Ryder, Aidan

Aidan's hair is thin, black, and cut close to his head.  It is unkempt and wild and seems to cling to him like a wisp of smoke to a fire.  He always tries to keep it short, as whenever he combusts his hair will often singe before he can adapt (explained in the "Abilities" section).  His eyes are large brown circles splatter-painted with hazel specks.  He stands at 6' even and pragmatically fit.   His body is littered with the pink, crumpled skin indicative of burn scars, demonstrating both the randomness in origin of his conflagration and his inability to control it.  The most apparent of which lies mostly underneath his mouth in an oblong shape that traces the right side of his chin before looping back toward the middle of his face just below his ear.  Owing both to his burns and genetics, Aidan does not have much propensity for facial hair.

Before his recent combustive abilities Aidan did have a style--usually hardy clothes with plenty of pockets that could stand up to the wear and tear of daily use as well as a pair of boots.  However, he no longer has the luxury of being selective with his clothes.  The few pairs he has are experimentally shown to be fire-retardant and were provided for him upon entrance into Special Forces Training and are for the most part the same.  The outer layers (a pair of thick durable cargo pants and a jacket) have a dark blue-gray urban camouflage color scheme.  He also has a pair of black combat boots, as well as a black face mask, goggles, and skull cap.

PERSONALITY

Aidan, like most children who had to raise themselves, is somewhat narcissistic.  The fact that he is both smart and physically adept does little to quell these thoughts, however, with the development of his spontaneous combustion and his subsequent inability to control it his ego has taken a bit of a hit.  Regardless, he is usually a workhorse when given things to do--completing each task with rigorously mechanical execution.  He is not easily frustrated, however, his shortcomings with his power are the one exception, as they are the only thing keeping him from his goal of being a member of the Special Forces.

He can be condescending at times and has a tendency to want to take over a situation, but both of these things stem from a need to prove himself to others. He is also not the biggest "people person".  He has trouble reading people emotionally and communicating with new acquaintances. Sometimes he tries to be cordial with people, but often he may try to hard and alienate them.  He has trouble forming deep relationships, but once he does form one it is long lasting.

When he is relaxed--not on the job, not practicing, not trying to put on a show so that people take some sort of liking to him--he will open up.  He loves puns and wordplay and also enjoys books.  While he does not have much talent for writing himself, that doesn't stop him from scribbling down momentary thoughts and half-finished stories into the small notepad he usually keeps on himself at all times.  This side of him is rare to see in public, owing to his usually gruff and condescending exterior.