name | Tyler Madarang

age | 20

sexuality | Bisexual

gender | Male

appearance | Sakaguchi Kentaro

personality | There's an undeniable comfort that comes with being around Tyler. Perhaps it's the small smile that's etched onto his face, or maybe the way he manages to interact positively with everyone around him. He's not always the loudest person in the room but he's always the most charismatic. Tyler allows those around him to relax and ease into conversation. He's not forceful, he's smooth; he listens and seems like he genuinely wants to hear about your day.

The poor kid has been through a lot, from economic hardships to familial losses and through it all, he's kept a brave face. Tyler has never really had a choice in this, being the eldest of his siblings and needed to calm down the more worry-prone members of his family. Tyler is used to being the glue of the family and being the one who needs to lighten the mood and cheer people up. It comes naturally to him, with his soft voice, amicable attitude and friendly nature.

But his charismatic personality can prove to be ambivalent. Tyler may be great at helping others with their emotional baggage but he himself is incredibly defensive and stubborn. The guy isn't easily angered but after dealing with trauma and stress of all those close to him, he forgets about his own needs. I don't mean this in a Gary Stu, cliché way but rather, this lack of attention he gives himself is almost as if it's a punishment. Tyler refuses help partly due to pride (he's perfectly capable of dealing with his own issues) and partly due to guilt.

strengths | He manages to comfort those around him easily with a pleasant and welcoming personality; Tyler is a fantastic listener and always makes the effort to make everyone he comes across feel important, whether that be though compliments or through genuinely listening and caring about what they have to say.

weaknesses | Tyler is not great at talking about himself - he's so used to hearing others that he hasn't really made time to develop hobbies or think about his own interests or needs. Tyler gets super defensive and stubborn when people try and turn the conversation onto him or when they ask about whether he's ok or needs help.

likes | Tyler's favourite thing to do is to observe people and learn more about others. This is not meant in a creepy way but more like trying to deduce information about strangers based on things he noticed like clothing, hair, behaviour etc. Tyler is also a fan of a good film, he definitely prefers films to books. The artwork and the animation that goes into moviemaking is absolutely magical to him.

dislikes | There's not much he hates except when people are forceful or pushy, either towards him or others. He respects the fact that someone might not want to talk to him or ask for help but when other people don't reciprocate this respect towards him, he gets angry and frustrated.

backstory | Tyler grew up in a family of five, with his two younger siblings but in addition to this, his extended family lived very nearby. He saw them regularly and spoke to all of them, from the youngest to the oldest members, all the time. This level of responsibility was thrust upon him when one of his uncles passed away in a car accident, resulting in the emotional pain and trauma of his parents and other aunts and uncles. Tyler, himself, was impacted greatly by the loss, too, but he was the oldest child of all his extended family and it was necessary for him to comfort and look after his parents and the younger siblings.

Having to deal with his family's loss and their hurt, Tyler became known for being the one who always tried to make sure no one left any feelings bottled up, which could lead to a much more serious situation.

opinion on the selection | His parents think that Tyler hasn't paid enough attention to his love life, being so occupied with his studies and the rest of his family. They forced him to sign up to the Selection but Tyler wouldn't have joined if he had a choice. It's not the idea of finding a partner or falling in love but the fact that his family won't respect his decision of not being ready for that kind of thing. He might've joined in a few years once he was comfortable with his sexuality.