in his character; Eli has the ability to contain anxiety, nervousness, or most any other emotion he would rather the world not see. While this skill is unhealthy and has a bias to backfire (most likely the bottling up of emotions is what causes such explosive displays like his temper), it is how he is most comfortable dealing with his emotions. He deals with problems the same way: if they can’t be solved, they are to be ignored. Eli is a caring person, both to others and himself as displayed by his helpful and determined streak. He is an excellent listener when needed, but there are few things he hates more than a problem he can’t solve.
-- INTELLIGENT: Upon first glance, Eli appears anything but intelligent. Maybe street-smart on a good day, but severely lacking in common sense or any other crucial form of aptitude. While offended by the small amount of credit he receives, he finds an incredible satisfaction in displaying his astute knowledge and extensive vernacular. He is not a genius, he is not a prodigy, and though he has never taken an IQ test to prove his above-average intellect, Eli is confident in his smarts, and excellent at letting others believe the same. Perhaps it originally derived from the competitive streak that runs through his veins, but there was always a profound motivation to be ahead of the class. Now that he resides in high school, Eli has found that sitting amongst the math nerds and Ivy League candidates has set him back a few notches, and he finds a bittersweet satisfaction in being almost ahead of the class. His ruminating curiosity makes him philosophical by nature, and the argumentative stubbornness often provides an insightful point to be made. Due to his mother’s tasteful choice in what to expose her child to, Eli is literate and well-read. While the obsessive exercising takes up a portion of his day, the boy is the opposite of the jockish impression he might give: rational, bright, and erudite.
-- ARROGANT: Wrath is one of the deadly sins, and pride is another. The boy likes to think a lot of things. Most of the time, these are good things, and most of the time, they’re about himself. Eli is what he would call confident, and what another would call conceited. But hey, he’s bright, handsome, and charming, isn’t he? What’s not to like? It’s not that he hasn’t yet grasped the concept of his darker side, but more that in a twisted version of optimism, enjoys the good in himself. And he knows there’s a lot of good. It’s difficult to fully peg him for his smug attitude, as, while he truly thinks highly of himself, he is considerate enough to spare people an eye-roll and pass many of his arrogant comments off as a joke. Self-aware despite this trait, many of the too-confident, self-celebratory expressions are, indeed, simply all for fun rather than spoken in sincerity. Bragging is something the puts Eli off, and though indisputably he carries himself in an envelope of arrogance, he goes out of his way to make sure this self-esteem is dulled down to a radiating confidence. However, like most who spend an embarrassing amount of time in front of the mirror, he is extremely susceptible to insults and criticisms. Eli prides himself on many things, and his rational voice of reason is one of these things. Thus, he will hear out a respectful argument, but with so many traits contributing to the shadow of his mind (namely his argumentative, headstrong, stubborn, and competitive propensities), it is likely to be met with bitterness. All in all, he would very much like you to see him as he sees himself: confident, not arrogant, conceited, vain, smug, self-satisfied, or any other synonym.
-- JUDGMENTAL: Eli is, though he might try to hide the fact from himself, tends to be a bit judgmental and adamant when it comes to the people around him. Some would call it unfair the way he blocks people out based on an off day or slip-of-the-tongue, but the boy has good instinct when it comes to the nature of others, and trusts himself to know when someone is in a bad mood versus mean-spirited. Growing up with what he would consider a fairly difficult life (but really only one that made quite an impression on him), Eli tends to be unsympathetic towards those who complain about things he finds to be mediocre problems, and therefore dubs them mediocre problems, and will probably decide that those with mediocre problems will only ever have mediocre problems. Those who act like idiots will forever be idiots. Those who come off as air-heads will forever be airheads. With Eli, a first impression is everything. If you botch that? Well... The boy does hand out second chances, and third chances, and even fourth chances. Everyone has a chance to prove themselves. But that's just it: proof. That is your second chance, your third chance, your fourth chance. The only way to show your true colors and alter Eli's pre-determined opinion is to prove yourself. At the first sign of change, the boy will fortunately grasp the concept that maybe, just maybe, he may have jumped the gun. Conversely, Eli hates those who are quick to judge anyone. A bit of a hypocrite, he will try to change one's opinion of him by doing the same thing necessary to fix his conclusion: defying what he was accused of and proving his legitimacy.
-- CURIOUS: Judgmental and curious? It would seem that Eli's mind is one contradiction after another. But just because he's formed an opinion (some might call it a grudge) around someone, doesn't mean he can't wonder about them, because he does. Eli likes to question the things surrounding him, especially the people and their intentions. If the boy were to swallow his pride and admit to his quickly-formed assumptions about those around him, he would surely back it up with the fact that he looks for the proof to ensure their innocence. Any malicious cold-shoulder he receives doesn't pass without Eli pondering the circumstances. Are they really like that? (Probably) Maybe it's just today? (And tomorrow, the day after that, and the day after that...) He keeps his opinions, but he often wonders if there's something he missed. His curiosity gave birth to aspects of his personality that Eli wouldn't be complete without. It has caused him to become extremely observant, always looking for some explanation or something to question. It made him outgoing, and gave him the excellent social skills he probably couldn't function without. It made him adventurous (almost too adventurous), and allows him to be the leap-before-looking person (definitely too adventurous) he so enjoys being. Fairly reckless and impulsive when the time calls for it (and especially with a girl around), Eli could also go as far as to say the adventurous and fun-loving side of him is also at fault of this trait – or is it a habit? Curiosity killed the cat, but the boy is a dog person for a reason; Eli's curiosity gives him life.
-- OUTGOING: Eli finds comfort in other people around him. He was given an eye for photography, and find natural smiles the most interesting to capture, which he can accomplish by being outgoing and friendly. He has a decisiveness about him that tends to make him bolder around others, less fearful of their opinions and words, and more easygoing. He is a self-entitled master of all things conversational, and very much lets his arrogance get away with such a name. Endearing and observant, he can read others better than one might think; his perception is a trait to be jealous of, and one he doesn’t hesitate to use day in and day out. Confident in the way of his word, his ability to analyze others, and generally himself due to the gift of his arrogance, there are very few ways Eli can be caught off-guard. And even if one happens to stumble onto a moment of weakness, his resilience to situations of the embarrassing and flustered kinds is phenomenal; it will be a moment of weakness and no more. Also wrapped within these social skills is his distinct sense of humor. Possessing a great quantity of sarcasm as well as a general wit, Eli finds his sense of humor to be an aid in both his conversational skills, and managing to acquire a snapshot of a smile. And he very much prides himself on this ability to capture laughter on film – both the picture itself and the creation of said laughter. Overall, Eli's crack observational skills combined with his outgoing characteristics and sense of humor make him a rather likable person and easy to get along with, his boldness giving him the confidence to pull it off.
-- LOVES: "i can, will, and have drooled over a car before, and often put myself into dangerous situations to do so. examples include walking across a busy street in a trance-like-state, walking into poles, spontaneously turning away from a now-ex girlfriend's "serious" conversation... because i love cars. it takes me forever to walk through a parking lot, because i'm always stopping to admire a paint job or something. however, should the car i'm driving break down somewhere, i couldn't do sh*t to fix it. i can drive cars like nobody's business, i'm friends with the pedals, but the engine is a mere acquaintance. but i like driving fast cars, which may make me seem like a cool guy. i hate to destroy that image of myself, but... i'm a comic book nerd. two crates full of them hidden in my closet for those fateful days where i remained bored. while packing for my journey to a new town, these two crates were the first things in the trunk of my car. i like the sun, and warm weather, and the season of summer, but you can count on me spending at least a little bit of the day inside reading through some of the old comic books. this is kind of contradictory to my number one passion in life: running. i run at least ten miles every day. why, you ask? allow me to explain. there are very few things in this world that 1. i am totally awesome at, and 2. i'm awesome enough to brag about. running is one of these things, if not the only thing, that fits in both categories. can you run a mile in four minutes and seventeen seconds? funny, cause i can. if you were to ask, i'd also tell you that i'm a pretty good soccer player, too. varsity as a freshman, no big deal. that's what my feet are usually doing: running, but i'm also a bit of a dancer. not ballet or anything like that, the fast-paced stuff, like swing dancing. i don't mind ballet, though, watching it, i mean. it makes a good photo if you catch it at the right moment. that's what was second in my car; my camera. i worked hours slaving away at the local coffee shop to pay for it. top of the line, hummingbird quick shutter speed, it's probably my only hobby. however, i connect it to other things. such as flirting. i see a cute girl, grab my camera, tell her she'd look great on film, take a picture of her, and say she looks fantastic, but she's even more stunning in person. okay, i've used that line more than once, i'm a bit of a flirt. but, hey, it can be a useful skill to have sometimes. a fun skill, too. of course, one of the only reasons i frequently get to practice this skill is duncan. sadly enough, duncan, my trusty border collie, was third into my car. i love dogs, and from what i can tell, they love me. they're kind of idiotic animals, yes, but they've got the best sense of gut-feeling out of any creature i've ever seen, and i can really respect that. right after duncan was my collection of cds/records. i have nothing to play them with, but so long as i still have them, i'm content. music is probably my second passion in life. i haven't been gifted with the ability to make music, so i settle for listening to it."it" sounds very general, but in this case it's supposed to be general: i'll listen to almost anything. classical puts me to sleep, and country tends to circle around the same thing (significant others, or someone who wants an attractive special someone to be their significant other...), so those are my two exceptions. otherwise, my ears are wide open, i'll hear it all. what else do i like? here's a quick little list: the sky: it's such a huge inspiration, and there's always something to look at. reading: you didn't think i was all about comics, did you? no, i'm heavy into literature. night: the best time of a 24-hour schedule. cigarettes: bad for me? tell me about it. but i promise it's not a habit. making people (especially girls and kids) laugh. trouble: if it doesn't find me i go looking. this is a subconscious habit. except i know about it, and do nothing to stop it. because, frankly, i don't want to."
-- HATES: "bad drivers piss me off more than anything in this entire world. there's a difference between being a responsible driver, me, and simply thinking you're a responsible driver, anyone who doesn't know what they're doing when they get into the driver's seat. i drive fast, yeah, but all the while i know i'm being more than halfway safe. except when it snows, but i don't really like the snow either. or the entire season of winter, for that matter. too many people stay inside, and it's too quiet. silence, i hate silence, i always feel like i should be the one to say something, and end up filling in with something moronic. for some strange reason, there will forever be an awkward silence when a cat is in the same room as me. i tell that to people, they think i'm crazy, but it happens! and i don't like cats, too independent, too stalkerish. that little trait emerged from when i was a kid, and the neighbor's grungy cats ate a garden snake that had somehow gotten into the building. right in the middle of the lobby, it was repulsive. but then again, i disliked snakes since then, too. the cats would eat a snake, of all things, but they wouldn't go near the mice that always got into the cereal (which i also don't like, cereal, not mice.). that apartment was whack... and because i lived in that apartment building, i've always hated giant houses, and mansions, and generally oversized property. of course, i ended up living in one with dan, but i still strongly disliked it. i refuse to talk about someone behind their back, even if they're the type to talk about me. gossip is a girl thing, and i will not partake in it. and secrets, too. i don't like them, mainly because i can't keep any except my own, which makes me feel selfish, also which i don't like, but now i'm getting generic... i dislike rabbits' ears. i don't know why, and never have, i just don't. seafood makes me sick, especially shrimp, and i randomly have always hated flying fish. i mean, seriously? you can't breathe underwater and fly. you can pick one."
-- HISTORY !
Shannon Wells, Eli's mother came from a family with seven children. She was right in the middle of them all, with three younger and three older siblings. Though neither of her parents were particularly rich, they managed to support them all up until the oldest was ready for college. Though expensive, and requiring many sacrifices, the three oldest made it through without any problem. Once Eli's mother was eighteen she made a decision to not make her parents forfeit their money, and would stay around for a bit more to help out the family. She got a job as a waitress and, while donating a portion of her paycheck to her family when needed, she began a long-term piggybank. His father, the original Elijah Ackerman, on the other hand, came from a high class family with more money than needed to be successful. If they had wanted to, they could have sent each one of Eli's mother's siblings to college and had enough of their savings left over to buy a decent sized house and new furniture. Unlike the other family, they had only one child. He had gone to a private school all his life, and by high school he despised the harsh teachings with a passion. He became what would be considered a slack-off in the private academies, but run-of-the-mill in the public-school world. Due to grades that stooped at “low” levels he attended a college much lower than his parents’ standards. His first roommate was Eli's mother's oldest brother, and the two became great friends. In both of their junior years, the brother invited him to stay with him back at home one summer.
That summer, Eli’s parents fell in love. His father was only twenty-one, and his mother just turned eighteen. Siblings and parents from either family were set on the nothing that it would go nowhere. And it did just that. After the summer ended the two had split. By that time Shannon had enrolled in night classes at the local community college, and back at the not-so-prestigious university Eli’s father was set to graduate the following semester. The two had almost forgotten about each other until Eli’s father received an unfortunate call: there had been a pregnancy test, and it came back positive. After much contemplation, a message was returned asking for the girl’s hand in marriage. After further contemplation, there was a response that said “yes”. It was a needless fact that families on either side of the couple had influenced the decision, just as it was hardly surprising when both the bride and the groom never showed at the day of the ceremony. Eli was born a matter of months later, and despite his grandparents’ wishes, named after his runaway father: Elijah. For he wasn’t at all a bad man; knowing that his mother had been short on both education and money, he had pulled a few strings with people he knew and gotten her a few interviews. The jobs were enough to get her and her newborn child a house of their own and enough stability to finish her schooling.
Eli’s first many years were spent in a not-so-affluent neighborhood; impressionable on the young child, but far from dangerous. It was a house to be thankful for, as he soon realized, and while there was much disapproval for their daughter, one that Eli’s grandparents would willingly visit. As the only parental figure, Eli grew rather attached to his mother, as even at a young age he understood the trouble she had gone through to keep him. The lack of luxury proved to keep the two close, and made Eli very independent and aware of himself. Even when they had to break into that long-term piggy bank she had been keeping since her waitress days, they found comfort in the small, simple things. Though sometimes the boy got curious, and would ask about his father. His mother was calm and fair in answering, and after a moment would respectively say “He was a good man caught in a bad situation.” For a while, things got better, and there were talks of a new house near the suburbs of the city. But then the unexpected happened, as it often does, and upon turning thirteen, Eli’s mother had lost her job. For a year, things got rough, but fortunately they found a very timely savior. Eli was fourteen when Dan arrived in his life. It was an arrival he didn’t look forward to, despite the situation he was in. As a fairly appealing woman, Eli often knew his mother went on dates, but it was odd to hear the paycheck-to-paycheck living hadn’t sabotaged her social life. Even weirder was the news that those dates weren’t with separate men, but only one. The weirdest was the new ring on her finger. It was a huge diamond, a hint at how much money the fiancée had in the bank. For a second Eli considered whether this was about love or money. But time told it was about love.
Love for each other, and not really Eli. He didn’t dislike Dan as a person. He hated Dan. They were both stubborn, argumentative, and irritable, and therefore didn’t get along. Sure, he had an incredibly nice house compared to the modest one he had lived in, and he was truly in the whole marriage thing until the end, but he was in it for Eli’s mother, Eli was just extra baggage. And that much was made clear day in and day out. His mother became aware of this, and though she wasn't going to do anything about it (much like Eli, she enjoyed ignoring problems that were hard to fix), decided to soften the blow by getting Eli a dog, a luxury that was previously unavailable. However, this caused even more trouble. Dan didn't dislike the animal as a pet. Dan hated dogs... His mother had told him that things could only get better, but after a year Eli had found that the bitterness between he and his stepfather had merely gotten worse. Still, he and his mother needed this; they couldn’t try to tough it out by themselves again. And so, before he knew, Dan had moved the small family to their current residence: to a little old place known as Capeside, Massachusetts, a large house just outside the city, and to the local high school. He moved them all the way across the country. It's been two months since then, and Eli still hasn't found his place in the social scene. Sure, he's found people who have given him a place in the social scene. He lives the high life, with the nice car, luxury, big house... But really all of it is new and uncomfortable, having lived all his life in the not-so-great social class. To the day, he remains lost.
-- SAMPLE !
-- OOC !
-- NAME OR ALIAS: quinn
-- AGE: eighteen
-- THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU: quirky, descriptive, nerdy.
-- HOW YOU FOUND US: I think it was an affiliate on some site…
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