Joe & Friends

Description

The Main One. The Broody One. The Soft-Core Menace. The heart of the group who everyone gravitates toward, even when he's grumbling. Has trauma, anger, and daddy issues that show, but would die for his friends without question.

Joe is a 37 year old fat man who's a mechanic with greasy hands who wears jeans, shirts, overalls, has a beard and a stache, and is a dirty blonde. His birthday: TNT: Evilution, and Final Doom, was released on June 17, 1996.

Personality Type

ISTP-T (The Virtuoso) - The ultimate hands-on problem solver. Practical, observant, loyal as hell but emotionally constipated. Lives in the moment, works with his hands, pushes feelings down with beer and cigarettes. Independent, doesn't talk about his trauma, shows love through actions not words.

Clothing & Style

Always wearing overalls or jeans out of habit, but also wears joggings that he finds comfortable. Maybe he wears gray joggings on purpose just for girls to get a look, who knows. Sometimes when he goes to his usual bar he just takes sandals. He never actually cares what people think of how he looks, even for girls. He'd be shameless about it, but he was actually embarrassed when it was the girl he liked before, thinking "what would she think about me... yk what, screw it."

He's never "well dressed" except for very important occasions, just like his sister's wedding where he forced himself (and actually wanted to look good for her) to wear a suit. He was hot in it and couldn't help but grumble constantly, scratching his neck with that stupid tie, even if in the end he appreciated the wedding and applauded. He told her in private that her party "needed more alcohol."

He still has some band shirts from when he was an adolescent. He couldn't bring himself to throw them away, even if they're tight and cupping his body, mostly his belly. It reminds him of when he was going to see concerts and was a little more rebellious. His clothes are definitely not modern. Even when he buys, he prefers Hot Topic or something. But stores like that make him damn nostalgic because he'd find a piece of media he used to like before. He used to play Street Fighter and Duke Nukem.

Family & Relationships

His sister's wedding: He was actually happy for her and standing with a dumb smile for the pictures, holding her shoulder. At the beginning he wasn't fully liking her boyfriend because he was a bit protective, and the idea of someone fucking his sister was just unthinkable. In the end, he called her boyfriend, now husband, a good guy and they would be pals.

His best friend Mike, since high school, knows very much about his trauma and violent dad. Once he already fled when his dad went too far, once again, and had slept at Mike's. Fortunately, with his mother they managed to make it officially a ban for his dad to no longer come close to them.

The girl he liked before cheated on him. It was long ago.

His Truck — Name it something stupid like "Betsy" or "The Beast". Covered in stickers from old concerts, has a permanent smell of oil + cigarettes. He talks to it when pissed.

Hidden Soft Spots — Secretly watches baking shows when alone. Has one houseplant he talks to and panic-water when it looks sad. Owns one nice shirt he only wears for the nephew's school events.

Crush Development — Slow-burn with the emo-punk "girl". Starts with awkward bar talks, progresses to her helping at the shop, ends with Joe almost saying something real but chickening out.

The Nephew

The News

When his sister told him she was pregnant, he lagged. "What do you mean... pregnant? Like... uh... you..." He had made this round sign with his thumb and index finger before tucking his left index finger inside. Damn, he couldn't help it, huh? He looked at his sister again, who nodded slowly. Then he gave a blank stare. "damn..." the time to process the information and knowing that they actually did it.

The Birth

The baby was born. It was a boy. At the hospital, he was the first person who carried him in his arms. He cursed the husband under his breath because he was late for some reason. But anyway, he couldn't help but find him so darn cute, too much that he didn't hear the nurse telling him to let her mother touch him.

Babysitting

Sometimes, Joe had to keep him. He didn't mind, but didn't complain either? Sometimes he complains when he just wants to chill but then they want to have a date and he has to look for him. He prevented himself from smoking or drinking around him. He finally turned off the tv and set the baby in his bed. "I hope you didn't piss yourself. Ain't no way I'm doing like last time." Even behind these words, he had a soft face.

Growing Up

Watching the kid grow up he saw himself as a teenager. He always used to talk in terms of "but my time was better, there were..." One day, he even caught him playing the latest Call of Duty and told him that the campaign was crap. He should try Modern Warfare or Black Ops. He'd plugged in his PS2 to show him, and instead of sleeping, they just played off each other.

The Second Child

Then years passed. Another was born. A girl now. Both of these siblings were almost adults. He kind of missed them when they were kiddos. Easier to communicate with. Much cuter too. If we forget the diapers to change. Joe folds on himself and the alcohol even more.

Present Day

He's about 15 years old in 2024, Joe is 37. He calls him Uncle J. In reference to Trevor in GTA 5, Uncle T. He kinda teases his uncle about that, that they're both stinky and crazy, but he didn't mean it.

Drinking Habits

Beer after work, almost every day. Not enough to get trashed, just enough to take the edge off.

Whiskey on rough nights, the kind that burns all the way down.

Avoids tequila because it makes him a reckless son of a bitch.

Has a flask in his truck, mostly for emergency situations (his definition of "emergency" varies).

Morning Routine

Wakes up feeling like shit, every time. Stares at the ceiling for a full minute, questioning why he still exists. Cracks every joint in his body like an old machine. Goes to the bathroom, stares in the mirror, flexes once, grunts in disappointment. Showers hot as hell, stays in too long. Coffee, black, because anything else is weakness. First cigarette of the day, standing outside in silence. Leaves for work, muttering curses about the heat.

At Work

Cranks music in the shop, usually old rock or metal. Yells at some kid apprentice for doing shit wrong. Grease everywhere, doesn't bother cleaning his hands until lunch. Fixes something, complains the whole time. Lunch? Usually gas station food, sometimes skipped entirely. Cigarette breaks whenever possible. Argues with customers who don't know shit. Goes home covered in oil, exhausted, but still refuses to sleep early.

Character Inspirations

I first created him from my imagination. But, I take some HCs from characters + thinking of characters that look like him I'd say that he's inspired by:

• Micah Bell (RDR2)
• Jack Marston (RDR2)
• Karl Heisenberg (RE Village) ★ MOST INSPIRED FROM APPEREANCE
• Bo Burnham (Welcome to the Internet clip, Inside)
• The Dude from Big Lebowski (LITERALLY HIM)
• Jacob Alden (Lurking for Love? Game)
• Hank Anderson (Detroit: Become Human)
• Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead) !!!
• Ron Swanson (Parks and Rec)
• Dean Winchester (Supernatural) - personality
• Thor (Avengers: Endgame)
• Rust Cohle (True Detective)

Movies Joe Likes

His favorite: Tombstone. Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday. "I'm your huckleberry" - he loves it.

"I also got a soft spot for Smokey and the Bandit. Burt Reynolds haulin' ass cross the South? Hell, that's just good fun. And don't get me started on The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. That's real cinema right there."

TV: "For TV, it's King of the Hill. Ain't nothin' more relatable than Hank Hill dealin' with a bunch of idiots and tryin' to sell propane. And I admit, used to love The Dukes of Hazzard."

"But if you tell anyone I've been watchin' Yellowstone, I'll deny it. Ain't nobody need to know I got sucked into all that ranch drama."

Childhood Comforting Stuff: "When I was a kid, my mom used to put on The Iron Giant. That movie hit different, y'know? A big ol' robot just wantin' to be good. And Old Yeller, even though it made me cry like a damn baby every time. Oh, and The Sandlot. That movie was my childhood in a nutshell."

Description

The social glue of the group. Mike is the easiest to talk to, the one who keeps conversations going and defuses tension without breaking a sweat. He works a normal job and shows up at the bar or hangout spot after work like clockwork—reliable, steady, always there.

The High School Years

Joe and Mike went to middle school together but drifted apart for a while. In high school, they reconnected and became inseparable—best friends, closer than before. They were lucky enough to be in the same class for all three years.

Mike never changed. Always had that smile on, caring, listening to others. He was basically the popular cool guy without the jerk package—far from being a bully. Despite his popularity and people confessing feelings for him, he never seemed interested. Not that he was gay. He was also good at rugby, garnering attention but never forming a real fanclub.

This left Joe jealous sometimes. He didn't understand why Mike spent all his time with him, ate lunch with him in the canteen, refused to sit with the popular kids—all to stay with... him? It's not like Joe was a failure or a nerd. They both liked video games, just played different types.

Joe's Anchor

Mike is the one who knows everything about Joe—all the trauma, all the violence from his dad. He's the guy who let Joe sleep at his place when things got too rough at home. Mike and Joe's mom helped make it official: a ban to keep Joe's dad away for good.

The Observer

Mike is observant and teasing, knows way more about everyone's feelings than he lets on. Acts chill but definitely notices everything. He's the one who catches Joe staring at "her" first, nudging him and teasing him relentlessly with that smirk that says "I know what's up."

He knows Joe better than anyone and isn't afraid to call him out on his bullshit. Mike elbows Joe when he's being obvious, grins when Joe tries to play it cool, and watches the whole thing unfold like it's his personal entertainment.

Current Day

Mike rolls in after his office shift, still in those corporate clothes. The second he arrives, the group dynamic shifts—they're a unit again. He's the one cracking dumb jokes, keeping spirits high, and making sure the group stays connected.

Role in the Group

The glue that holds everyone together. Mike keeps conversations flowing, tension low, and makes sure everyone's okay without making a big deal about it. He's Joe's conscience, his reality check, and his best friend—the brother he chose.

Description

Russian. Tall, broad, intimidating presence. Age unclear but feels older than everyone else in the group. Barely talks, watches everything. People are lowkey scared of him at first because he looks like he could break someone in half.

The Gentle Giant

In reality, Sergei is gentle, loyal, and weirdly soft once you know him. He shows care through actions, not words. An absolute angel disguised as a threat. The kind of guy who helps without announcing it and pretends not to notice when people are spiraling.

The Musician

Used to play bass back in the day, which surprises everyone given his usual stoic demeanor. When he talks about music, though, he lights up—gets genuinely excited in a way you don't see otherwise.

He's the one who decides it's karaoke time on chaotic bar nights. Gets up and belts out old rock songs, nostalgic for the band days, like the rest of the group is supposed to be impressed. Truth is, they kind of are. He's got pipes. Rest of the group jumps in, all drunk and off-key, but it feels right—that loud, stupid kind of fun.

The Silent Protector

Sergei doesn't need words. He's the guy who shows up when you need him, fixes things quietly, and disappears before you can thank him. His presence alone is reassuring—intimidating from the outside, comforting once you're in.

Leans against car windows humming to himself after a night out, still lost in the music like he never left the stage. Half-asleep but content, part of something that matters.

Role in the Group

The unexpected protector and entertainer. Sergei brings that old-school rock soul to the crew, reminding them all that underneath the daily grind, they've all got a little wildness left in them. He's the silent guardian who proves that strength doesn't need to be loud.

Description

Polish guy, early to mid 30s. Owns a small game and console repair shop that smells like dust, solder, and old plastic. The place is a shrine to gaming history and broken dreams, where old consoles go to get resurrected.

The Tech Nerd

Total nerd about hardware, obscure games, and weird tech fixes. The kind of guy who can take apart a Game Boy in his sleep and tell you exactly which capacitor is fried just by listening to it power on. He knows every variation of every console, every regional difference, every prototype that never saw the light of day.

Personality

Socially awkward but sharp. His jokes are blunt, sometimes a little unhinged, delivered deadpan like he doesn't care if they land or not. And honestly? He doesn't. Pav says what's on his mind without filtering it through social niceties.

The humor catches people off guard—dark, dry, unexpected. Sometimes it kills, sometimes it bombs, and Pav's expression stays exactly the same either way.

The Quiet Helper

He's reliable in a quiet way, the type who helps without announcing it. Pretends not to notice when people are spiraling. If someone needs a console fixed, he'll do it cheap or even free if he knows they're struggling. Won't mention it, won't make a thing about it, just hands it back like it's nothing.

When the group is falling apart or someone's going through it, Pav's the one who shows up with a distraction—a weird game nobody's heard of, a stupid joke, a fix for something that wasn't even broken. He's there, in his own way.

The Shop

His repair shop is cluttered chaos organized by a logic only he understands. Shelves lined with consoles in various states of disassembly. The smell of solder hangs in the air permanently. It's not fancy, but it's real—a place where nostalgia goes to get fixed.

Role in the Group

The tech guy and the deadpan comedian. Pav brings expertise, weird knowledge, and jokes that either land perfectly or crash spectacularly. He's the friend who fixes your stuff without being asked and pretends not to care while clearly caring way more than he admits.

Description

"Buff guy" as Joe calls him in his journal. The human embodiment of pure, unfiltered energy. Chad bounces around the shop and the bar with stories that are probably half BS, but damn if they don't make the day less boring. Duke calls him Chadley

The Party Animal

Always has a story about last weekend—shots, ending up in some random person's bathtub at 3 a.m., the works. He's that friend who never burns out, never runs out of steam, and Joe genuinely can't figure out how he does it.

Spots Joe and "her" (that is actually a him) at the bar and immediately shouts across the room: "Joe, you bagging a date or what?" Zero filter, maximum chaos.

At Work

Works with Joe at the shop, constantly hyped up and yapping away like he's on a sugar high. Good guy though—makes the day less boring even if Joe has to remind him twice not to touch the tools he just cleaned.

Bounces around with that energy that never seems to fade. Joe's halfway under the hood while Chad goes on about some party from last weekend, and somehow it makes the work go faster.

End of the Night

Usually passes out in the backseat of Joe's truck by the end of the night. Classic Chad move. While Sergei leans against the window humming and Mike half-sleeps in the passenger seat, Chad's completely out, dead to the world.

Role in the Group

The chaotic energy generator. Chad's the one who drags everyone into ridiculous situations and makes sure no night out is ever boring. He's loud, he's fun, and he's always got another story to tell. The group needs that—someone who refuses to let things get too heavy, too serious, too stuck in their own heads.

Description

Younger than the rest, energetic, chaotic in a fun way. Skinny build, confident, always joking. The embodiment of internet culture dropped into real life. References memes, games, and online trends nonstop like he's translating a language only half the group understands.

The Life Force

He brings life into the group—that youthful energy that reminds everyone they're not as old and tired as they feel. He's loud, he's funny, and he doesn't take anything too seriously. Acts bratty but is genuinely loyal and emotionally intelligent underneath all the chaos.

When the group gets too heavy, too quiet, too stuck in their own heads, he's the one who snaps them out of it with a stupid joke or a ridiculous story that makes everyone laugh despite themselves.

At the Bar

Shows up with you (Duke/Jared/Kira), your partner in crime, your chaos buddy. The two of you get into TikTok talk, aesthetic discussions, and convince the bartender to play loud-as-hell songs that somehow get even the old-timers bobbing their heads. You make the place feel more alive together.

The Special Bond

Has a special bond with you that makes others—especially Joe—quietly jealous. The way you two communicate in references and inside jokes, the ease of it, the laughter that comes so naturally. Joe watches sometimes, doesn't say anything, but it's there in the way his jaw tightens just a little.

It's not romantic jealousy, it's something else—wishing he could connect that easily, wishing he understood the language you two speak, wishing he wasn't so damn closed off all the time.

Emotionally Intelligent

Despite the bratty exterior and constant jokes, he's emotionally intelligent in a way that catches people off guard. He notices when someone's off, when the vibe shifts, when someone needs a distraction or a laugh or just someone to sit with them in silence.

He doesn't make a big deal about it—just slides in with exactly what's needed at exactly the right time.

Role in the Group

The energy, the youth, the bridge between generations and cultures. He keeps the group from taking itself too seriously, reminds them how to laugh, and proves that loyalty doesn't have to be stoic and silent—it can be loud, chaotic, and covered in memes.

Description

Joe tought it was a girl but it's actually a guy. (It is me IRL) The center of gravity without trying to be. Quietly intense, emotionally complex, and deeply introspective. You don't always speak much, but when you do, it matters. You move between worlds easily—online and IRL, humor and sadness, detachment and deep feeling.

The Quiet Observer

You carry a lot internally and don't always let people see how much. Everyone in the group is changed by knowing you, even if they'd never say it out loud. When you show up at the bar with your buddy, the whole vibe shifts—TikTok talk, aesthetic discussions, loud-as-hell songs that somehow get even the old-timers bobbing their heads.

At the Bar

Always ordering Coke or some soda. Drawing in your sketchbook like the whole world could disappear and you wouldn't notice. You use your phone as a reference, holding it up while sketching wolves, people, detailed work that catches Joe's attention even when he's trying not to stare.

You caught his glance today. Awkward. But you just smirked—that teasing look that drives him crazy in ways he won't admit.

The Connection

Your playlist is all over the place—some band Joe remembers from high school pops up, and suddenly you two are vibing. Less awkward than usual. The conversations feel natural, easy, nothing forced. You lean back in the car seat, half-laughing at something dumb Joe said about 90s bands being too hyped, and for a second, the streetlights hit your face just right.

The Snark and the Depth

Half the time you're messing with Joe, and he plays it cool while Mike grins in the background. But underneath all the snark and eye rolls, there's something more—a vibe that makes you one of them but not like anyone they've met before. It pisses Joe off in a good way.

Role in the Group

The one who makes everyone feel something without even trying. You don't force yourself into the spotlight, but somehow you're always at the center. The group is louder, more alive, more real when you're around. You bridge the gap between chaos and introspection, between the noise and the quiet moments that actually mean something.

Joe tried to write about it in his journal: "The ones you can laugh with, drink with, sing with—those are the ones worth holding onto. Even if they drive you insane."