What's in a Name?

Connor Tran

Connor Tran- English/German (mother); Vietnamese (father)- Connor is a polite boy who is perceived as soft-spoken and timid, although he has a strong inner will that surfaces when he focuses on his goals. He is Daniela Nichols' closest male friend and considered to be someone that is very precious to her in a platonic sense, with his catchphrase being "Boo-yah Bah-Bam". Shy and reserved, the social scene doesn't much interest him, save for a few acquaintances who he sits with at lunch to talk about Star Wars with. He initially used his hair to cover his eyes completely, although his hairstyle changes to the point where both of his eyes are made visible by a short ponytail as his confidence grows. Connor was born in Santa Rosa, California alongside his twin sister Emma and lived there for an extended period before his family's move to Long Island the summer before second grade. He would settle there with his two sisters and grandparents during the periods his parents weren't traveling to Japan, China, or Thailand together for his father's work for the IBM. He tends to be regarded by his teachers as being "brilliant, but incredibly lazy", as he is easily bored and oftentimes distractible. He is said to take after his mother in terms of personality, as he often escapes into and becomes consumed by his own thoughts. Connor reluctantly works a morning shift at the local Dunkin' to save up money for the New York Comic Con, which he has made a tradition of attending since he was 12. Like his mother, he is sensible, intelligent and fairly well-educated, excelling in his science courses while showing a specific aptitude for biology. While he has a close relationship with his father and tended to look up to him as a child, he could nonetheless be frequently embarrassed or infuriated at his foolishness and scatterbrained behavior. 

Though a benevolent and giving person, he suffered from of emotional instability due to years of repressing his feelings, and at the first suggestion that he and Emma should do something, he would always say, "Maybe this isn't such a good idea". Connor is not particularly popular among his peers compared to sisters and does not have many close friends, having been teased frequently throughout the years and made to feel insecure by other males due to his half-Asian heritage. He often mumbles whenever he has something important to say and unconsciously points to others as he is talking to them. Although he is not averse to expressing his frustration when an unexpected or undesired event triggers a reaction from him, he is generally less emotional than his twin sister Emma and tends to not form strong opinions on any person or subject matter. He could be told by most everyone else that something she wants to accomplish is impossible, or that they should give up hope, yet he'll simply turn to them with a smile and ensure that everything will work out just fine. Despite his quiet demeanor, Connor will become much more enthusiastic whenever someone casually mentions one of his many nerdly obsessions. He considers Powerade blue to be his favorite beverage and shares a mutual love of Star Trek and superhero comics with Emma. He is often drawn to the nerdier side of the cultural spectrum and can always be relied upon for his extensive knowledge of Star Trek plotlines, and he has read Beowulf and The Giver by Lois Lowry. He and Emma are very close and had a shared affinity for and ritual of bonding over sessions of Dance Dance Revolution when they were young. Like his sister, Connor loves electronic music as well, particularly old techno bands from the late 90s and early 00s, such as Daft Punk. 

They still engage in dancing sessions and consider each other their best friend, although he also enjoys gaming with his friends and can never resist playing Minecraft. He secretly feels overlooked by his sister in terms of talent and wanted to prove to her that he wasn't dumb while placed on the school's "Whack Your Brain" team. He learns that everyone has their own kind of intelligence and realizes that regardless of not being book smart, he is skilled in practical ways, winning the game by remembering that "flamingos aren't born pink". Connor mentions that his IQ was tested as a child and measured to be at an approximate 140, yet he fails to apply himself in school and live up to his potential as a student. He shows an interest in Quantum physics and has a logical style of communicating when it comes to his writing, but underperforms when it comes to his exams. He enrolls in community college to complete his general studies, but drops out once his procrastination and poor time management cause him to accidentally miss his psychology final. Some of his major flaws stem from his stubbornness and headstrong attitude, which can be very trying to others at times and can potentially lead to arguments, including a particularly venomous altercation with Emma. The adults in her life purposefully told Connor to do the opposite of what they asked, as Connor tended to be contrary, leading his mother to buying him natural supplements in order to improve his memory and focus. He often benefited from getting reminders on his phone to drink enough water or to eat at the appropriate mealtimes and needs people who can motivate her to get the chores done. He would put down her homework without even realizing it and not be able to find it later, only for her grandmother to come across it in the kitchen pantry or on the bookshelf.