Eden Zhao (28, demi male, he/they) was seen listening to "Black Out Days" by Phantogram. Eden is a photo studio owner and known to be observant & distrusting.
[ basics ]
Name: Eden Zhao / 赵逸凡 (Zhào Yìfán)
Gender & Pronouns: Demi male (he/they)
Age: 28
Sexuality: Pansexual
Birthdate: January 7, 1993
Birthplace: Shanghai, China
Occupation: Photo studio owner & former child actor
[ snapshot ]
Eden was born in Shanghai to high-profile parents, his mother a beloved actress and his father a hotel tycoon. His birth was an event in itself and it was inevitable that he'd have a life in the spotlight, he just didn't expect to have to carve his own path so soon. His mother booked him his first commercial when he was three, his first gig on a film at five, and his first solo project at nine.
He did genuinely enjoy acting for a while - as much as a kid could - but it caused his mom to push him to his limits. When he became a teen, gigs started becoming a chore to the point where he had no desire to act at all. His mother pushed him to keep taking gigs, whether it be a commercial here and there or a short web series, until Eden was finally fed up. They did not want to be in the public eye anymore, whether it be because of their own works or simply by association with their parents.
When Eden turned 20, he decided to go study abroad. His mother approved, even if it meant stepping back from the industry, since a foreign diploma would look good for his reputation. He got into a school in Toronto and news spread amongst his parents' circles that their son was somewhere overseas preparing to take over his father's business — little did they know, Eden had no intention of returning.
Four years passed and Eden got the business degree they were meant to get, even milking two more years out of a masters program. He loved the general anonymity he had in Toronto. His parents were getting impatient though, and so were Chinese tabloids who had started to speculate on where this former child star had gone. Eden decided that there was no use delaying the inevitable and finally told their parents how they felt, that they didn't want a life in the public anymore and had decided to stay in Canada.
Needless to say, they are not currently on good terms, but Eden knows not to get caught up in the rumours and theories about him anymore. If his parents wanted to ignore every question about him to the press, act like he didn't exist anymore, then so be it.
[ headcanons ]
There definitely were people in Toronto who recognized him - lots of the older generation stopping him in the streets and telling him how they grew up with him. Sometimes it'd get back to the press at home too. Eden didn't love it, but it was still better than what probably would've happened if he stayed in China.
Child acting and the pressure of growing up in the public eye did a lot more to them than they realize. He was always ashamed of struggling in a life so many would dream to have, but moving to Huntsville has helped clear his mind and he's starting to accept that it's okay to be affected by things in the past.
He discovered his passion for photography while studying. He then used the business degree he happened to have to make a job out of it. He loves his photo studio because he gets to capture people at their best moments - people who actually wanted to be on camera.
[ connections ]
[X] ex-boyfriend: a fling meant to piss off his parents that turned into something more? they both just didn't know how to express it and broke up because of bad communication. [taken by Dayo Akintola]
[O] former uni roommate: someone he considers a friend — trusted them a lot where they were even willing to tell them about their past. still good friends even after moving to Huntsville.
[O] mother + father: god forbid his parents ever try and come find him, but it would definitely be an interesting time for Eden if they did.
