maybe you should just fall

JEREMIAH "JERRY" BURTON

APP ■ TWENTY-TWO ■ MALE ■ HETEROSEXUAL ■ SHADE

GET UP LIKE I KNOW YOU CAN, OR FOREVER LOVE THE FALL

JERRY IS A MESS, and he knows it. He has an undeniable disgust for himself, but like hell he'll let just anyone see that. Hidden behind an arrogant facade and wisecracks, Jerry presents himself as someone that's got the world in the palm of his hands. Which isn't too hard to believe given how easy of a time he has with weaving people around his fingers. He was once a person that learned how to understand and predict people's reactions to certain things in hopes of being able to help them, but now he uses this knowledge to manipulate those around him. He's created a number of Shades deliberately with this method, and he seems to find enjoyment in pulling the precious Dream Walkers "down to his level".

AMONGST THE SHADOWS

When it comes to his Shadey brethren, Jerry typically chats all of them up like they're old friends he hadn't seen in a while. His mask is at it's thickest amongst the Shades as he has a tendency to smirk and brag about the number of Shades he's created. He makes it almost like a competition amongst those he encounters, and running into anyone whose number is higher than his own will only ignite a competitive side of him. For the younger Shades (5 and below) Jerry can be much like that older brother who teases and pokes at them in good fun - even when it's not funny anymore. He finds his duty as a Shade to be nothing more than some kind of game, clearly.

With Shades that desire to be human again, and express a desire to be redeemed, Jerry is surprisingly cold towards them. He mocks their desires, finding the idea of redemption hilarious for some reason. How can one come back from being a monster like them? He'd rather not waste his time thinking about things he feels may never be.

FOR THE DREAMERS

Dream Walkers aren't human in his eyes, they're just play things and boy does he love toying with them. Especially those that desperately retreat to their dreams for comfort and salvation, the broken and downtrodden dreamers are his favorite. They're just so easy to lure in, to get trapped in his webs of lies and lead them down the path to corruption. Jerry purposefully makes himself a magnet for the shattered dream walkers that are just waiting to throw themselves into the first sign of comfort and care they can find. It's worked well in his favor. For those that are a fair bit more stable, aware and capable, Jerry still toys with them more in just being a snarky asshole when befriending them doesn't work.

JUST THE ONE

His life partner to be and best friend since childhood, there is no one in this world Jerry cherishes and cares for more than Lucas Courtwater. The blond being the key to Jerry's eventual salvation is Jerry's most important person. His soul prior to shade-status was actually in the form of a cat plushie that was identical to the one Lucas gave Jerry as a child. Around Lucas, Jerry will eventually begin to become his old self, a bright and bubbly person who hasn't got a shame to give. The Jerry-to-be would proudly strut around in a dress, jokingly flirt with Lucas and even his other guy friends (with a trademark "no homo" here and there), sing Christmas songs in the middle of the night on the street in July, turn a normal trip to the grocery store into the "Just Haven't Met You Yet" music video, and so on and so forth.

However, one key remnant of Jerry's Shade persona will likely forever be etched into him when it comes to people that try to threaten or hurt his precious Lucas. Jerry's got one hell of a sadistic side that will flare itself the moment Lucas is in harm's way. He doesn't hold back saying vile things to those who wrong his friend - even if Lucas forgives them. If it weren't for the fact Lucas is strongly against violence, Jerry would be the kind to just flat out deck someone for saying one ill word about Lucas. You could consider Jerry to be rather over protective and possessive of Lucas in a sense, but he's just desperate to protect the one good thing he really has left in his life.