Frank

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Frank lives in a shitty apartment in Philadelphia in the early 80s. Known in the local punk scene for his prominent "tough guy" image, but ironically holds a deep disdain for "macho assholes", as he calls them. He's very opinionated and headstrong, and is often misinterpreted as being egotistical and arrogant. People tend to find him very intimidating and ferocious, and assume he's a very serious person. And while this is true to some degree, and is certainly ferocious, he's actually fairly fun-loving, doesn't take himself too seriously, and likes to have a laugh. He, however, does not tolerate "bullshit", and not a single ounce of it. He has a very, very bad temper, and can sometimes snap or lash out at others, despite his best attempts not to. As it happens when one is a part of the hardcore punk scene, Frank often finds himself in brutal fistfights, and despite his tendency towards violence, he actually has a pretty strong dislike for it, preferring to resolve things peacefully. He's remarkably well-controlled despite his temper, and tries his best to be polite, but his overall intensity is so strong that people find him unnerving and a little scary even when he's being "nice", very much the sort of person to stare you down and very aggressively ask if he can do anything to help. He's an extremely honest person, and owns up without arguing when he knows he's screwed up, caring far more about honesty and truthfulness than being "right".

He loves music more than he can find the words to describe it, and spends a lot of time listening to it and studying it. Well-spoken and thoughtful, Frank is overall quite intellectually-inclined, and loves reading and deeply values knowledge, but he finds it extremely difficult to retain information, and tends to stall on the same page of a book for quite a while (don't tell him to take medication!). He's also very health-conscious and has no interest in drinking, smoking, using drugs, eating unhealthy food, or leading a sedentary lifestyle. He's extremely energetic and spends a lot of time exercising, sometimes to the point of severe pain, often to get his anger out and build discipline. He's intensely political and has a deep hatred for politicians, the police, bigots, oppressive institutions, and their supporters. He's had a hard life, and can sometimes come off quite nihilistic and cynical, but he has a distaste for pessimism and fatalism, being pointedly resilient and determined to make the most of life and push through whatever challenges come his way. Frank is very serious about not wasting life, and encourages others to take care of themselves, believing life to be incredibly precious; he finds himself getting deeply angry at people who throw their lives away.

Frank has a hard time with relationships, and although he'd like to have one, he struggles to find his match, feeling like an "alien", in his words. He largely keeps himself occupied with his studies and hobbies, rather than dwelling on romantic prospects. He likes traveling, and has a number of tattoos on his body, each with a significant meaning, but he shies away from talking about them. His sense of humor is a little gross and mean; he enjoys making people cringe, but deep down, he's actually pretty shy and sensitive, and finds comfort in looking up to those he considers strong. He feels a weird mixture of joy and profound discomfort when treated with love or kindness.

Overall, he's a guy who tries his best. He bounces from job to job (he's currently working washing cars since he got fired from Baskin-Robbins for eating more ice cream than he sold), works on writing poetry and his political reading, and doesn't like to smile in pictures- not so much because he wants to look tough, but rather, in his words, "When I smile, I look like I just saw a dog get hit by a car."