Berdemeyer, JAKE -fin!-

[Jake Berdemeyer]

*Individuality~ It's all about you,
Jake Monroe Berdemeyer


Alias: Conner
Gender: Female
Age: Dinosauresque
Where did you find SSttR? Proboards support
How come you joined? I've always wanted to join a Disney personification board, but I've never found one I've felt comfortable joining. The ones I've found are either huge, or loaded down with excessive rules.
How long have you been rping? Five years, at least
Contact information:PM will work just fine.

*Simple and Sweet!-Your character,
Full Name: Jake Monroe Berdemeyer
Nicknames: Jakey tends to be the most common, but a selection of people call him by a pet-version of his middle name, 'Monny', as well.
Age: Twenty-five
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Bisexual; although it would take a terribly special male to actually pull his interest. He tends to prefer women--though this is also in part due to the fact that they generally act more interested in what he says and does.
Disney Spirit: Jake -- The Rescuers Down Under
Position: Teacher
House/Member Group: Sidekick

*i'm no supermodel,

Eyes: Frequently described as having a 'mousy' quality about them, Jake has full, rounded eyes. Cut into an olive shape, they curve lightly on his top and bottom lids. Despite being a steel gray color, one most people would tend to associate with a dullness and lack of life, Jake's eyes positively beam with vigor and excitement--always containing a certain gleam that speaks of the mischief and danger he's going to inevitably get into.
Skin: Nary a moment has been spent longer indoors than Jake has absolutely had to, and this is very clear by the golden tan he has.
Build: Muscular/toned. He is a far cry from being some monsterous beef-cake, but there's no denying that Jake is a very well-built man.
Appearance:
It is perhaps easiest to explain the basics of Jake's appearance before moving onto the more intricate details. Place a ruler to the wall and you'll find that he stands at six feet even. A scale beneath him, and you'll read 165 pounds of well-toned Australian male. His hair is a bit of an obscurity, with dark blonde roots and a light honey blonde color on top--giving him a very 'Surfer guy' appearance. His eyes are of a dull gray color, that sit over rounded cheeks and a square jaw-line.

Though he would never say such a thing, many have stated that he has very 'kissable' lips. What that means exactly...he hasn't the faintest clue.

He is by no means heavy in terms of extra fat. In fact, Jake could probably stand to gain a bit of body fat. He is made heavy by his toned body. There is no bit of Jake's body that could be considered slight or womanly (excluding, perhaps, the way his waist-line gently curves in--but such is easily excluded). The noticable muscles sit under glazed skin, made a golden tan from years spent in the sun.


There is but one law to Jake's fashion sense: khaki whenever, wherever. To this Aussie, there's nothing more comfortable and fashionable than a khaki jacket with jeans, or khaki pants with a denim blazer, OR, for that matter, khaki pants with a khaki jacket.


*this is me,
Weaknesses:

-Reckless abandon: Sure, sure, Jake can occasionally see the benefit in executing a carefully laid plan...but for the most part, he just can't stand that kind of menial work. 99% of the time though, Jake will throw away these plans and just go with his gut instinct. This gets him in a lot of trouble...mostly with his employers.

-Pride: Not quite vanity, but certainly something that gets in his way, Jake is a man who loves showing off. He won't go around speaking about it in a vainglorious way, but he certainly won't hesitate to show off a talent for an admiring glance. Let's just say that some people don't quite take too kindly to this attribute

-Booksmarts: This one isn't terribly surprising for most. School was always a distant thought in the Australian's mind, a mere inconvenience until he was eighteen and could finally be free of those silly facts and tricks that he would never ever use in his adult life. It doesn't deter him much now, but there comes the rare occasion when he finds himself at a loss. Don't bother talking politics and literature to him, he'll just brush you off and ask if you want to go exploring instead. He has never before won a game of checkers...and he's played quite a few rounds.

-Beautiful women: It's like his old man always said: "Nothing in life is more dangerous than a blue-eyed girl". He has a rather prominent weakness for women. Whether that is in going to extreme lengths to impress and protect them, or in letting them walk all over him.

-Empathy: Maybe it's because he grew up largely out of major any civilizations and societies, or maybe just because he never valued it highly, but Jake is dearly lacking in the empathy category. This is not to say that he cannot empathize with people--no, if that were the case, he wouldn't be in the business it was. It merely means that he has an extremely difficult time dealing with and understanding others' emotions. Subtle hints rarely work on him either. A part of Jake seems eternally fixed in a dream world, where all that matters and is, is adventure. He likes people well enough...but when it comes to the nitty-gritty of the whole 'understanding actions and hidden meanings' aspect of them, Jake couldn't be more blind.

Strengths

Quick thinker There is a reason that Jake has stayed alive so long. Thanks to his ability to think on the balls of his feet and use his surroundings, Jake has been able to escape many dangerous situations with his hide intact.

Experienced / Well travelled Jake is a man who's seen a fair bit of the world and knows what to expect from it. Thus, he has a large pool of experience to pull from, and many learned lessons to guide his path.

Easily befriend-able Despite his frequently flirtatious ways, no one who's met him can really deny that Jake is an easy guy to become friends with. He has a large network of friends because of that, and never has to worry about doing anything without backup.

Survival If you're going to be stuck on a deserted island, Jake is one guy you're going to want to take with you. He's practically lived outside for most of his life, and knows exactly how to make it through the hardest circumstances.

Tracking There are very few people who can say as Jake can that they are incredible trackers. As it stands, Jake is capable of tracking down just about anyone or thing down.


Secrets

Personality:
Although there are many facets to Jake's personality, there are three words that are generally used to sum up his personality: Compassionate, charming, and just a bit on the wild side.

Now, it's also important to recognize that there are two sides of Jake--the one people see, and the one that no one has. Most people see his wilder, fun side. And in parts, that is who he is--he doesn't necessarily go about putting on facades. He really is a true Aussie at heart. He's most comfortable out in the wild, completing a mission and getting in danger. He lights up when he's in this situations, and truly shines.

The other side is slightly more introspective. He may just seem like a person who acts on pure instinct alone, but such isn't the case. He's always very well aware of his surroundings, and very well aware of the things around him. He's very well aware of his own emotions and how to deal with them, and considers himself a very well rounded person.

He isn't exactly unaware of his abilities either. He couldn't quite be called boastful, as most of what he does is something that needs to be done (wrestling an attacking boar, defending against a croc, etc.), but he certainly isn't about to turn down awed gazes or approving words. Everyone has an ego they need stoked, and Jake is no exception.

Do you know the expression: "Look before you leap"? Jake's expression is "Leap first, hope for danger later". This is a man who just isn't sedentary. Every so once in a while he'll sit down for a board game or to sleep, but otherwise he's active. He'll be running, riding something, or fighting something. This is the life he leads, and he doesn't plan on changing it. There isn't a lazy bone in his body (...unless it comes to schoolwork, that is).

You can't really mention Jake without mentioning the fact that he is a charming individual. Not in the princely, "I'm so rich and look at my fancy cravat" sort of way, but in the "May I take your hand, miss, as I guide you through the dangerous outback?". He's just generally good with people. Conversation and humor come easily to him, and he's quick to befriend.

*this is what I can do,

Abilities:

Rope: Now you may be looking at this with a quizzical expression, wondering just exactly how 'rope' qualifies as an ability. Well...once you see what this man can do with a rope in his hands, you won't wonder about it again. Whether it be making a lasso, as a trap, or to tie up an animal, Jake has a way with a rope that's almost unbelievable.

Jumping: It may sound strange, but Jake can jump really high.

Knowledge of vehicles: Be it motorcycles, hummers, or boats, Jake has a very broad knowledge of vehicles--and how to make them work.

*my life story,
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Parents:

Wesley Berdemeyer (adoptive father): Everyone has a role model; for Jake, it was old man Wes. He never let Jake call him 'dad', nor did he ever call him 'son'. He wanted Jake to see them as equals--just a couple of bush-men with a penchant for having fun. He was loving and loyal, despite having no obligation to do so.

Jess Darwin (mother): Time can heal all wounds, even those made by the person you expect to love you the most. A few short years ago, Jake actually tracked down and spoke to his birth mother for the first time in his life--and was able to forgive her for what had happened. They write occasionally now.

Adam Darwin (father): There's little to say here. Jake never knew his birth father, and only has stories of him through Wesley to gauge what the man was like.

Siblings: He has two half-siblings, both younger girls. Yet in truth, the only 'person' he would actually consider a sibling would be his dog, Sparky.
History:

To get a clear understanding of Jake's history, it's necessary to start a few years prior to his birth first:

Now we can start where most life stories are supposed to: at birth. Once he was born, and the doctors prompted the mother for the last name, she gave Wesley's--something that confounded him. The child was named Jake Berdemeyer, despite Wesley's lack of contribution to his whole existence.

It became clear why. Through the panic of being a single mother and having to raise a child in a world without her husband, she was relying on Wesley's latent feelings for her to get them through. Wesley well knew this, but did not fight it. He would always help his friend, no matter the circumstance.

But the illusion eventually faded. Jess suffered heavily from post-partum depression, along with the depression of her mournful loss. She cried every time, eventually refusing to even look at her son, stating that he had his fathers' eyes--eyes that reminded her too much of the man she had lost. Wesley tried to do everything for her, even taking a hiatus from the job he loved so that he could take care of the boy (who, at that point, was eagerly crawling after him wherever he went). To her benefit, Jess truly wanted to be there for her son. He was the last piece of Adam that she had, after all. It simply became too much to be in the same town with so many memories of her beloved, manipulating her only remaining friend, and raising a child she couldn't even look at. At the young age of one and a half years, Jess up and vanished, abandoning them. She left only a note saying that it was fine if Wesley wanted to give Jake to an adoption agency.

Never once did Wesley think of doing such. He had never pictured himself for the fatherly sort, but he'd be damned if he was going to up and abandon the child of his deceased best friend. Jake grew up solely under this man's care and, for all intents and purposes, loved every moment of it.

Wesley never treated Jake like a son. There were no steadfast rules, no 'home by dinner' sort of thing. There were punishments for disobeying, but Wesley didn't want Jake to feel subordinate to him. As he grew up, Jake's relationship to Wesley was unexplainable. They weren't quite father and son, but they weren't strangers; they were more than friends, but friends in essence. When he wasn't at school or with friends, he was pestering Wesley to show him some new trick, or take him into the bush to go hunting.

He was nonetheless devestated when Wesley told him, at thirteen years old, that he wasn't actually his son. Though this was quickly alleviated when Wesley also told him that if Jake wanted, he would sigh him up to become an RAS trainee. In time, and seriously training under Wesley, Jake realized that he didn't care. Family to him wasn't the genes within him, but the man who had raised, despite having no reason to do so besides love.

It was extraneous labor, but very well worth it. Jake excelled in it, and found that he shared the same passion that Wesley did for it. He could think of no more noble a cause. What was better than risking your neck and getting into danger to save someone's life? He found his calling in rope and knife work, moving from trainee to operative very quickly.

He dearly remembers his very first mission. A young girl had gone missing, presumed for dead somewhere within the marsh-land. Thanks to a keen eye and feeling of the land, Jake was able to find the girl and return her to safety. Seeing the girl's parents crying and thanking him assured him then and there that this was his calling.

Missions didn't always go perfectly, though. There were many times that a missing person simply stayed missing, or was found too late to save. These were always upsetting for Jake, but he had to move on. If he sulked, only more people die.

One of his best missions came a year after he had finished high school (none too soon, he had almost flunked out). Two other agents, one Bernard and Bianca, had come to search for a missing boy. He had heard of the boy's disappearance (because really, it was his job to know about such things), and offered to lead them to the spot he assumed the boy was being held. Of course, he made every show possible along the way to impress the lovely Miss Bianca (to Bernard's obvious discomfort). After a series of events (which saw them scaling a wall, being forced into a cage with Bianca, Bernard pulling through to set them free, and being caught from sure death by a behemoth of a bird), they made it through the crazy mission.

When Bernard proposed to Bianca that night, despite his crush on the woman, Jake couldn't have been happier. He was reminded of the stories Wesley had told him. And in a way, he felt his stepping down did, in a way, make up for what his birth father had done to Wesley.

They left and life returned to normal. Jake continued working for the RAS. Fast forward a few years, though, and Jake found himself with a lapse between missions. And one day, while playing checkers with a friend, an epiphany hit him--he had unfinished business he needed to attend to.

Wesley had never kept secrets from him. He didn't desire to coddle Jake from the truth. Jake knew all about his mother abandoning him. At the age of twenty three, Jake finally decided that it was time to finally close that chapter of his life and find the answers he needed. It was short work finding her. Jess Darwin, and Wesley had always assured him that she would never change her last name.

He was right, and he found her remarried and with two new children. The meeting wasn't anything he expected. He had either expected her to have forgotten him, or run to him crying. Instead, she simply nodded, and said she had wondered when he would find her. Jake stormed out of her house, absolutely furious. How dare she not act like it was a big deal! How dare she think that this was some simple matter! For the many months following, all he could focus on was how angry he was. She seemed to show no remorse for what she had done; how could she do that?! How could she expect him to act nonchalantly about the fact that she had abandoned him?!

His work suffered from it, as well as the relationships around him. But he didn't let anyone know what was wrong. He was utterly rubbish at hiding his emotions, but he didn't want to drag anyone else into his problems.

Finally, he went back to his mothers' house nearly six months later. She served him tea without a word, and asked him what he did for a job. For a long time he was silent and thinking. Eventually he looked up at the woman and realized that he couldn't hate her, despite knowing that he should, and had every right to. Hating her only gave her control over his life and how he felt, and a part of him was almost grateful. If she had stayed with Wesley, Wes would have been miserable. She had done well by him, giving him such an incredible father. And she...she was only human. He would not condone her decision, but he then realized that he could not condemn her either. He stood up and hugged her, whispering that he forgave her. Only then did she break into tears and hug back, her shell seemingly broken. She apologized profusely, and stated that seeing him had just reminded her of the horrible mistakes and tragedies she had gone through. As he left, feeling like a new man, he promised to write her.

Here is the part where I would like to say that Jake just went back to working for the RAS for the rest of his life and lived happily ever after...but that isn't the way it went. The RAS contacted him, and told him that he was being sent away to teach what he knew in some new school. Jake tried to argue the fact that he had no teaching credentials and no specific enjoyment of children (or as he called them, ankle-biters), but there was no question to be had. He was needed, and promptly sent.

*how we do,
rp sample:

There was a certain finesse required to wrangle a razorback--something many people didn't quite realize. The gargantuan hogs existed in excess in the Australian bush, and this meant trouble for someone who had to spent a generous portion of his time within it.

Of course, it certainly didn't help any that the RAS trainee Jake had taken with him on his first mission was now long-missing. Really, Jake hadn't even known it was possible for a grown man to shriek so loud! But with a sudden rustle of a bush and the depraved squeal that Jake could instantly register as a razor-back, that trainee had fled to higher grounds like there was a demon hot on his ankles. Jake had had a good laugh at first, thinking that it was only momentary panic that had sent the man running. He'll come back, Jake thought, once he realized that there was little danger to be seen.

Yet the sound of hurried foot-steps was quickly receding, and the boar had already made its presence and aggravation well-known to the Australian. With a resigned sigh, Jake pulled out his whip and went into an aggressive stance. Apparently it was all up to him...again. Where did they even find these new recruits, anyways?

He looked at the enraged hog, his eyes darting to and fro. He needed to first take in his surroundings and see what he could use to his advantage. He might not have been what most folks called 'book smart', but Jake sure as hell knew his way around a fight. There were various things he could use, he was happy to note. They were luckily in a heavily vegetated area, which meant that Jake wouldn't be needed to wrastle the humongous beast to the ground with his bare hands. As big as most men, the boar had begun circling him, and he followed in easy step.

This was where the finesse came in. It didn't do to simply charge at a wild beast, knife pointed towards the throat and stabbing erratically. Maybe if he wanted his hand bitten off or to kill the thing, but that wasn't his way. He loved to fight, so he really couldn't be called a pacifist, but Jake also never killed unless absolutely necessary. This boar was only protecting what it considered its territory, and Jake was only protecting his trainee...wherever he was.

The boar charged first, an ear-splitting scream ripping from its throat when it barrelled forward. Jake was well-prepared, jumping suddenly and grasping a branch directly overhead. It splintered and wailed at his sudden weight, and for a moment he feared it would break before it had served his purpose. It thankfully held and, with the boar skidding to a halt below him, he let go.

Clearly unprepared for the attack, the razorback's legs buckled beneath him when the muscled Australian fell directly on top of him. Had he no experience, Jake would have almost certainly been thrown off of the now flailing animal. But with lightning fast speed and decisive movement, he grasped the boar's hindquarters and suddenly twisted, pulling the thing onto it's back. Reaching for the rope he always kept at his side, he tied a section of it around the boar's hind ankles. The creature was now thrashing wildly beneath him, his razor-sharp front hooves only barely short enough to miss his back.

Turning sharply, he did the same with the creatures front legs. When finished with that act, he completed the process by tying all four legs together--very easily having 'hog-tied' the animal. He stood up to admire his handy-work, watching as the boar slowly stopped in its panicked struggle. He looked the creature in the eye. "C'mon now beauty. Don't make this harda' than it has ta be.", he spoke in a soft tone. He never really knew what they were thinking, but liked to imagine that he had a way with the animals. So when the captured swine finally stopped moving and protesting, he walked over and pulled out his combat knife, severing the ropes restraining it. It slowly stood up, threw Jake a wayward glance, and bolted back into the bush it'd come from.

With a broad smile and brush of his khaki shirt, Jake watched it run away. His pride quickly dissipated when he remembered about the trainee he would now have to track down.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, turning in the direction the scared man had dashed. How was it possible that ferocious beasts were easier to deal with than a terrified human?

anything else:
-He commonly refers to anyone from America as a 'Yank', or 'Yankee'
Face claim: Morgan Dek

[Basil Holmes]