JASPER SHAY CRUZ

Personality

Shy tendencies, sometimes quiet, but confusingly introverted. He's the kind of introvert that is very outgoing in spurts but needs time to just "decompress" from human interaction often with writing, playing guitar or piano, listening to music, or reading. He's an optimistic individual who tries to look at the glass as half-full, even if his depression and anxiety tries to hinder that periodically. He's very encouraging and caring toward others. Something of an empath, really. He's a friendly and kind person who goes out of his way to make sure others are smiling and feeling good around him. Dependable and honest, never utters "I promise", unless he knows one hundred percent certainty, that he can achieve the promise he vowed to. He also is one of those people who believes a pinky promise is law.

INFJ-T: The Adocate
The Advocate personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population, but they nonetheless leave their mark on the world. Advocates have an inborn sense of idealism and morality, but what sets them apart is that they are not idle dreamers. These individuals are capable of taking concrete steps to realize their goals and make a lasting positive impact.

People with this personality type tend to see helping others as their purpose in life. Advocates can often be found engaging in rescue efforts and doing charity work. However, their real passion is to get to the heart of the issue so that people need not be rescued at all.

Advocates find it easy to make connections with others. They have a talent for warm, sensitive language, speaking in human terms, rather than with pure logic and fact.

It makes sense that their friends and colleagues will come to think of them as quiet Extraverted personality types. However, they would all do well to remember that Advocates need time alone to decompress and recharge, and not to become too alarmed when they suddenly withdraw. Advocates take great care of others’ feelings, and they expect the favor to be returned – sometimes that means giving them the space they need for a few days.

Really, though, it is most important for people with the Advocate personality type to remember to take care of themselves. The passion of their convictions is perfectly capable of carrying them past their breaking point. If their zeal gets out of hand, they can find themselves exhausted, unhealthy, and stressed.

This becomes especially apparent when Advocates find themselves up against conflict and criticism. Their sensitivity forces these personalities to do everything they can to evade these seemingly personal attacks. When the circumstances are unavoidable, however, they can fight back in highly irrational, unhelpful ways.

To Advocates, the world is a place full of inequity – but it doesn’t have to be. No other personality type is better suited to create a movement to right a wrong, no matter how big or small. Advocates just need to remember that while they’re busy taking care of the world, they need to take care of themselves, too.

POSITIVE

Charming.
Compassionate and Empathetic.
Hard-working.
Creative.
Patient.
Insightful.
Determined and Passionate.

NEGATIVE

Cares too much.
Anxious Overthinker.
Overly sensitive.
Perfectionist
Sarcastic (sometimes at the worst times)
Burns out easily.
Indecisive.

Appearance

HEIGHT 5'10" BODY TYPE 145 lbs. Slim/Fit. HAIR COLOR Naturally blonde. Dyed black. EYE COLOR Crystal blue. STYLE "2000's emo meets teenage vampire". TRADEMARKS Black nail polish. All Black everything. Pops of red. Eyeliner. Beanies. Hoodies.

Body modifications include a nose ring, gauged ears and tattoos. He has one visible tattoo on his wrist, that reads "remember right now", which is to help keep him present when facing anxiety but his legs are heavily inked. His first tattoo was the original four pokeballs (from Pokemon Red & Blue) which are on his foot. The character Tom Servo from Mystery Science Theater 3000 is on his leg and it was five hours worth of painstaking agony in the best way possible. It's his favorite show ever, so it just felt right. He has the straight edge X's on his knees, which hurt like FUCKING HELL but it represents him at his core. He has emoticons on the tops of his feet ( <(^_^<) ) simply because he likes them. He has the album artwork for Life In Dreaming by Hidden In Plain View tattooed on him as well because it's one of his favorite albums. Period. The last tattoo on his legs is a larger piece of a globe and a vision of Ariel from The Little Mermaid that says "Save The World, Get The Girl", because he's a compulsive overthinker who needed the reminder to just go for whatever it is he wanted in the world. Including love, but that's a whole other story for a whole other time! He's a very casual dresser, jeans and teeshirts and hoodies mostly unless he has to dress up.

Relive The Story

RELIVE THE STORY is a band who hails from London, England, UK.

Formed by Jasper Cruz & Blake Ward while the boys were in secondary school, the band found a fair amount of success in the local London scene. Establishing a following through social media, the band crowd-funded their first EPs. While still in high school, the band released two EP's and a full-length album on their own dime and through the amazing fans that they had acquired through their local scene. They did a few short tours in the UK but primarily called London their 'scene'.

Unexpectedly, the band went on hiatus after the release of their first full-length album. The reason for the hiatus was members of Relive The Story living on separate continents and keeping the band alive was next to impossible at that point. In August of 2019, however, a cryptic tweet was posted on the since defunct Relive The Story Twitter account: Hello, Consumer. Remember Us? #LondonUnderground #London #NobodysListening #orarethey. The response was beyond their expectations. Aside from the official Twitter account reemerging, Jasper returned to Instagram under "JasperRTS", solidifying that Relive The Story was officially back on.

Fans of the band quickly discovered that Blake had relocated to the United States, living in New York City and working for music publication Loudwire, whereas Jasper was also living in New York City and attending New York University. What nobody expected was an announcement of the band being back together and a new album was coming. With a slight lineup change, as the original lead guitarist of the band wasn't back for the ride, the "core four" of the band returned with a new and fresh face on lead guitar for touring purposes. Touring purposes. September 2019 came a massive announcement from the band that they had signed with Fearless Records and would be hosted by the Fearless family with their future releases. Jasper announced on social media on October 18th 2019 that the band had finished recording their upcoming full-length album, just a week removed from their return to the stage in the UK with a trio of shows in Brighton, Bournemouth and London revealing a new look, a new vibe, and a new attitude. And Jasper promised "the fall is coming".

While the message is cryptic, the release of the first single from the upcoming album, titled 'The Wounded World', was released for consumption on October 19th, 2019 to an excited and favorable response. The album, The Great Depression, was announced to be released in Janaury of 2020, which 'The Stigma (Boys Don't Cry)' being released in December to get people 'ready'. According to Jasper, the band drew inspiration from 2000's post-hardcore and emo rather than the pop punk they were originally known for. Happy to be just an alternative/rock band, the re-emergence of Relive The Story looks to be a loud, angry and inspired one.

RELIVE THE STORY ARE:

Jasper Cruz - Vocals
Blake Ward - Rhythm Guitar/Vocals
Steve "Stevie" Quinn - Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals
Oliver "Olli" Lawson - Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals
Lennon "Len" Wilson - Drums

💿 DISCOGRAPHY 💿

(February) 2011 - Never Happy, Ever After: Independently released, crowd & personally funded. Written and independently distributed when Jasper was sixteen. Features singles - "Dial Tones", "Cheap Shots & Setbacks" & "Speak Soft"

(Januay) 2020 - okay.: Released on Fearless Records. Written & Recorded between 2012 & 2013 but was never released. Released ahead of "The Great Depression" as a "bridge album". Features singles - "Pretty Little Distance", "No Way Out" & "Hey Rachel".

(January) 2020 - The Great Depression: Released on Fearless Records. "The Return". Features singles: "The Wounded World" & "The Stigma (Boys Don't Cry)"

[ OOC: Band claim = As It Is. I do not claim ownership of their music, their work, etc. This is just for roleplaying & reference. ]

History

While Jasper was born in Chicago, from the age of four until he was seventeen, he called London, England home. To this day, he calls London his hometown. He spent so much time living in London because his father, Stuart, was originally from London. Working as a Broker, Stuart provided well for his family, which included his wife, Ciara, and his twin son and daughter. Ciara was a stay-at-home mother primarily but she was a freelance author in her free time. Jasper grew up quite close with his twin sister and to this day, they're very close, even as adults themselves. The family moved back to Chicago when the twins were seventeen years old (not long after they turned seventeen) due to Ciara's mother, Rose, becoming very ill. Rose lived another five years, thankfully, but she was not well through the remainder of her life. Losing her even at twenty-two years old was very hard on Jasper, who adored the woman endlessly. Whenever he goes to Chicago, he always visits her grave at Acadia Park in Norridge just because he misses her a great deal.

Traveling was something that Jasper had always had a taste for. After he graduated from secondary school, he used money he had saved through odd jobs and through helping his parents to travel before committing to any higher education. He knew once he started that, he would probably not have the time to do much else so that became a priority. He was very thankful for the financial assistance his parents provided for the endeavor and used it to see some pretty amazing things. He backpacked in Mexico and Japan, for two weeks each time, staying in cheap accommodations or camping out when the weather was kind. It was an experience that his twin sister and two of their friends went on together and those are some of the fondest memories to date that Jasper has. He has gone on many adventures. He has been to Canada, Germany, France, Scotland, The Netherlands, and Romania and plans to do all in his power to see more of the incredible globe that he lives on.

All of Jasper's schooling and education came from his time in the UK. When they returned to the United States, he toyed around with the idea of university endlessly. He couldn't quite decide what he wanted to do or IF he wanted to go to university and if he did, he wasn't sure he wanted to do it in the United States. He teetered back and forth before deciding to not only do university but to relocate entirely to New York City. New York was a place that he had always wanted to at least visit but never thought he'd move on a whim like that. It surprised even him. He was accepted to New York University where he would spend the next four years majoring in Psychology. His interest in Psychology had always been there but was more evidently a choice because he battles depression and anxiety himself. His desire to help others who experience mental illness is incredibly strong even when he struggles with his own demons. He hopes to help others cope with theirs while he continues to learn and grow to cope with his own. He finished his Bachelor's Degree in February of 2020, graduating officially in May 2020. In June of 2020, Jasper started on the path of his Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling through NYU Steinhardt.

Jasper lived in Manhattan from the time he moved to New York City for university until August of 2019. He started dating a woman named Zelda Kovalsky on the 10th of August after falling fairly hard for her in the process of getting to know her. They initially bonded over a mutual love of Japan and how cute his dog was, and they spent almost two weeks talking every single day while he was in Japan on vacation getting to know each other. When he returned from Japan, they met in person, and it was an insane and cosmic sort of connection. His move to Brooklyn came not even two full weeks after dating Zelda but circumstances were a bit beyond both of their control. With a roommate bailing on her, she was in a bind, and Jasper - usually overly cautious - told her that he'd move in with her. The big jump into a serious relationship actually ended up being one of the best things Jasper has ever done and he loves making a home with the woman he knows he wants to spend his life with.

In January of 2020, the 24th to be exact, Jasper was with Zelda in Japan for her birthday trip. He took Zelda to Osaka Castle, where he would proceed to propose to her on the roof of the castle overlooking Osaka Castle Park. With Japan being such a profound connection for them, the idea of proposing anywhere else felt absolutely blasphemous. She said yes, so their vacation for Zelda's birthday kicked off with an enagement. Jasper's excitement for the future intensified tenfold with a three letter word. "Yes".

FAST FACTS

- Openly identifies as heterosexual, but is fairly along the lines of bi-curious. it took him until his mid-20's to realise that.
- A massive LGBTQIA+ ally. Even before he worked at The Trevor Project he was but that has enforced that tenfold.
- Vegan since the age of fifteen.
- Straight Edge.
- Does not preach the vegan thing or straight edge at all.
- A Twin born on the first day of Gemini.
- Gemini with Gemini Rising (yikes)
- Has his driver's license but until recently hated driving.
- Currently leasing a 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid ( #1 #2 ). More shocking than him driving anything, the car is Intense Blue, not black. Major identity crisis.
- Daddy to a 3-year-old little girl, Butterscotch.
- Daddy to a 5-year-old little girl, Ofelia, that his fiancee adopted before they were together.
- Daddy to a 2-year-old little boy, Haku, that they adopted together.
- Father of twin girls, Nostariel Nova (born @ 7:48 PM) and Lothiriel Andromeda (born 7:57 PM), who made their debut on 29th October 2020.
- Shares a house in Brooklyn with his fiancee.
- Obsessed with horror movies.
- Obsessive about music.
- Hufflepuff.
- INFJ-T.
- Passionate. Determined. Ambitious.
- Allergic to bees, dust, and intolerant to soy (he eats it anyway...)
- Speaks English, Russian, and conversational French.
- Active. As. Fuck.
- Loves lazy days with movies, crisps and good company.
- Hopeless romantic.
- Plays guitar, bass, drums, and piano.
- Loves sleep way too much.
- Diagnosed with Axillo-Subclavian Vein Thrombosis in 2020.
- Wears makeup. Paints his nails. Doesn't care if people don't like it.

Favorite Reading Material: The Shining by Stephen King. The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. The Stand by Stephen King. How To Stop Time by Matt Haig. The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling. Dracula by Bram Stoker. Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R Tolkein. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. Basically, everything Edgar Allan Poe wrote. Stephen King too, come to think about it. All of it.

Favorite Movies: The Lost Boys. Interview With A Vampire. IT. Scream. Halloween series (except Halloween 3 & H20). Friday The 13th. Nightmare On Elm Street. Many Disney films including Hercules, Mulan, Beauty & The Beast, and The Little Mermaid. Howl's Moving Castle.

Favorite TV Shows: The Office, Dexter, Supernatural, American Horror Story, Mystery Science Theater 3000. Some trashy reality tv occasionally.

PASSPORT

(In 2012) Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Miyajima Island, Okinawa Island. (In 2019) Tokyo, Enoshima, Hakone, Fujikawaguchiko, Osaka (twice). (In 2020) Osaka, Hakone, Kyoto, Tokyo
(In 2010) Torre del Greco. Naples. Pompei.
(In 2013) Bucharest. Brasov. Bran.
(In 2018) Nova Scotia.
(In 2012) Glasgow. Edinburgh.
(In 2012) Mexico City. Santa Cecilia. Pueblo Nuevo.
(In 2013) Paris.
(In 2014) Amsterdam. Den Haag.

Aesthetics

Relationships

ZELDA KOVALSKY His "love at first sight". His "happily ever after". His "completely unexpected". Jasper fell for Zelda and he fell for Zelda hard. She's the perfect match Aquarius to his Gemini. Life feels a little more exciting with that wild woman by his side and he can't imagine his life any other way now that he's experienced someone like her.

JAZMINE CRUZ-WARD His lifelong best friend, from the womb and onward. They bicker, they fight, they drive each other crazy, but if there is one person on the planet that Jasper would live and die for, it's his twin sister. #twintuition #justtwinthings #thegeminitwins

BLAKE CRUZ-WARD Jasper can't remember a time in his life where he wasn't best friends with Blake. They grew up together, they formed a band together, and they're together again only this time it's stateside instead of the UK. Not to mention, they've reformed Relive The Story and are in the process of making a comeback musically. Anything worth doing is worth doing with your best friend.

LEO DE LUCA Every person needs friends but Jasper is lucky enough to have three dudes in his life that are lovingly called "squad squad". Leo is one of those dudes. They met through a mutual in Tessa originally but bonded very quickly. He considers Leo one of his best friends at the current along with Blake and Bowie. He'd do anything for his boys. #squadsquad

The Basics

FULL NAME Jasper Shay Cruz FROM Chicago born; London, UK raised. BIRTHDAY/SIGN May 21st 1994 / Gemini-Gemini Rising AGE Twenty-Seven (26) RESIDENCY Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York OCCUPATION Masters Student @ NYU.
Director of Digital Crisis Services @ The Trevor Project.
Vocalist of Relive The Story. RELATIONSHIP STATUS Engaged to Zelda Kovalsky [1.24.20]

Brooklyn based. Graduate of NYU with a BA in Psychology (class of 2020). Pursing Masters Degree at NYU (class of 2022). Fiance. Pet dad. Girl dad. Spends more time reading or at bookstores/coffee shops than any normal person should. Introvert. Coffee or die. Straight Edge. PMA all day. Music lover. Probably an actual vampire. Wanderlust. Animal justice & rights activist. Thinker. Doer. Relive The Story. Family = love. Empathic. Playful. Energetic. Articulate. Chatty. Artistic. Dreamer.

LIKES: Working out. Strong coffee. Lush. Music. Being outdoors. Going on hikes. Horror culture. Exploring new places. Traveling. Writing music. stargazing. Animals. Photography. Peace and quiet. Movies. Reading. Playing guitar. Learning new things. Sleeping. Cooking. Long bike rides. Baking. Irony. Incense. Bath bombs. Nature. Cooking. Cleaning. Stormy weather. Roadtrips. Picnics. Hugs. Yoga. Fresh fruit and vegetables. Too much pasta. Fries. Full moons. Astrology. Body modifications. Amusement parks. Thrill seeking. Tea.

DISLIKES: Ignorance. Intolerance. Dishonesty. Two-faced people. Negativity. Animal cruelty. Liars. Hot Dogs. Pickles. Getting up early. Judgmental people. Inconsiderate attitudes. Violence. Mercury retrograde. Papercuts. Brown soda. Fake people. Being sick. Promise breakers. The smell of seafood. Hateful people. Cold fries. Traffic. Overly aggressive people. Writer's block. Conformity. Harsh smells (ie: bleach). Toxic masculinity & feminity. Gender expectations/stereotypes. Room temp coffee. Milky tea/coffee.