* Michael Baxter Stone
"I don't really remember what happened. I guess I followed Lizzy somewhere, but then I got lost?"
Physical Description
Body Features
Mikey is a slender young man, almost six feet, and who keeps his hair trimmed as often as he can (in fact, the whole reason he realizes his mother is still looking for him is that he's getting a haircut at Junktown when another person, waiting in turn to get their haircut, says he'll pay for it in messages and the stylist says okay - the man doesn't divulge private messages, but the "news" and Mikey finds that he's being told to find Gail).
He might be slender, but it's slender like whipcord.
Facial Features
Mikey has ears that stick out a little bit and has a few scars on their face (and body) from misadventures climbing under and over piles of rubble, etc. They have naturally long lashes.
Identifying Characteristics
For older folk (Lizzie and Gail), there are no identifying features. For the folks that Mikey grew up with, how he stands with his hands behind him (in case he needs to sneak something out of a back pocket), how he cocks his head to show that he's "obviously" listening, and the fact that he'll bit the inside of his upper lips when he's nervous (or "wants" people to know he's nervous) are all identifying features.
Apparel & Accessories
Mikey likes to wear casual clothing such as Bermuda shorts and collared shirts. This allows him free movement, is less restrictive, and means he doesn't worry about getting a suit dirty or ripping it. He is starting to collect other bits and pieces of clothing, but these are seen as disguises and not everyday wear.
Specialized Equipment
Mikey has tried making his own equipment (like Doc Savage and Tom Swift), which means he has successfully made a TASER (very non-dependable to be honest, but he's tweaking it) to carry around with him.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Michael was seven years old when the bombs fell, and was at home with his mother and elder sister. For the first few days he stuck with his family and helped them try to gather supplies and check on neighbors (as well as find his dad).
Becoming separated wasn't planned - Lizzie was under strict orders to look after him - but the children were scared one day by scavengers in the area. As they ran to hide, Lizzie outdistanced him and Mikey went in a different direction.
He was eventually found by another couple and taken in with them. He stayed there, being raised by Fredrick and Emma Fisher, and only remembered his first and last name because of the metal tags his school had issued him during his first year.
Mikey helps the parents that raised him into a community (amusingly, he helps them into New Hope after Gail had left), and he goes wandering to "scratch an itch." At the end, Justin realizes that this was his friend's son and he sends a message out to Gail (wherever she is) to know that her son is alive and as healthy as can be.
Gender Identity
Male
Sexuality
Mikey is bisexual
Education
Mikey only went to their first year of primary school until the bombs dropped. After that, most of his learning came from his adopted parents who lived near the public library. While Mikey wasn't a big fan of reading, he did enjoy the Tom Swift series, the older Doc Savage magazine, and a lot of other pulp fiction for the time. His parents were happy that he was reading, so for every non-fiction he read, his father would find more "fun" books to read.
Employment
Mikey is not employed until he leaves the house, and at that point he picks the life of a wandering merchant, wanting to see the world a little more before he eventually settles down and adopts some kids.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Mikey feels that even the small things now are accomplishments and achievements. This is in part to the world being much harsher than what he'd originally been growing up in (water needs to be gotten, laundry can't be hung outside, the "two-three weeks" was bullshit, etc. A person needs to be, if they live alone, able to support themselves. It's only if they live in a commune that they can diversify.
Failures & Embarrassments
Mikey sees (through rose-tinted glasses) that failures are ways to succeed the next time. This attitude was also one embraced by his adopted mother and was most likely a learned trait. As such though, he has a happy go lucky attitude that many other people (especially the ones that grew up before the bombs dropped) don't have.
Mental Trauma
There are the old traumas of what happened to his family, but his adopted parents were never able to tell him, and he assumes that since he doesn't live with his blood family that they're dead (his adopted parents also assume that).
However, he doesn't worry about more bombs being dropped (they haven't in the past ten years, right?), and he only feels that things can get better (propaganda is misleading about the dangers of radiation).
Overall, Mikey doesn't have too much mental trauma to worry about (most mental trauma will come about when he sees other people doing questionable things).
Intellectual Characteristics
Mikey is a situational smart boy/young man, even though he might not be conventually book smart. This might have been picked up from the books he read, pulp fiction, where the men needed to be quick on their feet and ready for action at a moment's notice. He wants to be like Doc Savage (in courage at least) and like Tom Swift (both people who were the hero and always managed to pull victory from the jaws of defeat!
Morality & Philosophy
Mikey is very much a chaotic good and likes to help others when he can. First, he figures this is paying back his adoptive parents who reached out to help him. Second, he knows (deep inside) that people should be good to each other and he figures that starts with him.
Taboos
The only things which are taboo to him are hurting others or rejecting love/comfort in all it's consentual forms.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Mikey is motivated by thinking about what he'll find. He likes to see the older items from pre-war times. The other thing that he likes to do is feel as if he's a hero and "do good" in the world around him.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
He's pretty good at mechanical things, but it's not a passion and it doesn't drive him (unlike Jerry). He's not that good at making small talk for long periods of time, and will fall into hemming and hawing.
Likes & Dislikes
Mikey likes sweet foods and tasting pre-bombing food. He's not a fan of the "taste lacking" that people are mainly eating today. In addition, he likes playing at playgrounds and imagining how many other kids would have been here playing with him if the bombs hadn't fallen. He likes the feeling of his dog tags against his chest and is frantic if he can't feel them.
Virtues & Personality perks
Strengths: tries to do "good," is helpful, kind, has a decent grasp of science.
Vices & Personality flaws
Flaws: naïve, tries to be "the hero" even when a person doesn't want/need, and will do almost anything for "the adventure!"
Hygiene
Has the mantra that a "clean body is a clean soul," so he showers whenever possible. He's also seen what happens to a person when they can't go to a dentist, so he very much brushes his teeth when he can as well.
Social
Family Ties
Mikey has ties with his adopted parents (who he had put into the settlement of New Hope when they grew old enough and he wanted to go out and explore).
Social Aptitude
Mikey oozes confidence and etiquette, but is not able to hold conversations very well, and runs out of topics to talk about other than his adventures.
Current Status
On a mission to be a hero and explore
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Mad Mike ~ Miracle Michael ~ That Asshole
Date of Birth
21st of September
Year of Birth
1951
17 Years old
Birthplace
Franklin
Children
Current Residence
Drifter
Pronouns
He/Him
Gender
male
Eyes
dark blue
Hair
short, softly brown
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
tanned
Height
5'8"
Quotes & Catchphrases
"This probably won't hurt that much!"
"Don't worry, I'll get you out of this."
"Can I help?"
Comments