Post by The Zodiac on Nov 7, 2009 10:05:22 GMT -7
† RYAN - ‘ZODIAC’ - SOTO †
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† (RIE-en ZOH-DE-ak SO-toe) †
[/center]† General Information †
Full Name: Soto, Ryan
Nicknames: Zodiac is his most commonly known nickname, as well as Zodo, Zodes, Zode, Zodi, and Zodio. He is also known to go by his sir name, Soto (Sot, Sotes, Sotti, Sotio, etc). Only address him as Ryan if you’re prepared to receive the death glare of your life.
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Age: Nineteen
Orientation: 100% straight
Health Problems: Soto has slight lung issues due to his smoking, and therefore has trouble breathing properly when physically exerted. He also cannot read small print without glasses—however, he rarely reads, and therefore rarely uses them. And as if this wasn’t enough, Soto, in addition, has much difficulty sleeping throughout the entire night, as he is plagued with constant nightmares. He is known to also talk in his sleep, as well as sleepwalk, and even has involuntary self-mutilation on bad days. Soto is required to take sleeping medication if he ever wanted a good night’s rest.
Oh, and he’s a murderer. Did I not mention that?
† Personality †
Basic Personality:
Soto, to say the least, goes against most social norms. Unlike your average person, at no time will Soto seek friendship, and nor will he treat the fellow person with any respect whatsoever. To him, it is much more appealing to believe that he’s ‘too good’ for other people to handle. Not only does he not try to create real relationships, but he also has no desire for them. Sure, at times he may look to be a seemingly normal person, but this, of course, is only a façade used to gain another’s trust, and once trust is gained, the manipulation can begin. Manipulation is like the secret to power for Soto—he feels this sense of control, like a puppeteer would feel over his puppets, and it is this feeling Soto constantly craves. He is much like an addict in that regard—that is, if there were such thing as a ‘power addict’. Soto is tremendously self-serving and he will do just about anything to satisfy his ‘addiction’, as well as his own needs, including bulldoze through other people, which is, actually, easier than you would think when you don’t give two shits about them. People are, simply, like objects to him to which he can use to his own benefit. By definition, Soto is the classic make of a sociopath, and like most sociopaths, Soto cannot feel remorse for any of his actions, and nor would he ever want to. In addition, rarely will Soto ever feel genuine joy and his mind has a constant need for stimulation, frequently taking unnecessary risks to fulfill this need, as would most with the personality disorder.
However, there is one thing that separates him from the normal psychopath, and that is his instigating. Soto will go out of his way just to cause people annoyance, misery, anger—you name it, Soto will cause it, mostly by the means of juvenile things, from spilling coffee upon a lap to pointing and laughing when someone falls. His trademark, however, is verbally provoking another person, typically those of authority. He knows no restraint, no boundaries—even if he is seconds from being punched straight into next week, he will not stop. It’s the need for control that causes this—he believes that if he can initiate feelings in people of power that he can control them in whatever way he pleases, and as you know, control is essential for Soto. In early years, his control was taken from him, and he now lives in fear of the same events reoccurring. However, he is now determined to prevent this from taking place once again.
Though of course, Soto is completely unaware of all this. He simply believes that he does the things he does just because he can and because it gives him a sense of amusement. His motives are more of a subconscious thought process—and when he kills another person, the same concept applies. He is unaware of exactly why he does it. All he knows is that the experience, for him, is fulfilling. But the truth is, Soto became a murderer for the exact same reason that he manipulates—just because he can and because he enjoys it. He enjoys the risk, he enjoys the power. Imagine being able to choice the precise way and the precise moment in which someone dies… That is how Soto feels, and unlike most murderers, Soto has no specific ritual in which he performs. He simply stalks the victim for a few weeks, so as to know whose life he’s ending, then shoots or stabs them whenever he feels the need. Killing is Soto’s way of venting pent up anger, though he, surprisingly, doesn’t feel the need to murder often. Despite the fact that he has every reason to be depressed and outraged with the world, he astonishingly is not. Soto enjoys his life the way it is and hardly ever wishes for anything more, which brings me to my next point—the fact that Soto isn’t all bad. There is, in fact, a smidge of humanity still dwelling within him someplace, and it is possible to have a completely normal conversation with him—though, allow me to warn you about his jabber-mouth. Over the years, he’s gained the title of a chatterbox simply because he truly is one. No matter what the subject, Soto will continue to talk on and on, so quickly and in such succession that the other person cannot even reply on most occasions. He acts tremendously juvenile in that regard, but is this perhaps because he truly is a childish nineteen-year-old, or is it a façade he feigns? Who will know with this complex character that is Ryan Soto.
Likes:
† Cigarettes
† Change
† Coffee
† Control
† Danger and risk
† Competition
† Attention
† Admiration
† Trouble
† Weapons
Hates:
† Rules
† Commitment
† Repetition
† Boredom
† Consistency
† Authority figures
† Nosey/clever people
† Feeling helpless
† Hospitals
† His insomnia
Talents:
† Quick thinker
† Has high energy
† His manipulation of others
† Never accepts defeat
† Above average intellect
† Works with engines and other mechanical-like things
† Tremendously accurate aim, as well as a fair amount of upper body strength—though his aim can mostly be attributed to the penlight he tapes onto his gun, which shines a light onto his intended target, much like a homemade sniper rifle
Habits:
† Clumsy
† Reckless and impulsive
† Impatient
† Little to no respect for most people
† A terrible temper—if you hit the right spot, that is
† A subconscious need for conflict—picks fights because of it
† Also a subconscious need for control
† Rarely sustains genuine relationships with others—would much rather manipulate his ‘friends’ instead
† Appearance †
Skin Color: Caucasian
Hair Color: Dark brown with a slight curl
Eye Color: Brown
Build: Average, although a bit scrawny in the midsection, and 6 feet tall
Piercings/Tattoos: None
Scars: Minor ones
Choice of Clothing:
To be frank with you, Soto’s attire is really nothing worth noting. Mostly it consists of jeans and a hoodie—nothing more, nothing less. Rarely will he go out of his way to wear any more than that, even if it’s for a formal occasion. Moreover, his clothing tends to be a few sizes too large, mainly to sufficiently conceal what’s beneath them—or perhaps because he’s much too lazy to find the right size. He also has little money in his possession, and therefore tends to wear clothes that were cheaply made. In addition, Soto will save his money for more important things, and even if his clothes are worn out, he will continue to wear them anyway.
Other: Looks like a nerd while wearing these. Also never ventures anywhere without a gun.
† History †
History:
Soto is an orphan—alone from the start. His parents, whoever they were, didn’t want anything to do with him (or at least, this is what Soto assumes), and offered him up to an adoption agency.
And that’s where it all began.
Caring, abusive, neglectful—Soto’s seen it all.
He’s been with those caring families—the ones that want to treat him as though he’s their own child, but the thing is... he wasn’t. They were all simply living a lie, and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. These are indeed the families Soto was most fond of, but in the end, Soto somehow turned out to be a disappointment and to put in simple terms, it just didn’t work out.
There were also the abusive families—the corrupt households that simply took in a child for the monthly check they received and didn’t give two shits about the child itself. Alcohol, drugs, violence… you name it, Soto’s seen it. The families may seem alright for awhile. It may seem like they're getting along just fine when WHAM, he gets a good slap upside the head for looking at them the wrong way. One false move, one thing that Soto does that rubs them in the wrong direction, and he's locked in his room for a week or his head is held in bathtub water until he blacks out... the list goes on, really.
Then finally, there were those neglectful families. They were much like the abusive ones—most of them were more interested in the monthly check from the government than the child itself. They're the ones that had forgotten to feed him each night, but Soto actually didn't mind these families too much. He was allowed to do what he pleased most times, though as a young one, Soto really didn't do too much unless it was asked of him. Back then, he didn't know the difference between caring, abusive and neglectful, so he had always obeyed any commands, fearing that he would receive a punishment if he didn't. When no command was given, he feared that he would do something wrong somehow and receive punishment that way. So yes, back then, Soto was really just living in fear.
By the age of thirteen, his chances for a foster home had severely decreased—people say children lose that sweet, innocent quality when they turn that ripe old age, and are therefore less desirable. Because of this, Soto began spending his life in group homes—you know, those places where they group a bunch of teenagers in one building and expect them to get along, but of course, they never did. It was a life of constant bickering, fights, few friends, and arguments. But it was Soto's life, and yeah, it may have been shitty, but he knew nothing else, so he learnt to deal with it. There was nothing he could do about it, after all.
Before the group homes, Soto had been secluded and docile, rarely speaking out of turn and even afraid to make eye contact with another person. But if he wanted to survive in those group homes, he needed to toughen up—he needed to hold his own. Soto had realized this—realized that he hardly stood a chance there. The teenagers were like animals, really—it was no wonder they were in the group home. If they saw a weak link in their pack (aka Soto), they would attack it and taunt it until it either died, left, or grew stronger. For Soto, it was the latter. They had torn him down, and hardened and shaped him into thick-skinned, passive and power hungry guy you see here today. The group homes had influenced him greatly, and it's where that trouble making trait began to show. Basically, he morphed into a real bastard.
Soto was a glutton for trouble, and in fact, still is. After his transformation, he was often admired by fellow attendees for his antics, and it was through this that Soto realized his love of others looking up to him. Not literally, of course—in fact, in that regard, Soto was usually the one looking up—but metaphorically they were. They admired him without even realizing it, but Soto sure as hell did. He enjoyed the feeling of others following him, as well as the control he was given. He thrived on defying authority, as well as the recognition he received afterwards, plus the danger of the defying itself was only an added bonus. You see, he was never given much attention before, and through the trouble he caused, he found that attention and acknowledgement he was so deprived of.
From then on, Soto always had a subconscious need for control, and he finds that control through instigating and manipulating others.
As for his days in the group homes, they came to an abrupt halt when an old and decrepit lady offered to take him in once he had only recently turned sixteen, and as most teenagers that age would, he hated it. Hated the smell of old people. Hated her unconditional kindness and trust. Hated how his instigating tricks hardly fazed her. Hated how she never seemed to anger. He didn’t have much of a choice, though. He was forced to live with her. For one, the group homes wanted him the hell out of there, and for two, not many people seemed to be interested in taking in a teenage boy who seemed hell bent on pissing people off. She was his only option.
This old lady—she insisted Soto call her Teslo, though he hardly would, and she would constantly call him Ryan, the name Soto hated. It was a constant argument between the two. Well, actually, Soto was the only one doing any arguing. Teslo seemed rather passive about the entire situation and hardly reacted to Soto’s provoking, which only pissed Soto off instead of her. By this time, Soto was already showing all of the signs in the 'terrible triad', which are three characteristics, and at least one of which were present in nearly every serial killer during their childhood. Because of Soto's anger with Teslo, these characteristics only seemed to become more and more severe in him.
The first sign was the bed wetting. It is unknown as to why some serial killers tend to wet the bed past the age of twelve, but it is also a sign of sexual abuse. Now whether or not Soto was sexually abused in his childhood is not known by anyone, though it could very well be possible, considering the many homes and many circumstances he's had.
Second came his odd fascination with fire. By that time, Soto had already began his habit of smoking, and occasionally, he would simply watch the flame of his lighter, almost mesmerized and daydreaming of things he really shouldn't be daydreaming about. Soon this escalated to actually setting objects on fire—from the bush in the front yard that he didn't particularly like to the school textbook he thought he no longer needed. He was basically lighting everything he no longer wanted aflame. It was like an obsession, really, but eventually, the fires he started were no longer enough for him, and he ultimately graduated to torturing and killing small animals. Needless to say, Soto wasn't exactly right in the mind, and it was only a downward spiral from here.
After a few months in Teslo's home, Soto killed his first person. He found that animals no longer held any satisfaction for him at that point and he now needed a new outlet for his pent up anger. However, even for his first kill, Soto was particularly organized. He planned meticulously for weeks—even months before performing the actual task. To him, the planning was just as exhilarating as the killing itself.
Despite this, however, Soto—being the n00bist killer he was—made several mistakes, and yet somehow remained unapprehended, which was, actually, mostly Teslo's doing. She was well aware of Soto's intentions, yet did nothing to prevent it, and, strangely enough, protected him instead. Could she have really grown so attached to this temperamental teen? Or is this old women bordering the lines of sanity as well? Could it have been that these were her intentions all along—to cultivate a killer? Or perhaps she simply did care that much... who knows, really.
For months, Soto continued to use killing as his outlet for his anger, which, at that time, was actually something that occurred quite frequently. He had the town in an absolute panic, and it amused him greatly. It was the feeling of superiority he had craved all along.
However, this came to an abrupt halt when Teslo transferred Soto to a boarding school in London. She had done this because the authorities were becoming a bit too suspicious for Teslo's liking, and she realized now that the only option for Soto was to be removed from the situation altogether. See, for him, the killing was like an obsession, and as long as he could practise this obsession freely, he would see no reason to change. So Telso had sent him away, to a place with higher security, and therefore less opportunity to commit any sort of crime without being caught in the act. Naturally, Soto absolutely despised it, though he did eventually learn to control his killing urges. Surprisingly, he also managed to graduate the boarding school with the bare minimum. Even more of a success, though, was the fact that he had only killed one person since he has moved to London, and that particular incident had special circumstances—Soto had just been informed of Teslo's death, and he felt a bit odd upon hearing the news, causing him to relapse into his killing habit. However, Soto now focuses on keeping himself afloat with the little money he has, and cannot even afford the items necessary for a murder. The concept of coexisting with vampires and werewolves was also completely new to Soto, as well—he had heard of and even met the creatures where he previously lived, but he had never mingled with them before. He had gotten used to the idea after a few months, however, and after his cash ran dry, he choose to live with two vampires, one of which being his biological cousin—the proof being the birth certificate Soto had received previously. The added stress of living with other people again, though, is causing the recently recovered Soto to fall back into his serial habit, and for the added challenge, he now chooses vampire/werewolves as his targets.
Who knows… perhaps you will become his next victim.
Mother/Father: Unknown—Soto was an orphan
Siblings: None that he knows of
Offspring: Again, none that he knows of
Other: Even though Teslo was not physically related to Soto, she was the closest thing to a motherly figure he has ever gotten. And also, his long lost vampire cousin, Dieter Auttenburg.
† RP example †
See Vincent Fromm.
† Let's talk about you †
Name: Dodo
Other Characters: Vincent-frickin-FROMM, yo and Luther-f'in-Auttenburg
Other: In case you're wondering, yes, Soto is my take on The Zodiac Killer.
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