#also on an unrelated note i’ve decide i’m putting up my tree tomorrow and i am excited! 🎄

[neondiamond]

.

[builder051]

Mike, Jason, and Colby Character Descriptions

Here we have some more OCs!  I’m finishing up their introductory story; it should be up tomorrow.  If you like these guys or have questions about them, please drop me a note.  It’s actually very helpful to know what readers want to know about them so I can think it through and keep developing the backstory.

These three are college students sharing an apartment (and their troubles).  Mike (Michaela) and Jason are brother and sister, and Colby is Jason’s boyfriend (who is not supposed to be living with them).  The three are close, held together with a bond of friendship and I won’t tell if you won’t.

Michaela “Mike” Renee Deangeles

Physical appearance:  Mike is 20 years old.  She’s quite tall, about 5’8”, and extremely thin.  She’s struggled with anorexia binge/purge subtype, and though she’s recovering, certain things are still a struggle.  Her illness is still apparent in her body.  Mike has long, especially skinny legs, along neck, and rather prominent cheekbones.  Her hair is medium brown, shoulder length, and often tied in a high ponytail.  Her eyes are hazel leaning brown.  Her eyebrows are thick and dark, and her skin is pale and very smooth.

Clothing and style: Mike’s quite a tomboy and usually dresses in a casual, slightly athletic style.  She often wears jeans, sneakers, and long-sleeved t-shirts or hoodies she takes from her brother.  Mike has a couple of piercings in the cartilage of each ear, but doesn’t wear other jewelry.  She also eschews makeup except for very special occasions.

Personality and likes/dislikes:  Mike is very to herself.  She’s not one to chat, and it takes a lot of prodding to get her to open up about anything.  She’s both a people pleaser and a bit of a rebel, which leads to some internal turmoil.  She’s sometimes cynical to the point of being rude.  Her illness has intensified this, and she hasn’t been in touch with her friends for the past 2 ½ years.  She’s now a junior in college (majoring in biology), and she hasn’t seen her high school buddies since graduation.  Mike does regularly look them up on social media, and though they’re Facebook friends, they don’t keep in touch.  She’s similarly distant from her parents, but a bit closer to her brother since they live together (in an apartment their parents pay for).  Mike gets on very well with her brother’s boyfriend because he seems to know how to handle her.  She really enjoys music and tv/movies as background noise while she works on homework.  She used to enjoy sports, especially soccer and basketball, but lacks the energy and drive to play.  Mike’s been in therapy for her eating disorder, and though she knows some aspects are helpful, she absolutely despised it.

Illness/caretaking behavior:  Mike always fights to keep any illness private, whether it’s a cold or her eating disorder.  She tends to think of those who try to help as prying into her personal life.  She’ll do the basics to take care of herself, like take ibuprofen for a headache, but doesn’t usually rest or eat well.  She does tend to hole up in her room and avoid other people.  Because of her low bodyweight, Mike has a pretty poor immune system and tends to hold onto illnesses for a long time (like a cough that lasts weeks).  Mike does not usually take care of others who are sick.  She’s not close with many people, and she tends to judge others quite intensely (though privately).  She thinks that because she keeps quiet about her symptoms, others should too.  She can be a little softer with Jason and Colby, but not by much.

* Quick note about writing a character with an ED:  I know this topic is touchy and very triggery.  I’ve been in recovery for almost 7 years.  I don’t intend to make all my writings about Mike ED-centric; I understand that’s actually very unpleasant to read for most people.  What I do like about bringing out this character is the wealth of mental/emotional/physical ways illness can manifest itself within one person.  There’s the possibility of anxiety/panic attacks, constant indigestion as one relearns to eat properly, the low immune system, plus the actual purging (if and only if it’s requested--I’m ok writing it only if you’re ok reading it) OR inducing vomiting because you just feel so awful from other unrelated symptoms and then convincing yourself it wasn’t a regression...

 Mainly what I’m trying to say is that I intend for this to be a part of Mike’s life, but not the main point of all sickfics featuring her.  I’ll be relying heavily on comments and asks to point me in the direction we’re all most comfortable with.

Jason Stuart Deangeles

Physical appearance:  Jason is 19 years old (he and Mike were born in the same calendar year).  He’s about 6’ tall and has an athletic build, which he works hard to maintain since his natural physique tends toward chubby.  He has brown hair that’s short and a little curly, but usually a little overgrown and warm brown eyes.  Jason usually has some stubble because he’s too lazy to shave every day, and it helps cover some of the minimal acne scarring on his lower cheeks.

Clothing and style: Like a typical college student, Jason goes for jeans (generally black or grey so he can tell them apart from Mike’s in the wash—she steals enough of his clothes already) with T-shirts and hoodies.  Jason also frequently wears gym shorts.  If he’s been to work out or play a sport in the morning and the forecast permits shorts all day, he won’t bother to change clothes for school or hanging out.  Jason usually wears a sports watch and no other jewelry.

Personality and likes/dislikes: Like his sister, Jason’s also pretty quiet.  He’s not as intensely standoffish, but also doesn’t go for crowds or parties too often.  He prefers spending time at home reading or writing (he’s an English major) when not in class or playing a pick-up basketball game.  Even though Mike’s the older sibling, Jason’s quite protective of her.  She also annoys the shit out of him, and while he recognizes that her illness is sometimes out of her control, he often sees things too simply and wonders why she doesn’t just decide to eat normally all the time.  Jason’s considered the “good kid” or “easy kid” by his parents, so he’s often seen as not having problems.  He tends to keep things to himself until they boil over, which results in occasional episodes of anger.

Illness/caretaking behavior: Jason’s immune system is much better than Mike’s, but it’s not spectacular.  If there’s a bug going around, he’s probably going to get it.  Jason doesn’t really drink, but he’s not good at holding his liquor either.  When he’s ill, Jason’s generally a little irritable but stoic in public.  When he’s home, he’s a little more complainy.  As far as caretaking goes, he’s a great low-key buddy.  If he’s helping Mike, he tries his best to be gentle even if he’s annoyed or doesn’t understand what’s going on with her. He kind of feels like being around Mike so much makes him uber-aware of others’ issues, and because of that, he tends to be the one who helps that random drunk guy into the bathroom or gives the sinffly girl some tissues.

Colby Mitchell Carson

Physical appearance: Colby’s 20 years old.  He’s 6’2”, slim, and blonde.  Colby has neatly trimmed short hair, a thin moustache, and a stubbly beard.  He has dark blue eyes and warm-toned light skin.  Colby’s pretty clean cut and well-groomed, but something about him seems a little rough around the edges.

Clothing and style:  Colby has a slight hipster lumberjack aesthetic.  He often wears plaid shirts (unbuttoned over another shirt) with blue jeans and boots or slip-on shoes like Toms.  He has very small gauges in both earlobes and tattoo of a pine tree on his left forearm.  It takes a lot to get Colby to dress up for an event.  He wears variations of his “uniform” pretty much every day for every occasion.

Personality and likes/dislikes:  Although he’s a junior credits-wise, Colby’s unsure of his major and what he wants to do after college.  On the one hand, environmental science is cool, but on the other, so is historical Nordic literature.  Colby’s not into sports or exercise in the typical way his boyfriend is, but he does enjoy hiking.  He is also very interested in healthy eating, which often bridges the gap between Jason, who will eat anything, and Mike, who would often prefer to not eat at all.  Colby has a very open worldview and believes he can learn something from every situation.  He doesn’t write things off easily because he thinks he should always try them before deciding how he feels about them.  He’s especially patient with Mike, and sometimes gets along better with her than her brother does.

Illness/caretaking behavior:  Colby has an immune system of steel, which he puts down to spending plenty of time outside with dirt and germs.  He’s not ill often, and allergies are his only regular health issues.  Colby’s pretty good at taking care of himself, but he can be a little sloppy (leaving used Kleenex all over the place, etc.).  He tends to see others taking care of him as a bit of a waste of energy on their part, but it’s a little endearing when Jason tries to do it.  As a caretaker, Colby’s a bit clueless, but he’s so calm about things that he’s immensely helpful anyway.  He’s more likely to offer a cup of tea than a dose of medicine, but his un-phased demeanor more than makes up for it in effectiveness.