Michael Hardy

[Megami*]

Name: Michael Hardy
Gender: Male
Age: Eighteen [18]
Grade: Senior [12th]
School: Southridge High School
Hobbies and Interests: Baseball, Paintball. Michael's also been playing guitar since he was 8 1/2.

Appearance: Overall, Michael's a pretty good looking guy... and he knows it. His sandy blonde hair is always spiked up, although he wears a baseball cap about half the time anyway. His eyebrows match his hair in color and are well groomed, and he has stunning blue eyes that he's received many compliments on. His teeth are straight and white in color, and the overall female population at Southridge High would describe his lips as "kissable". His facial features are mature and well-defined, and he has a strong, square jaw. A well-groomed and short-kempt beard wraps around his jaw, and he's been told many times that it makes him look older. Michael stands at about 6'1" and weighs around 180 pounds. He's got a nice body, but at his own expense. He spends a lot of time at the gym, and because of that he stays in pretty good shape and is rather toned. His skin is a light tan in color, not enough that it clashes with his blonde hair, but enough that you can tell he spends a good deal of time in the sun. He always looks "clean", even though he's usually just boasting a t-shirt and jeans or shorts.

Biography: From a young age onward, everyone knew Michael Hardy was destined for greatness. He was swinging a baseball bat before he could even walk, much to the excitement of avid baseball fan and new father, Nick Hardy. Nick and Marsee had marital problems from the get-go, and it only seemed to get worse. Michael was Marsee's last attempt at changing all that. She threw away her birth control pills, hoping that having a baby would reunite the couple and respark the fire that once was. Twelve months later, Nick Hardy filed for a divorce from his psychotic, overbearing wife. And that... was that. Marsee raised Michael, Nick attended every single baseball game and tournament the boy ever played in, and things seemed to work out well that way. At least, for a little while.

When Michael was nine, Marsee finally remarried a man named Jackson Daniels. Having spent so much time with his arrogant, hot-headed father, Michael took an automatic dislike to the whimsical, thirty-year-old art student. The two wound up in many disputes, Michael treating Jackson with more and more disrespect. Finally, after three years of putting up with his mom's new husband, twelve-year-old Michael all but demanded an emancipation from his mother. It was coming to the point that one of the two had to go. Marsee was, of course, torn. She didn't want to see her only son pack his things and move, nor did she want to lose the man she admired. She wouldn't have to make that decision. One day, Michael finally had enough. He packed his belongings, called his father, and that was that. Not knowing how to handle the situation and feeling like it was out of her control, Marsee simply let him leave.

Living with Nick would impact Michael's behavior for years to come.

Everyone has heard the phrase "Like mother, like daughter" or "Like father, like son". Those words couldn't possibly ring more true in this case. Michael grew up to be the spitting image of Nick in every aspect -- looks, athletic ability and prowess, even personality. These traits grew more and more prominent the older that Michael got. By the time he hit high school, he was the stereotypical "jock" in most aspects. He was blessed with his father's good looks, and having been labeled as "handsome" from a young age onward has made him quite arrogant and narcissistic -- not to the point that he can't function because he's so consumed by his own looks, but enough for him to put off that confident, self-assured attitude that makes him irresistably attractive to many a different woman throughout Southridge High School.

Needless to say, Michael loves the ladies. In fact, he fancies himself a connoisseur of women. He has a philosophy that women are like wine. Each needs to be tasted, savored, and enjoyed... and then you move on to the next one. He's held this love 'em and leave 'em attitude throughout high school, and he's broken many the heart because of it. Michael's a very self-confident person, and it shows. He has somewhat of a dominant personality that always seems to shine through, whether it's out on the baseball field, in the classroom, with his friends, or with his newest piece of eyecandy.

Of course, nobody's perfect.

During his sophomore year of high school, Michael managed to break his leg during one of his many baseball games with the Southridge Rebels. The doctors prescribed him some morphine to help ease the pain. It was then that Michael was turned on to a dark habit: the world of pills. That little dose of morphine was just enough to leave Michael wanting more and more. What started out as a bad addiction soon became an insatiable craving, and no one was the wiser. Even now, Michael maintains his dependence on medication, but it's a habit he stays very hush hush about. After all, it would ruin his reputation.

Michael's had many girlfriends over the years, the most recent two of which being Lauren Van Asche and the ultra-popular Serenity Halos. Michael and Lauren began dating around the start of senior year, to the surprise of many. Lauren, a quiet, almost unsociable girl, didn't quite seem up to Michael's calibur of women. Still, for whatever reason, he took particular interest in this girl. Many people didn't know what inspired Michael to date the pianist, but all his best friends knew exactly what it was. Lauren was an innocent girl in every sense of the word. Michael had every intention of taking that innocence away. It was almost like some sort of conquest for him... one in which he failed miserably. He never did succeed in his goal, and inevitably broke up with Lauren for no reason other than the fact that she wouldn't sleep with him. Although Lauren was the one who got dumped, Michael still harbors some ill feelings toward the girl for rejecting him. After all, it was quite the bruise to the ego.

After things with Lauren fell through, Michael was on the rebound and looking for something easy. That something came in the form of Serenity Halos... or so he thought. Michael asked Serenity out under the premise that since she was popular, she must be easy. That was no unfounded stereotype around Southridge High. Things with Michael and Serenity were very short-lived, however. The two only connected on a superficial level, and when Michael discovered that Serenity wasn't that typical "popular" Southridge girl, he decided that it wasn't worth working for and inevitably broke it off with her. Michael is currently single, but it probably won't last long. It never does.

Advantages: He's good-looking, he's popular, he's very self-confident. Overall, Michael's got the characteristics of a leader. He's the type of person who can do anything he sets his mind on, simply because he believes in himself. This is, perhaps, his biggest advantage. When he sets his mind to something, there's no stopping him.

Disadvantages: His dirty little habit of popping pills is a definite disadvantage to him. It's more mental than physical, but it's almost like a stress-reliever for Michael. In addition, his narcissistic attitude and his objectification of women could cause him some problems on down the line, if it hasn't already made him some life-long enemies.