(no subject)
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy? She's a Quetzalcoatlus. All lean muscle and long limbs and tough, flexible membranes, with a very long neck and a huge head.
2. How old is she? Thirteen years old. The Quetzalcoatlus she occupies has an unknown lifespan and probably doesn't take as long to mature as humans do, but it's at pretty much the same point, as far as development is concerned - it's only barely started its equivalent of puberty and is at about seventy-five percent of adult size.
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch? She doesn't really have the postural flexibility she had when she was human. A Quetzalcoatlus's spine is fairly rigid. Posture is largely in the neck, and she changes it frequently.
She can stand upright to free her hands, but her legs are a bit spindly and put together in such a way that her stance is kind of "saddlesore cowboy". Plus it's awkward and a bit penguinish.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? She's in decent health, though her body's marked with the hazards it's been though before and after she occupied it. A few bones have broken and healed, there are some scars.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? Depends. On two legs she's awkward, waddling somewhat, and slow. On all fours she's relatively quick (though she can't run as fast as a healthy human) and there's greater ease to her movements, though I wouldn't call them graceful. On the wing, she's faster and more elegant. Her head and neck movements are the most fluid.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror? She sees herself as beautiful and alien - she consciously wants to like what she is, what she looks like, but sometimes....
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? She's patterned red, black, and white or off-white, with the skin covering her wing membranes having more purple/golden colors. These can "blush" darker and redder to shed heat. They're paler when it's cold.
Her skin is thin and a little leathery. It's the same thickness and texture as that bit of webbing between a human's thumb and first finger. Her walking surfaces - the soles of her feet, the parts of her hands which regularly come into contact with the ground - are covered with densely packed tough scales. These are rough textured.
Her wing membranes can be as soft as the rest of her skin or hard enough to thump like a barrel, depending on whether the muscles in them are tensed or not.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style. An analogue to fur, called pycnofibres, covers most of her body. It's waterproof, or at least highly water-resistant, and both soft and a little wiry. Each strand is about as thick as fine human hair. In the winter it's longer. It's longest on the back of her head, her neck, and her tail.
The color is the same as on the skin beneath, so it's red, black, and pale.
9. What color are her eyes?
They are deep red, round-pupiled, and the whites don't show. I know some of the icons are yellow-eyed; in the books I'm using for PB shots, an individual fluctuates between red and yellow eyes.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? Twelve-foot-tall pterosaur, what do you think?
I can't emphasize the outsize-looking neck and head enough, though. And her wrists are a good ways away from her fingers, to the point where it's almost like she has an extra elbow on each arm. Her arms are designed for flight and walking, with grasping and fine manipulation in third place. There is something like a finger at her wrist, the pteroid, but while it can move, it's there to support some wing membrane.
She also has a tail, though it's not very long or flexible. No dog-style wagging.
11. What are her chief tension centers? Neck and beak. Her neck curves more tightly and often when she's uncomfortable.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? No wardrobe. With wing membranes connecting her fingertips to her ankles and her wrists to her shoulders, there's not much in the way of options. The only thing that comes to mind beyond scarves and shoes is something like an apron that ties at the tail, but she's not exactly concerned with covering up. Despite the pycnofibres and endothermy, she's not a mammal.
However, to carry things I can imagine her getting something commissioned. Maybe an oversized neck-mounted fannypack that can be operated with a beak.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? It would be commando, but she's got a membrane called the cruropatagium connecting her legs. It's not shaped like a skirt - hard to explain in text, I know - but between it and the tail, her cloaca's not visible.
You pervert.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? She can't speak any human languages. Her vocalizations are mostly screeches, caws, and croaks. However, she does have telepathy that "sounds" like the voice she had when she was human.
And, well, thirteen year old girl. She sounds young, a just-barely-teenager who wants to seem older.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate? Fairly loud, generally a bit fast. She'll check herself and not say the first thing that comes to mind - usually - but otherwise she tends to start talking easily. She won't usually be the first to speak unless the other party is silent, though.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? Her telepathy isn't precisely heard. Sometimes it's accompanied by running vocalizations which have the same basic pitch and stop in the same places. So "Uh-uh" is projected at the same time she says "Au au". The vocalizations are quieter than speech, though, so someone not particularly observant might not realize she does that for a while.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency? In terms of conversation? English, and just a trace of schooltaught French. She's passingly familiar with various Latin terms used in biology and the scientific names of things, but that's about it.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations? No.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words? Fairly good. Not that she makes speeches.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? Closer to eloquent, but when she's really angry or upset she becomes less so.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart? She's fairly bright. With her trick memory, she can randomly remember some very specific things, which does help her in the book-smart field. She's a little naive about the world, though.
2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate? Above doesn't always think things through enough. Do it, don't ponder the long-term consequences until later. She's not completely impulsive, though.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
4. What kind of education has the character had? She was in eighth grade, and had missed more classes than is strictly necessary.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about? Mythology, plants and animals of the Mesozoic, painting, and most recently, flight. An odd mix, I know.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert? Oddly, she's slightly more of an extrovert. She's remote, but she doesn't make much of an effort to stay away from people. She likes that sense of oddness, of not really fitting in, and it's hard to get if she doesn't spend at least some time around others.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? She's relatively levelheaded, with a sort of persistent low-key cheer. Fairly laid-back, or in any case not driven.
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? She's a bit remote. Doesn't want to feel close. Not that she'll make much of an effort to push them away, or be unfriendly, really, but she'll act like she doesn't look strange, and as if she expects people to keep up.
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react? React.
10. Which is her default: fight or flight? Flight, but not exclusively.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? She thinks trolls are hilarious, unless they're really hurting someone or targeting people she doesn't think deserve it. Puns to a point, pranks too, and she'll be mildly sarcastic.
She once scrawled "Wide Load" across an ankylosaurus's backside and attached red flowers to his tail, like a large truck. Later she claimed she "couldn't resist".
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them? No.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person? Hmm. Her father's death and her best friend's betrayal have left her determined to seem unaffected, coolly distant.
14. What does she fear? There are Quetzalcoatlus fears that her host mind holds. Deep water's a big one - flying over is fine, wading into it isn't. Flying into a waterfall, being caught in rockfalls, large predators, lightning. Rockfalls, large predators, and lightning are her fears, too, though it should be noted that "large predators" in this case are ones bigger than bears or tigers.
She fears someone seeing through her facade.
15. What are her hopes or aspirations? Get by. Feed herself, become comfortable. Be something other, not shaken or disturbed by anything. She doesn't have a lot.
16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her? That she's not truly aloof and invulnerable.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents. She was very close to her dad until his death. Her mother, not so much. She does care that her mother's not around enough, though she tries not to show it. And she also cares about the trouble she's caused her mother.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? Nope.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand? She's got various aunts, uncles, and cousins, many of them highly eccentric. Some she likes more than others. None live very close, though, and none were as close as her dad.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them? Over the events of Dinoverse (I Was A Teenaged T. Rex and The Teens Time Forgot), she and the other three humans in distinctly inhuman bodies became somewhat closer. Bertram, Mike, and Canadayce. Her relationships with Bertram and Mike were pretty basic; she thought they were okay and wanted to help them, would praise and cajole them to keep their spirits up. Her relationship with Canadayce eventually became basic frienemy, with sniping between them but also ready cooperation. I'm taking her from before they returned to normal, but I know from the epilogue that they kept in ready contact even when they didn't need each other anymore.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet? It was Sherril, who she met after her father died and she and her mother moved. Sherril betrayed her a few years later, and she closed off.
6. Does she have other close friends? The only one in that category would be Loki, the native Quetzalcoatlus who seems to like her. She started developing a possibly-unhealthy dependence on it, but consciously resisted it, and it's cut off by this point.
7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people? She's not unfriendly or hostile, but she keeps a distance between herself and others. She considers herself distinctly unlike them and doesn't like to rely on people, who after all can change their minds. Friendships she makes strongly tend to be casual, though less cool than they would have been before the novel.
8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends? Friends-close-as-family, but not by much, and neither are very strong.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once? Single.
10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse? No.
11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest? Her first, I'd say was her best friend until sixth grade, Sherril. She was eleven when her friend betrayed her, so it was a very vague, innocent one.
Her latest was the "real" Quetzalcoatlus, Loki. She thought of him as her first boyfriend, though I honestly think that he was a sibling and might not have even been male. This was also innocent. It's cut off; she's said goodbye and isn't really broken up about the fact that she will never see him again.
12. What does she look for in a romantic partner? She doesn't. Loki just sort of happened.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any? No.
14. Does she have any rivals or enemies?
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale? Eh... I'll go with three.
16. How does she feel about sex? How important is it to her? It's barely even occurred to her, so not very. She's a late bloomer.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type? Tiger. Not well.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life? Not really either, though it's not a militant lack. She's an atheist or agnostic, though she hasn't recognized this yet, and thinks things are up to chance, without a plan.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? Nothing codified. She generally wants to help people who really need it, but it's not a constant or conscious thing.
4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from hers? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? Pretty indifferent.
5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them? Does not like bullies, and really hates people who have seriously wronged her. It takes a lot of doing to get past that.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? In canon, she never has much money; her paints are all either imports she saved up for or shoplifted. In ES, she... has very, very little money, but that's okay, because she doesn't buy much.
2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her? Outsider. It's been like that for most of her life.
3. Where does she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is her home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does she share it with others? Currently she's in a drafty old barn. She hasn't made any arrangements to stay in it, but no one really uses it right now, so she hasn't been kicked out yet. It's just a place to sleep and lurk when it gets too cold. If she ever, say, moves into something chiseled out by a woodpecker, she may come to like that better, but she will always prefer flight.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on? Nothing. If she had more money, she might go for paints and some kind of custom fitted bag.
5. What does she do for a living? Is she good at it? Does she enjoy it, or would she rather be doing something else? Hoboing. She may eventually become an Adventurer, but only when the Wilderness allows for flight.
6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time? Flight. Her conscious brain sort of turns off, and it never gets boring.
Otherwise, art/vandalism are fun, and watching people from the air, and procuring food. She also spends some time in the Wilderness walking around, but this is dependent on getting people to hit the elevator buttons for her.
7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? Fish. Raw meat in general; when the lake's frozen over she hangs around Captain Planet and eats freshly-butchered guts if she can get them, but not the lower intestine. The meats they feed griffins and wolves, if she absolutely has to, but she has to pay for those, a little.
She can eat fruit and in fact should, but she doesn't know this yet.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is her favorite:
1. Color?
2. Smell?
3. Time of day?
4. Season?
5. Book? James Gurney's Dinotopia. Most of her icons are scanned from it.
6. Music?
7. Place?
8. Substance? Some kind of thin not-entirely-homogenous paint or glaze. The kind where you reach into the container and it clings perfectly to your skin and the little hairs, fine enough that when you pull your hand out the lines of your skin are still clearly visible, but also the kind of paint or glaze which always, always seems to have a little sediment at the bottom, no longer how much you stir it.
9. Plant?
10. Animal?
END
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