Ryan Letowski

"I came into the fold because some undead asshole decided the guys who thought putting a manila folder over the word ‘files’ on an OS were artistic gods among men. You can probably guess how well I’ve fared since."

Background
Born in Kentucky in 1959 to a mother who held her liquor better than she ever held her children, Ryan Letowski inherited two things from his father: his last name and a tendency to run from his problems. Never a very adventurous or confident child, by the time the going got tough, Ryan was long gone from the scene. There was no standing up to bullies for this boy, even when those bullies were-- more often than not-- one of his numerous older siblings.

He was a fussy, skinny little wisp of a kid, one who would often wish for more friends but lacked the finesse to go out and get some. More time was spent reading or doing chores (he was very... particular about how things should be, everything had a place and everything must be in that place) than playing outside with the neighborhood kids, which was all the better to stay out of trouble and thus fly under the radar of his often drunk mother.

This loner nature lent itself to exploring hobbies that one could enjoy by themselves, and Ryan found at a young age that he had a natural knack for dealing with electronics. Tinkering and taking things like the radio or television remote apart and putting them back together was something he found himself doing with some regularity, and by the time he had graduated from high school he had moved onto more sophisticated machines, namely computers. The late 70s and early 80s was an exciting time for computer hardware and software development, and jobs in said fields were in high demand. When Ryan graduated college in 1982, he was prepared to go to work in one of the most cutting edge fields of the time.

It wasn't all motherboards and lines of code in the world of computers, however. The old days of DOS and command languages were being replaced by new operating systems complete with graphical user interfaces, which opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for what these machines could do. Programs were developed that brought the idea of digital art to the masses, and Ryan had found his name name slapped onto the credits section of more than a few of these programs.

A visually pleasing twenty-something at the forefront of a new creative movement? What Toreador could resist that siren call? Not the one who decided they wanted Ryan to be included in their collection of pretty little creative monsters. At twenty-seven years old, Ryan closed his eyes for the last time as a human, only to open them again as something decidedly less lively. He found himself thrust into a nocturnal world of endless parties and excess, a world that appreciated the artistic and creative, two things Ryan was absolutely not.

There is a sharp difference between creating the outlet for an artist and actually becoming one, and Ryan's sire found soon after Embracing him that their new protege didn't have a truly artistic bone in his body. Still, he was something lovely to look at, would be for the rest of his unnatural life, and there was something to be said for the one with the most exquisite toys. And so Ryan found himself squarely centered in the world of the Poseurs, spending his nights not as a fixture in the spotlight but one behind the scenes, working as a purveyor of works of arts for his sire's ever growing collection.

Continuing Adventures
'' To be added. ''

Death
'' To be added. ''

Personality
Persnickety, particular, passive, practical and polite; all are adjectives Ryan could jot down on a personality profile, even if the majority aren't traits to be envious of. But twenty-seven years of life-- and another twenty--seven of unlife-- have come together to make him the man he is today, for better or worse.

Ryan's closest guarded secret is that he just wants to be liked. He won't say it out loud and he won't acknowledge it if you call it on him, but it's the simple truth. To get metaphorical, Ryan is the stray cat that lives on your front porch; he'll act aloof when you come home and stick his nose up at the bowl of milk you put out for him, but deep down he's reigning in the desire to saunter over and demand your attention.

Maybe it's a product of growing up in a house where love was spread thin and you couldn't tell if the little bit you got was sincere or not. Ryan's guarded, more concerned with how he comes off to others versus worrying about what he wants or needs. So he keeps that little bundle of insecurity close to his chest and lets it build and build until it gets out of hand and spills all over the floor. Needless to say, this hasn't lent itself well to helping him make and maintain very many lasting relationships. The ones he does manage to keep for any length of time are usually the ones wherein the other person possesses the patience needed to chip away at that sometimes frustrating outer shell.

Becoming a vampire didn't just change Ryan's eating and sleeping habits. A genuine sense of confidence slowly built up over the seventy-plus years he's been a member of the undead masses, and while calling him cocky is most assuredly a stretch, he's not as skittish as he was when he was a human. Being dead and being powerful has given him a new perspective on things, and he's much more comfortable with himself now than he was before he was Embraced.

One thing that hasn't changed for Ryan is his need for things to be just so. He's very particular in how he keeps his home, how often he washes his hands even if germs and diseases aren't much of a threat to him anymore, who can and can't use his things, who's allowed to touch him and who isn't, and so on and so forth. Being a vampire who has to drink blood to stay alive doesn't really sit well with someone who's prone to flipping out over things like, well, having to drink blood. So feeding time is always and adventure for Ryan.

He lacks the natural creativity that is inherent in many of his Toreador kin, but he's been at the game long enough to know how to fake his way through a gallery show or one of his sire's many flashy parties. The biggest outlet for whatever little artistic spark he may harbor is his wardrobe; Ryan is a man who keeps a close eye on the emerging trends in fashion and is one of the first to jump on a new trend as long as it has clean lines and a classic silhouette. He's aware he's only still a part of his sire's circle because of his appearance, and thus it's something he takes an almost narcissistic pride in.

Appearance
'' To be added. ''

Disciplines

 * Celerity: The Embrace gifts some Kindred with startling speed and reflexes. They can use Celerity to move with amazing swiftness in times of stress. Mortals, and even Kindred lacking this Discipline, move as if in slow motion compared to the astonishing blur the vampire becomes. Toreador are more likely to use Celerity to lend preternatural grace to live performances such as dance or extraordinary speed when creating sculptures or paintings -- however, they can be as terrifying as any Assamite or Brujah when angered.

Relations

 * None

Quotes

 * "You know how these things work. See and be seen. Not that I care much for either but reputation’s half the battle with these idiots."
 * "You aren't out of the woods yet, sir. That bunny can start touching up on butts any time he feels like it."