“Everyday is a new day. It is better to be lucky, but I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes, you are ready.”
- Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
NameJackson Park Hae-sik
Nicknames- Jack, Jackie, Jax - there’s not much else you can get from Jackson, is there?
- Tokki (토끼), which basically translates to ‘rabbit’ in Korean. Only Jackson’s sister, Eloise, calls him this. She says it’s because of his anxious, twitchy demeanour and “deer-in-headlights” eyes, but he has a sinking suspicion that it’s all just a ploy to annoy him.
The Original NameHaesik / 해식
Story of originAge20 (Unknown, for the most part, but he’s pretty sure he’s well over 500.)
GenderMale
Sexual OrientationPanromantic Asexual
MagicNo, unless the ability to stay up till 6 a.m. every night playing video games is a type of magic.
Job/PositionProfessional Nightblogger Barista at Lemont’s Cafe
AppearanceJackson doesn’t look a day over fifteen, and more often than not, it proves a terrible inconvenience. He still gets carded whenever he drives, though by now, fishing through his pockets for his driver’s license has become a natural reflex, chest heaving with a sigh of resignation as he gets pulled over by traffic police again. Of course, his rather diminutive stature does little (if you’ll excuse the pun) to help things. Jackson stands at a mere 5’6”, and weighs an unimpressive 130 lbs - the very image of a gangling teenager caught between the tidal waves of puberty. In fact, you can even see the remnants of baby fat clinging stubbornly to his countenance. All of this, however, is counteracted by his resting bitch face, cupid’s bow lips perpetually twisted in an expression of annoyance, though some would argue that it makes him look even more like a moody adolescent.
What used to be a pair of doe eyes rivalling Bambi’s, has since morphed into something a tad more unsettling. It’s not something he’s consciously aware of, but Jackson always seems to be doing a Kubrick Stare; head tilted downwards, gaze unblinking as he drifts off into his own little world. He’s not trying to be creepy - not intentionally, anyway - and he’s been told multiple times that he looks to be about two seconds away from committing a psychotic act of violence. Coupled with his penchant for speaking in a flat, tuneless monotone, Jackson has earned a rather unfortunate reputation amongst his peers. But on the rare occasion that he does smile and/or laugh, his heart-shaped lips pull back to reveal perfectly white teeth, eyes crinkling with poorly hidden mirth.
While Jackson likes to think he doesn’t pay much mind to what he wears, the truth remains that he does. A lot. Even if he doesn’t go out of his way to follow the latest fashion trends, for him, looking presentable in public is a must. He’s careful to avoid anything that might dwarf his already small frame, sticking to the tried and true combination of button-downs, flannels, and jeans. Pretty boring for the most part, though after the incident with the tiger, Jackson hasn’t been a huge fan of stepping outside his comfort zone. After all, of the siblings, someone had to be the sensible one, and he’d much rather blend in with the crowd than risk becoming a beacon of flashy colours and bad fashion choices.
“God, you’re such a loser - hey!”
PersonalityNever one to shrink from speaking his mind, Jackson Park is known for being both bold and opinionated. He hates to lose an argument and spends a lot of time either with his nose buried in a book, or sat in front of the computer, and as a result; can be rather hard to like. He likes talking about anything as long as he can debate it. Try as he might, he’s never really had the best poker face in the world, and it tends to give him away more than not. Jackson is highly academic, though he can sometimes fall victim to poor judgement. His street smarts, however, aren’t quite up to standard, and unfortunately, he finds himself fooled by the same tricks time and time again.
Jackson’s sense of humor tends to be dry and sardonic. He often takes the role of the “sidekick” in interpersonal relationships, as the yin to Eloise’s yang. He does not subconsciously yearn to be in the spotlight, but is instead comfortable in a supporting role. He’s very independent and self-reliant; one of his biggest peeves is people babying him or helping him when he believes he doesn’t need it. Jackson prides himself on being straightforward and honest, almost brutally so, and it can often cause him to come off as insensitive. But for all his tactlessness, he really does mean well, even if it might not seem like it.
It should be said that there are some things that haven’t changed. He is still obnoxiously organized, intelligent, a whiz in the kitchen, incredibly hard-working, and a good friend. It is his belief that when you’re good to people, people are good in return. What you put out is hopefully equal to what you get back from the world. When he truly does take an interest in something (or someone), he puts all of himself into it, and momentarily forgets about almost everything else. He’s very often obsessive about the things he does, and the people he chooses to follow. Jackson doesn’t always show emotion, but when he does, it’s never half-baked.
Strengths- Compassionate
- Loyal
- Generous
- Hardworking
- Honest
- Imaginative
- Responsible
Weaknesses- Absent-minded
- Anxious
- Gullible
- Sarcastic
- Short-sighted
- Superstitious
- Opinionated
Mortal WeaknessDecapitation
Fears- Being eaten alive.
- Returning to Mystvale Valley.
- Not being there to protect Eloise.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
HistoryA long time ago, Jackson and Eloise Park were instead as Haesik and Dalsun; the siblings who became the Sun and the Moon after climbing to the heavens. Before that, however, they were much like any other of their Vale brethren. They lived a quiet but happy life in their home by the river, but all of that came to an abrupt end when one day, their mother was devoured by a tiger. A series of unfortunate events followed, with the tiger managing to hoodwink the siblings with its disguise, though divine intervention spared them from suffering the same gory fate.
Of course, it came at the price of being stuck in the sky as a floating hunk of space rock and a ball of flaming gas, but hey, at least they didn’t get eaten, right?
Fast forward a few centuries, to when chaos and destruction shook Mystvale to its very core. Without the celestial power of the gods, Haesik and Dalsun soon returned to their original human forms. Jackson still remembers the pain of being ripped from the night sky, the taste of iron on his tongue as he plummeted down, down, down towards the surface. How he survived the initial impact was a mystery to him, but right then, getting through the Passage with his sister was the only thing he cared about. Whether it was fate or just plain luck, Haesik managed to find Dalsun amidst the throngs of storybound Vales fleeing their homeland.
The siblings adjusted better and far more quickly to life on Earth than most others, taking on new names even before they were asked to. Haesik and Dalsun became Jackson and Eloise, and they both settled into their new lives with ease. As far as they were concerned, a second chance like this was invaluable. There were so many things to see and do in this brave new world, and if they were going to be honest, they’d much rather stay here than return to their terribly boring lives as the solar bodies of their own little realm in Mystvale.
Likes- Coffee
- Nighttime
- Reading
- Bulgogi
- Video games
- Cleanliness
- Tumblr
Dislikes- Liars
- Getting talked down to
- Warm weather
- Cheesecake (“Putting cheese in a dessert is just wrong on so many levels.”)
- Horror movies
- People who chew with their mouth open
- Cats, especially the striped, rice cake eating variety.
“Oh my God, I’m so posting that on Tumblr.”
