Shyler Étienne

Identification
Name: Shyler "Shy" Étienne / Age: 16 / Gender: Male

Species: Human / Faction: Scholar (Astrum College)

Height: 5'4" / Weight: 120 lbs

Hair color: Brown / Eye color: Gray

Psychology
Shyler is gentle and soft-spoken, but intelligent. He speaks honestly, but tries to mask his emotions, with mixed success; in this way, he is introverted, but not conventionally timid. It isn't that he hides things; he speaks freely of his past experiences, but he does so with a straight face. In truth, his self-esteem is below average, and he carries the weight of childhood guilt on his shoulders. His feelings are separated from himself so that he can function calmly even when most people would be sad or angry. For Shyler, nonchalance is a coping mechanism.

Kind-hearted and sensitive, Shy can't stand to see someone struggling and not try to help them. This can be simultaneously a strength and a weakness; it's easy for him to be taken advantage of. He appears to be an optimist, smiling often. He's not judgemental, and is generally willing to give everyone a chance, prefering to see the bright side of things. People speculate that Shy might be gay; he is most likely bisexual.

Shy is the type of person who always looks before leaping. He thinks things through before choosing a course of action; thankfully, he is capable of thinking quickly, and he performs well under pressure.

He always laughs when he cries.

Appearance
Shy is short and relatively slim. His hair is coppery, slightly wavy, and a little bit overgrown, with pieces falling over his ears. It's cut in a youthful style. His attire reflects the opposite; he dresses maturely, with a semi-formal overcoat. He has soft gray eyes, which appear more blue in the right light, and a bit of a baby face. He doesn't exactly strike fear into anyone, but seems more like a thoughtful, intellectual type.

History
Shyler comes from an upper-class family; he hasn't spoken with them in a while and prefers to avoid them when possible. He was born on Astrum, but his parents came from Earth. His mother is predominantly Japanese, and his father is predominantly French. He is their only child and they paid for his admission to the College, where he studies ancient literature. Neither of his parents were particularly religious, and he could best be described as an agnostic. He purposely decided to attend a school away from home, so that he could get away from his childhood setting.

He has a functional understanding of science, and knows a little bit of everything from all the books he's read. He is particularly knowledgable in the areas of philosophy and psychology. He is fluent in several languages, including computer languages, and he also knows the basics of martial arts, although he isn't physically imposing.

Shy started his schooling a year early. Growing up, he had a best friend named Joshua. They were extremely close, and neither seemed to have many other friends. When they got to high school, a rumor went around that they were in a gay relationship. They were never in a real relationship -- the rumor itself prevented that -- but Shy had a crush.

Towards the end of their second year, when Shy was 14, Joshua was found in his bedroom, hanging from his upturned bedframe. He had never said anything to Shy, and Shy never forgave himself for it: for not preventing it, for not noticing, for not being worthy of Joshua's trust. He would never know if his interest was returned.