[hider=Alec Xu]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/gZN6q6F.jpg[/img][/center]

[color=518EDC][u][b]Name:[/b][/u][/color] Alec Xu
[color=518EDC][u][b]Age:[/b][/u][/color] 21
[color=518EDC][u][b]Gender:[/b][/u][/color] Male
[color=518EDC][u][b]Description:[/b][/u][/color] 
	Alec is fairly plain looking, blending easily into any crowd of Asian people. He is very typical of an Asian, black hair, a slightly darker skin color, short, only standing at 160cm/5'3". Looking closer however there are a few details that makes him stand out, there's a few white hairs on his head, though not many. He has a scar cutting slightly into the right side of his hairline and his eyes are a lighter shade of brown. Despite wearing glasses and being so short, Alec is surprisingly strong, having a decent amount of muscle. Though it doesn't show much, he's got a layer of fluff covering most of it as a result of his currently less active lifestyle. Alec usually wears black jeans, comfortable shoes, a shirt and some sort of jacket or coat over it all. 
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[color=518EDC][u][b]Personality:[/b][/u][/color]
	Alec used to be a very calm and collected person, nothing could upset him and his temper was an iceberg. That changed. Although he is still a relaxed individual and his temper is slow to rise, he is much more in touch with his emotions now as opposed to a few years ago. Although he has a pretty good grip on his emotions now, he is still finding new things about himself, what makes him upset, happy, and so on. At his core, Alec is a kind person, he wants to help and he has the will to, but often his head gets in the way of that. He is a thoughtful person, always thinking about strategies and whats going on, the gears in his head are always turning. Although he used to be a natural follower, he's found himself taking charge more, offering advice and giving out orders to a team of would be slackers. However if the group already has a leader, he is fully capable of following orders and staying a follower.

Alec has become a much quieter person, a few years ago he was talkative, enjoyed the company of others but now he simply enjoys time alone. Though he knows that he needs to socialize to get himself out of a hole sometimes, he does so only in the company of good friends, and people he knows. When in the company of strangers, Alec prefers to observe making him particularly perceptive, speaking up only when required or when he should. He believes now that actions speak louder than words, and will often help with as little words as possible. Although in the company of good friends, he easily becomes his older, more talkative self again.

When he has to speak Alec is a very polite speaker in nearly all situations, save for dire events. His indoor voice is quiet, almost a mumble, but thanks to the teachings of his eldest brother, he's learned how to project a truly loud, authoritative voice. Which helps a lot during public speaking, or talking to other divers over the sound of a boat engine. Alec has gone into a shell, and is only just starting to come back out again. He feels it, he knows it, but he just wants to take his time with it.

[color=518EDC][u][b]History:[/b][/u][/color]
	Alec grew up in the shadow of his three older brothers, older than him by a number of years. While his brothers showed exceptional intelligence or physical ability, Alec seemed incredibly ordinary in comparison. They shot through middle school and high school, taking advanced classes, joining the sports teams then off to college immediately. Alec in comparison took the standard classes, with a wide variety of optional classes. His parents quickly gave up on him, letting him do what he wanted, education wise. While his brothers grew up under the strict oversight of their parents, Alec was given a wide berth, and a lot of freedom.

In elementary school, Alec was just like any other kid, taking classes, having fun at recess, slacking off on his studies. His brothers were protective of him, instead of antagonistic. They supported him, teaching him what they knew from the more advanced classes in clever ways, through games. Perhaps at the request of their parents, Alec never asked. Exposed to a variety of concepts and activities, he found himself drawn to books and science, though he didn't pursue this interest until much later. During middle school his brothers began to find hobbies, music, sports, research. Again, Alec was exposed to a variety of interests. He took up fencing with one of his brothers, and casually read science books and watched science themed showed with another brother, and playing video games on his own. Alec floated through middle school, taking the normal classes and whatever optional classes interested him.

It wasn't until high school that Alec got an idea. He had been fencing alongside his brother for a number of years now, and had gotten pretty good. Like middle school, he floated through high school, until he took a marine biology class during his third year of high school. There he met a number of good friends, and he studied under a passionate teacher. It was there that he felt something, not just 'alright', he felt a groove. Something that made him look forward to a subject. He met a girl there, they shared similar interests, he thought she was beautiful, she thought he was funny, everything was okay in the world and nothing could ever ruin that. They studied fish together, discussed the ocean temperatures, watched television shows about the world and its natural wildlife together. They continued like for a handful of years, happy. And then she had to move. She decided it was better to split up than to attempt a long distance relationship, and she left.

Alec was ruined, he took a break from college, stopped fencing, doing nothing but floating. Just staying afloat. For two years, he was in and out of school, didn't have a job, he dove into video games as a form of escapism. He did nothing for two years, feeling confused, frustrated, heartbroken, had a million questions for her but didn't have the courage to ask after they had stopped talking. Gradually, he felt a feeling of unease, that he needed to do something. That small feeling grew larger and larger and kept growing until he decided to do something about it. He started taking classes again, he got a job, took up diving as a hobby, transferred to a college and started studying marine biology. He had set a plan and now he could see the stepping stones to achieve his goals, he was taking those steps with the help of his brothers. 
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[color=518EDC][u][b]Elemental Alignment:[/b][/u][/color] Water
[color=518EDC][u][b]Crystal Form:[/b][/u][/color] A belt buckle. Made with a rectangle stainless steel frame, covered by a black painted steel cover. The cover has a design etched onto the right corner, the roman numeral for one, revealing the lapis lazuli stone. Beneath the cover lies a square cut piece of the stone.
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[color=518EDC][u][b]Other:[/b][/u][/color]
- Alec is a huge nerd, an avid reader of comics, and well versed in the lores of several science fiction and fantasy settings.
- Has an interest in Historical European Martial Arts, but has never actually practiced any of it.
- Alec's everyday carry is his wallet, phone, keychain, pocket knife, pen, waterproof watch and waterproof pen light.
- Has a not so funny story about how he found his lucky lapis belt buckle, he takes it everywhere now, even on dives.
- He's planning on learning martial arts in the near future, once he finds the money for it.
- The youngest of four brothers.
- The eldest brother became an accomplished soldier, currently serving in a group of the special forces that Alec always forgets the name of.
- The second oldest brother is a microbiologist and Alec considers him leagues more intelligent than any of the others.
- The third oldest brother owns a successful restaurant and is an experienced chef.
- The youngest, Alec, wants to look at fish for a living.

- 518EDC
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