Character Survey
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
3 ft 10 inches
2. How old is he?
Physically and mentally, he's 9.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
He carries himself as well as any other active child.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Fit as a fiddle! He actually has a pretty good diet and is very active.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
He is very excitable, and his movements reflect it. He has a lot of energy behind everything.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
...He's a kid. He's adorable? And he knows it. He uses it to his advantage.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Light clear skin with no scarring.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Amber waves of grain colored hair.
9. What color are his eyes?
Blue
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
His ever permanent cowlick, Nantucket.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
Uh...none.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
Before a shopping trip with Luxembourg and Belgium brought him up to date, he had very dated clothing in neutral colors. He dressed appropriately for the late 17th century. Now he is dressed as a typical 9 yr old would be.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Yes and yes
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Same unless the "job" calls for a "uniform"
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
...boxers
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
High-pitched and childish
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He speaks fast, and somewhat loud. He can ramble on and on if the person he's speaking to really lets him get into it.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Lotsa
Cause
Other than that, he gets a lot of words and names wrong, but no actual quirks.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
He's a nation (almost). He knows several.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
He will default to Dutch if he doesn't know the English.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Talk first, think later
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
For a child, he's fairly eloquent. This changes when he gets too upset to think
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
He is very curious by nature, and because of the nature of only being 9 when he's lived for for longer than humans do, is more intelligent than most 9 year olds. He takes things apart to see how they work, and sometimes puts them back together. He's very street smart.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
He thinks on his feet
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Intuitive and practical. He's very adaptable.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
Tutored in reading/writing and hands on learning with trading and economics
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Economics/Trading, but he likes learning how things work
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Extrovert
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
He's a kid! He's always happy. If he gets tired, he gets cranky. If he doesn't get what he wants, he gets cranky. But he's very easy to please.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
He's very enthusiastic about meeting new people, even though he's constantly told not to be.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Act
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
He tries to negotiate, then fight if he thinks he can win, otherwise flight.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
He finds a lot of things funny, when he understands them anyway.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
None.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
TBD
14. What does he fear?
He fears that he'll be traded off, sold, or given away in a treaty because he's not as profitable as some of the Netherlands' other colonies.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
6. Does he have other close friends?
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
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?
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color?
2. Smell?
3. Time of day?
4. Season?
5. Book?
6. Music?
7. Place?
8. Substance?
9. Plant?
10. Animal?
END
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