Profile
Kieran
Last updated: 9/29/20
Basics
Theme
Aesthetic | Style Guide | Art Fight
Trivia
- He doesn't like being called 'Kiwi' and usually gets very angry or upset when someone calls him by this nickname.
- The nickname 'Chris' is derived from his middle name, Chrysanthos. When introducing himself to the rest of the party, he lied about his real name to them. Dennis called him out on this lie, prompting him to lie even more by claiming that Chris was a just a nickname. However, he actually does use the name 'Chris Perry' as a legal alias.
- It's a bit of an open secret that he has a ghost following him around, but he's really not fond of talking about this at length. He will sometimes acknowledge it and explain what's up if others recognize the ghost and bring it up, but he usually keeps it to himself and often refuses to go into detail about it.
- He may seem totally unbothered by it, but it actually freaks him out a lot that he can lie and manipulate people so easily, and he thinks this is evidence that he's a 'bad person.' He's not sure how to stop.
- Kieran broke a record for being the fastest character I've ever developed and the strongest muse I've had in a long time. Even after the game he was in ended, he still lives in my head rent free.
Uhh, I think I know more about ghosts than you do, genius.
Appearance
To an onlooker, Kieran bears the appearance of your average run-of-the-mill delinquent, with the demeanor of a smooth-talking prick and the fashion sense of a complete tool. Most would pin him down as nothing special, just a typical edgy teenager. He has an eerie way of making people forget about him like that.
He's extremely pale, even by goth standards, and locks of silvery white hair just about reach his shoulders in length. He's almost always wearing a pair of sunglasses, even while indoors. A closer look at him would make it clear that he's not wearing shades to be cool, but rather as a protective measure for his light-sensitive pale grey eyes. He also usually smells vaguely of sunscreen, protecting his extremely fair skin.
His eyes do this thing where they look like they're constantly moving back and forth. He's not doing this on purpose, they just do that on their own. Just don't... don't mention it.
Personality
The first impression Kieran tends to give off is that of a snarky and outspoken young man who frequently displays a somewhat callous apathy towards the world and the people around him. He possesses a deeply unsettling knack for trickery, manipulation, and telling lies. Although he's not fond of the habit, he genuinely believes that it's the only thing he's really good at, and he finds it hard to stop. It's very difficult to figure out where his lies end and where his real self begins.
On occasion, he may even find it funny to trick people, though mainly in the vein of a prankster going a little too far, a conman doing what he does best, or most aptly, a shitty teenager with an attitude problem who never really learned how to act... which is basically what he is, at his core.
He's a bit of a hedonist and a slacker, procrastinating by 'living in the moment' and indulging in simple pleasures more often than actively committing to most of his responsibilities. However, when he's passionate about something, it's palpable, and when he's truly focused on a subject or a goal, his determination is hard to shake. He has a great deal of gall, willing and able to speak his mind and refusing to let others take advantage of him.
Despite the abysmal first impressions, Kieran is really a good kid at heart. He's surprisingly reliable, sociable, lively and generally a fun person to hang out with. He's especially loyal to those who show him warmth. He tries to always keep his promises and he's a surprisingly good listener. All of this is, of course, hidden beneath the layers upon layers of his edgy 'too cool to care' attitude, but it's mainly through his actions that these aspects of his personality shine through.
Likes
- Petting dogs.
- Audiobooks.
- Soap carving.
- Occult research.
- Breadsticks.
Dislikes
- Macaroni and cheese.
- Being bored.
- Garish clothes.
- People wearing garish clothes.
- Personal space invasion.
Story
Kieran was born on March 27, 2000, and raised in a quaint neighborhood in the American South as the only child of parents Dylan and Claudina Dykstra. Before he became a mage, Kieran's life was fairly average, even if it sucked terribly. Life dealt him and all-around bad hand, so he tried to run away from home with his girlfriend, Lizzie. Unfortunately, things didn't end well for either of them.
Long story short, Kieran emerged, a changed man, from a terrible car accident that claimed Lizzie's life. This event, often referred to by Mages as an Awakening, caused him to view the world differently to the point where he gained the ability to influence the very fabric of reality. With the restless spirit of Lizzie by his side, Kieran began studying and practicing Magick in the nigh-futile effort to resurrect her from the dead. He believes that her death was entirely his fault and that he owes it to her to bring her back.
After a few years spent homeless and aimless, Kieran ended up in the city of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Around age 17, Kieran was taken in by a kind young woman named Angela Graham. She taught him about various aspects of the Awakened lifestyle, and has generally been a great force for good in his life. Ever since, Kieran has been minding his own business and laying low as both a mage and a runaway, helping his roommate where he could and staying out of trouble. However, trouble would find him soon enough.
The mage world was shaken up severely when a man, Kyle Sanders, lost his mind and got caught on camera committing acts of destructive vulgar magic, all due to viewing a cursed DVD that 'drives people to violence.' Angela was called in to look into this precarious situation, but due to her busy schedule, she recommended Kieran. Together with fellow mages Tobias, Beryl, Eustace, Isaac, and Knock, the group goes on to discover a terrible conspiracy that threatens the stability of the entire city.
Initially led by a somewhat shady Virtual Adept by the name of Dennis, they soon come to find that he was a Nephandi deep agent and the one behind it all. However, with the ingenious and meticulous planning on the part of Knock, the group manages to undo all of his plans and ensure that he can never cause harm to anyone again.
In the aftermath of the highly stressful five or so days he spent solving one of the worst conundrums the mages of Lawrenceburg have faced in recent years, Kieran realizes that whatever his next brush with death could be, it could easily be his last. From that point forward, he puts his focus on the things that matter - saving his girlfriend from the afterlife, and recovering from his own personal demons.
Relationships
Claudina Dykstra | Mother
Kieran is a deeply troubled person, and his mother, Claudina, is the biggest reason for why. Without going into too much detail, their relationship is/was extremely complicated and very, very far from healthy. His disappearance has been tearing her apart, however, and she deeply dreads the idea that he may truly be dead, worried that she wasn't a good mother and that she'll never be able to make it up to him.
She was given a lead on his whereabouts at one point, but seemed to find nothing, save for a bit of jail-time on apparent charges of harrassment and disturbing the peace. Claudina coming so close to finding him made him deeply uneasy.
Lizzie Evans | Girlfriend
Lizzie is one of the very few people he is almost always honest towards, which says quite a lot about how much he trusts her. He loves her more than anyone, and feels incredible guilt over what happened to her. He seeks to bring her back to life, but for now, he's merely managed to remain in contact with her spirit. He feels like he owes it to her to bring her back, and would go to any length to protect her.
Angela Graham | Mentor
Angela is a fellow mage who took him in some time after he awoke, although he can't really imagine why she did. She may have seen herself in him, a lost and terrified kid living on the streets with no support, sticking out like a sore thumb and vulnerable to the cruelty of the world. Or maybe she has an ulterior motive.
Although he's not very good at showing it, he's very grateful to Angela for her surprising kindness and hospitality, and he trusts her deeply. He loves her like a sister, and this love only grew when she tried to protect him from being found by his parents, finally dissuading the nagging fear that she was going to betray him one day.
Beryl Moonchild | Friend
Kieran met Beryl while on a mission. Despite her eccentricities, Beryl made the best first impression on him. She seemed like a genuinely nice person, if a bit... odd, and Kieran was a bit more comfortable around her than he is around the others. In the short time that Kieran knew her, Beryl was always kind to him, and even though he's not great at showing it, he appreciated it quite a lot. Kieran warmed up to her very quickly, and started to see her as a genuine friend. It quickly became clear just how much she held the group together after she left.
Tobias Thomson | Friend
Kieran met Tobias while on a mission. So far, Kieran's not quite sure how to feel about Tobias. On the one hand, the man seems like an okay guy and seems to know what he's doing. On the other hand, he's an ex-cop who looks vaguely like his dad, which is never a good combination. As their mission has continued, he has come to view Tobias as trustworthy. Although Kieran once treated Tobias with vague targeted disrespect, he never outright disliked him, he just liked to push his buttons. Once Tobias made his dislike of the way he was being treated frighteningly known, Kieran seems to have notably backpedaled on his treatment of him.
'Knock' | Friend...?
Kieran met Knock while on a mission. For someone who is blind, she seems like she knows what she's doing far more than anyone else in the party does, himself included, and he can respect that. However, he's as reluctant to trust her as he is anyone else, not helped by the fact that Knock seems to know far more than she lets on about him and the others. As time has gone on, she's proven herself trustworthy... and also scary as hell. He doesn't want to get on her bad side.
Isaac Verona | Friend...?!
Kieran met Isaac shortly after Eustace left the party. Although Kieran has been keeping him at the same distance that he has for the others, Isaac immediately comes off as a kind and helpful person, if a bit... off-putting. Even after their mission ended, he still has no idea what to think of Isaac.
Eustace B. Wolfgang | Acquaintance
Kieran met Eustace while on a mission. Despite the generational gap, the two of them have quite a lot in common. They could've likely become good friends, were it not for the fact that Eustace seemed like a paranoid hardass with an itchy trigger finger and Kieran couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by him. He will, however, be grateful that Eustace saved his life. They knew each other for a very short period of time and it is unclear if they will ever meet again.
Dennis Quade | Enemy
Kieran met Dennis while on a mission, and he's not knowledgeable enough on film and TV to know about the actor that is Dennis's doppelganger namesake. He was mostly indifferent towards him at first, if a bit dismissive and shitty, but started to think Dennis had been acting shady after Eustace pointed out his suspicious behavior. His suspicions were confirmed once Dennis was revealed to be the Villain of The Story, as well as the reason for why Kieran's life had been falling apart. Kieran called Dennis an asshole once, and Dennis apparently decided that Kieran would suffer for it.
