What's in a Name?

Xander Vaughn

Xander Vaughn- English ancestry; Xander Vaughn is a non-binary student who attends Mia Vasquez-Rivera's school as a junior. At first, they appeared to be a cheerful, sweet and bold individual who was deeply artistic, displaying a natural talent for writing short stories. They tend to be very open-minded and have a friendly, offbeat demeanor, gaining energy from socializing with others and finding enjoyment in reaching out to those around them. They also have a deep romantic vulnerability that has the habit of getting them hurt, as they admit that "half of every relationship" is in their head. Xander was born a female named Cynthia in Toledo, Ohio, where they spent much of their early life before their father's job had them transferred to Ft. Polk, Louisiana. As a child, they were shy and self-conscious and suffered from many emotional hang-ups and insecurities, most of which were rooted in their strained relationship with their mother. They were academically gifted, leading them to be enrolled in multiple advanced courses and be recommended for a magnet school that would challenge them. They also demonstrated an openness around their close friends, which whom they discussed typical prepubescent girl interests, including boys, namely celebrities, and potential first kisses. Xander also proved to be quite clever and imaginative, having an aptitude for coming up with schemes and a certain inventiveness that surfaced when they were playing with others. Like many little girls, they had a shelf full of dolls, although a part of them also liked playing certain computer games, such as the Sims. They were good-natured and well-meaning and had a desire for social acceptance, turning to their best friend at the time for emotional support and companionship. 

Their room as a child was perpetually messy, which would caused them to receive stern reprimands from their mother, although they remained the apple of their father's eye. Clover Kaufmann became Xander's first friend when they first arrived in Louisiana, and her friendship became a source of strength for them during one of the most difficult times in their life. They endured frequent bullying upon reaching middle school, which reached a level of severity that prompted their mother to have them transfer to another school midway to their 6th grade year. Their connection would be brief however when Clover's family relocated to North Carolina, although her presence remained a constant part of their life. Despite their meekness, they managed to bond with a group of girls at their new school and made an effort to fit in with their peers, attending dances and sporting events with them. Since Xander was about seven or eight, they dealt with bouts of depression, anxiety, and self-harm largely stemming from gender dysphoria, which eventually led to their mother taking them to a psychiatric hospital against their will at age 11. After recovering, they began to transition at age 13, and at the age of 16, they began to explore their sexuality with a rotating set of men they met online, which according to Mia, were always "cis, white, in a long-term relationships, and claimed to be 100% straight". They became hypersexual by the time they became a high school freshman and had several sexual encounters starting from the age of 14. This would culminate in their life being endangered when they developed an online relationship with a predator a year later and opted to run away from home to be with him in an act of rebellion, resulting in a near sexual assault. Xander has gradually come to terms with their true identity however and enlightened themselves with information from LGBTQIA+ support groups.

They came to the conclusion that they were polyamorous and despite their struggles, created lasting bonds with other people, namely a fellow student named Ariel Mulligan, whom shares a queerplatonic partnership with them. Their journey in discovering themselves has led them to become increasingly happier, as they benefit from surrounding themselves with a community of like-minded people who they see as "kindred spirits". They have since become involved in different activities outside of school, namely volunteering to read to young children at a local library and taking painting classes in the community center. As a teenager, Xander has become more confident and tends to appear outgoing around those he encounters, showing a lighthearted energy and playful sense of humor. They are also very empathetic and are always willing to help anyone who is in need, listening attentively to others and being open to sharing perspectives with them. They admit that they pay little mind to what others think of them and have learned through the years to develop a thicker skin and take setbacks in stride. They are also incredibly self-sufficient and practical in their approach to things, seeking to achieve their various life goals and finding their inspiration through their causes. Xander is also shown to be a kind person who is accepting of others, hoping to give every person they encounter a fair chance. They tend to be much more talkative and enthusiastic around the company of close friends and loved ones, but become slightly more guarded around those they don't know well. They also tend to be intelligent and like to keep themselves current with what is happening around them, which gives them a great amount of sensitivity. 

They are also not averse to big changes and are comfortable seizing opportunities in the moment, which can potentially lead them to act impulsively and make rash decisions. Xander admits that they have nerdy tendencies, as they can never resist a board gaming night with close friends or catching up with the latest episode of Doctor Who. They are also a big fan of various rock bands, most notably A Day To Remember and My Chemical Romance, although they are not averse to enjoying electronic music as well. They consider their guilty pleasure to be the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, which they first read when they were 11 years old, although their favorite genre of literature is fantasy. They also can never resist eating red velvet cupcakes with ube frosting, which they would often enjoy with their relatives when they lived in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and it is a taste in food that they share with Ariel. Xander has decided to cut their hair into a short, boyish style to symbolize their growth as a person, as well as indicate they're abandoning the remaining traces of their childhood self. They still struggle to communicate with their mother at times, as their mother's strong religious values causes some friction between the two of them. They appreciate Mia's kindness in not discriminating them for where they come from and trying to understand them for who they are, as seen when she comes to their defense when their classmate Eddy Beadles directs inappropriate comments at them. The two were partnered up for a research assignment in their English class and became friends after they invited her over to their house for dinner. Ariel remains the most meaningful relationship Xander has in their life, which has led them to often refer to her as their best friend, and possibly more. 

Only briefly after their friendship began, she started to fall in love with them in a platonic sense, leading them to devote almost every moment to being with each other. She eventually confesses this to Xander, and the two make drunken plans to grow up and live together in another city. She chose to attend college in Oregon however to become a music major, although the two continued to visit each other at intervals. Xander also suffers from dyslexia, which makes it difficult for them to read or process long blocks of text, particularly when it comes to paragraphs. They claim to be a visual learner and to learn better from seeing diagrams or graphs, as well as someone who is good at working with their hands. They discover that they have a natural ability for drawing and later enroll in AP Studio Art their senior year of high school along with Arlene to receive a college credit. They have confessed that they feel their goal in life however is to help people and seem to have a special fondness for kids, whom they instantly bond with due to their own childlike energy. Xander also has moments where they can be stubborn and immature, becoming passive-aggressive whenever things go do not go their way. They tend to have controlling tendencies and can be slightly possessive in their relationships, which has led to miscommunication between them and their romantic partners in the past. They tend to ramble more often when they are anxious about something and can easily lose track of what they were thinking or about to say when they get distracted by other thoughts. They are ultimately willing to take ownership of their actions however and are always willing to apologize in the end in order to learn and grow from their mistakes. Xander had medium-length dark blonde hair when they were younger and has since cut their hair into a short style, although they have shown a desire to begin growing it out again. 

They wear glasses and have a light complexion and a round face, with green eyes and an average build, although their hormone treatment therapy has led to gain some weight. They can typically be found with jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, although they will sometimes wear clothing that contains fandom references. They will seldom be seen without their laptop computer, which they consider to be their most prized possession due to its carrying everything that holds meaning to them. Xander temporarily enrolls at a local college after high school where they major in English, although they decide to drop out and take a job cashiering at a Walmart instead. They go through some difficult times when a global pandemic changes the course of their lives and leaves them estranged from their family and close friends. They later move to Takoma Park, Maryland for a few years, where they marry a Transgender woman named Rue Boyd before the couple relocates to Delaware. They eventually decide to attend Wilmington University and major in education in order to be able to teach children in an elementary school setting, while juggling a full-time job at a nonprofit. While Mia and Xander do not remain in touch with each other, she still thinks of them highly and likes the fact that they are genuine in their intentions. She last hears of them through a social media post that indicates that they are now working at a charter school with a group of 4th graders. They consider themselves to be a "fur parent" and treats their pet bulldogs, Ivanhoe and Cliff, almost as if they were their actual children. Their mother finally came to show pride for them upon seeing how far they had come, which helps mends years of hurt that were still inside their hearts. INFP 6w5