Post by Shasta McClellan on Oct 4, 2020 20:02:44 GMT
Shasta Matthew McClellan
Age 21 Birthday July 1 1999 Gender Cis Male Pronouns He/Him Orientation Homosexual Faction Citizen Class Explorer Rank Backyard Adventurer Occupation Nature Photographer Hometown Pewter City, Kanto Current Residence Birch City | Tell us a little about yourself. How would you describe yourself? He smiled big. There were a great many topics that Shasta McClellan enjoyed discussing, himself being his absolute favorite. He cracked his neck from side to side and rolled his shoulders as if he were about to embark on some strenuous physical activity. “My name is Shasta McClellan.” He said it with pride with confidence. “I’m just a young guy out here trying to see the world and take as many pictures as I can along the way.” He patted the Nikon that hung around his neck not unlike the way a mother caressed her newborn infant. “I guess I’d describe myself as easy going, but wouldn’t everybody?” He reached out for the bottle in front of him and took a sip. “Most people would say I have stereotypical ‘only-child’ syndrome. I don’t share well and I always expect to be the center of attention.” He let out a chuckle and shrugged- it wasn’t the most attractive quality, he knew, but it was an honest assessment at least. “I think at the end of the day I’m a pretty nice guy… just trying to find my place in this world.” Why are you interested in the class you've chosen? As soon as he heard the question, scenes from his life in Pewter City- uneventful, unchanging, uninspiring- flashed before his eyes like a macabre slideshow of boredom. If Shasta felt like being fair he’d admit that the city wasn’t completely irredeemable- the people were nice enough and the Gym was respected. He’d also have to admit that there were smaller and even more boring cities in Kanto. But still… “I’ve dreamed of seeing the world since I was a kid,” he answered simply. “I think I just woke up one morning and realized that there was a whole big world out there and if I wanted to see it I had to get going. Time goes quickly and you can’t get it back.” It was a rare display of vulnerability from him. If one could get past the bluster and bravado, one might even draw the conclusion that Shasta feared growing up. “Some people might not think that wandering around the world and snapping pictures of Pokemon is the best use of time, but if I call myself an Explorer then at least I’ve got some kind of official title. Makes the whole thing a little less sus.” He flashed a toothy grin and reached for his glass of water once more. He realized he would make a great celebrity or other type of person who sat for interviews. He could answer questions about himself all day! Why are you interested in training in Arciel? Why not another region? “Why anywhere? Why not here? Everyone knows that Arciel is friendly to outsiders,” Shasta shrugged. He guessed he’d never really thought about it- he’d just saved up enough money and had bought a one-way ticket to Arciel without really thinking about it. What do you consider your best attributes? They can be physical, mental, social, or anything else. “Ooh, here we go,” Shasta said with a laugh and cracked his knuckles . “Well, I’m an ace photographer, let’s get that out of the way first.” It was the skill he was proud of most, the hobby and now job that had morphed into an identity. Taking pictures wasn’t just what he did, it was becoming who he was. The more conceited side of Shasta reasoned that his skill with a lens must have been attributed to some latent artistic ability the general populace did not possess. He rambled on for a few minutes more about his photography knowledge, listing the (very few) local awards he’d won before leaving Kanto and describing in great detail some of the shots he considered his best. He wished he’d brought the shots he had been allowed to shoot from inside the Rock Gym in Pewter City… he had a portrait of an Oddish knocking out a Geodude that was, in his opinion, nothing less than phenomenal. He moved on to other points of his greatness besides his skills in photography. “I make friends pretty easily. That’s a good attribute, right? I also don’t take myself too seriously. That’s definitely a good attribute as far as I’m concerned.” What do you consider your worst attributes? Be honest, now! He worked to keep the smile firmly placed on his face, but internally Shasta felt a chill like he’d just been Ice Beam’ed by an Articuno. He could hear his mother’s words echoing in his mind, a cacophonous chorus of insults and derogatory remarks: ”You selfish brat! Only caring about yourself!” “Why don’t you go out and get a real job and make something of your life, you narcissistic lazy bones?” “Back talking me again? After all I’ve done for you? Why you good for nothing…” Even now with thousands of miles separating them, the words stung. It was difficult to hear your own mother say such things about you, but it was even worse to admit that some of them were true. He didn’t want to be narcissistic, but he had fought for so long to learn to love any version of himself- couldn’t his family see that? What they called self-centeredness was actually learned self-love. If taking care of yourself was selfish then he was proudly so. If being confident was arrogant then he’d have to take it. “Bad habits? Hmm. I bite my nails I guess? I know, it’s pretty gross.” What was your childhood like? How was school? “My childhood was great,” he said, and he meant it. He considered using the word “idyllic” but didn’t want to come across as someone trying to be poetic or profound, but truth be told it was an apt word to use. His mother hadn’t worked, then, and his childhood had been spent playing, exploring, and learning. School just added to the fun. “School was good for me too,” he smiled as he reminisced on his days with his classmates. “I was pretty social. Believe it or not, some would have considered me a class clown,” he admitted with a grin. Homework may or may not have been turned in on time and tests may or may not have been passed, but pranks, laughs and jokes had been the norm. How is your relationship with your family? “Eh… pass. Let’s just say there were no going-away parties, no tearful goodbyes, and there haven’t been any calls home since.” What do you like to do for fun? Shasta felt like he was on a first date at this point. It was a basic question, one that allowed answers that ranged from the barest of responses to the most elaborated diatribes. “Well, you know I like taking pictures, so I guess I don’t need to mention that again.” There were plenty of other activities that were tertiary to his photography that he enjoyed, so he started by listing those: “I love to go hiking and exploring. I would say I definitely prefer being outdoors to staying in. I’m not the strongest swimmer- no oceans or anything in Pewter City- but I do love being in the water.” He recalled summer nights spent in hot tubs with his friends the summer after they graduated school and felt a pang of homesickness reverberate through his stomach. “I’m a pretty okay cook and I love food. Going out to new restaurants and trying new dishes is always fun. Any particular delicacies here in Arciel I should look out for?” What are your feelings on romance? Before he answered he felt a blush creep across his cheeks. He hadn’t dated anyone since a few months before he left Kanto, but before that he’d always been involved in a relationship of some kind as some stage- Shasta sometimes called them ‘flirt’lationships- and the desire for another guy’s company was growing stronger. Questions like this one only made the craving more intense. “It might be about time to start taking applications for a new gentleman friend,” he conceded. “I’m not rushing to get into anything, but I’m sure there are a lot of cool dudes in Arciel that I’d be down to vibe with if the mood was right. You got a brother or cousin or someone you can introduce me to?” He smirked again. He was a young man fully in charge of his sexuality and he wasn’t afraid of that fact. What are your goals for the future? Short-term and long-term. “Not see Pewter City for at least another year,” he laughed. It was the first answer that came to his mind and also the most honest. Truth be told, arriving safely in Arciel after leaving the only life he’d ever known up until that point had been the goal. Now that he’d done that it was time to set a new series of goals. It looked like he was going to be spitballing some ideas now. “I have a goal to take at least three pictures every day.” Perhaps that seemed like a small thing, but the love of photography could sometimes be exhausted by the job aspect of it. He set the three pictures a day goal not to keep up his love for the craft but to keep improving his skill. If he wasn’t constantly improving he was going backwards, which was the last thing he wanted after all the work he’d put in thus far. “Long term goals? I dunno, marriage sounds nice. But one day! Not anytime soon,” he quickly added the caveat so as to not give anyone any wrong ideas. “And NO kids. Like ever. That’s a pretty settled opinion at this point.” If you could be a Pokemon, what species or typing would you choose and why? Shasta laughed in an almost offended way. “Be a Pokemon? I can’t ever imagine wanting that. I have enough fun being human. Who would want to give that up?” What do Pokemon mean to you? For the first time in the whole interview, an answer did not come to Shasta immediately. What did Pokemon mean to him? It was a question he had neglected to fully ponder. In a way he was always thinking about it, especially when doing his photography- he had to determine what Pokemon mean in order to determine how to best capture them on film. And yet he had never explored it fully. He knew that Pokemon meant many different things to many different people. To some people they represented power, raw and unfiltered. To others they represented the mysteries of life and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. To others their meaning was only skin deep and went no further than how beautiful they could become and what kind of entertainment humans could draw from looking at them. But what did Pokemon mean to him? Shasta floundered a bit before he answered. “I guess…” he started, and then paused again to collect his thoughts. He knew this question was important and he wanted to give a solid answer. “Pokemon represent possibilities. You can go to any corner of the globe and find Pokemon thriving. You can study the same species of Pokemon for decades and still learn new things. You can put Pokemon in situations they’ve never experienced before and watch them succeed.” The more he spoke, the more convinced and convicted he became of his answer. “To me,” Shasta opined, “Pokemon represent the limitless potential of a life well lived.” Anything else you'd like to tell us about before you go? “Not really,” he shrugged again. His shoulders had been getting a good workout. “Don’t you think I’ve talked enough?” |
Appearance
Height 5’10" / 177cm Build Tall and lanky Hair Color Reddish brown Eye Color Brown | Shasta looks like he could have been dropped in Alcier straight out of a mid-2000s teen movie- he’s tall but walks with hunched over shoulders, his hair is too long and disheveled because he can’t find the time to get it cut, and adolescent acne still dots his face in various places. His sense of style is utilitarian based on his constantly being on the go with his photography- jeans and t shirts make up the majority of his wardrobe, but he’ll occasionally throw a button shirt over a plain t shirt to try and jazz it up. He’s also one of those gays who only owns two pairs of shoes and doesn’t do anything with his hair in the morning- whatever nature decides he’s going to get is what he gets. Aura Shasta’s aura is a ruddy reddish brown color, a testament to his fiery nature and gregarious spirit tempered by his pragmatic insistence that persistence is the most important quality in making a strong human being. His aura is large and bright, easily seen and identified by those who can see auras- even his arua wants to be the center of attention. It moves in bold, elongated movements that beg for an audience. |
Skills, Abilities, & Notoriety
STANDARD SKILLS Agility 0 Charisma 11 Cooking 5 Crime 0 Dexterity 0 Farming 0 Fishing 7 Gaming 0 Luck 12 Medic 0 Mining 0 Performance (Type) 0 Research 0 Stamina 10 Stealth 0 Strength 5 Survival 15 POWER SKILLS Aura 0 Psychic 0 Abilities N/A NOTORIETY Reputation 0 Fame 0 Alignment 0 - Neutral Other Notes Pokemon
OOC Info
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