ZACHARIE

Past

Zacharie mostly grew up as a spoiled rich girl at first, his family had been lucky enough to make it big on Earth, and his parents chose to move to Lynxon fairly young to create their own company, which also ended up very successful thanks to 3 of his grandparents and his aunts/uncles helping to fund it. Moving from Earth to Lynxon was a privilege not many could achieve at the time due to intergalactic space travel being much pricier back then. By the time Zacharie was born, his parents had their roots well settled in, and so Zacharie grew up never knowing any hunger, and could easily get anything he wanted. His parents loved to spoil "their little girl", buying him all the newest stuff whenever he wanted. This sort of treatment showed at school too, for a long time Zacharie, though not going by that name yet, behaved as a mean girl, buying his way into relative popularity, but with some limits. He was always very picky about who he hung out with, and would often purposefully avoid the other popular people if he simply decided he didn't like their vibe. He wasn't a huge bully, but he did often tend to poke fun at other kids, and if he'd decided he really didn't like someone, he had no qualms figuring out how to spread bad rumors about them. Most of this behavior began in middle school, but he was still rather mean back then too.

In his sophomore year of high school, Zacharie was paired up in class with another kid named Robin for a group assignment. The two didn't get along very well at first, Robin wasn't exactly somebody that he'd ever had on his radar, though he'd seen him around before even back in middle school and elementary. Zacharie was callous and loud, while Robin was very soft-spoken and kind, most people only knew him for being a dorky kid that likes to carry a guitar around and play it for those who'd ask. But by the end of the project, Robin and Zacharie had found some common ground in a cartoon they both enjoyed, something that Zacharie didn't get to talk to many people about given the perception of it being 'childish'. After the project, Zacharie continued to talk with Robin, and like he would do with most people; he'd spend a lot of money on gifts for Robin, but unlike most people, he would invite him over personally, instead of inviting whole groups of friends over like he usually did, and would continue to hang out with him even over summer breaks. There wasn't many people Zacharie actually liked to talk to one on one, but Robin managed to be one of them. Robin would often try to convince him to stop being so mean to others, and to some extent Zacharie did make an effort on that, valuing their friendship and not wanting to chase Robin off over something so "small". Zacharie was still a bit mean, but generally stopped picking on people and spreading rumors as often, instead redirecting these behaviors toward people that mistreated Robin instead. (Though it was done without Robin's knowledge of course, he would've never approved of someone doing that on his behalf.) In their senior year, after having the thought floating around in the back of his head for awhile, Zacharie would come out as trans to Robin, who took it incredibly well and was very supportive.

Upon graduation though, when Zacharie would come out to his parents, they didn't take it as well. While not as aggressively transphobic as some people, they would constantly "forget" and would treat Zacharie as if he'd never said anything.

This was extremely annoying, but since they hadn't kicked him out of the house, Zacharie tolerated it as best he could. I mean after all, look at the family he was coming from, if he just played along and did what made them happy, it shouldn't have been hard at all to eventually move out and do whatever he wanted then. He just had to get through college and his parents would surely help him find a good paying job, whether at their company (not preferable) or elsewhere (much more preferable). Zacharie and Robin would try to stay in contact, but with both of their schedules becoming much busier trying to navigate life after high school, it became harder to plan times to hang out.

At age 19, almost 20, Zacharie was accepted and began going to a good college, but he would only make it about a year in before suddenly his mental health seemed to be taking a nose dive. Keeping any motivation for classwork got much harder, and his mind felt like it was constantly full of nonsense. His parents began to get frustrated at his sudden low grades after helping to pay for this prestigious college, and even Zacharie was frustrated with himself as well, growing angrier at people again like he used to be before meeting Robin.

As his behavior changed, he eventually overheard his parents talking one night, the two of them having assumed he was asleep, about their personal concerns and what to do if Zacharie "ended up like 'her' grandmother", as Zacharie continued to listen in on this conversation, he discovered that apparently the reason he had never heard anyone speak of his grandma on his mom's side was because she had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, and the family had simply chosen to stop acknowledging her instead of getting her any help or giving any kind of support. Overhearing this was very concerning, and Zacharie very much hoped that this hadn't been passed onto him and that he would simply just turn out to be depressed or "something trivial like that", in his mind. But it would take a few more months for Zacharie realized that this likely was, in fact, what was going on, as by now the 'nonsense' brain had shifted to audible voices that were clearly not his own inner voice. He had tried to hide it, but had eventually snapped out loud at them at one point, and his parents had instantly rushed him to get a diagnosis.

When the official diagnosis was finally decided upon, his parents would go a similar route to his grandmother. Though they didn't completely drop him right away, opting to at least help him sign up for disability benefits, and then finding him a cheap apartment that could be afforded on those payments, but that was all they did, once he was on those benefits and the apartment lease was finalized, then they began to drop contact. From that point on, the only contact was them sending just enough money for Zacharie to visit a therapist and psychiatrist. He would go at first to at least try the medication that was offered, but would quickly end up not showing up anymore, given the fact that neither of them were ever actually doing anything that genuinely helped him, and the medication just made him feel even worse. Zacharie did not tell them he stopped going, and since they never spoke to him, they would never realize. Allowing him some extra money to spend now that it wasnt being used for its intended purpose, though it wasn't enough to really make a huge difference. Him and Robin still had contact, but over the period of all this happening, the amount they'd speak to eachother only got more sparse. When Robin learned of Zacharie being kicked out, he tried to offer for him to come live with him and his parents and twin brothers, saying they'd be very understanding and that especially his father would want to help. But Zacharie refused, not wanting to make his problems become problems for Robin's family. Robin would continue to try checking up on Zacharie, but Zacharie would eventually begin to feel drained by Robin's constant concern, and stopped replying as much until their contact was almost nonexistant. Robin would never fully stop messaging him, but with little response back, he would do it far far less often.

Zacharie still tried to go outside often at first at the least, managing to make a friend not too long after being kicked out, he and another man had been out at a bar, and the two of them found enjoyment in making fun of other people in the bar's outfits to eachother. While Zacharie was slowly losing contact with Robin, he was becoming closer to this person he'd found, who's name was Phoenix. About 2 years after he'd first been put in this apartment, now age 24, he'd decided to offer Phoenix to come live with him as his roommate upon learning he didn't even have a home. Phoenix didn't make a lot of money, but that was ideal for Zacharie, since having too much money come in would kick him off his benefits. He got to have some company, and a little extra money.

This deal worked out fairly well for awhile, but not long after moving in, Phoenix was now stuck with a new 'friend' that would come visit frequently, who would eventually become his boyfriend about 2 years later. Zacharie found this relationship strange, but the two of them were both grown adults, and they could do whatever they wanted as far as he cared. What he did care about though, was that Phoenix had no phone, and neither could afford to get him one. This resulted in his new boyfriend Ally constantly having to call through Zacharie's phone, and often leaving multiple voicemails within less than an hour anytime a call was missed. These voicemails got irritating, and while Zacharie was generally nice to Ally, it was still grating to have to hear his phone ring constantly. It had gotten to the point that these calls would create a new mildly annoying hallucination where he would clearly hear it ringing even when it wasn't, and he was already dealing with worsening hallucinations as is. While they were mostly auditory at first, visual ones became more of an issue not very long after Phoenix moving in. Zacharie would do his best to mitigate and remove of any triggers for them, but Phoenix was not aware of his condition yet, and would often start moving or undoing things that he did to prevent them. Eventually Zacharie came out about it after harshly snapping at Phoenix for taking the curtains he'd put over the bathroom mirror. Phoenix had already been getting rather annoying to live with, but after this it only got worse.

Zacharie had told him to not treat him any differently, and while Phoenix did do that, he took it too literally and would start poking fun about his disorder like he would do everything else, not realizing that this wasn't what Zacharie had meant. Zacharie hated this, but like he did with his family after coming out as trans, he would simply try to ignore it to at least keep the benefit of being just a little less poor, as well as to avoid being alone.

Eventually though, as Phoenix's life was also taking a downward turn, things finally reached a boiling point when Robin had sent another one of his concerned texts while Phoenix was using Zacharie's phone. Robin had been offering money lately after having suddenly come into a lot of it, his and Zacharie's roles essentially reversing financially. Phoenix had texted back asking how much, and upon seeing the amount Robin offered, he would snap at Zacharie for having been able to easily get them out of this shithole if he just accepted Robin's offer. Zacharie was furious that Phoenix would both look at his personal texts, and text back pretending to be him, and the two got into a very loud argument. By the end of it, Phoenix would end up pushing Zacharie over in frustration, but in Zacharie's attempt to catch himself before hitting the ground, he instead ended up badly slicing his cheek on the corner of a table. Phoenix was kicked back out onto the street promptly after this. Leaving Zacharie alone again. Due to Phoenix having texted Robin, Zacharie would finally call him again, his intent being just to explain that that message was not him, but Robin only showed more concern when he sounded out of breath. Zacharie very briefly explained he was 'just having a problem with his roommate, its fine'. When they'd finished talking, Zacharie entirely stopped responding to any messages or calls Robin sent, and thankfully for him, Robin seemed to stop trying as well.

Current

Zacharie was now alone again, and by now he had considered himself done with people. The next few years were spent nearly entirely in his apartment, completely avoiding the outside world if he could help it and instead focusing on watching tv, using the internet, and sometimes art. Ally still tries to text him occassionally, but he never replies.

During this time Zacharie would eventually at least make a friend online through mutual interest in an anime, his new friend being named August. He personally never revealed his name, or anything really, he preferred only being known under his username, but August was far more open and would even send photos of him in a library sometimes. By now this was pretty much the only person Zacharie ever had any contact with actively, and was also the only person that he didn't mind being open about his schizophrenia with, since August was extremely understanding and could even empathize to a certain degree, even if he didn't have it himself. At one point, Zacharie ordered food off of a Lynxon equivalent to doordash/ubereats, and when August was the one who suddenly showed up at his door, Zacharie panicked, not helped by the fact he had just been smoking weed before he ordered. Assuming that August somehow tracked him down, he took the food and then slammed the door, accidentally slamming it on his hand. He apologized briefly but then shut the door properly, and he didn't reply to August online anymore for a good while. After about a week, with some time to think, he realized there was no way someone like August would have actually attempted to and succeed at tracking him down when he gave basically no info about himself, and he would finally text back with an apology, explaining what happened. August was very forgiving, and was more focused on the excitement that they were actually in the same city. Zacharie still disliked going outside, but August wanted to hang out in person sometime, and Zacharie would eventually relent and go hang out at the library sometimes.

After a few months of this, and a lot of hard thinking, Zacharie would decide to try having a roommate again, and offered August to move in with him. It was much the same as Phoenix, someone who wasnt bringing in too much money but could keep him company, but August was a MUCH sweeter person than Phoenix ever was, reminding him more of Robin (Who he still hadn't contacted back, despite beginning to be concerned for him now after seeing his face everywhere in the news). Zacharie began to mostly focus on paying the bills and rent, and August would handle food and sometimes get other things for the two of them when he could. Unlike Phoenix before, August already knew exactly what he was heading into, and was very respectful about everything Zacharie told him not to mess with, to the point of even sticking post it notes everywhere as reminders of what not to touch. The post it notes are a little annoying at times, but Zacharie much prefers that than whatever the fuck was happening with Phoenix around. August is incredibly patient with him and does his best to help whenever Zacharie's in a rough spot, and Zacharie...tries to do the same, as best as he can after being so detached from people for years. Things aren't perfect, but it at least feels like life isn't just an infinite looping nightmare anymore.