Orion
The Gentle Giant

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Despite his appearance, Orion is an absolute sweetheart, a gentle giant. He wouldn't harm a fly...unless it deserved it of course. He was raised in a loving home with just his dad, who showed him that you won't get anywhere in life without working hard. Unfortunately this meant his dad wasn't in the picture most of the time. He had to choose between supporting his son with a steady job and being too exhausted to give Orion the attention he deserved when he came home, or bonding with his son and being unable to afford a roof over his head. He still spent time with him, just not as much.

This means Orion was raised by the television often. He favored cartoons, fantasy, and when anime combined them both while adding a continuous story, he was hooked. Videogames were a big factor as well. Fantasy stories with absurd characters that you could actually interact with and control, it was mindblowing to him. He was already an artsy kid, always choosing to scribble, color, or make crafts, and these shows and games just inspired his creativity even more. His dad didn't.. quite know what to say when his son offered up pictures of wild haired muscular men, or schoolgirls in skimpy outfits. Orion was looking for approval, for compliments, praise, 'Look I created this.', when his dad could only stare at the image strangely and nod.

This quirky fandom at least got him friends at school, who showered him with praise when he drew, oggled when he bragged about beating a level no one else did, and actually listened when he shared his theories. He was among likeminded friends, he was accepted, it made staying at home alone be practically overlooked, everything was great for him. Then puberty hit him like a sack of bricks.

He was already more tall than everyone else beforehand, now he seemed to be growing out of control. He became much taller than his friends, a tall and lanky tiger. Well, mostly tiger, the one thing he knew about his mother before she left is that she was a maine coon. This growth spurt, combined with being in a group of outcasts, made him easy pickings for verbal bullying. Why would anyone pick on someone else because they were tall? Why would they pick on his friends for wearing glasses and being smart? These types of people in his shows and games were never portrayed as heroic. Why couldn't he.. do something about it? Once becoming strong, the hero could overcome any obstacle, any enemy, and still be kind to those who deserved it. He didn't.. want to hurt anyone, just intimidate them to where they wouldn't dare touch him or harass his friends.

His dad had old exercise equipment he hardly used. There was gym class at school, he could work out while watching his favorite shows, everything was already in place for him. He even had the perfect role model, his dad. Nothing was more scary or intimidating than when his dad scowled at him for doing wrong. Nothing scared him more. All it took was a glare and Orion would back down, that's all he needed, yet he could still be soft and caring. It took quite some time, but others started seeing the physical change in him, and they truly did stop harassing him and his friends. It was a good thing too, because Orion had no knowledge of combat or self defense. He was physically intimidating, but it was all a ruse to distract from his sheepish personality. He was always open with his friends, but reserved when it came to any other social situation. Again, everything was going in his favor, until he was readying to leave school.

Along with gym class, he had always taken art classes. He never liked drawing realism, but at least it gave him practice. At times he was a bit oblivious that a fit, muscular, tall cat was completely out of place in an art room full of crafty girls, and guys who didn't voluntarily take the class. His creativity became his passion. People could draw characters and put them on a screen and get paid for it. People could write enthralling fantasy stories and sell their books. They had fanbases and action figures. The question 'What do I want to be when I grow up?' rarely changed from artist, but he had never truly brought it up with his dad. It was always thought of as a side hobby. One day he finally did, and his dad gave him a dose of the truth.

"Artists don't make a lot of money. The ones you're seeing on television and games are groups of successful established people. You don't hear about those behind the scenes, or high in demand, or about the ones who've failed. The most you might be doing is working for someone else, drawing what they want, never having your own creative freedom. I know you love to draw, but it's not going to get you far in life. You should keep it as a hobby and focus on something else, something that will support your future. I'm.. not trying to deter you. You're a smart and talented kid, I just want you to hear the truth early on and try to avoid setting yourself up for failure."

His father meant well, he was looking out for Orion, he didn't want to see him fail and feel like he was falsely supporting him. Still, the truth hurt. What else was he supposed to do as a life goal? Reality started to set in over his fantasy world. They didn't even have the money to send him off to college to improve. Orion didn't argue with any of it, he understood. It did dampen his fascination with creativity, but he never stopped. He could prove to others to not pick on him through physical intimidation, but he didn't feel he could prove his dad wrong.

After high school, he found various odd jobs. Ones involving heavy lifting, security and the like. Without the socialization of school and the disbanding of his group of friends, he became even more shy and reserved, but at least no one messed with him. He eventually moved out on his own, and through some connections he became a bouncer at a local bar. Alcohol is always in demand, that would never change, and people would never stop getting drunk and getting into fights. It wasn't the job he was aiming for, but it was one that would support him. He never minded working there however, despite his reserved personality. Every day he always hoped he'd never have to hurt anyone, and that his ruse of intimidation would be enough. Unfortunately, his personality was his biggest flaw in such a place, and the charade wouldn't be kept up for too much longer.

Fate seemed to shine in his favor one day. Bars always had a variety of patrons, and one just happened to ask him if he'd like to help out at an upcoming local event as security. "What kind of event?" he asked. An anime and gaming convention, something he had never been to. Needless to say, a bit of research into the event tugged on that nostalgic childhood, exciting him the closer it drew near. It would be his first step into the future he always wanted, and his first step into embracing who he was really meant to be.

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