Don't fear death, fear the un-lived life.
- Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting
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Name◄
Tate Dylan Demerson
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Nickname◄
Tate. Just Tate. Unless you want to be a special little snowflake, some people call him Dyl, but that sounds counter productive since his first name is easy as hell to say.
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Birth Date◄
October 30th, 2000
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Age◄
16
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Gender◄
Male
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Sexuality◄
Pansexual
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Relationship Status◄
One day, assuming that someone can keep up with him.
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Sexual Active◄
Sex is good.
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Team Color◄
Grey
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Years At Camp◄
Just as long as his sister. Big 3. He wasn't going to let her go to camp without him. PFFT. Plus, it might be good to have him around with a mouth like her's. Love ya, sis.
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In Depth Appearance◄
Standing at 6'0" and weighing around 160 pounds, Tate was blessed with gorgeous cornflower blue eyes and a quick growth sprout. Being on the rather antsy or energetic side, the naturally dark brown haired boy had to always find something to do. He NEEDED to do something with himself or he'd get extremely moody and cause uncontrollable fits of anger or sadness. The more physical labor the activity required, the better. It wasn't because he was bipolar or anything. His life was constantly moving, so if things ever slowed down, if his family stood in one place for too long, he'd grow terribly bored and boredom was never a good thing for his soul. Due to his constant running, jumping, dancing, and whatever kids did to keep themselves busy, his body became rather fit by the time he reached his teen years. He's not scary muscular, but he also doesn't have a thin frame. One look at him and people think: Yeah, don't get on his bad side. He looks like he has one hell of a punch.
Recently, he dyed his hair bleach blonde, because why not? Camp Liberty is fucking strange for organizing kids based on how they appear and shit. Isn't that like some sort of segregation? Well, regardless, his hair is a change he can get behind. You dig? He also has small earlobe flesh tunnel piercings.
Unlike his sister, he was given the more obedient hair of the two. Her hair use to be gross as hell until she made it pop out like a neon light. Seeing her hair now makes him want to watch the sunset and rise, everyday. Not putting nearly as much effort into his hairstyle, Tate rocks all sorts of hats. Hats were cool. The only time someone wouldn't see him wearing a hat is if he's drumming like a crazy maniac, where he could lose it easily, he likes his hats too much to lose them (thank you very much), or if he has his unnecessarily big headphones on jammin' to sick tasty grooves. Totally bought those headphones himself. Be proud, ma.
Tate's gonna pop some tags, he usually only got 20 dollars in his pocket. Thrift stores were the hot spot for wanderers like the Demersons, especially when your own money was obtained by busking (permitted or not). Jeans, suspenders, boots, vests, button ups, shirts, jean vest jackets, jean jackets in general, long sleeve striped shirts, tanks, bowties, graphic t-shirts, converse shoes, comfy sweatshirts, black shades, anything really that he likes the look of, he'll consider buying it. Especially hats. We can never have enough hats. Of course, he needs the money first before he buys things like a shopaholic. Off to the streets he goes!
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Habits & Quirks◄
⚪ Drums his fingers on everything
⚪ Taps his foot if he's been in one place for too long
⚪ Likes to start random self-made music while at a table, even better if there is silverware and cups for him to use
⚪ Moves around a lot, especially if he wants to leave but people are taking forever.
⚪ When he's into someone, he crushes on them to the extreme. Go hard or go home.
⚪ Doesn't think before he does something. An action man through and through. If he feels inclined to jump off a high place with all his clothes on into a lake or something, you best believe he's gonna do it. If a bird shits on him, you best believe he's gonna yell at that bird like it's a damn person. Birds suck. Don't trust them. They're evil.
⚪ He ain't chicken shit. You challenge him, he's gonna do it and prove you wrong tenfold.
⚪ Eats ungodly amounts of food, with little to no manners. LET HIM ENJOY HIS MEAL. GOD DAMMIT. If you don't like what you see, you can sit somewhere else.
⚪ Grey members are 'suppose' to be good at being mysterious, but Tate's expressions are vibrant and shows exactly what he feels. He doesn't lead people on, intentionally, and he tries to express himself as honest as possible. He just wants to have fun, man.
⚪ Loyal like a guard dog. He'll bark if you offend him or his fam, but if you enter his threshold and give him a belly rub, you're pretty good in his book.
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Likes & Dislikes◄
☑ Luisa and the Fam
☑ His drum set, his customized traveling bass drum, and the constant tempo of life
☑ Busking and Music. Music is literally his life.
☑ Costumes and pretending to be some awesome character. What do people call it? Cosplay? Expensive hobby, but he'll appreciate it from afar.
☑ Flips and shit. Tate's pretty athletic. Perks of drumming but also being antsy as fuck.
☑ THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. Locals, tourists, foreigners. Listen to their stories, you might learn something.
☑ Some drugs give a pretty good high. Ma is a drug addict though, so... he'll never do meth, but other things he wouldn't mind. He'd rather have sex over drugs any day. "Any takers!?"
☑ Eating contests. You know how restaurants have epic food challenges? He's all for those or little festivals where you're competing with people to eat pie, damn straight he'll do it. Give him all the food and he'll beat the record.
☑ Robot wars! He wouldn't know what goes behind making those little shits but it's like watching wrestling but with TECHNOLOGY.
☑ Impressin' the ladies with his suave dance moves and head bobbin'!
☒ Birds. Hate 'em. They need to plug their asses up.
☒ Losing a hat. It's absolutely tragic. Where is he going to find another one just like it?
☒ His sister's venomous words. Hurts like a bitch. Tate has had years to grow a shield when she lashes out.
☒ People restricting him to the point that he feels like he lost his free will. HIS FREEDOM IS IMPORTANT.
☒ This is simply a pet peeve but people who don't flush or wash their hands. He can handle farts and burps, since he has gas himself, but people use the toilet. Be considerate. And your hands touch people... Tate doesn't like bird shit on him, what makes you think he likes human shit on him?
☒ Tears. How does one deal with crying? Uh... uh... ~puts headphones on person to listen to a song~ That should make them feel better, right?
☒ Stagnation. Even if he doesn't know what will happen to him tomorrow, Tate needs to keep chugging, chugging on. No regrets. There's people to see! Places to go! Mistakes to make!
☒ STDs. If he finds out someone is a slut, he's not going to touch them with a ten-foot pole, unless they prove they're clean. He doesn't mind sex, his sister loving it just as much as him, but he'll make sure those whores don't ruin his fam's life. BACK AWAY.
☒ Puns. Oh how they make him cringe.
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Fears & Phobias◄
⚪ Losing the rhythm in his life, feeling utterly lost where he can't here the sound of music.
⚪ His sister hating him, or dying, or disappearing, or crying.
⚪ Not being able to drum anymore, may it be from a disease, breaking a body part, or losing the passion and drive. What would he do without his beats?
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Good Personality Traits◄
⚪ BIG PERSONALITY. He shines with a cheesy grin and a childish gleam in his eyes. Playful and jolly!
⚪ Dedicated and filled with obvious passion for life. He can be a man's best friend, if you don't look too deep into his actions.
⚪ Hardy. Can handle harsh conditions and is prepared (most times) for anything you throw at him.
⚪ 'Give it a go' attitude. Open-minded and doesn't mind trying all the things!
⚪ Clever and witty when he needs to be
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Bad Personality Traits◄
⚪ Time-zone Disconnect. It's night? FUCK YEAH I'LL HAVE AN ESPRESSO.
⚪ Impulsive
⚪ Restless
⚪ Not the brightest. He's street smart, not book smart.
⚪ Immature at times. He's 16, get off his back.
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Personality◄
Both Tate and his sister can be related to dogs, one looking more approachable than the other but the other actually being the nicer one. Tate isn't a small guy, nor tall yet since ideally 6'2" is when guys are considered tall in Tate's opinion, but his eyes unintentionally leer at others, contemplating whether or not he likes them. Once the guard dog talks, he's pretty friendly in a lovable way, even if he doesn't necessarily know the time or place to say certain things. He's open for free hugs! His sister looks like an absolute sweetheart, but it's the cute ones you should be afraid of. Once she opens her mouth all hell breaks loose. TAKE COVER. THE BULLETS ARE COMING OUR WAY.
Things should be kept simple and if you train him right, he might be exactly your type of guy. "Training" him is not easy, teaching him anything really is a great obstacle since he gets bored easily. Not having much of a filter, Tate has the tendency to be extremely abrupt and honest, but not brutal. If he thinks you look attractive, he'll probably tell you right then and there, on the spot. Smoothness level 0. He's the type of guy who adores cuddles and endless conversations, but he also appreciates going out for walks, runs, and having epic jam sessions. He'd like to think he was placed in Grey because of his natural look, with his dark hair and seemingly unapproachable aura, but he's also extremely adaptable, so maybe they just didn't know where to put him? No big deal. He gets to be with his sister and the fam. If anyone even attempts to hurt them, there's going to be a fist in their face, for sure. Unless you're a girl. He can't hit a girl, even if she's vicious and cruel. He'll hold her and try to calm her down, but won't physically harm her. Tate will feel like shit for the rest of the day even if he accidentally hurt her. Hurting her means she could cry and he doesn't know how to handle water works from anyone!
Not the most observant but has an amazing intuition, he can sense shit going down a mile away or even if someone reeks of misery. It's like a danger signal that tells him he needs to hurry and save someone. After getting his mind to think straight, Tate can track down people in a heartbeat. The hurdle is he has to calm down, which isn't an easy feat to accomplish. With reckless abandon, he will dive into challenges, dangerous situations, and try new and unusual things.
His love for his sister might be almost to a complex level, but it's for her safety and happiness. Their relationship is like "I do what I want but Imma cockblock you." This leads to quite a bit of clash, but it's because they love each other. Too much maybe? Overall, Tate is a fun dude with little understanding of what's socially acceptable because of his constant traveling and homeschooling. There is the whole "this guy looks like he can beat the shit out of me" at the beginning, but that's easily brushed away once he starts being silly, naturally getting others to smile with how goofy he can be.
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Place Of Origin◄
Tate was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but the fam is constantly traveling. He doesn't count the days he's in one place over others, believing his life should constantly be in motion. No time to sit around, go with the flow, and listen to the music of the world.
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Background◄
Graham and
Lola Demerson (Mother's maiden name: Starr). They met at a college party bonfire almost 18 years ago. Graham was a sophomore at the time, studying education and music theory, taking careful steps for a stable life, while Lola had nearly just graduated high school. Lola's best friend had an "in" for this college shindig, so of course, being youthful, hungry for pleasures unknown, and daring, she went. There she met Graham, a striving musician, who was aiming to become a teacher. After a handful of drinks, she woke up the next morning in his dingy apartment discovering he hardly had anything to his name, no one to help him, and that college alone was a big feat for him to achieve. Pitying him at first, since she never experienced being dirt poor ever in her middle-class life, Lola decided to date him. The next month was extremely heated. Sex. Sex. And more sex. She found herself always wanting to be around him, even with his goals in life, he was so carefree, fun to be around with, and made her feel like her life was going to be okay (not having the best home life herself). Neither of them expected she'd get pregnant this earlier on in the game.
Her parents were strict religious people and never allowed her to do much of anything, which is why she did nearly everything they told her not to do. After ridiculing her for the baby bump, they disowned her and told her she would go to hell if she didn't keep the child. That moment changed the couple's lives forever. Graham needed a new game plan and fast. He decided to get a busking permit in the area, since he was a fairly decent musician (he could've became big if he truly tried). He was able to gain a lot of attraction and money, so he decided to make a personal decision for his family. Dropping out of college, he proposed to Lola and they had a shotgun wedding (primarily so the child could have his last name). The two lovers spent the rest of their savings purchasing an RV home, deciding right than and there they would give their children experiences they never had -- even with the lack of money, they would make sure the kids had food in their stomachs, a roof over their heads, and little to no restrictions. Both agreed that they did not like the harsh rules of society and that they were wasting their lives away worrying about the future. That's when Luisa came into the picture.
Fast forward, a year later, they had another child, a baby boy, that they named Tate. Doesn't Luisa and Tate sound like an awesome indie group? Either way, together, as a family they struggled and they survived. Their father homeschooled them and taught them how to play instruments. Tate being a natural at drums and Luisa taking up the saxophone, pretty cool, right? They weren't absolutely dirt poor anymore because their father was able to use his money for their living experiences rather than purchasing a home (granted, who knows if he had other means of obtaining cash *gambling*). Their dad was virtuous so he knew how to play quite a few instruments and impress the masses, or so that's what he made his children believe.
Their mother is one hell of a bargain shopper and is constantly furthering her sewing and arts & crafts hobbies, teaching her children small things like patching up their clothes. She's great at making things with her hands, like how her husband is wonderful making music with his hands. Their mother sold her creations on the side, while the kids with their father busked. Over the years, she got involved with the wrong people and found a dependency over meth. Recently, Graham has taken it upon himself to put his wife in a rehabilitation home while his children attend summer camp for a third consecutive. Along with their rundown RV still persevering, they started crashing in communes and couch hopping. This wild lifestyle where they constantly traveled, met many people, and hardly had any money to their name definitely shaped Tate to be the man he is today. Their parents aren't perfect but they did what they thought was best for the family as a whole. They're also the type of parents that are on the childish side so sometimes it feels like Luisa and Tate are more of the parents than their actual parents, but Tate loves them wholeheartedly and doesn't regret his life one bit.
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Miscellaneous◄
⚪ Tate's three I's: Inspire, take Initiative, and use your damn Imagination!
⚪ His traveling drums is a bass drum with cowbells, Agogo Bells, a tambourine, and latin percussion blocks (a medium pitch red jam block and a high pitch blue jam block) attach to it. He got pointers from the
King of Sludge in NYC! That guy is dope! This kind of customized drum set gives him full mobility and he can make sick beats in many places. He wears knee pads so he doesn't mess up his legs while the drum is strapped to his waist.
⚪ Likes to carry around a pocket knife and use it to draw and carve at things. He knows better than to bring it to campus, however, he forgets to take it out of his bag and has it at camp anyways. He has yet to get caught with it.
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Extra◄
Sleeping is nice.