Archer "AJ" Parnassus

[aj]

ARCHER JASON PARNASSUS


precision, temperamental, musical

BACK TO BASICS ' '

Full Name: Archer Jason Parnassus
Significance of Name:

Archer means bowman, and Apollo was said to be a bowman who never missed.
Jason because, one definition, is healer, and Apollo was a healer; or a “restorer of the disorder brought about by illness.”
Parnassus because Apollo was said to have slain the dragon Pythos here at Mount Parnassus.

Nickname(s): AJ
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Orientation: Bisexual
Grade: Sophomore
Celeb you're using: Chris Riggi
Deity: Apollo - Greek
Title of your deity: God of the Sun, Music, Healing, Purification, and Prophecy

STRIKE A POSE ' '

Physical Appearance:

AJ stands at about five feet and eight inches tall, without shoes. His skin is a light mocha shade, with dark hair and even darker eyes. He looks more like his father, who's mother was Italian, than his own mother, who was Spanish. Not that he knows this, never having laid eyes on the woman in conscious memory. His head is more oval-shaped than round, with a slightly jutting chin and a strong jaw. His mouth is the most devilish part of him; with a full and sensual lower lip, he is fully capable of pulling off an amused smirk, a charming smile, or a menacing scowl. Despit this, he usually wears a sunny grin that was, admittedly, much more pronounced in his youth. Today, it is more jaded by the year of sorrow he suffered after Hyde's death.

At first glance, AJ has a lean and slightly gawky frame, but this is due to his clothing choice. If you look closer, you will realize his body is rippled with muscle, especially in his arms. This is due to several years lugging instruments around, as well as a lifetime of laborious farm work. He prefers hiding his body from most of his acquaintances; the only one who has ever seen him naked (and lived) is Laura, though this is not due to shyness so much as no one other than Laura and Hyde have ever cared enough to see him as such.

His preference is casual clothing, but he will wear formal or semi-formal attire without too much fuss. He does take pride in his appearance, so you won't usually see him unshaven unless he has had a really bad week. When Hyde passed, he had nearly a full grown beard before he finally shaved it.

LET'S GET TO KNOW YOU BETTER ' '

Personality Description:

Creative - AJ has always been creative. His dedication to music has improved upon his creativity greatly, as has his personal experiences with Hyde and Laura, if in a negative way. Music has always been a passion for him, and he hopes to be an accomplished and well known musician some day, whether solo or in a band or orchestra makes little difference to him.

Temperamental - You have to be careful around AJ if he's had a bad day; his slightly bipolar attitude can shift from seeming calm and collected one second to going off on a tirade over something as small as a dust mote he's never seen before.

Patient - Despite many flaws, including a quick and unpredictable temper, AJ is patient. He never gets frustrated when helping someone with their homework or pitch; he can cook a soufflé without getting upset at it falling; he can even hunt a deer for days without giving up. As long as he doesn't have a grudge against you, he'll probably try to take the time to get to know you, even if you don't want him to.

Day dreamer - AJ isn't all there at times. Sometimes, especially on sunny days, he'll go off into his own little world and remain there until someone snaps him out of it. Normally, an unexpected sound of some kind does the trick.

Wild child - Never believe what you hear about farm boys being concerned only with the cows and chickens. Though he loves animals and being outdoors, AJ enjoys letting loose and getting out with friends. He's even been known to indulge in a bit of drinking when feeling stressed.

Prideful - A word for the cautious: Do not try to put down AJ's obvious skills. Though he won't boast if he is actually incapable of doing something, he will make every attempt to learn how to do something, if only to say that he can. He's also has a way of holding a grudge against those who think to belittle his talents.


Likes:
- Music
- Archery
- Animals
- Showing off
- Being outdoors
- Day dreaming (preferably under a blue sky with white, cottony clouds)
- Chocolate ice cream
- Clubbing/parties
- Loud music, especially if he's playing
- Performing
- Production lighting and effects
- Challenge
- Loyal friends

Dislikes:
- Boasters that can't deliver
- Reality television
- Being bullied
- Gay bashers
- Homophobes
- Losing
- Dishonesty

Strength:
- Hand/Eye Coordination
- Accuracy
- Patient
- Listening
- Chivalrous
- Speed
- Innate musical ability
- Charming

Weaknesses:
- Family (namely, his dad)
- Temper
- Ability to hold a grudge
- Pride
- Rebellious
- Loud
- Arrogant, especially when challenged
- Promiscuous

Fears:
- Getting close to people
- Never finding love
- Losing the ability to create music
- Something happening to his dad without him knowing

Goal: To be a world famous musician

Power/Ability: Heliokinesis – Apollo was closely connected to Helios, the sun god. He is also polar opposite of his twin sister.

WELCOME TO MY LIFE ' '

Place of Origin: Madrid, Spain; grew up in Texas
History:

Born in Spain, AJ never knew his mother. His parents split up after he was born. He was raised by his father in Texas. His dad worked as the foreman of the Leland property, the Golden Flower Ranch. Mr. and Mrs. Leland had a trio of children: Marcus, the oldest son, who was AJ’s age, and the twins, Laura and Hyde, who were two years AJ's junior and always tagging along after their brother and his friend. It was with these three siblings that AJ would later explore his sexuality with, but more on that later. The four did everything together, from chores to learning music, which came as easily to AJ as breathing, and practicing archery, which Mr. Leland insisted AJ learn along with Marcus at the age of ten. Ironic, really, in that, while Marcus struggled with his shots, AJ's were always dead center. Marc complained that AJ cheated with his 'mad skillz'. Being decreed too young to take up archery at the ages of eight, the twins got their own thrill by competing in footraces with their older brother and friend. The lightest of foot was Laura, who, no matter how hard they tried, none of the boys could ever beat, a fact that greatly annoyed her brothers but which AJ always admired about the lone female of their group.

Because they followed them around everywhere they went, it wasn't unusual to see Laura and Hyde in the fields with AJ and Marcus, watching over the sheep. One summer day when AJ was nine, the four kids were goofing off, playing tag in the field while keeping an eye on the Lelands' flock. Laura ran too far out, disappearing into the trees that created a natural boundary line between the Lelands' and the Drakes' land. It was well known in the county that the members of the Drake family were meaner than startled rattlesnakes. Laura just happened to stumble upon a 'party' the Drake kid was throwing with his friends. Patrick Drake was thirteen, but big for his age, and thus a 'tough guy'. Though by no means a giant himself, AJ nevertheless stood up to the older boy when he threatened to hurt Laura. When Drake laughed and goaded him, AJ hit him. Hard, in the jaw, breaking it. This effectively broke up the party and had Drake running home, crying for his mother. Laura revered AJ as her hero and developed a devoted crush on him for the next several years following this incident.

At fourteen, AJ discovered two things about his life. One, Laura liked him...a lot. Two, after being with Laura for a few weeks, he realized that he preferred Hyde. Hyde, for his part, returned AJ's feelings, and the two began seeing each other. For six months, they were perfectly content. They hid the relationship from their parents, of course, but Marcus and Laura knew. Laura, though depressed about losing the 'love of her life' to her twin brother, soon got over it and ended up wishing the two well. Right before AJ's fifteenth birthday, though, disaster struck. While climbing a tree one day, Hyde didn't realize that the weather had turned bad. An unexpected tornado touched down not too far from the Golden Flower Ranch; it wiped out the Drake's home, and made its way through the trees separating Leland land, where Hyde happened to be. Hyde, being a natural climber, nevertheless lost his footing and slipped from the tree branch he was on, tumbling to the ground below and slamming his head against a rock. Just as quickly as the storm began, though, it ended, not quite reaching the Golden Flower Ranch. Apparently, Fate realized the damage had been done.

Though he walked home fine on his own, Hyde did have a concussion. He felt normal the rest of the day, but that night, he fell asleep. No one, not even AJ, really knew what had happened. All they knew was that Hyde had somehow hit his head hard enough to cause massive internal bleeding, and by the time anyone knew anything, the boy had slipped into a coma from which he would never wake. AJ was devastated by the event. AJ visited Hyde in the hospital everyday for a month, each time bringing the boy a different type of hyacinth flower. Eventually, though he was on life support, the doctors told the Lelands that, even if he were to wake, Hyde would be a vegetable and living out the rest of his life in constant pain. Incapable of bearing the thought of their baby boy being in pain throughout his life, Mr. and Mrs. Leland decided to pull the plug. They held the funeral a week later. Though life existed as normal around them, for AJ and Laura, life was pretty miserable; she, having lost her twin, and he, having lost his friend and partner. The pair became rebellious, and would, eventually, lose their virginity to each other in a clumsy, overly emotional, and intoxicated confrontation. It was only after the embarrassing encounter that the two parted ways and became casual acquaintances; Laura knowing AJ had loved Hyde, and AJ knowing that he could never be true to Laura. She turned to physical exercise, joining the track team and soon becoming the most dedicated member, pushing herself to the point of physical exhaustion every night. AJ, on the other hand, turned to music. He joined his school's band, excelling quickly and easily at any instrument thrown at him. Soon, he was considered the best musician in town, and would put on concerts from time to time.

Marcus, though he pretended he was fine, had taken his little brother's loss very hard. He started lashing out at anyone and everyone that looked at him the wrong way. Three months after his brother's funeral, he slammed a kid up against his locker because the boy had asked him a question. AJ, seeing what had happened, went to his friend to try and calm him; Marcus immediately turned on him, punching him in the jaw. Though it wasn't hard enough to break it, (Marc had always been a lightweight) it had hurt. AJ brushed it off, knowing his friend's moods were irrational nowadays. The next day, however, Marcus sought out AJ and confronted him, in front of everyone, about his relationship with Hyde, a matter the four of them had sworn would stay confidential between the group. Obviously, Marcus no longer cared. AJ, standing tall with his head held high, confirmed the information, but claimed it shouldn't matter, since he was still the best musician the school, who prided itself on its arts programs, had ever seen; he dared anyone to challenge him about it. Marcus did, claiming AJ couldn't play an instrument to save his life. Angered by his friend's betrayal, AJ accepted the challenge and gave anyone the right to give him an instrument to master in twelve hours or less. During the next week, AJ forced himself to learn various, and sometimes strange, instruments, such as the harpsichord, the flute, the trombone, and even the bagpipes. By the end of the week, he was pronounced, by schoolwide agreement, the best musician.

The next day, after performing an impromptu concert in the park outside his school with a song on every instrument his fellow classmates had challenged him to learn, he was cornered by Marcus and a group of seven boys who thought he should be taught a lesson for being gay. They advanced on him menacingly, and AJ was roughed up quite a bit. On the brink of unconsciousness, AJ held up his hands to ward off anymore attacks. That's when he heard a scream of pain and could smell the acrid scent of burning flesh. A light flashed and the boy that had been about to finish him off, dropped to the ground, his skin covered in massive third degree burns. The other boys scattered, including Marcus, who ran off and was never seen again. AJ blacked out after he knew he was alone with the unconscious, half-dead boy next to him. Laura found him not long after he had passed out and ran for help; being the quickest person in town, it wasn't an hour later that AJ and the other boy were in the hospital. AJ survived with a few broken ribs and a fractured arm. The other boy wasn't so lucky. The doctors couldn't figure out how he had been burned, scene of the attack not offering any clues. He died of infection while the doctors were treating his burns.

Seven days later, after having had a heart-to-heart with his dad, in which AJ came clean about his sexuality and of which his father took with relative understanding, AJ was home, watching television with Laura. A pair of suits came to the door. They requested to speak with AJ and his father in private. It wasn't until that night, however, after his dad got back from a cattle drive, that they told AJ he had been awarded a full scholarship at an exclusive private school in Washington state, effective immediately. Needing time to think it over, AJ promised to be in touch. After a week of arguing with his dad over not wanting to leave home, it was decided that AJ would go to this Pantheon Academy. Reluctantly, AJ left with the suits, leaving his dad and Laura behind.

CONNECTION TO THE MYTH ' '

-Apollo was the god of shepherds and their flocks; AJ was raised on a ranch, where he was given the job of watching over the sheep and, later in life, the cattle.
-Apollo was the god of music; AJ has an innate gift with music, and can pick up on any instrument with less than twelve hours of practice.
-Golden flowers were sacred to Apollo; AJ lived on the Golden Flower Ranch.
-Apollo defeated the Python, the serpent oracle of Delphi; AJ punched a boy bigger and older than himself named Patrick Drake.
-Apollo fell in love with the youth Hyakinthos, who was killed by a discus to the head, directed at him by the West Wind; AJ fell in love with Hyde, a boy younger than himself, who fell out of a tree, hit his head, and slipped into a coma, and taken off life support after a month of hoping he'd wake up.
-Apollo loved and pursued the nymph, Daphne, who ran from him; AJ loved Laura, who was an excellent athlete. (Reaching, I know, but come on.)
-Marsyas was a satyr that challenged Apollo to a musical competition; Marcus challenged AJ's musical skill.
-Apollo flayed Marsyas alive for challenging him and losing; AJ humiliated Marcus by completely wiping the floor with his friend's accusation of his lack of musical skill.

ROLEPLAYING SAMPLE ' '

Again, I don’t see this happening.

BEHIND THE SCENE ' '

Your name: KC
Age: *shifty eyes*
How long have you been RPing? *shiftier eyes*
Where/How did you find us? Leprechauns have big mouths about everything except where to find their pots of gold. *sigh*

[haydenmoderator]

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