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Making the Most Out Of Modest Character Profiles

Part One: Henry Page

(quick tw for transphobia)

Basic Stats:

Name: Henry Gabriel Page

Sex: AFAB

Gender: Trans male, a bit effeminate

Age: 25

Race/Ethnicity: White, American

Height: 5’3”

Body Type: In between wiry and stocky. He has a large chest that tends to throw off his proportions a little whenever he wears a binder.

Appearance: Messy, longish bubblegum pink hair. Always falling in his eyes. Never lies flat. It’s naturally a very dark brown, but he frequently dyes it. It’s always frizzy and a bit damaged as a result of the frequent bleaching and dyeing. He eyes are a very dark brown, very big and wide. He wears old-fashioned glasses with brown frames that look very 1950s-ish. They always fall off his face. His skin is tan, and it naturally gets tanner in the sun. However, it pales just as quickly if he starts to hermit. He has ear piercings, and typically wears silver earrings. His face, even with testosterone, is very soft and round. His nose is short and round, but a bit crooked from a few too many breaks. Lips are full, soft. He has a scar on his right cheek by his nose that extends from the top of the nostril to the end, as well as a thin scar running along his chin. If he gets hyper-fixated on something and forgets to leave his room, he grows a scruffy brown beard. He typically shaves it, however. He uses a cane that he’s covered in rainbow-colored duct tape. His left leg is messed up from a car accident when he was four.

Where Is He From? Modest, Georgia, a small suburban town a few towns over from Atlanta, not far from the Alabama border. It’s middle-class, mostly white, with some African-American or Hispanic families. He lived in a nice neighborhood composed of white, upper-middle class families who are very conservative Christians. His family was financially stable, and while he did need to scrape a little to go to his college, he never really struggled until he left home.

Relationships:

Family: Henry has two brothers, one older and one younger, Eli and Jasper (“Jazz”), each separated by a year or so. Eli is very protective of Henry since Henry was picked on often as a little kid. When Henry realized he was trans, Eli was the first person he came out to. The two are very close and have similar values, though Eli is a bit better at hiding it and sucking up to their parents. Jazz and Henry originally had a very messy relationship. Jazz frequently wanted attention, and while Eli was patient with Jazz, Henry would easily get overwhelmed and snap at him. However, when Henry came out as trans, Jazz confided in him that he was nonbinary. Jazz is still in the closet, but he and Henry as now much closer. Henry’s parents, Clara and Hank, are a different story. Both are very conservative and Christian, very stereotypical old-fashioned couple. Hank and Henry were very close, and Hank passed down a lot of his passions to Henry. Hank is a bit more understanding of Henry’s being trans, though originally he was deeply against it; he warmed to it when he saw how happy it made Henry, and was deeply honored that Henry named himself after his father. Clara, though, is a bit more stubborn. She was very smothering towards Henry when he was young since he was the only girl she had. When he transitioned, she took it as a betrayal, getting very angry. Even now, she still refuses to use his real name and misgenders him, resulting in Henry rarely visiting the house.

Friends: Henry has a large group of friends that he made through high school and college. His best friend is Bastian Lawe, whom he met in elementary. The two are very close, and Bastian helped him a lot through transitioning. His other close friends are Arthur Valentine and Ozzy Haft, whom he met in middle school, and Clem Barnes and Vi Bardoness, whom he met in high school. Arthur, Ozzy, Henry, and Bastian are all fairly casual friends, and they often go out for drinks without having much of a connection. Henry, Bastian, Clem, and Vi were all overachievers and now work together to help take care of Vi’s kids.

Sexy Stuff:

Sexual Orientation: Demisexual, pansexual

Romantic Orientation: Panromantic, polyamorous

What is he attracted to? He likes nice faces. Soft skin. Muscles on both men and women, but nothing too beefy. He likes men who aren’t very masculine and women who aren’t super girly. As for personality, he likes people who are unique, passionate, and creative. He also values goodness and kindness, and wants someone who shares his values. He doesn’t like to be ignored or underestimated. He wants someone who will be romantic, who wants a family, but also doesn’t want to be traditional -- he’s lived the traditional family life, and it screwed him up.

Sexual Experience: When he was first transitioning, he was very dysphoric and uncomfortable with his body, and didn’t want to have sex. Besides, he wasn't close enough to anyone to want to have sex with them. While he was dating Rory from their senior year of high school on, the two never did anything sexual until junior year of college, once they were close enough and Henry was confident enough. He hasn’t had sex with anyone else, and aside from a few casual make-out sessions with other girls and guys, he’s never done anything other than that.

Romantic Experience: He has been dating Rory Lawe since senior year of high school, eight years ago. Originally a puppy crush, the two became much closer and more committed. They’re very close, best friends, always supporting and confiding in each other. While they’re both polyamorous, neither has had more than a few dates with anyone else. They hope to get married, but are unsure if or when they can tie the knot.

Skills:

Skills: Photography. Loves taking pictures, especially with old-fashioned cameras, darkroom and all, a skill he learned from his dad. He hasn’t been able to since he hasn’t had a darkroom since moving out, but his digital photography is excellent as well. He also writes mostly short stories, poetry, and nonfiction pieces for his blog. He is an active vlogger, something he started with Bastion and Rory in college, and eventually roped everyone into. He is a good editor and loves coming up with interesting video topics and camera setups. Henry is also a huge tinkerer and loves making stuff with his hands, another thing he inherited from his Dad. He is very intelligent.

Education: Went to a small private high school, the only one in the area. The class was very small, and he was valedictorian. Later went to a big college in Atlanta in order to study Engineering like his dad. Eventually moved to Video Production, and graduated as the valedictorian of his class once again.

Occupation: Henry has alternated between smaller, part-time, minimum wage jobs. He doesn't like staying in one job for long. While he has gotten some monetization from his hobbies, he is far from being able to live off it.

Hobbies: Photography, big time. One of his most used phrases is “wait, let me take a picture of this.” Writing is another one. He runs a Tumblr blog (@pagesofpage) and the YouTube channel Making The Most Out Of Modest, a vlog, creative, and educational channel he runs with his friends. He's a bit of a crafter, and often makes stuff with Vicky Parks on her webseries (Handy-Craft). He's a voracious reader, loves podcasts, spends a lot of time on YouTube and Tumblr, and has a huge list of favorite shows and movies. He bikes, preferring that over driving and works out regularly with Arthur and Ozzy. He is a social drinker, and while he doesn't like getting drunk, he's not afraid to get more than a little tipsy with his friends. He's also had a host of other hobbies (painting, web design, chemistry, robotics) that he bounces between.

Personality And Character:

Introvert or Extrovert? Introvert. He doesn't like being out with people for a long time, and struggles with socializing. However, he likes hanging out with a few good friends every so often, and enjoys having the people he loves around him as he works.

Strengths: He's smart and creative. Very loving. Good with kids. Trusting. Quick to forgive and make up. Very fun and bubbly when around his friends. When he finds a passion, he goes all into it and learns all the ins and outs of it. Henry is quick to find new things and introduce them to his friends. He is a good team player and is very good at rallying friends.

Weaknesses: Henry needs constant stimulation or he’ll get bored. He also needs lots of affection. He can be a bit immature at times. His trusting nature can be easily taken advantage of; he is gullible and a bit naive. He is overwhelming and often runs the conversation. He is always busy, and unless he’s stopped he will burn out. His passions overtake his responsibilities and relationships. He isn’t the best leader, so unless someone else takes charge or helps him lead, his projects fall apart.

Goals: He wants to pursue his passions. He would love to be able to earn money through the vlog. His primary goal is to get married and have a family, but he also wants to continue living with his friends. He also wants to reunite with his family, but due to his mother’s beliefs, that may be impossible.

Beliefs: Henry is agnostic. He was raised Christian, but due to the church’s very conservative beliefs, he’s left the faith. He does believe in a god but doesn’t follow any religions. He is a liberal, socialist, and environmentalist. He follows deeply held principles of accepting others. While he is generally trusting, he dislikes authority and is not the type to follow the masses or trust what the government says.

Fears: He is terrified of inadequacy. Being betrayed. He doesn’t want to lose his family or friends. He worries about being hurt because of who he is and his relationships with others and what he believes. He worries about hurting those around him because of his bad habits.

Insecurities: He doesn’t feel comfortable with his masculinity. At times he is very dysphoric and insecure about his body. He worries his work isn’t good enough. He knows he can be unhealthy, and sometimes worries about spinning out.

[abewritesshit-blog]

Making The Most Out Of Modest Character Profiles

Part Two: Rory Lawe

Basic Stats:

Name: Aurora Eloise “Rory” Lawe

Sex: AFAB

Gender: Cis female, not a huge girly girl, and certainly not the type to follow feminine gender roles, but likes feminine things in life.

Age: 26

Race/Ethnicity: White/Indian, Indian-American

Height: 5’9”

Body Type: Thin. She works out regularly, so she’s toned, but she’s not super muscular.

Appearance: She has long, straight, sleek black hair that falls to her shoulders. Rory devotes a lot of time to make it look good, but if she lets her hair routine falls to the wayside her hair gets frizzy and puffy. Eyes are large and brown. Her skin is a pale tan; she tans more when she goes out, but she rarely gets any opportunity. Both of her ears are pierced, and it’s rare to see her without some earrings. She has some freckles along her nose and the top of her cheeks. Her face is more on the angular side, but softened. She’s a fairly hairy gal, and shaves regularly to avoid that getting out of control.

Where Is She From? Modest, Georgia. She lived in a middle class part of town, in a large family of adopted kids along with her brother. Her adoptive parents, and most of the surrounding people, are conservative Christians. While they rarely struggled financially for basic needs, if Rory wanted anything beyond the basics, she had to work for it.

Relationships:

Family: Rory and her twin brother Bastian are very close. They spend most of their time together, and as much as they drive each other nuts, they love each other deeply. Their birth mother, Sophie, died when they were four. They were raised by family friends, Adeline and Sam Lawe, who adopted them and multiple other kids. Adeline is a very conservative woman, very Christian, but also fairly accepting. She deeply loves and cares for the kids. Sam, however, was stern and much more stubborn in his beliefs. He does not approve of Rory and Bastian’s sexualities, and was very angry when Rory broke up with Roman Cavanagh and started dating Henry. Their relationship was worsened when Sam drunkenly ranted about Henry during Rory and Bastian’s college graduation party, which Henry was attending. Sam and Bastian got into a physical fight, ending the party and resulting in Rory and Bastian getting kicked out. Rory and Bastian’s adoptive siblings, Caleb, Rosie, Josephine, and Charlotte, were all older than Rory and Bastian, but they were very protective of the two. Caleb and Rosie helped the two with school, and Josephine and Charlotte were there for the two when they were figuring out their sexualities in high school. The older siblings have all had conflicts with Adeline and especially with Sam, leading to them leaving town. They do visit Modest occasionally, primarily to see Rory and Bastian. Rory’s relationship with her biological father, Sai Singh, is a bit fraught as well. He was absent for most of her life, since she was an infant. However, in the past two years, he reconnected with his kids after a terminal cancer prognosis. He is a very wealthy film and stage director who worked his way up from the bottom. Sai intended to bring Sophie, Bastian, and Rory with him to New York when he first got work in the theatre business, but Sophie refused, and she and Sai divorced. Because he couldn’t stay for the proceedings without losing his job, he let her have the kids, a decision he deeply regrets. He realized they were still in Modest after seeing them in a front page news article for the local newspaper, and his wife, Anika contacted them while he was in the hospital. Since then, they have formed a good relationship with both their father and their stepmother, who are both warm people who quickly accepted Rory and Bastian into their lives.

Friends: Aside from her brother and boyfriend, Rory’s best friends are Vicky Parks and Defiance Lautari. They were childhood friends, and while they have very different personalities and beliefs, they’re very close. Defiance, in accordance with her name, has always stuck up for the two, and Vicky is a comforting and calming presence. While Rory may or may not have had crushes on both of them (and may or may not still have a crush on them now) they are very affectionate with each other, and the phrase “I love you” is often uttered when they’re together.

Sexy Stuff:

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Romantic Orientation: Panromantic, polyamorous

What Is She Attracted To? She likes aesthetically pleasing people. Not necessarily hot or fitting society’s standards of beauty, but someone who looks interesting to her. She likes beards on guys, chubby cheeks on girls, soft hair on anyone. She likes femininity over masculinity; she likes really girly girls and not super manly guys. She really likes someone she can be open with, someone she has fun with, and someone whom she can help and who can help her.

Sexual Experience: Rory didn’t have sexual experience until junior year of college with Henry. Her previous boyfriend, Roman, was very conservative, and her other boyfriends never really lasted long enough to go that far. Aside from some flirting and kissing with other short-term partners, she hasn’t gone that far with anyone else.

Romantic Experience: Rory began dating in high school (much to the chagrin of her adoptive father). Her first few dates never lasted longer than a month. However, in sophomore year, she began dating Roman Cavanagh, a freshman and the son of a local banking family. They were set up by Roman’s brother Edward, who was dating Vicky, Rory’s best friend. The couple lasted until senior year, when things began moving very quickly and Roman began pressuring Rory to get married after high school. Coupled with Mrs. Cavanagh’s treatment of her (bringing her to a church meeting nicknamed “The Housewives Club”, composed of women talking about being good Christian wives; isolating her from her friends; putting her down for having ambitions of owning her own clothing store), Rory realized things weren’t gonna work. She dumped him before winter break (again, much to the chagrin of her adoptive father), and shortly thereafter began dating Henry. She and Henry have been dating since then, and while they’ve opened their relationship since college, neither have had many partners for longer than a few weeks.

Skills:

Skills: Rory loves anything involving clothing. She can design and sew clothes, do alterations and fittings, as well as style outfits and model them. She’s also great at running social media, running popular personal Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr accounts (@roryelawe, @roryelawefashion, and @areoharewhy), as well as the accounts for the Youtube channel. She also makes tutorial videos for the channel, as well as videos about interesting research she discovers about things she hyper-focuses on (typically fashion, queer history, and her favorite films). Rory tends to bounce between other hobbies, much like Henry. Typically they’re related to art, such as sketching, painting, and crafting. She is smart, though her skills are more focused on the humanities than science or math.

Education: Rory attended a small private school in her town. While she’s smart, she struggled with focusing and studying due to untreated ADHD. Her adoptive parents didn’t get her treatment, and when she attended college she continued to struggle. Rory eventually sought treatment herself, and got much better grades. She double-majored in Fashion Design and Business, and while she didn’t graduate with honors she was still proud of her success.

Occupation: Rory has had part-time summer jobs at restaurants and retail stores in high school and college. She currently works full-time at a local tailor, helping with alterations and fittings. She also sells clothing online and has done some modelling work for small businesses.

Hobbies: Rory is almost always working on something related to clothing. If she’s not designing it, she’s repairing, refitting, or redesigning it. She also likes styling clothes (she rarely leaves the house without a meticulously chosen outfit) and doing makeup, both on herself and other people. She loves researching things; Rory has spent many a night diving into Google and learning about the history of high heels or a queer icon. She often picks up hobbies from Henry, as well. And, of course, she manages the YouTube channel.

Personality & Character:

Introvert or Extrovert? Ambivert. She enjoys going out and spending time with friends, but she also needs time to herself every so often. Rory’s true happy place is doing something quiet with a loved one or two.

Strengths: Rory is passionate about whatever she’s doing. She is a huge confidence booster to everyone around her. She’s the type of person who can turn a quiet room into a party and a fight into a reunion. Loves making people feel better about themselves. Hard worker. Fun and bubbly. She’s a good team player and can work well with a lot of different personalities. She’s always on top of trends and new things. Rory is quick to get people smiling and can bring out the best in others.

Weaknesses: Rory sometimes gets so involved in something she’s passionate about she forgets other things. She’s a bit of a busybody, and meddles when she really shouldn’t sometimes. She is hella forgetful. Not the best at taking care of her own problems. Bottles up her feelings. Works beyond her limits a lot. Isn’t open about how she feels. Self sacrificial. Big time worrier.

Goals: She wants to open a clothing store with her own pieces. She wants the vlog to succeed as well. She’d love to marry Henry, but worries about money and space. While she’d like to have kids, she’s not sure about having any at the moment, especially since she’s not terribly used to them. She also wants to develop a relationship with her father, stepmother, and those around them, though she worries they won’t like or accept her and her friends.

Beliefs: Rory is agnostic, like Henry. While she was raised Christian, she disagrees with a lot of their beliefs. She doesn’t like organized religion, nor does she like the idea of having to worship someone or something. She believes in the possibility of a higher power, but she doesn’t really care what or who it is. She is very liberal, feminist as hell, and believes in socialism. She believes society should be accepting, and that civilization requires teamwork to succeed. She distrusts what authorities tell her, and often goes against societal expectations.

Fears: Rory is terrified of being hurt. Older people, especially those in parental or teacher type relationships, make her anxious due to her bad experiences with them. She worries about not succeeding or being a failure. She sometimes deeply fears the people around her, since she’s heard a lot of hateful rhetoric and has seen a lot of her closest friends get hurt because of who they were. She worries about breaking down because of how hard she pushes herself, and then being a burden rather than an aide to her friends.

Insecurities: Rory doesn’t like having ADHD and anxiety, since it tends to be more than a harm than a help. She has insecurities about her body, especially since she spends a lot of time looking at herself in the mirror. She is a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to her work, and when things don’t go the way she expected, she’s quick to get angry. Whenever she needs help, she feels like she’s bothering or hurting others.