Name: atlas orion sterling
Aliases: sometimes goes by 'ryan,' taken from his middle name
Age: 28
Birthday: june 24
Ethnicity: irish-italian
Birth Place: boston
Location: manhattan
Gender: cisgender male
Major/Minor: criminal justice / communication
Occupation: journalist
Languages: english & conversational italian
Height: 5'10 / 177 cm
Weight: 150 lb / 68 kg
Build: atlas doesn't carry a lot of bulk, and in fact, has more of a dancer's body. he is long and thin moreso than he is thick, and is not very defined in his muscles. actually, he looks relatively weak upon first impression.
Eyes: amber
Hair: chestnut
Skin Tone: tan, but fairly pale given his descent
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: none
flexible * impatient * witty * selfish
Sexuality: pansexual - it doesn't matter who, so long as they provide some advantage
Relationship Status: unoccupied
Personality: atlas appears very innocent upon first meeting, a little doe-eyed and unassuming boy who is too idealistic for his own good. he puts up this front to attract others to him (when he must), and always carries a certainly lecherous air, never allowing himself to get caught in a bad light. his primary goal is to get ahead, and with as many people on his side as possible. if he finds that his approach of looking cutesy and unintimidating does not work on a given individual, he decides to switch around and adapt as is fitting to whoever he is trying to rein in.
he is extremely sardonic and seems to never give off any real emotion unless something very traumatic or serious is happening. he is playful to an extent, teasing when he has a goal to reach, or flaky to make his siblings laugh; when there's nothing to be gained, atlas is typically quiet and self-assured. if there is a direct threat over his head or some conflict is happening or anything is occurring out of his own control, atlas tends to completely lose his cool. he is prone to panicking, and very easily so - it takes little provocation to send his heartrate skyrocketing, like if he is short even a dollar on any given purchase. he truly gets off on these adrenaline rushes, however, and often 'abuses' his unstable emotional state just to get a thrill. atlas puts himself into intimate situations with strangers, behaves recklessly, and is a borderline criminal just for a few moments of a dopamine high.
though he would not like to admit it, atlas knowingly abuses others to feel this way. he shies away from commitment and responsibility - especially taking responsibility for his actions - and ignores any social conventions that dictate how he should act in public. he constantly behaves as if he's hiding a secret, keeping his voice low and in a whisper as someone who believes they're being monitored might. despite his innocuous front, atlas's body language dictates dominance in all aspects; he makes himself taller either by choosing the right company or standing on something, he speaks quietly to keep people interested and leaning in to hear him, he makes it clear that he is the one to indicate whether the conversation is over or not. he has a penchant for assertive hand gestures - pointing, and addressing his company with downward-facing palms. he's also not afraid of touching either. importantly, he epitomizes unearned empowerment so well that this air of dominance evaporates as soon as he's placed in any form of danger.
atlas is extremely concerned with the quality of his immediate senses. he is hedonistic, insisting on the best food, setting, clothes, and just about every other material comfort. of course, rather than admiring the wonder of the world around him like a healthy extroverted sensing person, he is spoiled and entitled. he is extremely difficult to please and desperately addicted to the idea of 'immediate gratification' - like a child, atlas throws temper tantrums when he doesn't instantly receive whatever he wants. his sisters often take the brunt of his upset, with him destroying things and even getting a tad self-destructive. he believes he deserves all the good in the world and is unnecessarily disappointed when it's not given to him. it's been a while since atlas was enlightened into adulthood, but he has never grown into it personally.
Habits: atlas tends to fix everything that seems in disarray when he passes them on impulse; he also never seems to stand still, fussing with his hair, looking at the ground, or swaying on his feet rather than patiently keeping composure.
Hobbies: given his occupation, it's obvious that atlas spends most of his spare time writing. he also wastes a lot of it studying the human psyche and researching past legal cases, for no reason other than self-entertainment and advancement.
Fears: atlas suffers from panic disorder, has a tangible fear of failure, and, likely because he has seen a lot of human nature through his college education, is paranoid that people are 'out to get him.'
Likes: - art
- home-based hobbies
- water
- athletics/sports
- staying close to family
- cold weather
Dislikes: - strangers
- unfamiliar environments
- criticism
- revealing secrets/opening up
- intimate parties
- crowded areas
Thoughts On The Murder: while atlas didn't particularly like the victim - he was a prep, and simone was very much the opposite - he had little clue that any of it was going to happen. therefore, when he was innocently attending the prom and a body fell from seemingly nowhere, atlas was forced to leave the auditorium due to a severe panic attack. he despises the fact that it ever happened, and perhaps even feels bad for attending the promenade simply because he thought he'd kept his panic a secret until then. it is, however, what inspired him to study criminal justice, so he supposes it was a sort of 'necessary evil.'
History During H.S.: {combined both sections}
as a child, atlas was very calm, sweet, generally lazy. his parents, aileen and jove, adored his older sister nova so much that they didn't only have atlas, but they also adopted his younger sister, skye. all three were the picture perfect type of children you'd see posed in some cheesy stock photo, ideal in every way. in his younger years, he appeared to have no trouble eating, speaking, or walking - he was developing perfectly, and even took to sports at a young age. it started as junior league soccer ball (his team was 'the green dragons,' perfectly enough), and grew into basketball as he entered his teen years; atlas was the image of health.
he entered high school when he was thirteen, and successfully was deemed the arrogant snot that everyone kind of tolerated. atlas was, needless to say, a cocky little fellow. he picked up a love for every instrument he could get his hands on, and bested most of them. he dated a myriad of people of every gender, made sure that all of his teachers loved him through some manipulative schmoozing, and had a social media presence that bested even modern celebrities. needless to say, atlas was well-liked throughout his high school years, and not many people can say the same. he easily fit into the 'prep' group even without being the richest kid around.
his first job was as a police recruit. during his two-year probationary period, he worked as an eighteen-year-old narc, posing as a high school and college student. when he was twenty, atlas became a police dispatcher. two years later and after being the happiest young man you had ever seen, barely experiencing anything resembling mental unwellness, atlas had to quit because it nearly made him suicidal. he truly had thoughts, but had to drive 40 miles to go to a center/hospital where no one knew him for help. he regularly had nightmares about calls he'd taken where the caller killed themselves, shot someone else, or passed away on the phone with him. to this day, several years after resigning, he still can't listen to a phone ring, or sirens go off without having a mild panic attack.
that stint in his life worsened the panic disorder that had developed and went undiagnosed as a child, so he strayed away from police life. at twenty-three, he went back to college to complete a degree in criminal justice and, for his own entertainment, minored in communications. college life was uneventful just because he wanted to 'keep it simple,' and in fact, atlas strayed from dating, partying, and the sports he took part in when he was in high school. his legacy of 'that popular kid' died out fairly quickly, then, so he could make a smooth recovery from his dispatcher days. for such a short-lived job, that stint haunted him for years.
upon graduating, he submitted the same essay he wrote for his admission into college to a magazine. after a brief internship, atlas was hired as management for the magazine's social media, and was shortly thereafter promoted to just another writer. he has a supposed specialty in taking over both local and national crimes, interviewing all parties involved by his own initiative.
Character Quote: "he who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command." — niccolo machiavelli
Theme Song: feel good inc.High School Clique: preps
Voted: most likely to succeed
Why: probably because it was true, at least at the time. this was before the 'prom incident,' so atlas was still renowned for his charisma and 'perfection' - by conventional standards.
Anything Else: most recent post*By submitting this CS in its completion I am stating I have read all the rules for this Rp and am agreeing to follow them to the fullest with respect and courtesy.