Dissonance (James Kemp)

Concept

Profile

Vital Statistics

FULL NAME: James Edward Kemp.
AFFILIATION: Rebel.
AGE/DOB: 24. November 17th, 2051.
GENDER: Male.
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual.
OCCUPATION: During the week, he works as a librarian. It doesn't pay very well, but it puts him close to books for forty-odd hours every week. On the weekend, he earns a bit extra by doubling as a fry cook in a popular diner.
THEME SONG: Is It Any Wonder? by Keane; Anybody Wanna Take Me Home by Ryan Adams.
RESIDENCE: A tiny, crappy studio apartment near the Complex. It's furnished with a futon that he picked up off the street, a few bookshelves made out of boards and cement blocks, and appliances that are at least fifty years old. There's no decoration on the walls, nor is there any kind of furnishing to hold his clothes—they're just thrown into his closet, separated into piles of dirty and clean (if he's lucky). There's an extra mattress for when his bff needs a place to crash.

Appearance

HEIGHT: 6’2”.
WARDROBE: Generally, Dissonance tends to wear neutral colors and the most bland clothing possible. Jeans or dark slacks are his preferred pants (although the jeans are less likely to wrinkle). He has a few button-down shirts that he may wear to work, but otherwise, it's largely long-sleeved shirts. He never wears short sleeves, no matter the weather. It's just a thing. His clothes are completely unmemorable.
MISCELLANEOUS: Tattoo of the outline of a spade at the base of his left thumb, at the juncture with the back of his hand.
PB: Ryan Gosling.

Personality

PERSONALITY: It's not at all surprising that Dissonance works in alias development, all things considered; much of his personality is merely a developed persona. He's known for being a devil's advocate when it comes to any idea or plan, always pointing out flaws and coming across as the eternal pessimist. No plan, in his estimation, is too well thought through to be completely flawless. And they're all damn fools if they ever, even for a moment, think that nothing could go wrong in any aspect of the operation.
…..In truth, he's actually (dare I say it?) quite the optimist when it comes to their prospects. Oh, sure, most plans are stupid and ill-composed, but that doesn't stop him from believing that the rebellion's overall goals aren't out of reach. He has a very rational view of most things, and recognizes that a society can only be sustained for so long under a totalitarian government before its subjects turn on Big Brother. Especially a society that has recently (relatively so) been allowed the freedom to elect its own governing body. He's a big fan of history for just this reason, and will devour any new information on the past.
…..It's this knowledge that makes him so opinionated on the subject of government. While most of his rants are channeled through the persona of Hamlet, it's not unusual to catch him delivering a diatribe as Dissonance, either. Hit the right button, and he's practically a fountain of words. Most other times, though, he's not much of a talker. He's not antisocial by any means, but he's a man of few words (because frankly, he's far too busy ingesting them).
…..While he does enjoy talking with others, Dissonance often forgets that there's some level of delicacy that comes with human interaction. It's not that he says (too often) things that others find offensive, but more that he interjects his thoughts where they aren't needed, and does occasionally leave conversations abruptly. Apologizing is something that he usually doesn't do, either because he forgets, or because he feels the situation doesn't warrant it. He can be harsh, too, when it comes to the subject of his critiques. Lives and the future of the rebellion could be at stake. Quite frankly, he thinks holding his tongue would be a much worse offense than hurting someone's feelings.
…..When it comes to relationships, Dissonance tends to fall flat. It's not that he doesn't get laid—he can do that, no problem—but the last time he had a meaningful relationship was back in school.. unless you count a short-lived relationship about nine months ago. He doesn't even try, honestly. The handful times that he embarked on a relationship that might last more than a few nights, he managed to piss the girl off within two weeks. He's convinced that the idea of finding the right girl, settling down, and having children is a concept better suited to another time and place. Even love is questionable nowadays, when there can be so much at stake. He's not convinced that anyone would be able to avoid selling out to the Shusai if the price were high enough—not even himself.
…..It's hard to pin him down, really, because he shifts ever so slightly from day to day. He's an optimistic realist, and that's a battle in itself. Two things, however, remain true about him: his dislike for the current government, and his love for literature.

Rebel Information

CODENAME: Dissonance.
DIVISION: Alias development. He's pretty damn good at what he does, too. He's not in love with the job, but as far as he's concerned, it could be worse. Dissonance has the great ability to point out flaws in just about any given plan.. meaning that if you come to him with a pre-set idea of your new alias, chances are he's going to rip it to shreds. He's a very strong dose of realism, and while he may have his own private ideas on the romanticism of assuming other identities, he muffles that for the sake of practicality. He's very fond of literary names (especially those related to Shakespeare's dramas and histories) and tends to suggest the most bland personas possible, knowing that whatever he suggests will likely be "improved" upon by the person taking on the identity. At least if they start bland, it's less likely that there will be too many outrageous characters wandering around. Oh, and he's good with the forgery—and isn't above using that to his own advantage. Keep your signature to yourself, or stay on his good side.
ALIASES: He has quite a few, mostly because he tends to accumulate and rarely use them. Most are references to Shakespeare's works, and hold some significance if you pause to consider them. His primary alias is Edgar Lear, mild-mannered librarian. Mild-mannered, at least, provided that no one damages any of his books. On the weekends, he doubles as Rusty Neil, a fry cook in [insert description of restaurant here]. Yeah, no Shakespeare there. He just thinks that one is hilarious. His favorite alias is that Hamlet, a strictly online persona. He writes a blog under this name, in which he rants about the state of the government, etc. Richard York is a persona which he tells no one about. He's the model Shusai citizen; combed hair, suit, charming and set on marrying and carrying on the family name. Dissonance doesn't take on this alias often, but it's still there. In truth, he finds it comforting; despite his opinions on the Shusai Corp., there's still a part of him that misses the simplicity of life prior to his brother turning on the family.

History

NPCs/FAMILY MEMBERS: Frank Kemp (Presumed Deceased) — Father, 45 at time of disappearance. Rebel Double Agent. Shusai employee.
Susan Kemp (Presumed Deceased) — Mother, 43 at time of disappearance. Rebel. Librarian.
Jesse Kemp (Shusai Police) — Brother, age 26. The two have not spoken since Jesse betrayed their family. Jesse is uptight and accepting of the current societal normals, compared to Dissonance's looser style and strong belief in the rebels' cause.
HISTORY: James Edward Kemp was born a rebel, and never once wanted to be anything else. The second son to Susan and Frank Kemp, he was instilled with the basic ideals of the Rhythm Revolution practically from birth. It was no mistake that James followed on the heels of a brother named Jesse.
…..Frank Kemp—despite his reservations on the subject—worked for the Shusai Corp., acting as a double agent while keeping his family decently well-off. Enough that they had a secure home, enough food for their table, and the money to provide schooling for both their boys. Susan, meanwhile, worked at the library, which was how the youngest Kemp discovered his love for literature. By the age of five, he was already voraciously devouring books meant for children older than himself. He also had quite the mouth on him, and had to be cuffed on the ear more than once to stop the overeagerness of youth from revealing too much.
…..While the situation was never what you'd call ideal—unlike his brother, James was a pushy and opinionated teenager, who swiftly grew restless with his state of forced false allegiance—his youth was above average, given the state of the world. The Kemp boys didn't really have extra, but they had much more than most (and James knew it). And really, why should they have when other people didn't? The older he became, the more questions he asked. At the same time, the older Jesse became, the fewer he posed.
…..Perhaps, then, it shouldn't have surprised James as much as it did when Jesse turned on his family. James—seventeen to his brother's nineteen at the time—was out getting groceries when the police showed up at their place. When he returned, he saw the waiting Shusai members standing guard, and fled the scene. His brother went on the join the police force, while James took refuge with some friends.
…..For the first couple of years following that day, James wasn't quite the young man he'd been. He was bitter and spiteful, resenting what his brother had done—and even more, resenting what had been taken away from him. He'd been only months from finishing school, and now, diploma-less and forced to work under assumed names, he struggled to make ends meet. He was, however, as adaptable as ever, and swiftly realized that a few forged signatures here and there could make life much easier. So he worked at it.
…..When he was nineteen, he finally joined the rebellion officially, taking on the codename Dissonance. With his experience with forgery and taking on aliases for work, it made sense that he'd work in alias development. It was there that he learned to take his forgery to the next level. And with this learning and the clear usefulness of his job, some of James' restlessness faded. He was able to put away his bitterness and spite—although he certainly hasn't ceased to feel them—and become a much more pleasant man to be around.
…..Not much has changed in the past five years. Eventually, he returned to the library where his mother used to work, seeking employment under the name of Edgar Kent. Rusty Neil was one of his first aliases, that he continues to use, more for amusement's sake than anything else. His deck of aliases is larger, perhaps, than it should be, but it's only natural when the development process is so easy for him. Largely, he sticks to the main three, and seems largely content with the life that he has carved out for himself.

Relationships

Works with Lindsey Patterson.
Close friends with Roll.
Formerly had a relationship-type-thing with Sarah James.