Michael Rosen

[Carrion Queen]

Name: Michael Rosen
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Hobbies and Interests: Math tutoring, software engineering, robotics, chess

Appearance: Michael is 5'9'' and weighs 145 pounds. He has shaggy, dark brown hair that curls at the ends and measures about three inches long, which he tries to keep neat but seems to grow back very quickly after each haircut. He is on the thin side with not much muscle. His large, downturned eyes are brown and expressive. Above them are rather bushy eyebrows. His nose is average-sized, turned slightly downward. His bottom lip is bigger than his top lip, and he has a rectangle-shaped face with a squared jaw that tapers into a more delicate chin. He has a fair complexion without blemishes or freckles and is vigilant in his use of sunscreen. On occasion, he will cut himself shaving and wear a small plaster over the cut. Overall, Michael’s face gives the appearance of being youthful and boyish, though his expression is often dour and he rarely smiles.

He can usually be seen wearing simple clothes that are baggy or otherwise ill-fitting. He doesn’t like clothes shopping or care much about his wardrobe and tries to select clothes as quickly as possible. On the day of abduction, he was wearing a deep blue polo sweater with khaki cargo pants. His pants have awkward lumps, as he keeps things in his many pockets such as a graphing calculator, books, and an EpiPen because he is allergic to peanuts. His shoes are simple gray sneakers with a black stripe, worn with white socks. The only accessory he wears is a silver Star of David the size of a quarter on a silver chain, which is hidden under his shirt. Although his sense of style is derided among classmates as being nerdy and in need of updating, he is quite handsome.

Biography: Michael was born to Ann, a school nurse, and Benjamin, an accountant, in St. Paul. He was the second child of the family, the first being his older brother, Eli who is four years his senior. Growing up, the brothers were not particularly close due to the gap in their ages and diverging interests, particularly as Eli became more involved in skateboarding culture, art, and smoking weed. Their parents encouraged both boys to excel in school, but only Michael took that to heart. The pressure to succeed academically has made Michael a perfectionist and he often worries about meeting their standards.

Michael was a quiet, focused young child. His birthday is on Halloween, and as a result, kids would often try and scare him on his birthday or give him frightening gifts. Michael was already a somewhat anxious child and these presents and pranks made him dread his birthday. He very much dislikes anything scary or gory and over the years, has taken great pains to hide his birthdate from classmates, usually saying that it’s during summer vacation.

His anxious nature was only made worse by his mother, who would frequently try to tell both of her sons of all the various medical dangers they needed to be wary of and the injuries she had seen at work each day. While Michael likes his mother, listening to her talk about her work is unpleasant for him, and he preferred to converse more with his father about his line of work instead. Michael very much enjoyed watching his father do accounting and found that he had an attitude toward math at an early age.

In fifth grade he was lured to the school's chess club when they were advertising a free, pocket-sized chess set with magnetic pieces to anyone who joined. Michael’s parents encouraged him when he asked permission and allowed him to join the chess club. He enjoys the strategy, the many possibilities in each game, and the problem solving that it involves. Michael is not the most dedicated member of the chess club in high school, but drops in now and then and still enjoys playing a game to unwind. Michael is a decent player, but not remarkable. He only plays games in person because he finds computer games of chess more stressful when unable to observe his opponent.

In middle school, Michael didn’t have many friends, but he did have a few who were similarly introverted or interested in math and science like he was. He was placed in advanced courses for those subjects and through the suggestion of a teacher, decided in middle school to take computer science. Intrigued by the logic and creativity involved, he delved into programming languages and started experimenting with simple projects. What started as a hobby persisted into high school, where Michael's passion for computer science evolved into a serious pursuit. As a teen, he actively contributes to open-source projects, demonstrating a keen interest in developing practical applications. Michael's enthusiasm for software engineering extends beyond the academic realm; he enjoys participating in coding competitions and hackathons, showcasing a dedication to continuous learning and innovation.

Michael's fascination with robotics also began in middle school, where a chance encounter with a robotics club in the computer lab sparked his curiosity. Interested in the blend of technology and creativity, he eagerly delved into the world of robotics. In high school, Michael has sustained and deepened his passion through various avenues. Actively participating in robotics competitions, he hones his skills in designing and programming robotic systems, showcasing a keen understanding of both hardware and software aspects

Just before he was to start high school two things happened: his mother got a job at a school in the neighboring district and his brother left home. They moved a short distance away from their old apartment and purchased a comfortable home near Ann’s new job. For Benjamin this only meant an extra 15 minutes on his commute, but for Michael it meant he would be going to a high school with new people, though he is still able to see his old friends on the weekend. Around the same time, his brother graduated from high school. Eli had always resented the academic pressure that his parents put on him and rather than attend college, said he was leaving to backpack across the world and hasn’t been in contact with the family much. The move made Michael more withdrawn as he finds making new friends and talking to strangers difficult, and his brother’s departure made him often worried about disappointing his parents in any way as they often talk about how disappointing Eli is. When something does go wrong, he blames himself heavily and does not let go of the mistake easily, no matter how minor. His perfectionism leaked into other parts of his life other than school work and he became obsessive about cleanliness. He would keep his room spotless and would become distressed if someone touched his things.

In order to pad his college applications and because he enjoys the subject, Michael has taken on math tutoring. He goes to the tutoring center held in one of the math classes twice weekly during lunch, and he also takes on after-school, one-on-one clients for a reasonable fee. Tutoring clients aside, he hangs out with a small circle of friends. Michael is good-natured and occasionally he will relax enough to hang out with other kids and do safe activities such as going to the movies. He is still shy and quiet, but he can be funny when he is drawn out of his shell. He has not had any relationships and can become flustered if someone shows an interest in him.

In school, Michael gets straight A’s. He works hard at his studies, and most teachers who notice him generally like him. He has been accepted to and plans to attend Cornell University and major in software engineering.

At home, he gets along well with his parents, even though they push him fairly hard in school. He never brings up his brother and becomes panicked if others try to talk about Eli or ask about him. Michael has internalized his parents’ opinions of Eli as a disappointment and tries to focus his energies on avoiding the same judgment.

The Rosens are a reform Jewish family. They celebrate holidays at home and follow traditions but do not frequent a temple. The family is what Ann calls “discrete Jews,” in that they do not do or say much in public that indicates their religion. They have not had negative experiences in St. Paul regarding their religion, but Ann and Benjamin find living this way is easier and safer.

Advantages: Michael is an intelligent person. The few who do know him have a positive impression of him. He is good at thinking strategically and problem-solving. His meek nature might help to win allies.
Disadvantages: Michael is an extremely nervous individual and more pressure could easily cause him to suffer adverse psychological effects. The majority of his class does not know him, so any allies gained may not be very loyal.

Original Profile: https://sotfmini.com/wiki/index.php/Michael_Sekoler
Permission: Mine.

[MurderWeasel]

Heya! Sorry for the delay here—the holiday shuffle led to a bit of slowdown. Michael's looking pretty solid, just a bit to go before he's set.

How long is Michael's hair?

Nothing needs changing with Michael's graphing calculator, but I'm just tossing a quick note that it'll probably be confiscated by the folks running the game before it starts properly.

You note that Eli's interests diverged from Michael's—what are one or two things Eli was into that Michael wasn't?

How good at chess is Michael? Does he only play in the club, or does he ever do online matches?

One small timeline issue: Eli's noted as being six years older than Michael, but also the family's move is noted as coming right around both when Eli graduated high school and when Michael started it, which would place those two events only about four years apart. Could we get that either adjusted a bit (either the relative timeline or eh age gap) or explained (if Eli was held back or something)?

Is Michael less fit than the average student? If so, could we maybe get it briefly mentioned in his bio?

Post when you've got that handled, and we'll give Michael another look. Thanks!

[Carrion Queen]

Edits made

[MurderWeasel]

APPROVED