Character Desc. - Mark

Name: Mark Taylor1

Gender: Male2

Age: 283

Interests: He is incredibly mature and rather enjoys studying about some of life’s deepest questions. He also enjoys studying psychology. As someone who was trained with the military at an exceptionally early age (due to his parent’s involvement) he avidly continues to train in his spare time. Engaging in such martial arts as jujitsu, fu jow pai, ninjutsu, and kendo (which is a practice of the sword). He also takes a keen interest to art, while he holds no particular talent, enjoys visiting art galleries and believes his body is it’s own canvas, divulging in tattoos.4

Personality: Mark is very intelligent and cunning. He is by nature an honest person, but if he needs to deceive, can do so exceptionally easily. He is also incredibly good at reading peoples body language and facial reactions to depict what they are really trying to say. He has a very ‘tough’ personality by which he uses to keep himself as a leader. Which, he deserves to be, since he is very capable of holding a level head in extremely stressful circumstances. He can be blunt, harsh and straight-to-the-point. However, he can also show a very sincere and caring side to those who require it. He has an urge to help those in trouble, but on the same note, has an absolute zero-tolerance policy for ignorance. He is not very often caught of guard, but when he is, tends to draw within himself.5

Appearance: Mark stands 6’3 and weighs close to 245 pounds. All of this, is muscle. He has a body most women would fall head over heels for. However, the majority of it is decorated in tattoos. Both of his arms are sleeved; the right holds figures of Ancient Egypt, god’s and goddesses along with the Nile and scenery. The left is laced with animals; a wolf, eagle, tiger, horse, dolphin and komodo dragon. All of which, are designed with a respected background that moulds into the next. His back holds a large portrait of the grim reaper. Across his heart, right above his left nipple is the name of his younger sister. And, his pelvis is decorated with tribal symbols, each of which holds a meaning related to war. He has thick black hair that he keeps short and which naturally ‘spikes’ itself. He wears only a small goatee for facial hair and has strikingly bright green eyes. His face itself is very well defined and he is overall, a very good looking man. 6

Story He Is From: Well, Mark exists in a lot of my stories actually. He has been a character of mine since I was rather young. The main one, is ‘End of Times’, however that title is subject to change. It is about the after-events of a so called apocalypse. 7

Excerpt from ‘End of Times’. This is in Steven’s voice, not Marks:8

“Stay still, David.” I tried to half whisper, half yell in his direction. What the bloody-hell was a tiger doing in the state of Iowa, anyways? I don’t give a fuck what happened to this planet, no tigers existed in North America. Period. Unless they grew fins and learnt how to swim across oceans, the only explanation I could possibly offer would be our damn zoo’s. 9

“I think he is in shock.” Came the unusually calm voice of Mark, to my right.10

The tiger, on the other hand, was not in shock and began to pace the fire, making low, growling noises as he went - staring at David with open jaws the entire time.11

“Shouldn’t we make ourselves bigger than it, and louder?” Ricky offered up.12

“No, you idiot. That’s what you do with bears.” Mark hissed back, trying to keep his voice down.13

“Shut-up!” I waved both my arms towards them in an effort of silence, and nearly fell out of the tree. “We need to do something, the thing is stalking him.” 14

“I’ll spear it.” Mark started to position his spear in his right hand as he spoke.15

“No!” Ricky practically hollered, “That is a protected species!”16

“What the hell did you just say?” Mark started, but was stopped by my hand slapping over his lips, echoing a funny smacking sound as air still escaped his mouth. I knew he was about to remind Ricardo just exactly what situation we were in, but the tiger had suddenly turned its attention - right to us. 17

“Oh, shit.” Is what I thought I heard Mark say instead. 18

In one real quick motion, the tiger kicked off the ground and implanted all four paws into the trunk of the tree, it let out one confidence-shattering growl and began to climb the (now) mere five foot difference between it and three delicious morsels we made up. 19

Well, needless to say, we screamed like little girls. Each and every one of us, even the two on the other side of the attack. I leaped out of the tree like a flying squirrel except there was only one way I was going - down. Ricky, perhaps in shock, began to climb higher. Yet Mark, even though he was hollering like he was being raped, was savagely stabbing the thing in the front paws, over and over again until the tiger dropped from the tree and simply limped off. 20

I had landed face first in the dirt, but managed to turn around in time to see Mark connect two blows and the tiger run off in pain. I turned around to see if David and James were alright, while both were unusually pale they seemed un-scathed and James slowly climbed down with the help of David’s numb limbs. Ricky was the next to climb down by the time I reached my feet. The four of us met at the fire again, breathing deeply in an odd silence that the word ‘awkward’ just would not sum up. I glanced up to the tree I just attempted an aerial dive from, to see the wide frame of Mark panting, the silhoutte of a spear clutched across his chest.21

“Mark, its gone. Come down, man.” I offered. I normally did not call him ‘man’, or ‘dude’ and preferred to have an almost fatherly relationship with him, but this time around, I knew it was the best way to have him hear me.1522

“Fuck… no.” He replied instead.23

“Mark!” David yelled up to him. “Are you aware, that you were the only one here who actually stood up to that monster?”24

“Your god-damn right I’m aware of it!” I watched his shadow shuffel in the tree. “What happens when I come down, huh? There is going to eventually be another threat and you assholes wont do a bloody thing, so I am going to be the one left to deal with death? Fuck that!”25

“Mark, we were all in a state of shock. No one expected to run into a tiger, at least now we can be prepared.” I tried again, this time moving closer to his perch with my neck craned to his position.26

“We need you, man.” Ricky then called from behind me. “I’m sorry for bringing it’s attention to us, you did the right thing.” 27

Even though I am sure we all heard the strain in Ricky’s voice when he said that, I could tell it made Mark reconsider things.28

“Fine.” He finally said, throwing his spear to me and swinging down. “We need to leave, now.” he added.29

“I agree.” the rest of us said at almost the exact same time.30