Simon "Zero" Garand

White-Out

"***They call m'Zero 'cause I ain't amountin' t'nothin' in m'life.***"
—Zero regarding his nickname.
**Simon Garand**, more commonly known as **Zero** is a sophomore at Northwright Academy and the Punks 1iC. He is played by Lyiem.

## Physical Description

Simon, or more commonly known as "Zero", is most recognizable by fluffy and spiky white hair, of which he has bleached from his natural black hair color, and his brassy voice. Zero stands in at 6’2” and 162 lbs-- an incredibly lanky frame. His white hair is his most defining characteristic, and at the heart of most of his nicknames that he has been awarded throughout his time at Northwright Academy. His tastes in fashion range from classic anarcho-punk to cyberpunk (which he derived his inspiration from for his blindingly white hair). On campus, he's most often spotted wearing a black denim jacket, with an anarcho-queer flag painted on the back and a few tears in the jacket itself, of which is draped over a the Academy-provided (but Punks-improved) vest and a white dress shirt-- tucked into red plaid pants. His red plaid pants are usually cuffed over a pair of classic 1460 Doc Martens-- of which Zero affectionately refers to as his "Stompers." His clothes are modest in comparison to some punks, but his main time to shine are the plethora of facial piercings that he has DIY-done, of which include, but are not limited to: two nose-bridge piercings (usually barbell spikes), both nostrils, a septum, dahlia piercings, and spider bites. However, Zero's favorite tease to his classmates who are just disgusted by it? His split tongue! Zero sports a forked tongue, of which he has adorned either fork of his tongue with a ball piercing. Although it may not be obvious to non-punks, Zero prides himself in his appearance and sense of fashion.

## Characteristics

Although some may disagree, Zero doesn’t have an incredibly notable following Northwright, but he is generally respected by his peers, as he’s unproblematic and incredibly friendly. In his time in Northwright, Zero had garnered the respect of a variety of peoples from a variety of cliques. Zero will make it a point, regardless of clique affiliation, to be on good terms with all people, most of the time. However, he sometimes fails to come off as friendly in an organic manner, so he may come off as fake to some people-- but trust me when I say the last thing that Zero would want is to have a relationship with someone built on a foundation of white lies and mistrust in one another, so he prioritizes being genuine with people. Therefore, he is blunt and authentic with most people, but still somehow manages to be secretive about some aspects of his person.

Throughout his time in Northwright, Zero hasn’t instigated many fights without reason. The majority of the time that Zero has been in any physical altercation, it had been started by another student. Due to his pacifistic nature, Zero avoids conflict most of the time unless he finds it absolutely necessary, such as in cases of injustice or when a close ally of his is being threatened. By default, he elects to de-escalate drama rather than to feed into it; he hates it. However, being openly gay, of which Zero prides himself in identifying as but doesn’t present in a flamboyant manner, and in such a community as Northwright, he is predisposed to relentless teasing and bullying-- as well as assault. Zero has been assaulted on numerous occasions. Remarkably, the night of homecoming, Zero had been brutalized by a group of five bullies after having been spotted with his then boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, Dayvon-- who had escaped the violence that evening.

Regardless of the constant violence that Zero has had to endure in his time in Northwright and in his time at home, growing up in the Bronx, Zero remains a kind and considerate individual, who’s authentic with himself and other people. So long as Zero can breathe and walk the campus of Northwright, Zero will continue to uphold his presence as another friendly face on campus-- even in the face of adversity.

## Relationships

Nicholas Alves

"***I'm 'ere for y'right now, baby boy. I ain't ever leavin' you, okay? Y'feel m'heart? It's gonna keep beatin' for you.***"
—Zero to Nicholas after he was stabbed and hospitalized.

Nicholas, or as Zero calls him, "Nich" is Zero's current boyfriend. As to how the two had started dating in the first place really remains a mystery, but they're a common couple spotted on campus. Usually, when Nicholas isn't around, Zero incessantly makes comments about how cute his boyfriend is and admires the fact that he has romanced the cute, goth, twink of a prefect. While he is around, Zero will dote on him and stay with him at all times.

Greg Hamby

"***Y'lame, Gregs.***"
—Zero to Greg every time he does something that cramps his style.

"Gregs" is Zero's childhood best friend. They've known each other since they were both five years old, and they bonded over their love for the game, Space Invader. However, after high school started, it became very evident that Zero and Greg were destined to drift apart. Try as Zero might, the two continued to have small feuds. At one point, Zero had a slight crush on Greg, admiring him for his confidence and sureness in himself, but this is a secret Zero will die with,

Devin "Fizz" Champagne

"***C'mon, man. It's your turn to lean on me.***"
—Fizz to Zero, as Zero fret about the hospitalization of his father.

It would be an understatement to say that Fizz and Zero have had a tumultuous friendship. Fizz and Zero push on each other's buttons constantly and probably will continue to do so until the day one of them graduates or dies. However, despite this, both Fizz and Zero share an understanding of one another's struggles and a mutual respect for one another.

Louis Dupont

"***Parles-tu francais?! OUIAS?!***"
—Zero to Louis after learning about his ability to speak French!

Although Louis isn't necessarily the closest to Zero, being that both Louis and Zero share a tight schedule a piece, they bond over being Quebecois and francophones-- making fun of one another for their bad French. Zero holds an incredible amount of respect for Louis; he has helped him out a lot, especially considering how much trouble he gets into being the little shit that he is.

Mordecai "Mori" Mizrahi

"***Y'gay? I know plenty o' gay guys on campus! Bi guys too... I can help y'dudes!***"
—Zero to Mori, after Mori had come out to him!

Mori was one of Zero's first real friends after Zero had arrived to campus, at least as Zero recounts. Zero looks up to Mori as a result of his status, and having watched him grow from being a measly deputy to being the senior prefect that Mori is now. However, there was a brief lapse in their friendship, as Mori had temporarily lost his position in Prefects after the hippie's peace march incident-- in which Zero had snitched on Mori for being there and beating down a few hippies. Regardless, Zero finds himself still somewhat close to Mori and nurtured a romantic interest in him. But, Zero has yet to lay that in bed fully, even with Nicholas in the picture. (But, he shall remain loyal!)

## Trivia

* Zero's star sign is a Pisces. In fact, he's a leap year baby too, being born on February 29th, 2004.
* His natural hair color is black. So, when he bleached it white, most of the hair had died. However, as a result of vigorous care and work, his hair is somewhat healthy again, as odd as that may be!
* Zero grew up in the Bronx and sports a thick Bronx accent, of which gets thicker the more intense his emotions become.
* Zero is loosely based off of Ryuji Sakamoto from Persona 5.