all of the time but I'm never sure why I need you - pleased to meet ya~
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Shay is 5'11" and built like an an Amazon. She's in great shape from years of kickboxing, musclar due to weightlifting, but still retains enough body fat to have a great rack. She imagines that's where all the cheeseburgers go -- straight to her boobs.
2. How old is she?
32.
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch?
When she's in her uniform, it's like an automatic posture +10. When she's in her civvies, she tends to be a bit more casual in her stance.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
She's in great shape! Her cholesterol is like 49620876, though.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
I wouldn't say Shay is clumsy, she's just not all that graceful. Getting around the corridors of the GW presents a challenge, as she attempts not to crash into contractors and other sailors alike.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror?
She's pretty smokin', not gonna lie -- and oh, she knows it. But it's usually a source of amusement, rather than vanity.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Being half Irish, half Scandinavian, Shay has an extremely fair complexion with a hint of a ruddy hue.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
She's a natural blonde, blessed with thick, straight hair that she normally wears up in a ponytail with two long bangs over her shoulders and shorter bangs across her hairline. One of them flips out like this -> ( ...Of course, her PB doesn't have bangs. Awesome.
9. What color are her eyes?
Light blue.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Shay would like to point out her AMAZING TITS. She also has light scars on her arms that have faded over time.
11. What are her chief tension centers?
Shoulders, lower back.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit?
She likes t-shirts and jeans for all year 'round. In summer she tends to wear shorts, and in winter she's got a few sweaters she enjoys, but t-shirts and jeans are the vast majority of her wardrobe. She has an even mix of colors, to wear depending on the day and her mood and what she's doing. She has all sorts of shoes -- boots, sandals, flats, heels -- though she finds it hard to buy them, 'cause her feet are kinda big.
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
Yeah, even in uniform, she comes across as wearing the clothes, rather than them wearing her.
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences?
WAY different, seeing as she wears a uniform at work and would not even touch it in her free time.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Bikini briefs~
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Shay sounds feminine enough, but her voice is pretty deep anyway. If she gets excited, it starts to raise in pitch.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
She's normally a little loud and a little fast, but she talks easily 'cause talking is second nature to her.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Shay doesn't have much of an accent besides sounding like red-blooded American, though, y'know, she does have verbal tics, but I dunno, they're not so bad. <- that's how she talks. :D
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
English, and a little bit of German. She's really good at English. German, um, not so much anymore.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Well, if she were talking about philosophy, she might start throwing out some of that German, but otherwise, no.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
Shay is great at impromptu speaking! Sometimes a little too great...
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
She's concise most of the time. Unless she gets flustered, she's pretty eloquent, but if she's taken off guard, expect a lot of "Um" "Uh" "Well" Er".
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
Normally, Shay comes off as a bit of an airhead, but when she's talking about other people's feelings, she betrays the fact that she's a lot smarter than she lets on. She's also very good with common sense.
2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
She's used to situations where she has to make quick judgements and make them be the right judgements, so thinking on her feet comes naturally now.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Shay's train of thought is sort of like the Boston subway: it starts off as one thing and then stops and turns into another completely without much warning at random times.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
She has a BA in philosophy, and also any and all training from being an officer.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
Shay is really good at grilling meat. She's also great at eating it. To be serious, though, Shay is adept at taking care of others, making sure people are doing what they need to do, reading between the lines, and is also pretty good with kids. She's trying to learn Japanese right now. It's hard!
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
Extrovert to a fault. Shay wears her heart on her sleeve and isn't the least bit ashamed.
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 very even tempered, unless you REALLY piss her off, in which case she will ream your ass. She's optimistic about her life, and somewhat lackadaisical when it comes to doing work. If the going gets tough, though, she tends to surprise people by pulling through.
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Shay is sort of a puppy dog, in that respect. She's almost overwhelmingly enthusiastic when she meets new people.
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
Act.
10. Which is her default: fight or flight?
Fight! Though, really, it depends on the situation. If a retreat is necessary to fight again another day, she'll book it out of there.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Shay has a very well rounded sense of humor, from knock-knock jokes to dry social commentary. She tends to use humor to deal with most situations, since if you're laughing, you aren't crying.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
She's been on medication for depression since she was 16. It's not really so much a factor in her life anymore, so much as it is background noise in her head. Sometimes it gets louder than she'd prefer, but she's learned to live with it. Most of the time it doesn't present itself in a way that anyone can see, but when things get rough, it's harder for her to take.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person?
Her parents' divorce, her teenage suicide attempt, graduating from college and being accepted into OCS. Shay would argue that her life in general defines her as a person.
14. What does she fear?
Shay fears being helpless, unwanted, and unloved. She's also terrified of losing those she cares about.
15. What are her hopes or aspirations?
She just wants to have a happy life, regardless of what comes of it.
16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her?
Shay is extremely open about almost everything, and the things that she chooses not tell people are not due to personal shame, but because she figures they don't want to hear it.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents.
Shay and her dad (Papa Shay) are as close as could be. She looks up to him as a role model and loves him dearly, and they keep in contact on a regular basis. She and her mom, however, hate one another with a passion, and she doesn't care if that ever changes.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
She has a bunch of half-siblings that she doesn't honestly care two bits for.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand?
She hated her maternal grandparents, since they were the ones who forced her mother into marrying her father to begin with. Even if she's grateful to have been born, she hates caused her dad so much pain, since he did love her awful harpy mother even if she did not return the sentiment.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them?
You knooooow what I don't honestly know and I'm not going to lie and make something up. ahaha. This version of Shay is still too new in my head!
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Her direct superior, Commander Greene. She's pleasantly obnoxious to him and sometimes he acts like she's a nuisance, but they both care about each other a great deal. She gets him to sleep and eat, he gets her to do her work.
6. Does she have other close friends?
Other various and sundry people, ahaha. She's getting to know folks on the Nexus slowly but surely, though!
7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people?
Shay could not stand to be without people. She does her best to make friends in whatever situation she finds herself in, which got her into trouble when she was in Nuadoria. (... >/)
8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends?
Family comes first, always. But some friends can be considered family!
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once?
She's ridiculously single aaaaaugh.
10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Negative, Ghost Rider.
11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest?
Her first crush was a video game character and she's more than a little embarrassed about that. Her latest is that charmer from NOLA, Remy LeBeau. Oh shucks.
12. What does she look for in a romantic partner?
She likes to have fun, but at the same time, she wants someone who's thoughtful and smart. She wants someone to enjoy the awesome things in life together with, and to comfort when things aren't so awesome.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any?
Nope, no kids. She thinks kids are awesome, though, she'll probably never have any, and that makes her a little sad.
14. Does she have any rivals or enemies?
If she has enemies, she'd rather not know!
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale?
Shay is a solid 3, but don't let the military know that she swings both ways. She hates DADT with a flaming passion. Pun maybe intended. The Nexus is very hard on her because there are so many attractive ladies and the temptation that maybe it will never get back to her superiors if she had a fling or two is pretty strong. However, she has a will of steel! ...sometimes.
16. How does she feel about sex? How important is it to her?
Shay loves sex. Sex is awesome. For her, being physically involved with another person is the sincerest expression of love, i.e. she would not mind having sex with one of her friends because she cares deeply for them. It isn't even necessarily a romantic thing. Strange, perhaps, but it works for her.
17. What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Turn-ons include food (the quickest way to her heart is through her stomach) and guns. Also, she finds scars pretty sexy. She doesn't have many pronounced turn-offs, though she really hates vegetables... as far as "weird" bedroom habits go, she's up for anything, really, so long as it's playful and fun and sanitary (as much as any kind of sex can get, anyway).
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type?
She's a Leo with Cancer rising! And I picked it on purpose, so...
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life?
Shay is a little religious, to be honest. She was raised as an Irish Catholic and some of that remains with her to this day. However, she believes in reincarnation, which she's not entirely sure of where she picked up that belief. It just makes sense to her. Her spirituality isn't a terribly latent part of her life, but it's there, just like she's tall and her hair is blonde.
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?
Shay will not suffer traitors lightly. Also, if you fuck with her friends, she will go to great lengths to make sure you pay. Even though she can be violent, she doesn't start things without a reason.
4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from hers? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
It depends on the belief. If someone tells her that women are inferior or that gay people go to hell, she may, depending on the person, either laugh at them or punch them in the face. Otherwise, she's quite tolerant, or at least willing not to cause trouble, since the majority of the Navy disagrees with her on so much.
5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them?
Shay doesn't like it when people don't actively try to better themselves. She knows there's plenty that can hold someone back, and many of those things are legit, but at the same time, she's faced a lot of the same hardships and forced herself through.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
She's a Lieutenant Commander with ten years of service, so she's making 6 digits a year before taxes.
2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her?
She was pretty poor growing up until her mother got remarried to a doctor. Now she's doing quite well for herself and is in a position of respect. Growing up without a lot of luxuries has made her appreciate what she has that much more.
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?
She lives in an apartment in Yokosuka, near the base. It's usually pretty messy, if only because she's sort of a slob, but that just means wrappers and cans and bottles and clothes strewn around.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on?
FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD and clothes. Also, she travels a fair bit in her time off.
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?
Shay's a Lieutenant Commander, as previously stated, in the US Navy. She enjoys it well enough to have been doing it for roughly ten years. (I'll add a bit more to this later...)
6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time?
Shay spends her free time sleeping and eating. Also she watches a lot of TV, and occasionally catches movies when they're showing at the on base theaters. Even if she's not hurting for cash, normal theaters are just too expensive, and not all American movies are released in Japan.
7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
SKIPPING MEALS WHAT IS THIS HERESY! Shay loves food; it is her passion in life to eat delicious things. Red meat is her #1 favorite anything. She's fascinated with yakiniku (Korean barbeque) and thinks whoever came up with it is just BRILLIANT. Also she tried raw beef once and thought it was pretty delicious, and since it didn't kill her, she'll gladly eat it again. She drinks like a fish, and she hates vegetables.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is her favorite:
1. Color? Kelly green.
2. Smell? Cooking meat.
3. Time of day? Evening into Night.
4. Season? Summer.
5. Book? Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.
6. Music? Alternative rock, 80's New Wave, goofy early 90's rap.
7. Place? Her bed.
8. Substance? BOOZE.
9. Plant? Orchids and big trees.
10. Animal? PUPPY DOGS!! Shay loves dogs!!
END
{{ Get the HTML here so you can do it yourself. }}