Cal Dayton

Creator: Silvern
Roleplay: Hiding Under Searchlight
Nickname: Cal

Name: Cal Dayton
Age: 28
Gender/Pronouns: Male, he/him
Role: The Witness

Personality: Cal is an old soul, and keenly aware of it. Although he shies away from most connections, he has an easier time relating to people older than him— and he's often treated as an elder by people closer to his age, even though it definitely isn't as if he looks old. Maybe it's because of his tendency to occasionally say something incredibly wise as if it's nothing. He's on the quieter side and a little awkward: people so often think he's sad-looking that he's started to wonder if he's sad on the inside as well without realizing it. Despite his neutral front and reserved nature, Cal is far more inclined to kindness than hostility. Although he's rarely the first to extend trust, if someone else declares that they trust him... well, he's not going to let them down.
Appearance: Cal looks perpetually sleepless, but not sloppy— the exhaustion only really shows in his face and the permanent dark circles under his gold-brown eyes. Otherwise, he's perfectly put together: his clothes are clean, and his short blond hair is well-groomed. He's of average height, and what little muscle he has is in his arms. Cal dresses casual and functional, typical of a rural guy (think monochrome t-shirts, jeans, durable leather ankle boots, and maybe a snapback hat). In short, he's very unassuming until you really look at him, and then you wonder if he's okay.
Short backstory: Cal hails from a small town in West Virginia, born to parents who worked in the coal mines of the Appalachians. That means he's already seen some weird stuff. The land is rich with stories of monsters and creatures lurking among the forests, rivers, and mountains, and the folktales there start with "one time", not "once upon a time", as if the events were in recent memory. He still doesn't know if there's truth to any of it, even with his own memories of strange encounters— eyes watching him in the woods, whispers floating up from the lakes, howls in the mountains. Regardless, it was a relief when he left the state at eighteen and went to trade school in the Midwest to become an electrician. Cal has moved further and further west for jobs over the years, from Indiana to Oklahoma to Colorado, and has most recently landed in Arizona. Still, there's part of him that feels like he never left those mountains.
Reason for being in Searchlight: Cal was on his way to visit his brother in Las Vegas (mostly as a formality, since the two of them are not close) from his home in Flagstaff. He was driving on U.S. Route 95 when his car suddenly steered itself into Searchlight, despite Cal desperately trying to take control back of the wheel. He swears there was something in his rearview mirror that watched him from the road, disappearing when he blinked. Cal is questioning his sanity a bit.
Other: Cal still abides by some of the Appalachian superstitions, even without really believing in them. He drives a pale blue 1969 Plymouth Barracuda that he bartered for, and he's quite fond of it. The phrase "drive it like you stole it" could not be any farther from the truth with Cal— he's exceptionally cautious with it, and everywhere he drives it, he's worried someone else is going to steal it.
Quirk: No, the Cal isn't short for Calvin or anything else. Some of his coworkers, who aren't buying it, have made a backronym from his name regarding this lack of response on what its "full form" might be: "Can't Answer Legally".