Name: Joseph "Joe" Abiko Age: 20 Appearance: Joe fits the classic frat aesthetic—muscular, broad-shouldered, with a perpetual air of casual arrogance. His polo shirts are always slightly wrinkled, his khaki shorts just short enough to fit the frat house standard, and his sneakers well-worn from years of reckless nights. His hair is kept just messy enough to seem effortless, and his grin—cocky and carefree—hides something deeper beneath the surface. Personality: Joe is the definition of loud confidence. He’s always the first to suggest another round, the one yelling at the TV during a sports game, the guy who turns even casual conversations into competitions. But underneath all the bravado is a quieter insecurity—an unspoken fear of being overlooked, of being less than. His jokes often dance on the edge of self-deprecation, and his antics, while entertaining, sometimes feel a little desperate. Background & Relationships: - Fraternity life: Joe thrives in the frat house energy—partying hard, drinking harder, and maintaining a reputation as the guy who never lets things get too serious. - Being openly queer in his frat: While the frat is tolerant, there’s still an unspoken expectation that being one of the guys means fitting the mold of traditional masculinity. Joe leans into that stereotype to avoid standing out too much. Joe is one of only 3 openly queer guys in the frat. - History with Eli: Their hookups have always been casual—just moments of closeness between the chaos. Joe treats it like another part of the party culture, but Eli sees through him more than Joe would like. - Joe is autistic and didn't speak until he was 6-years-old. He has learned to fit in and loves being social, but sometime he gets overstimulated and needs to take a break from people. Interests & Habits: - He lives for social events—the louder, the better. If there’s a party, he’s either hosting or making himself the center of attention. - He enjoys sports but mostly as a spectator—his enthusiasm is fueled more by the energy of a crowd than the game itself. - He has a habit of deflecting serious conversations with humor, changing the subject the moment things get too real. - His favorite drink is whatever gets him tipsy the fastest. He’s terrible at pacing himself. - Deep down, he craves something steadier—something quieter—but he hasn’t figured out how to want it without feeling like he’s losing himself - Joe has been struggling with feelings of gender dysphoria since he was a child, but he tamps those feelings down because he's afraid to confront them. He often wishes that he had been born a woman and knows that living as a woman would probably make him happier, but he's too afraid to act on those feelings.