Description
- - -
Name: Rodge Provenza
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Height: 155.45cm
Weight: 113.85kg
Job: Antique Shop
Island: Nomies
Loves:
- Steak
- Passion fruit
- Silk clothes
- Honey
- Lemon bass
- Tea (almost every flavour; he has no real favourite)
- Cats
- Gold accessories
- Gemstones
- Expensive wine/drink
Likes:
- Fiddle music
- Classical music
- Many sweets
- Fast food
- Spicy meat
- Golf
- Antiquities
- Starry skies & star gazing
- Books about History
- Museums
Dislikes:
- Wool clothes
- Dogs
- Cheap or fake jewelry
- Rap music
- Tight spaces
- Dark rooms
- Cheap alcohol
- Cartoons
- Rainy weather
- Large spiders
- Knock-off items
Hates:
- Squirrels
- Pungent sells
- Blue Cheese
- Taxes
- Sea Water
- Grease
- Large messes
- Scam artists
- Large birds
Personality:
Rodge had spent a large portion of his life living the high life, thanks in part to his grandfather's wealth. Rodge likes to think this makes him classy and sociable, approaching gatherings as if he were attending a fancy party for upper class folk. In reality he's an easily flustered, nervous man who wishes he could live that way once more. Though not as rotten as other adults raised by family who spoiled them, Rodge wants nothing more than to life the high life like he used too and tends to be pretty upset or bothered when he can't achieve that goal. It's not uncommon to hear Rodge complain or moan quietly to himself about wanting a new pair of expensive designer shoes, or the frustration of having to shop on a budget once again.
Luckily, Rodge was instilled a value that a lot of spoiled children lack- that if he wants to be well off, he has to earn it. So as much as Rodge is frustrated to not be financially well off, he wants to earn his wealth by his own hands and will gets flustered if people attempt to help him with regards to money. He'll even get upset if someone suggests a scam or illicit means of obtaining money. Not that Rodge ever could- while social or at least trying to be, Rodge often is nervous and gets flustered when around people, especially at large bombastic gatherings.
Background:
Rodge’s parents were not married when they had him. They were high school sweet hearts- his mother came from a relatively low-class family and his father a wealthy one. They met in their second year and stayed together, waiting for their graduation to ‘tie the knot’. Back then both had high aspirations- his father was going to become a doctor like his grandfather and his mother wanted to enter into politics. But the very night they settled to have sex for the first time; it happened to also be the night that Rodge was conceived. Neither one wanted to sacrifice their respective careers- they were already accepted into the Universities that would allow them to pursue their dreams. But caring for a baby required a lot of time and effort- something neither one had.
But luck was on their side. Leonardo Provenza, Rodge’s grandfather, had just recently retired and found the house rather lonely with his wife long past. With enough wealth to last him two life times, Leonardo offered to raise Rodge under the condition that his parents make some effort to keep in contact. With the arrangements made, Rodge was left in the care of his grandfather. For a few years life went well- though a little strict, Leonardo was a proud man who had worked hard to earn his wealth. He taught his grandson to speak English and Italian, to count and read, and everything that a child needed. Then when he was old enough he enrolled Rodge into a good school, hoping to give his grandson the opportunity to become something great like his parents.
Sadly the good times came to swift end. Leonardo had been pleased to have company in his large home, but he was nevertheless lonely. After failed attempts to get back on the dating scene, he eventually found himself a beautiful woman of similar age- Wendy, who seemed to care for Leonardo as a person rather than for his wealth. This put his family at ease, but it alas did not stop Leonardo from trying to spoil her. Everything she owned had to be of expensive make and design, and he refused- even when she insisted it was fine, to buy something cheap. Leonardo was absolutely enamored by her, and spent large sums of money until- one day, it was revealed he lost a large portion of it.
Wendy, upset and unable to get him to stop figured the only solution was to end the relationship for his own good, insisting one last time that the reason for this was his inability to stop spending so much money on her. Depressed, Leonardo seemed to lose a part of himself when his love left, gradually becoming a shell of the man he was. He began to be easily duped into wasting his money on scams, on people who pretended to like him- and eventually he had little money left to his name. He was forced to sell his large estate and move into a care center. His parents took Rodge into their home, now that their education was done, and did what they could to let Rodge visit his grandfather. Eventually just a few years later Leonardo passed away, with little to give to his kids save for the few mementos he had.
Rodge's parents were well off, having both become rather successful in their careers- they had their own money and could easily care for their son. But Rodge missed the years he spent with his grandfather. He had imagined himself owning the estate, passing it to his own kids, with all the wonderful antiques and goods inside. Now, all he had were a few photos and a fancy penny left by his grandfather. Rodge vowed to find a way to reobtain the massive wealth Leonardo had, determined to do it the way his grandfather did- by his own hands.
Once he completed is schooling, he moved out of his home and to Nomie, deciding to become a dealer in antiques as a way to sell off expensive goods and, hopefully, build a good sum of money. Unfortunately, it has not gone too well. Though given some financial support by his parents to follow his dream, he has not made much money and still lives in the small apartment just above his little shop. He still hopes one day to make it big, somehow...
Fun Facts:
- Rodge can speak fluent Italian and English, and can read both quite well
- Rodge’s antique business has not gone well at all. His choice of Venue was an extremely poor one. His antiques may be rare and are worth the money, yet not many on the island or any other island for that matter can afford it and a lot tend to go to him to sell than buy. This gives him the chance to get more, but means he has to give up more money. His parents despite his insisting still find ways to slip in money, sometimes buying an antique or two he gets as a way to help him by. He hopes if he can get his name out there, tourists will come and order his antiques and eventually get him more customers from far and wide.
- Rodge owns a cat that he loves to feed and care for named Banana cat on account that the cat goes crazy for Bananas and loves to play with them. She is also allowed to wander his shop, on account that she is very careful
- If Rodge is invited out to a restaurant that he knows is costly, he’ll join but then feign sickness as a way to weasel out without admitting "I can't afford it"