Jeffrey McGuinnness

Hot-tempered, abrupt, speaks without a filter. He can hurt with words, even without meaning to.

With strangers, he often acts fake: he embellishes, becomes cynical, plays a role. This is his way of keeping his distance.

With close ones (Liam, Tony, sometimes Sasha), he drops the mask. He remains caustic, but stops lying.

He doesn't know how to talk about feelings. Instead of "I'm worried," he'll say "You look like death." Instead of "I'm sorry," he'll do something—make coffee, sit next to you.

He loses his temper in public when he's scared or hurt. He can say too much, then regret it, but never apologize.

He hates being pitied. He'd rather pretend he's in control than admit weakness.

He doesn't ask for help. If it's offered without condescension, he can accept it, but with difficulty.

His greatest fear is being unwanted and abandoned. He's afraid that if he stops proving his worth, he'll be abandoned. A core belief: he's only accepted when he's "good enough"—loud, talented, irreplaceable. He defends himself through attack. As a child, he was beaten with words and actions—now he strikes first, to avoid being beaten. Music and the stage are his way of surviving. There, he can vent his pain, anger, and fear without fear of rejection. Inside, he's still the bullied boy who was teased as "dead." Adult Jeff is the armor beneath which the frightened child lives. The value he seeks in others: the opportunity to be unpretentious. Trust for him comes from being accepted without a mask, even when he's caustic and awkward. He doesn't believe he can be loved simply because he's loved. He's expecting a trick, testing, looking for confirmation that he's about to be abandoned. He has a playful intelligence. He quickly notices absurdities and loves to tease his friends, but without being cruel. He can start a humorous argument with Liam about who left the mug, imitate Tony's serious expression, and exchange absurd dialogue with Sasha. This is his way of showing, "I'm safe, I'm with you."

He has a knack for self-irony. When he feels trusted, he can laugh at his own paleness, his dramatic nature, and his tendency to control everything. This makes him not just prickly, but also lively and relatable.

He senses the right moment for a joke. If someone is too tense or sad, Jeff can interject with a silly comment that lightens the mood. He keeps the atmosphere from becoming too heavy—not because he's afraid of depth, but because he knows that sometimes it's better to laugh than to drown.

Liam: a platonic but very deep friendship. Liam is the first person Jeff hasn't pretended to be with. Jeff taught Liam music, and Liam gave Jeff a home and acceptance. Liam is calm and quiet, almost the complete opposite of Jeffrey, but they consider themselves soulmates. They've been friends since they were teenagers. Liam was born in Japan and migrated there, and he practices Buddhism. Tony: Jeff is furious that Tony is too busy and doesn't take care of himself. He expresses this with barbs, but underneath it all, he's worried. Tony is the only one who can put Jeff in his place with a single look. Tony is Jeffrey's band bassist. He's taciturn and reserved, but he can crack a good joke. Jeff taught him to play bass.

He is the vocalist and lyricist for his own band, Rotten Broken Bones. · He was born prematurely (at seven months). He was initially kept in an incubator; doctors doubted he would survive. · Due to his prematurity, he has pale skin, tires quickly, and needs more sleep than others (9-10 hours is normal, sometimes up to 12). · His father left almost immediately after his birth, fearing the responsibility of caring for a "weak" child. · His mother worked day and night, spending almost no time with him. Jeff grew up alone and learned to take care of himself early. · He was bullied at school for his quietness, paleness, and weakness. At some point, he began to fight back and his appearance changed—he began to look defiant and aggressive. · His only solace was music. He often went to a music store, where the salesman, Max, allowed him to play instruments. At grammar school (where his mother sent him after saving up), he met Liam in a music club. At first, he was angry at his attempts to make friends, but then he became his informal music teacher.

He became sexually active early, changing partners frequently—girls, then guys, then again. He avoided relationships.

At 22, he moved in with Liam at his invitation. He still lives with him.

Pansexual: the partner's gender is not important, but authenticity is. He may leave guitar strings, picks, and empty cans on the table. Liam silently cleans up.

If he notices Liam has cleaned up his mess, he feels guilty and may silently make tea or wipe down the stove.

Cooks more often than Liam, because Liam is passive in everyday life.

Takes out the trash (sometimes after being reminded).

Jeff is tall, 6'2", athletic, and pale. His hair is styled in a voluminous, tousled side part, and he has clear blue eyes that he hides behind colored contacts—mostly yellow. He has a shaved eyebrow, pierced nose bridge, and lower lip, pierced ears, and numerous earrings. (He also has a frenulum piercing.) He usually wears secondhand crafted items, leather jackets, tank tops, ripped jeans, studded belts, and studded chokers—all in a punk and rock style. He looks edgy and cool.