Name
Bastien Labat
Age
17
Gender
Male
Sexuality
Pansexual
Well, technically, whatever the heck it's called when you're into any gender but female.
Appearance
Bastien has bronze skin, with a glow like warm honey. Despite his overall lack of health - the zombie apocalypse is generally full of a lack of healthy food options - he still has a warm tint to his skin that makes him appear healthier than he is. He has a fairly round face, with full cheeks and a curved jawline. His brows are arched but not particularly thin. He has an average-sized nose with a round end. His mouth has a dimple on one side, which is the side his mouth quirks up towards when he smiles. His eyes are heavily hooded, making what’s visible of his eyeballs just slits. His irises are dark brown. His hair is coal black, and just barely reaches down to his shoulders. It’s wild, untamed, and massively curly, falling over his eyes in a way that makes it necessary for him to constantly push it back in order to be able to see. Despite the rough conditions, he manages to keep his hair clean and well-groomed (if you can call it that). He has his hair just how he likes it, though it may seem odd for someone as tidy as him. Like with many things in his life, Bastien hates it when people touch his hair and ruin what he’s done with it.
Bastien is about 5’8”, and he’s in pretty good shape. He has his fair share of scrapes and bruises, like most of the people living through this injurious era of humanity. He’s certainly not ripped, but he’s been doing enough physical activities (mostly running away from zombies) to keep him in peak condition. He’s as clean as could be expected under the circumstances. He has fairly long fingers and toes. His fingernails and toenails are clipped short and he gets a knife under there and cleans them fairly often.
Bastien wears whatever clothing is available to him. Most of this consists of the more common types of clothing, in fairly good condition. He’s often wearing a cardigan or hoodie with large pockets. He has an array of different shirts and pants, and as long as they’re practical and not totally ruined he’ll wear them. He has wildly different rings on each of his fingers, most of them thick bands. He wears these because he thinks it gives him more of an edge in hand-to-hand combat. He’ll readily switch any one ring out for a bigger and better one. The only accessory that stays the same is his brown leather belt with a silver buckle that has a hot sauce logo on it. He has a gun tucked into his belt, one of the older models, from sometime in the 2040s. He likes to wear sandals when he can, but usually it’s much safer to have sneakers, sports shoes, or combat boots. Right now he has a pair of large, chunky white sneakers that still have a lot of life left in them.
Personality
Bastien knows there’s a reason every person in this group has survived while others didn’t. For some, it was talents they didn’t know would prove so useful. For some, it was sheer willpower and a hint of bloodlust. Some coasted through on pure dumb luck. As for Bastien, the only reason he’s still alive is because of his father. His dad looked after him, and protected him when the world was terrifying. But he doesn’t have his dad anymore, and he knows the only thing standing between him and a gruesome bloody death is this group. Bastien was close with his mother and sister before they died, and in the time after the apocalypse started he grew closer with his father. Though he knows this group is held together mostly by necessity, he wants to think of them as something like a family. He has trouble trusting these people: they’re scared and strange, and he doesn’t really know enough about them to know whether they’ll have any loyalty to him. He forces himself to trust them, though, because he really doesn’t have any other choice. He constantly sees signs of their impending betrayal, and suspects them of disliking him. But he has very little to do but wait and see what will happen. He needs the group to like him. He has to be alright with every aspect of them that annoys him, and he has to refrain from starting any fights no matter how much any of them piss him off. He’s fake-nice to anyone who drives him crazy, though he can’t keep his face from showing how he’s feeling. The deadlier a person is, the more he’s drawn to them - he’d rather get on their good side now, so some of that psycho energy can be channeled into protecting him. He’s always been more introverted, but in this situation he finds it best to be as outgoing as possible. He’s all smiles, compliments, and charm as long as he thinks a person can be helpful to him. He would never admit to anything of the sort, and he’ll insist he’s just trying to be friendly and keep the group together. He has a laidback and charismatic personality, and seems to be in total control of his own reactions and emotions. He has a constant, even tone and mellow posture. The confidence he seems to have gives some people the misleading impression that he’s mature and protective, someone they could trust to look after them.
When danger comes, Bastien will only stick around if he thinks he has a good chance of getting through it. Once the odds are stacked against him, he’s the first to bail and throw everyone else under the bus. All the same, he finds it hard not to latch on to the one or two people who seem to genuinely like him, and who look after him. He hates to be the sort of person who has to be protected. But sometimes he just needs the sort of person who would shoot five zombies point-blank in the head for him. He doesn’t quite have the hang of that yet. In exchange, he tries to make himself useful to them in every other way. He carries their stuff, he looks after their health, he builds them up to the rest of the group. He has extreme loyalty to one person, and loyalty to the rest so long as they aren’t weak. He knows the weaker ones will be the first to go, and he doesn’t want to get emotionally attached to them. Though Bastien isn’t much of a fighter, he doesn’t intend to stay that way. He’s a quick study, and dedicates a lot of his time to learning how to do things most of the rest of the group can do: using a gun, treating wounds, physical agility, and that sort. He’s always doing something, though nobody would describe him as particularly energetic. He simply needs to feel like he’s a help to the group, and to the people in it who he cares about most. He’ll do a lot for them, but he won’t put himself in the way of danger for them. He trusts them to look after themselves. He wouldn’t work so hard to be close with someone he felt he had to protect. He always assumes they won’t care whether he helps or not, and that he’s doing them some sort of honor by letting them fight their own battles - and most of his. He doesn’t get involved in their personal conflicts or defend them in arguments with others in the group. The people that he seems closest to he really doesn’t understand at all. He doesn’t take into account the idea of their feelings and struggles. To him they’re like rocks, solid and unwavering, and he doesn’t want to think that they have any weaknesses.
Things have changed more than he could ever imagine in his life. Bastien, like many people, longs for the days when the worst problems in his life paled in comparison to those of the present day. Though things have changed, Bastien still holds on to the building blocks of what used to be society. It’s no longer necessary, nor really important, to follow societal constructs. But Bastien just can’t change the way he sees the world. Though the world is all but empty of human life, Bastien treats it as though there are still others living there. He still uses the crosswalks, keeps his music down at night, uses his turn signal, uses body wash for his body and shampoo for his hair. He gets up early in the morning and doesn’t stay up too late. He makes up his bed and washes the dishes, he keeps his home clean and combs his hair. He’s happy to be the person doing the chores to make sure they do indeed get done. He needs to feel like he has some sort of routine, so that there’s some semblance of constancy in his life. His particular talent is cooking, something he’s always enjoyed. He’s happy to do it for the rest of the group, and he hoards every interesting food and item they have, each one carefully put away where he wants it. One sure way to get him legitimately pissed off is to move, or god forbid eat, anything he’s been saving.
Strengths
Charm
Cooking
Household Chores
Fitness
Patience
Calm Demeanor
Self-Control
Manners
Quick Learner
Organization
Weaknesses
Reliance on Others
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Avoids Danger
Lack of Empathy
Status Quo
Orderliness
Likes
Strong Friends
Societal Norms
Tidiness
Cooking
Family
Being Helpful
Movie Theaters
Baths
Going Barefoot
Rivers
Dislikes
Being Alone
Being in Danger
Weak People
Disarray
People Moving his Things
Competitive Sports
Hot Dry Climates
Horror Movies
People Touching his Hair
Abstract Art
Kin
Genevieve Labat
Mother
Bastien was raised by his mother, who was a travel agent. They moved around quite a lot, and his mother wasn’t always at home. But the two were very close, and Bastien loved his mother. When the apocalypse hit, she barricaded them in their home and called her ex-husband to look after them. She was killed soon after they left their house to look for better shelter.
Adelaide Labat
Sister
Bastien’s older sister, Adelaide, was a bossy and teasing girl who nonetheless got along pretty well with Bastien. They liked to play-fight and real-fight, but they always made up. When the disease started spreading, Adelaide was quick to fall under its influence. Bastien’s mother was forced to throw Adelaide out of the house to protect them.
Archer Harlow
Father
Bastien didn’t really know his dad growing up. His parents split up when he was very young. Archer would come by once in a while, making an awkward attempt to connect with his kids. He was a military type, gruff and just a few straws short of a haystack. Bastien was a little afraid of him, thinking him as sort of crazy. When they needed him, though, he really came through. He fought halfway across the state to get to Genevieve and Bastien, and did his best to protect them. Genevieve didn’t make it. As they traveled, Bastien grew very close with his father. Archer was killed by a zombie nearly a year ago, shortly before Bastien found this group.
Crush
None/Open
S/O
Tiras
Ex-Partner
There aren't really enough words to describe how Bastien feels about Tiras. He was a young teen when he went through the emotional trauma of losing his first partner, Tiras. And when you're a young teen, that's pretty much a Shakespearean tragedy. Well, his mother didn't approve of Tiras, their parents didn't approve of him, and the rest is history. Maybe they could have yelled at each other less during the breaking up process. Now that they're stuck in close proximity again, Bastien would like everyone in the general area to know that he's totally over Tiras. He just hates it when they flirt with other people. For no reason. And would he date them again if they asked? Stop changing the subject. He may be overprotective and put his head on his hands like a lovestruck schoolgirl when he sees them, but that doesn't mean anything, so don't even bring it up.
Affiliations
Clovis
Out of all the people in this group, the one Bastien clings to most desperately is Clovis. He lays on the charm, dishes out the compliments, anything to get her to like him. She's a badass, and he needs a badass making sure he doesn't get devoured by zombies. And yeah, she comes with the extra baggage of Deamon, which irritates Bastien to no end. But if pretending to be nice to Daemon is the price he has to pay, so be it.
Daemon
Daemon is gonna die. Bastien's 99.8% sure of it. And he really doesn't want to get attached to anyone who's going to die. That would be like adopting a dying dog. Who would do that to themselves? Some say it would give the dog comfort, but soon it will be dead and it won't care either way. Bastien can pretend to be nice to Daemon to get to Clovis, but he's making an effort to build up a hatred for the kid to prepare for his impending death.
Catalina
Family always comes first with these protective types, doesn't it? Well, Bastien's plan of action is to become just as close as family. Catalina's a little tougher to get at than Clovis, and yet again a little brother stands in his way. But if he keeps pestering her (charmingly), she has to give in soon. Right?
Blake
Blake's a tough customer and, to be frank, he intimidates Bastien slightly. Not physically - in fact, the tougher the better to Bastien. But he gets the feeling that Blake isn't going to stand for Bastien's bull once he figures out what Bastien is trying to do the first time. So he's a little more careful, and tries to look at least halfway sane.
Raiden
Raiden is quiet. Too quiet. Suspiciously quiet. Bastien is all for getting Raiden out of their shell and into the real world, but that's not exactly him being friendly. It has more to do with the fact that Raiden is tearing this group apart with his isolation. So Bastien is quick to push him out of his comfort zone and irritate the hell out of him.
JJ
Bastien knew JJ from school, though not very well. So the two were already together far before they even knew about the group. JJ was there when Bastien's dad died, and the two made their way to safety. Bastien has always been worried JJ was going to die. That's why, as soon as they were aound other people, he went out of his way to ignore him. He has to nip this friendship right in the bud.
Louis
Among all this drama, it's nice to have one normal sort of friend. That's what Louis is to Bastien. They interact like normal people, and have normal conversations. There's a lot of comfort in that. Bastien has always liked normal, and now he's just dying for normal.
Backstory
Bastien hasn’t talked too much about his life before the disease struck and all hell broke loose. It really doesn’t feel like it matters to him, now that everything has changed so much. His mother barricaded them in their home as soon as the government started shutting everything down. His sister, Adelaide, fell ill and slowly turned into a zombie. They were forced to throw her out of the house before she harmed them. Bastien’s mother called her ex-husband, Archer, a military man who was just waiting for a chance like this to blow the brains out of some reanimated corpses. He came halfway across Louisiana to come get the two out of their house and find a real safe haven. He did get them out, but it was hardly a week after when they went into what they thought was a deserted grocery store only to be attacked by zombies. Bastien and Archer made it out alive. Bastien’s mother didn’t. It was a long time of traveling for Bastien and Archer, roaming from place to pace to find somewhere truly safe. Bastien and his father grew quite close over that time. But things were getting more and more dangerous, and eventually Archer had no choice but to hold off a horde of zombies himself to buy Bastien time. Then, with Archer dead, Bastien was really on his own. It must have been about a month before he found the group he’s in now. He was later than a lot of them, but quickly integrated himself into the group, knowing he wouldn’t make it on his own.
Other
I’m gonna go with grey
Summer 
Night Weather: 
Brimstone Moon: 
