Haley Luz Juarez

[Aster]

Name: Haley Luz Juarez
Gender: Agender (biologically female)
Age: 17
Grade: 11th
School: Cochise High School
Hobbies and Interests: Vining, hiking & exploration, softball, partying, playing guitar, hairstyling, drama

Appearance: Haley stands at an even 5'3" and weighs 141 lbs. Their body is toned and muscled from softball and being active general, though there is a bulk to it due to their diet. Their skin is tanned and prone to breaking out, though they've managed to suppress it with skin care products. They have an oblong face, round hazel eyes and a snub nose. Their hair is straight and black. Haley enjoys experimenting with hairstyles, and thus their hair varies in length and style. At the moment their hair extends just past their shoulders, though they have contemplated cutting it into a bob cut.

They have a fondness for bright, eye-catching color, which shows in their wardrobe. Their appearance is still predominantly effeminate, partially because of fondness for their established style of presentation and a desire to break the stereotype that all nonbinary people have to present androgynously, lest they tie themselves to the gender binary. Haley enjoys wearing dresses and blouses, dressing lightly for the Arizona weather. They also tend to wear Cochise spirit wear during special occasions such as school trips, assemblies and other days of significance. On the trip Haley wore a red Cochise t-shirt with the school's logo and mascot on it, denim shorts and gold slip-on shoes. They also wore their hair in a half-up crown braid.

Biography: Erica Luz was a nursing student studying at the Kingman campus of Northern Arizona University when she met Joel Juarez, a Bullhead City resident who worked as a firefighter for the Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport Fire Department. After several years of dating the two decided to get married and start a family.

Erica is the fourth child of Gregory and Avee Luz, an established and well-off family in Kingman. The family owns a fair portion of land, where most of Erica's extended family lives in what could be described as a miniature village. Joel pointed out that living on the Luzs' land would give them a permanent house, and there was an opportunity to raise their children around their extended family. They settled down there, where Haley was born along with their sister Allison (3 years their senior) and brother Stephen (4 years their junior). The family was middle class, with Erica working as a medical secretary at Kingman Regional Medical Center and Joel continuing his work as a firefighter.

Haley and Allison meshed well, Allison taking up the role of cool older sister and becoming a sort of role model for Haley. Stephen, on the other hand, was more withdrawn and kept to himself. Haley was more mean-spirited with him, often picking on him through what they thought was harmless banter. Joel and Erica were caring parents, though they were a bit lax when it came to disciplinary actions. The two figured that they could loosen up since the other families could keep an eye on the kids, becoming absorbed in their own affairs.

Haley was enthusiastic and sociable with their cousins, especially ones around their age. They became a ringleader for their games and escapades, often having the final word in arguments and other disputes. However, they weren't very fair when it came to some aspects of decision making, always calling first dibs and generally putting themselves first.Haley would also be unintentionally mean to their cousins, blurting out what's on their mind whether or not it was appropriate. Their reaction tended to vary depending on their relationship with the cousin in question. They'd apologize if it was a cousin they were close to, though they were more callous with their more distant cousins, not apologizing unless an aunt or uncle forced them to.

They were fond of exploring the land their family held, often letting their curiosity get the best of them and leading expeditions into the wilderness. They always had several cousins tagging along, though Haley was usually absorbed in their own safety; they assumed that their cousins wouldn't fare any worse than they did. When accidents occurred, Haley would focus on getting themselves out of trouble first, then either calling for help or helping them themselves. Haley would often be held responsible for these mishaps, being scolded and disciplined by their aunts and uncles when it happened. Their parents would never discipline them, believing that their in-laws punished them enough. However, Haley's parents still took action against their escapades. Joel would give stern warnings whenever Haley would go out, reminding them of their cousins' safety and their parents' wrath.

Erica, however, held sympathy for Haley's adventurous nature, being bored of Kingman herself and yearning for life beyond the town. Erica thought that she could channel her child's curiosity in a healthy manner by taking them on camping or hiking. Erica usually took these trips alone with Haley, though on occasion one or more of their family members would tag along. While their most frequented destination is the nearby Hualapai Mountains, they've also visited the Havasu Wilderness and Lake Mojave. They try to go to places that are less than a two hour drive outside of Kingman. Haley enjoys these trips, and spent much of their childhood eagerly waiting for the next one. As they grew older they took an active role on these trips, doing jobs like setting up tents or starting the fire. Despite this, Haley continued to take wanton trips into the wilderness, though they became more experienced when it came to the terrain and learned to only bring along their more resilient cousins.

A second, minor interest in hairstyling also budded during Haley's childhood. One of the things Allison and Haley did together was braid each others' hair. Haley loved it, liking the way the braids looked. After Allison taught them how to do a simple hair braid on their own, Haley began to attempt more complicated braids, looking up tutorials online and learning from their sister. Their hair would be a source of self-expression as they grew older, experimenting with different hairstyles and seeing which ones suited them best. Haley still stuck with braids and plaits, enjoying the process and finding them aesthetically pleasing.

As they began their education, Haley mostly saw school as a social opportunity. They were used to socializing with their cousins, so they were quick to make friends among their peers. However, they were also used to being in charge, and Haley often attempted to domineer in social situations. Some classmates wouldn't appreciate this, and they'd butt heads. Haley's reaction would be extremely negative, and they'd sling insults and taunt the other person. Teachers were frequent to mediate and reprimand, trying to reinforce good cooperation skills and talking. While Haley's public outbursts stopped, this didn't stop them from holding grudges or spreading rumors about these people.

Classes themselves bored Haley; they'd much rather prefer to talk to their friends, and they often got in trouble for disrupting class or being off-task. Haley would often disregard these warnings, though after getting pressure from their teachers and parents they have improved: while their mindset didn't change, they have committed themselves to working hard enough to skate by, keeping their grades high enough to avoid concern from parents and teachers. Overall they're disinterested in the core classes, holding a marginal interest in other classes, especially physical education. They enjoy the active nature of the class, and relished the fact it was mainly games. Haley became especially interested in softball after they played it once in class, finding the sport fun and being a marginally good player. They enjoyed the sport and joined the softball team when they reached middle school, and kept on it throughout their school career. Haley is notoriously competitive, having the enthusiasm and drive to win and often taunts the opposing team.

Haley enjoyed listening to songs and occasionally singing in their early childhood, though they held a special interest in the guitar. Joel knew how to play the guitar, though he only played on occasion. Haley liked listening to their father's music, and wanted to play it themselves. They initially took lessons from their father, though when Joel couldn't find enough time to do it often he opted to sign Haley up for guitar lessons. They stuck to the instrument, and worked hard to improve their skills, though they are mediocre at best. Haley enjoys trying to learn songs, seeing it as a challenge and enjoying the feelings of success once it's mastered. They have tried to write their own songs, but their first attempts were atrocious and nowadays they stick to playing preexisting songs. Haley has discontinued the lessons in recent times, being proficient enough to play alone and without instruction. They practice regularly when they're bored or cooped up inside, though it's not a hobby they're open with: they'll talk to friends about it, but they rarely play for someone and keep their skills to themselves.

When Haley entered middle school, they became more involved with socializing and cliques. They were outgoing enough to be considered popular, and often talked to friends. They also explored romantic relationships, though as they were only in middle school relationships comprised of hand-holding and kissing at most. However, Haley was also caught up in typical middle school drama among friends, even more so due to their temperamental nature. They got easily worked up over petty disputes and gossip, and Haley's friend group changed rapidly due to the drama. They were also prone to holding grudges, and was slow to forgive friends. While not intentionally a bully, Haley was prone to making mean, offhanded comments towards people, often without thinking about the consequences. While this has gotten them in trouble on occasion, they have made an effort to hold their tongue in the future.

Growing up, Haley wasn't entirely comfortable being identified as female. They disliked being referred to as a girl, though as a child they didn't make a big deal out of it. Their feelings only got stronger as they entered middle school, when they became more aware of gendered language and their discomfort with it. At one point in 7th grade Haley decided to look their problem up on the internet, and they got their first taste of the LGBT community and concepts regarding transgenderism.

They began to explore the possibility of being a transgender male, relating to the feelings of dysphoria described. However, they later found themselves as dissatisfied with being identified as male as they were with being identified as female. Haley kept this problem to themselves, though in the summer before high school they approached Allison with their troubles. Allison was surprised at first, but was open to the idea of her sibling exploring their gender identity and promised to help them the best she could. Talking with another person about it helped Haley get a grasp on their identity, and further research introduced the two to nonbinary genders and genderfluidity. Haley found that agender applied to them well: they felt no connection to being male nor female, and thought that not being referred to be any gender suited them best.

This revelation came to them in the middle of their freshman year of high school, though they waited until the summer to begin coming out: first to their immediate family. From their it spread to the rest of the Luz clan, with mixed reactions. Joel and Erica were both raised in religious household and socially conservative, though neither were practicing Christians. Their reactions to their child coming out was lukewarm; while they weren't extremely negative about it, they had their concerns about it. Both were eventually swayed by explanation and talks between themselves and Haley, and settled on doing what was best for their child. Both have made efforts to be more inclusive of their child's gender identity, including using their preferred pronouns. Stephen was less tolerant, though he wasn't closed to the topic. He merely ignores Haley nowadays, and never bothered to educate himself. Their overall relationship is chilly. The rest of the Luz family had varying reactions, but it was overall positive.

After coming out to their family, they decided to come out to teachers and classmates at school. This did not go as smoothly as it did for them at home: the staff was supportive, and their teachers adjusted to their preferred pronouns pretty well. The reaction of their peers, however, was mixed; some were understanding, others not so much. In the coming months, Haley learned who among their friends was which and cut the belligerently hateful people out of their life. They lost several friends and had to avoid countless more classmates, though there were a couple confrontations that ended in shouting matches. They believed that this was all for the best, and instead focused on the friends they still had. To this day, however, they still hold some grudges against their more intolerant classmates, which manifests in passive-aggressiveness whenever they're forced to interact with them.

Haley became a part of Cochise's drama program in their freshman year, taking a background role in their first production. They unexpectedly found the process fun, enjoying being on the stage and finding satisfaction in being involved in a production. Haley finds it easy to get into the part of a character, though their acting skills are mediocre at best. While they play well enough to get parts they're not outstanding enough to be in any major roles. They don't mind this, as the find it fun just being on set. Haley has been involved in each production throughout their high school career since, and has made a few friends through the drama program as well.

As Haley grew older, their adventurous nature led them to places beyond the Luz holdings. They began to spend increasingly more time out on the town, strolling through downtown and other places in Kingman. Joel and Erica were skeptical of letting their child wander around town, though Haley made sure not to go out alone in order to quell their fears. They always go out with either Allison, their cousins,  or other friends. For the most part they just hang out, but Haley doesn't hesitate to explore any place that catches their eye, often dragging along the whole group.

As they explored, Haley and their friends often messed around and generally made a ruckus wherever they went. At some point Haley started recording their antics with their cell phone, wanting to capture these moments on camera. With their friends' consent they began to post these videos on YouTube, garnering some attention for their hijinks. Haley enjoyed the attention, beginning to record videos more often and purposely doing stunts. They were also quick to jump on the Vine trend, beginning to post their videos their before moving on from YouTube to post their videos solely on Vine. While most of their vines are of their hijinks and stunts, Haley also mixes in general humor or comedy vines, mostly taken from their conversations with friends. They have a small but dedicated following on Vine, one they appreciate greatly.

Haley began to attend more parties as they entered high school, enjoying hanging out with friends in a more casual and carefree atmosphere. They try to attend every party they hear about, though they try not to start fights or disputes and make an effort to hold their tongue. Haley drinks socially and knows their limits, and tries not to get drunk. They also have experimented with weed, and even though they smoke when given the opportunity they try to keep their smoking to a minimum to avoid suspicion and they're overall more careful about it.

Haley's attitude towards school hasn't changed much since their early years, getting Bs and Cs throughout high school, with the only As they get coming from gym class. They aren't sure what to do after high school. Allison is a college sophomore majoring in criminology at Arizona State University, and from her complaints about tuition and exams college wasn't an appealing choice for Haley. It doesn't help that Haley themselves doesn't know what they want to do with their life: they've considered careers as a musician or a theater actor, but Haley is not confident enough in those skills to make a career out of them. For now their plan is to work after high school, possibly as a hairdresser of some sort, though this plan is subject to change.

Advantages: Haley is fairly athletic and has excellent stamina from both softball and general adventuring. This also may give them an easier time maneuvering through unfamiliar terrain. In addition, they're fairly sociable and have several friends they can fall back on.
Disadvantages: Haley is ultimately selfish, and any alliances they make will likely not hold. Their tendency to make mean, offhanded comments will not be of help either. Haley is unwilling to forgive and holds grudges for a long time, which may cause trouble or alienate potential allies.