Birthday: November 5, 1987
Method of Creation: #2- He's a meld of several people meant to stereotype how I was feeling at the time of his creation.
Creation Story:
Rodney is a special guy. He's one of the first people I created in high school and one of the only to be a physical representation of how I was feeling. In fact, it's because of Rodney that I wear baggy clothing (though not so much anymore).
I remember it clearly. I was a sophomore in high school, right around the time basketball season started. I was at a point in my life where I still desperately wanted to fit in and was trying to make myself known. I went to my first ever "pep band game" (that's what we call it when we as a pep band plays at basketball games) and was extremely frustrated at the deep friendships and general good time going on around me while I was stuck outside of every single friend circle. I was also a little jealous at the fact that the guy I had a crush on had a girlfriend and they were having such a good time. I left that game raging and depressed and I remember the exact moment when I was waiting for my dad to get me (I couldn't drive yet) and the emotions inside me changed in an instant. It was like a switch had been flipped- one that would remain flipped forever after: I became quiet. I still had my moments but at that moment, I had suddenly mellowed out and refused to speak.
I began thinking of a sort of idealized guy that I could narrate my feelings through and sketched a scowling boy with a pointed face laying apathetically on the hall floor, his crew cut and spiked bangs covered by the hood of his sweatshirt at least 5 times too big. In his ears, though hidden by his hood, were earbuds which led to the iPod in his kangaroo pocket. One leg was stretched out, the other bent, and he seemed to have sort of fallen against the wall and called it good. He had on baggy pants and skate shoes- it seemed he wanted comfort over anything else. His hands were hidden inside his kangaroo pocket and he just sat there and stared, his eyes filled with teenage angst. He never spoke and was considered selective mute. It wasn't that he was afraid to speak, he just saw no reason to and was perfectly content with being silent. His introvertedness was so overpowering that it seemed as if any hint of socialization within five feet was sucked into his soul.
Rodney, Abstract in a Cloud...
From that moment, Rodney was born. His name--both first and last--comes from people I knew at the time and he took little bits of their personality and others. Being antisocial, Rodney was mostly left alone and never bothered because he was notoriously cranky. At times, it seemed like his scowl would eat up his eyes. He was known mostly for being a gamer and somehow he had three friends who had managed to break through his walls and keep the embers of socialness lit. His friends, all named after people I knew at the time, were Jayce Richlin, William Ritter, and Steven "Ghost" Jones. Each had their own distinct traits: Jayce was an outgoing archer who played drums, William could solve a 4x4 Rubik's Cube in lightning speeds, and Ghost was a laid-back dude who clicked with all of them really well.
Now that Rodney had some friends, it was time to think about the kinds of things that he did. With a group of four, it became obvious that they were in an amateur garage band called the No-Namers (in the same vein as ILEN) that actually played in the school talent shows. Rodney was a saxophone-player who, although he discontinued band in high school, still played and was quite musical, picking up the guitar instead. He had a low but light voice and was quite a good ballad-singer. While it seemed that he and his three friends didn't interact much at school they always hung out together in the halls and outside of school they were all quite animated.
Later on, Rodney would become my idealized boyfriend and I began to look for his traits in others (my next boyfriend, who became my husband, is actually nothing like Rodney, lol) and even went as far as to perpetuate Rodney's personality by sort of becoming him myself. I bought myself some huge skate shoes, baggy jeans, and huge sweatshirts and suddenly felt like I had found the real me for the moment. I loved when that happened! I created my own role models!
Keep in mind that I had a "twin" back then, none other than Avicile Mohaili. With Rodney being my idealized boyfriend, I thought "why not have them date!" Date they did up until Rodney left for college. The only reason they didn't pursue something beyond high school was really because her initials would have been a naughty word indeed (Put two and two together. Her name woulda been Avicile Star Savage.)! Also, by that point, I felt like Rodney was heading down a different path than Avicile Mohaili and she ended up dating and marrying the other idealized guy I was so happy with, Lesko Diamond.
Rodney's big claim to fame was his gaming ability. Being a loner has its advantages in that regard and he became a time prodigy. He could own the toughest DDR and Guitar Hero songs like they were nothing and won a lot of competitions. After he began dating Avicile Mohaili she was able to break through his barrier and he began to be more social and even nice to people! He also opened his home a few nights a week to gaming parties which he became quite popular for.
Rodney changed slightly from my original vision as he evolved as a teen. He used to be quite gruff and had kind of a mouth on him. He was always yelling at his mom but she always responded back with love and kindness. He began to emit this strong aura of peace whenever he walked into a room once he broke from his shell and years later when Terabi entered my mind I immediately knew in my heart that Rodney was a Terabikai, hidden by his mask of angst. Now in college and beyond, Rodney is more social than he was before and doesn't mind the fact that people are drawn to him because of his aura.
Rodney's Simple Blade of Lovelight
Five Fun Facts
1. Rodney has an older brother named Joel.
2. Rodney is ripped underneath his baggy clothes!
3. Rodney marched tenor sax in college at UBT.
4. Rodney drives an old Toyotavan, my idealized car, lol
5. Rodney is a Terabikai!
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