[Taylor Van Laar]

Name: Taylor Van Laar
Age: fifteen
Date of Birth: January 30th
Birthplace: Mavro City, Harmonia Island
Gender: male
Sexual Orientation: demisexual
Face Claim: Devil Survivor 2 - Protagonist (AKA Kuze Hibiki or Hiro Kageyama)

Appearance:

Distinguishing Features: 

Taylor is someone who always tries to break dress code, be it by wearing a hoodie underneath his uniform, wearing the wrong shoes, or just not even wearing his uniform to begin with. Often this is just to try and get out of classes because, well, he really does not like going to class.

With poor eye sight comes glasses... Or at least contacts when out and about. He only wears his thick black frames in his dorm, and he refuses to leave the dorm without putting on his contacts despite how they irritate his eyes. He carries around eye drops everywhere just in case.

Height: 5'7"
Character Type: Student

Personality:

Used to being disappointed, Taylor has learned to keep his expectations low. Be it for meeting someone knew, so-called 'surprises' that others give him, or grades on his last homework assignment, he does not seem to put much effort or enthusiasm into it. Some call him apathetic in the way that he goes about life, keeping a frown on his face and a furrow to his brow. But, really, other than having found out that it was easier to not get his hopes up for many things in life, Taylor is too empathetic with the world. His empathy comes from a more mental and spiritual sense than just reading emotions well. It's easier to keep himself at a distance rather than dive head first into a crowd of confusing and jumbled emotions that only end up wearing down on his body and causing headaches. It is easier just to keep away and not try to figure everyone out and their problems.

Taylor grew up in a situation that caused him to mature quickly and seek independence before his teenage years. Missing true parental guidance allowed him to psychologically form on his own by observing the mistakes of others to tell him what was right from wrong and what was wrong yet would be rewarded. He grew reclusive and aloof, and he did not allow anyone to grow close. Perhaps that was why it took him a long time to get out of foster care, or perhaps it was just not meant to be. Yet despite this cold, almost unemotional exterior, there is still the heart of a young boy who just wanted to be love. Kindness is rarely shown, but it is most definitely still there, buried deep beneath layers upon layers of whatnot built up to protect himself from the world. Moments of this inner self shine through when he believes he is alone with his Pokemon or when dealing with someone or something who has or is going through a situation similar to his own.

An intelligent mind, Taylor is quick with acquiring knowledge and figuring out how to use it. Problem solving is barely a feat for him, and strategies come easy to him. He silently observes from the sidelines, and even in battle he seems to be standing off and watching rather than diving in for the kill. He takes note of weaknesses and searches for ways to exploit them, even if it means having his Pokemon endure throughout the battle until he finds a way to give himself the upper hand.

Likes:

• technology
• strategies & plans
• ramen/ramyun
• thunder storms
• silent type pokemon
• music

Dislikes:

• school & homework
• losing signal
• summertime heat
• noisy people
• last minute schedule changes
• curfews

History:

Taylor did not come from the most fortunate of families. His mother gave him up when he was only a toddler due to family and monetary issues, and he was stuck inside an orphanage for three years. He was placed in foster care at five, and he hopped from house to house until he was ten. He never stayed in a single school for too long, and he was never allowed to pick up any quantity of belongings other than the clothes on his back and a toy or two that would end up lost on the journey between homes.

At ten, he was finally adopted into a seemingly normal family. This new family consisted of a young woman, her supposed 'soul mate', and her friends. Despite the couple not being married or their young ages, they still adopted Taylor. He considered it to be another temporary home, and he remained reclusive during the first year. The couple and their friends made their best attempt at gaining his trust, and they only managed to find little things about him, such as a favorite food or the easiest way to get him to comply.

At eleven, he slowly began opening up to his new 'family'. The won him over with gifts, and for once he did not have to share his things with anyone. He was given a laptop, but he was only allowed to use it in the living room for quite some time. This was mainly due to the fact that it was a great way to get him to at least return the gift with his presence, but he guessed it was also so he would not become a shut-in at a young age among other things. It was through the laptop that he started learning programming languages by trial and error and online tutorials. It was through the laptop that he managed to find a connection with the darkness of the world that a young boy should never get tangled with.

At thirteen, his 'mother' provided him with another gift. Two, actually. One was a Golett and the other was an Elgyem. When he questioned why they were his gift after never showing any interest in Pokemon, his mother just gave him a smile that tried to hide her true intentions. He began to notice the household growing smaller and emptier as the couple and their friends would leave for long periods of time only to come home with tired expressions and extra cash. He never questioned it, and he instead picked up a variety of other skills that allowed him to be independent from his 'family' other than the obvious need for cash. At least catfishing online and his hacking hobby allowed him to have his own sort of 'income'.

It was only four months ago when Taylor was forced to leave the comfort of the couch and accompany the household. It was then that he learned why his 'parents' were gone so often: they were members of Team Origin. The entire reason why they adopted him was so that he could follow in their footsteps. The only difference was that he was to be assigned to Gray Haven Academy. He never protested despite a hatred for school systems. He might as well do this much for the people who gave him a long term home, and he might as well get good grades while he was at it.

Dorm: Mana (Origin Spy)

Uniform Color: white

Starter Pokemon: 

NAME: Stjin
GENDER: genderless
SPECIES: Golett
ABILITY: Iron Fist
MOVES: Shadow Punch, Dynamic Punch, Magnitude, Iron Defense

The silent type, Stjin doesn't do much. They like acting as a literal golem, standing there and waiting for a command or for someone to make a wrong move against their master. Stjin makes slow movements until switching into combat, then they become a ruthless force to be reckoned with.

NAME: Selma
GENDER: female
SPECIES: Elgyem
ABILITY: Telepathy
MOVES: Hidden Power, Heal Block, Psychic, Calm Mind

A shy little thing, Selma usually hides behind Taylor's legs or clings to his back. She does not like meeting new people, and she is more likely to attack out of nervousness or fright than to openly greet a stranger. This provides unwanted encounters on Taylor's part and messy situations that he has to clean up while Selma tries to hide behind him.

Played By: Solemn

[Chromatic]

Everything checks out!

Welcome aboard!