Everything You Don't Need To Know About: Ienzo
With some parts omitted because seriously guys, he's a little kid, no comment.
☽ Ratings :
Strength : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Speed : ★★★☆☆☆
Intelligence : ★★★★★☆
Willpower : ★★★☆☆☆
Charisma : ★★☆☆☆
Endurance : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Luck : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Mental Stability : ★★★☆☆☆
Emotional Stability : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Physical Stability : ★★★☆☆☆
☽ Abilities :
Close Range Combat : ★☆☆☆☆
Close Range Weaponry : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Mid/Long Range Weaponry : ★☆☆☆☆
Communications : ★★★☆☆☆
Espionage : ★★★★☆☆
Survival Skills : ★★☆☆☆☆
Sciences : ★★★★★☆
Engineering : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Medicine : ★★☆☆☆☆
Mechanics : ★★☆☆☆☆
Leadership : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Politics : ★★★☆☆☆
Technology : ★★☆☆☆☆
Trade : ★★★☆☆☆
Arts : ★★☆☆☆☆
Basic information
1. Full name
Ienzo. Nobody knows if the people of Radiant Garden have surnames, and I'm sure not going to give him one.
2. Birthdate
Unknown; headcanon says January 4
3. Zodiac/Horoscope
Unknown; headcanon says Capricorn Goat.
4. Residence
Radiant Garden (or, you know, the Tower of Animus)
5. Occupation
SCIENTIST.
6. Canon powers
None, but as an adult he is shown to have high magical skill... now he just needs to learn magic...
===
Body & Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
He is short, even for his age, and extremely scrawny (though it's hard to tell underneath the baggy clothes).
2. How old is he?
Eight years old.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry herself well or does he slouch?
Despite constant nagging from his caretaker to please fix his posture, Ienzo tends to walk and stand as if he is collapsing into himself, subconsciously attempting to make his own presence as small and unimportant as physically possible.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
He's definitely not in shape, since he spends almost all of his time hunched in a very cold room doing SCIENCE (and the remainder of his time hunched over a book), but there's no illnesses or disabilities.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
He is commonly described as 'floating' places, which means he walks somewhat aimlessly, but at a steady pace.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Ienzo gives no shits about how he looks. Everyone else seems to perceive him as a really cute little kid... which he is.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Clear, but white as a sheet due to little to no exposure to the sun.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
In Ienzo's canon, there are much stranger natural hair colors and styles than his. Ienzo's hair is a light gray (which will darken as he gets older), and naturally falls over one of his eyes. It is extremely poofy, which leads to me occasionally calling him 'Fluffy-hair' or, more commonly, 'Fluffy'.
9. What color are his eyes?
Blue.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
None really.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
His forehead.
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?
First thing's first: the lab coat. It is several sizes too large and was almost certainly designed for an adult, but he never goes anywhere without that damn coat. It has very deep pockets, which means he can use it to store all kinds of things, but it also seems to serve as some kind of safety blanket -- though of course he'll never admit that last bit. The rest of his clothes are too large for him as well, due to the unpreparedness of his primary caretakers to dress a child (as they are apparently unable to go find him some regular clothes), but by now he would probably feel uncomfortable in anything else.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
As mentioned earlier, his clothes are all too large for him, but he is comfortable in them.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
He is almost never not 'on the job', so no, he dresses pretty much the same.
===
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
We don't know.
Ienzo is a non-speaking character in canon. This means that pretty much everything in this section is big spectacular headcanon, with cues taken from his speaking roles as an adult.2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Ienzo speaks very, very quietly, with lots of hesitation. This is why in chatplay mode his words are in all non-caps. If he ever does use caps in commentspam, run for your life.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
No distinct accent, but he tends to pause every few words if he speaks for longer than a sentence or two.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Only English/Japanese/whatever, but fluently.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
No.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
If such an event should arise, he would normally just stay silent. So no, he needs time to think, and will often leave awkward pauses in conversation.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
He is usually fairly eloquent, the only exception being when he's too feverish or otherwise mind-muddled to think clearly.
===
Mental & Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
He is very intelligent, but sways heavily on the book-smart side of things. Truth is, he doesn't get out very much at all, so things like 'human interaction' and the like are still beyond his reach.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
He definitely needs to take his time when he does things, mostly because he's weighing it against how stupid he will look doing a given activity. (This is rather redundant because he thinks he looks stupid anyway.)
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Contrary to what his age would suggest, Ienzo is very logical in his thought processes. He has a practical and realistic worldview on things (not necessarily a negative one, but the two go hand in hand). It's not uncommon for him to shoot down someone else's wishful thinking with the more probable (and likely more depressing) alternative, and of course he tries not to delude himself in this way, as well. Ienzo has a need to go through every possibility, and almost never cuts any corners; after all, slacking creates mistakes, and in his mind failure is unacceptable. This can also cause him to be narrow-minded as well, as he will absolutely refuse to accept any idea if it seems ridiculous... though he might not always mention it. He isn't above reconsidering if someone proves him wrong. Ienzo simply values facts above anything else.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
He's never entered the public school system, but he had a very, very good education.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Ienzo has somehow at the age of eight become a semi-full-fledged SCIENTIST, which means obviously his area of expertise would be assorted kinds of SCIENCE. Though the one brought to the most attention would be studies of Darkness and the heart, which can be found in a summarized form in Permissions Part III: Disclaimers.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
So introverted it's not even funny.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
This kid has worked long and hard at being a total stoic, and so oftentimes his expression is completely unreadable, or with very dulled and simplistic reactions. He refuses to let his judgment be clouded by anything, since his judgment is basically the only thing he can reasonably trust -- Ienzo has no concept of 'gut feeling', and so if his rational mind fails, he fails. He dislikes whining or complaining, and cannot stand idling when there is work to be done. He is fairly depressing in his mannerisms, but does not sit around wailing about how his life sucks; the reason for this is partly because he feels he is not worthy enough to even do that, and partly because (as mentioned before) it is extremely counterproductive. (If you ever catch him doing this, it means that the situation has gotten really bad and he is basically in the middle of a giant mental breakdown.)
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Whenever someone new enters his world, his first course of action is to stare at them extensively, watching and observing. He speaks in a very reserved manner to these people, even more so than he typically does, and will usually stop staring creepily at them after the first day.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
React, definitely.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Flight, though he might stick around to watch from a safe distance.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
...What sense of humor?
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
Okay, this is a big question, so let me put it this way until later: Ienzo is a walking dictionary of mental and emotional abnormalities. We shall leave it at that.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
14. What does he fear?
Many things, though like all of his other emotions, he stubbornly bottles it up and deals with them anyway. However, any capability he may have is shattered when in the presence of a particular category of monsters called the Unversed.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He has none. The only aspiration he can focus on is meeting his and everyone else's standards, no matter how impossibly high they may seem (and in the case of his self-appointed ones, usually are). Past that, he literally has no idea what to do.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
He constantly grapples with himself to keep a calm, stoic demeanor on at all times, and therefore does not want people to see that he is, in fact, a human being, and not an emotionless machine. Allowing any sort of 'immature' thoughts out will usually result in him apologizing and guilting profusely, which will of course only make the situation worse.
===
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
His parents are dead, and have been since he was three or four. He tries not to think about them. However, it should be noted that while one of them was a perfectly good and kind human being, the other was a giant flaming asshole. So yeah.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Ienzo has no siblings...
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
...nor existing blood relatives.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Ienzo's world is extremely limited in terms of human interaction, but the six men he live with are all attempting to raise him. Of them all, there are two who are noteworthy: one, Even, who is the person usually taking care of him, and two, Ansem the Wise, who he pretty much idolizes and is probably as close to a father figure as he is going to get. Even didn't ever seem to get the memo that Ienzo is in fact a child and can not be reasonably depended on to act like a college professor, and it is his often unnecessarily harsh judgment which has verbally beaten Ienzo into the awkward, completely lopsided individual he is today.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
N/A. See below.
6. Does he have other close friends?
N/A. See below.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
To quote my headcanon version of Even, Ienzo's primary caretaker:
"Friends? The boy does not have friends. I'm not even sure he understands the concept."
In other words, he doesn't have any friends. He was never really given the opportunity to interact with, well, anyone, and so while he understands it from an intellectual standpoint ("two individuals who are mutually fond of one another"), he has yet to really experience it himself.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
He likes to pretend he doesn't consider either of them important at all (hey, whatever helps him sleep at night), but the answer would probably be family.
9. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
No and no.
10. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
No.
===
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit the archetype?
As mentioned above, he is a Capricorn, and a Goat. Capricorns are "[prone to adopting] a businesslike approach to most everything they do", and see life as "one big project". This is absolutely true for Ienzo. He views the entirety of life with the same detachment he views a dissected cat. "Capricorns are practical as well, taking things one step at a time and being as realistic and pragmatic as possible"; Ienzo takes this to something of an extreme, as mentioned above. And even though he tries his darnedest to be completely neutral, he also tends to show up on another common fallacy of Capricorns: "[Capricorns] can become quite unforgiving of those who aren't as diligent or ambitious as they are." Also tack 'mature' to the list; ironic as it seems, Ienzo finds people with childlike mentalities annoying. It is mentioned in many sources that Capricorns have a thirst for success that can easily border on greed; at this age Ienzo shows no such urge (he is still too firmly stuck in the mindset that he doesn't deserve to be ambitious), but as he grows up, he will begin to fit this more and more -- as a matter of fact, it was this tendency that would eventually get him killed.
Now, onto Goats -- the Eastern ones, mind, I already covered Capricorns. Goats are reported as "insecure" and "needing lots of love", a trait they share with Capricorns; Ienzo absolutely, absolutely deserves this under his list of personality traits. Though he's been told and convinced for the past several years that he doesn't need any compassion from anyone, ever, he by nature definitely needs it. And even though he has a source in the form of Ansem the Wise, his primary caregiver is a man who wouldn't know affection if it punched him in the face, and this creates a very obvious conflict in his feelings. Another trait of Goats is the need to "pull back with heavy decision-making"; while he doesn't fit this in the conventional sense -- that is, when there is an external problem at hand he will usually have a response to it -- Ienzo is notably incapable of forming his own opinions on things that cannot be based on data or outside information, like a favorite food. He doesn't seem to fully comprehend his emotions, and doesn't know how to interpret them; if asked a perfectly normal, simple question like the one above, he will shy away from it. Furthermore, Goats are described as "pessimistic ... and over-anxious worriers". The pessimism is a given; normally Ienzo's need to be 'reasonable' overrides any panicking urges, though he's been known to go into freakout mode when someone close to him is facing an uncertain fate. And finally, "Goats like to study the esoteric to know more about the unknown"; of course, this one could not fit Ienzo more if it was written with more ellipses and no caps.
Oh, something I found particularly interesting about his Goat sign. I have a book that I favor for Eastern horoscopes, called Chinese Astrology Plain and Simple by Suzanne White. This book is filled with many personal anecdotes and seems to have a more personal take for personality traits than most other sources, which simply give the "stereotypical" description. And when I looked up the Goat in this particular book, I was in for a surprise -- overall, the Goats in her book are described as wishy-washy, forgetful, but ultimately happy people. I just about died of laughter, as one might expect, but reading in further it became clear that the people White described probably could have taken Ienzo in their ranks, had things gone a bit differently in his upbringing. She mentioned Goats being very dependent on other people (which is, as I mentioned before, very accurate), and also having the possibility of turning deceitful and sneaky (which he eventually does). This brings up a question of 'nature vs. nurture', in a way -- how might Ienzo have developed differently as a person if his parents hadn't died, if he'd never known Ansem as more than a passing aquaintance and authority figure, and if he hadn't been raised by the world's worst surrogate dad? Probably a lot more like Suzanne's Goats, I have to say.
Thanks to these sites for the Zodiac information.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
He neither believes or disbelieves in any sort of deity or spiritual concept, at least until solid proof appears one way or another. Otherwise, he doesn't pay much mind to it.
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?
Yes, he does have a little internal code of conduct, drilled into him the hard way for several years now. He pretty much uses that concept to decide his every action, since it is the only thing he really has; he will usually not even consider abandoning his idea of what he should be doing, regardless of how heartless it will make him seem.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
He views them with no spite or intolerancy, and his natural curiosity is stifled by the reasoning that he has no need to ask. So, indifferent, as far as the rest of the world can be concerned.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Occasionally he will look down upon people who act stupid or childish. This was probably picked up from Even.
===
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Since he is pretty much living with his world's equivalent to the President (plus SCIENCE!Bill Gates, for good measure), he's doing pretty well off.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
His social status is high by virtue of being connected to Ansem the Wise (aforementioned President equivalent), but even before that, his parents were of fairly high status themselves. Though of course he wouldn't remember back that far, and he doesn't think of himself as part of the highest rungs in the ladder; if the idea ever crossed his mind, his giant inferiority complex would kick in, and he would be silenced by guilt.
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?
He lives in a castle, with Ansem and the other four apprentices. For all intents and purposes, the castle and surrounding gardens are his entire world.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
If given the opportunity, he would probably spend his money on books.
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?
Before he was moved to the Tower, Ienzo got about half an hour of free time a day -- up at seven, 'school' and meals till seven, bed at seven-thirty. So he was able to comfortably fill that with reading in the castle library. But now he's got so much free time that he doesn't even know what to do with -- he feels like he's going to go crazy with no work to do, so he actively makes work for himself.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Ienzo by default isn't really a heavy eater (Hence the borderline-unhealthy boniness he has going on), but he doesn't skip meals -- he really can't have for the past several years, and obviously it's not a habit he picked up in a few months. He doesn't particularly like sweets or other such things, though.
===
Associations
Ⅰ. Color?
Gray.
Ⅱ. Smell?
An assortment of nasty chemicals.
Ⅲ. Time of day?
The time of day where time stops mattering, and the only things in the world are you and your project. In other words, two in the morning.
(In addition, he tends to have a lot of temporal motifs in my head. Hence the username, which is pretty much slaughtered Latin for 'time'.)
Ⅳ. Season?
Winter. Short, cold, and unforgiving.
Ⅴ. Book?
ALL OF THEM Er, a certain anthology of the Chrestomanci series by author Diana Wynne Jones...
Ⅵ. Music?
Silence. It's a sound okay.
Ⅶ. Place?
Basements. Any basement, just basements.
Ⅷ. Substance?
Silver. Or, alternatively, Darkness.
Ⅸ. Plant?
...I don't even know.
Ⅹ. Animal?
Mink.
shamelessly mooched from tetillas and eroslegy
☽ Ratings :
Strength : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Speed : ★★★☆☆☆
Intelligence : ★★★★★☆
Willpower : ★★★☆☆☆
Charisma : ★★☆☆☆
Endurance : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Luck : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Mental Stability : ★★★☆☆☆
Emotional Stability : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Physical Stability : ★★★☆☆☆
☽ Abilities :
Close Range Combat : ★☆☆☆☆
Close Range Weaponry : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Mid/Long Range Weaponry : ★☆☆☆☆
Communications : ★★★☆☆☆
Espionage : ★★★★☆☆
Survival Skills : ★★☆☆☆☆
Sciences : ★★★★★☆
Engineering : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Medicine : ★★☆☆☆☆
Mechanics : ★★☆☆☆☆
Leadership : ★☆☆☆☆☆
Politics : ★★★☆☆☆
Technology : ★★☆☆☆☆
Trade : ★★★☆☆☆
Arts : ★★☆☆☆☆
Basic information
1. Full name
Ienzo. Nobody knows if the people of Radiant Garden have surnames, and I'm sure not going to give him one.
2. Birthdate
Unknown; headcanon says January 4
3. Zodiac/Horoscope
Unknown; headcanon says Capricorn Goat.
4. Residence
Radiant Garden (or, you know, the Tower of Animus)
5. Occupation
SCIENTIST.
6. Canon powers
None, but as an adult he is shown to have high magical skill... now he just needs to learn magic...
===
Body & Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
He is short, even for his age, and extremely scrawny (though it's hard to tell underneath the baggy clothes).
2. How old is he?
Eight years old.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry herself well or does he slouch?
Despite constant nagging from his caretaker to please fix his posture, Ienzo tends to walk and stand as if he is collapsing into himself, subconsciously attempting to make his own presence as small and unimportant as physically possible.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
He's definitely not in shape, since he spends almost all of his time hunched in a very cold room doing SCIENCE (and the remainder of his time hunched over a book), but there's no illnesses or disabilities.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
He is commonly described as 'floating' places, which means he walks somewhat aimlessly, but at a steady pace.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Ienzo gives no shits about how he looks. Everyone else seems to perceive him as a really cute little kid... which he is.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Clear, but white as a sheet due to little to no exposure to the sun.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
In Ienzo's canon, there are much stranger natural hair colors and styles than his. Ienzo's hair is a light gray (which will darken as he gets older), and naturally falls over one of his eyes. It is extremely poofy, which leads to me occasionally calling him 'Fluffy-hair' or, more commonly, 'Fluffy'.
9. What color are his eyes?
Blue.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
None really.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
His forehead.
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?
First thing's first: the lab coat. It is several sizes too large and was almost certainly designed for an adult, but he never goes anywhere without that damn coat. It has very deep pockets, which means he can use it to store all kinds of things, but it also seems to serve as some kind of safety blanket -- though of course he'll never admit that last bit. The rest of his clothes are too large for him as well, due to the unpreparedness of his primary caretakers to dress a child (as they are apparently unable to go find him some regular clothes), but by now he would probably feel uncomfortable in anything else.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
As mentioned earlier, his clothes are all too large for him, but he is comfortable in them.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
He is almost never not 'on the job', so no, he dresses pretty much the same.
===
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
We don't know.
Ienzo is a non-speaking character in canon. This means that pretty much everything in this section is big spectacular headcanon, with cues taken from his speaking roles as an adult.2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Ienzo speaks very, very quietly, with lots of hesitation. This is why in chatplay mode his words are in all non-caps. If he ever does use caps in commentspam, run for your life.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
No distinct accent, but he tends to pause every few words if he speaks for longer than a sentence or two.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Only English/Japanese/whatever, but fluently.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
No.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
If such an event should arise, he would normally just stay silent. So no, he needs time to think, and will often leave awkward pauses in conversation.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
He is usually fairly eloquent, the only exception being when he's too feverish or otherwise mind-muddled to think clearly.
===
Mental & Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
He is very intelligent, but sways heavily on the book-smart side of things. Truth is, he doesn't get out very much at all, so things like 'human interaction' and the like are still beyond his reach.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
He definitely needs to take his time when he does things, mostly because he's weighing it against how stupid he will look doing a given activity. (This is rather redundant because he thinks he looks stupid anyway.)
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Contrary to what his age would suggest, Ienzo is very logical in his thought processes. He has a practical and realistic worldview on things (not necessarily a negative one, but the two go hand in hand). It's not uncommon for him to shoot down someone else's wishful thinking with the more probable (and likely more depressing) alternative, and of course he tries not to delude himself in this way, as well. Ienzo has a need to go through every possibility, and almost never cuts any corners; after all, slacking creates mistakes, and in his mind failure is unacceptable. This can also cause him to be narrow-minded as well, as he will absolutely refuse to accept any idea if it seems ridiculous... though he might not always mention it. He isn't above reconsidering if someone proves him wrong. Ienzo simply values facts above anything else.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
He's never entered the public school system, but he had a very, very good education.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Ienzo has somehow at the age of eight become a semi-full-fledged SCIENTIST, which means obviously his area of expertise would be assorted kinds of SCIENCE. Though the one brought to the most attention would be studies of Darkness and the heart, which can be found in a summarized form in Permissions Part III: Disclaimers.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
So introverted it's not even funny.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
This kid has worked long and hard at being a total stoic, and so oftentimes his expression is completely unreadable, or with very dulled and simplistic reactions. He refuses to let his judgment be clouded by anything, since his judgment is basically the only thing he can reasonably trust -- Ienzo has no concept of 'gut feeling', and so if his rational mind fails, he fails. He dislikes whining or complaining, and cannot stand idling when there is work to be done. He is fairly depressing in his mannerisms, but does not sit around wailing about how his life sucks; the reason for this is partly because he feels he is not worthy enough to even do that, and partly because (as mentioned before) it is extremely counterproductive. (If you ever catch him doing this, it means that the situation has gotten really bad and he is basically in the middle of a giant mental breakdown.)
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Whenever someone new enters his world, his first course of action is to stare at them extensively, watching and observing. He speaks in a very reserved manner to these people, even more so than he typically does, and will usually stop staring creepily at them after the first day.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
React, definitely.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Flight, though he might stick around to watch from a safe distance.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
...What sense of humor?
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
Okay, this is a big question, so let me put it this way until later: Ienzo is a walking dictionary of mental and emotional abnormalities. We shall leave it at that.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
14. What does he fear?
Many things, though like all of his other emotions, he stubbornly bottles it up and deals with them anyway. However, any capability he may have is shattered when in the presence of a particular category of monsters called the Unversed.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He has none. The only aspiration he can focus on is meeting his and everyone else's standards, no matter how impossibly high they may seem (and in the case of his self-appointed ones, usually are). Past that, he literally has no idea what to do.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
He constantly grapples with himself to keep a calm, stoic demeanor on at all times, and therefore does not want people to see that he is, in fact, a human being, and not an emotionless machine. Allowing any sort of 'immature' thoughts out will usually result in him apologizing and guilting profusely, which will of course only make the situation worse.
===
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
His parents are dead, and have been since he was three or four. He tries not to think about them. However, it should be noted that while one of them was a perfectly good and kind human being, the other was a giant flaming asshole. So yeah.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Ienzo has no siblings...
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
...nor existing blood relatives.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Ienzo's world is extremely limited in terms of human interaction, but the six men he live with are all attempting to raise him. Of them all, there are two who are noteworthy: one, Even, who is the person usually taking care of him, and two, Ansem the Wise, who he pretty much idolizes and is probably as close to a father figure as he is going to get. Even didn't ever seem to get the memo that Ienzo is in fact a child and can not be reasonably depended on to act like a college professor, and it is his often unnecessarily harsh judgment which has verbally beaten Ienzo into the awkward, completely lopsided individual he is today.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
N/A. See below.
6. Does he have other close friends?
N/A. See below.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
To quote my headcanon version of Even, Ienzo's primary caretaker:
"Friends? The boy does not have friends. I'm not even sure he understands the concept."
In other words, he doesn't have any friends. He was never really given the opportunity to interact with, well, anyone, and so while he understands it from an intellectual standpoint ("two individuals who are mutually fond of one another"), he has yet to really experience it himself.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
He likes to pretend he doesn't consider either of them important at all (hey, whatever helps him sleep at night), but the answer would probably be family.
9. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
No and no.
10. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
No.
===
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit the archetype?
As mentioned above, he is a Capricorn, and a Goat. Capricorns are "[prone to adopting] a businesslike approach to most everything they do", and see life as "one big project". This is absolutely true for Ienzo. He views the entirety of life with the same detachment he views a dissected cat. "Capricorns are practical as well, taking things one step at a time and being as realistic and pragmatic as possible"; Ienzo takes this to something of an extreme, as mentioned above. And even though he tries his darnedest to be completely neutral, he also tends to show up on another common fallacy of Capricorns: "[Capricorns] can become quite unforgiving of those who aren't as diligent or ambitious as they are." Also tack 'mature' to the list; ironic as it seems, Ienzo finds people with childlike mentalities annoying. It is mentioned in many sources that Capricorns have a thirst for success that can easily border on greed; at this age Ienzo shows no such urge (he is still too firmly stuck in the mindset that he doesn't deserve to be ambitious), but as he grows up, he will begin to fit this more and more -- as a matter of fact, it was this tendency that would eventually get him killed.
Now, onto Goats -- the Eastern ones, mind, I already covered Capricorns. Goats are reported as "insecure" and "needing lots of love", a trait they share with Capricorns; Ienzo absolutely, absolutely deserves this under his list of personality traits. Though he's been told and convinced for the past several years that he doesn't need any compassion from anyone, ever, he by nature definitely needs it. And even though he has a source in the form of Ansem the Wise, his primary caregiver is a man who wouldn't know affection if it punched him in the face, and this creates a very obvious conflict in his feelings. Another trait of Goats is the need to "pull back with heavy decision-making"; while he doesn't fit this in the conventional sense -- that is, when there is an external problem at hand he will usually have a response to it -- Ienzo is notably incapable of forming his own opinions on things that cannot be based on data or outside information, like a favorite food. He doesn't seem to fully comprehend his emotions, and doesn't know how to interpret them; if asked a perfectly normal, simple question like the one above, he will shy away from it. Furthermore, Goats are described as "pessimistic ... and over-anxious worriers". The pessimism is a given; normally Ienzo's need to be 'reasonable' overrides any panicking urges, though he's been known to go into freakout mode when someone close to him is facing an uncertain fate. And finally, "Goats like to study the esoteric to know more about the unknown"; of course, this one could not fit Ienzo more if it was written with more ellipses and no caps.
Oh, something I found particularly interesting about his Goat sign. I have a book that I favor for Eastern horoscopes, called Chinese Astrology Plain and Simple by Suzanne White. This book is filled with many personal anecdotes and seems to have a more personal take for personality traits than most other sources, which simply give the "stereotypical" description. And when I looked up the Goat in this particular book, I was in for a surprise -- overall, the Goats in her book are described as wishy-washy, forgetful, but ultimately happy people. I just about died of laughter, as one might expect, but reading in further it became clear that the people White described probably could have taken Ienzo in their ranks, had things gone a bit differently in his upbringing. She mentioned Goats being very dependent on other people (which is, as I mentioned before, very accurate), and also having the possibility of turning deceitful and sneaky (which he eventually does). This brings up a question of 'nature vs. nurture', in a way -- how might Ienzo have developed differently as a person if his parents hadn't died, if he'd never known Ansem as more than a passing aquaintance and authority figure, and if he hadn't been raised by the world's worst surrogate dad? Probably a lot more like Suzanne's Goats, I have to say.
Thanks to these sites for the Zodiac information.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
He neither believes or disbelieves in any sort of deity or spiritual concept, at least until solid proof appears one way or another. Otherwise, he doesn't pay much mind to it.
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?
Yes, he does have a little internal code of conduct, drilled into him the hard way for several years now. He pretty much uses that concept to decide his every action, since it is the only thing he really has; he will usually not even consider abandoning his idea of what he should be doing, regardless of how heartless it will make him seem.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
He views them with no spite or intolerancy, and his natural curiosity is stifled by the reasoning that he has no need to ask. So, indifferent, as far as the rest of the world can be concerned.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Occasionally he will look down upon people who act stupid or childish. This was probably picked up from Even.
===
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Since he is pretty much living with his world's equivalent to the President (plus SCIENCE!Bill Gates, for good measure), he's doing pretty well off.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
His social status is high by virtue of being connected to Ansem the Wise (aforementioned President equivalent), but even before that, his parents were of fairly high status themselves. Though of course he wouldn't remember back that far, and he doesn't think of himself as part of the highest rungs in the ladder; if the idea ever crossed his mind, his giant inferiority complex would kick in, and he would be silenced by guilt.
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?
He lives in a castle, with Ansem and the other four apprentices. For all intents and purposes, the castle and surrounding gardens are his entire world.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
If given the opportunity, he would probably spend his money on books.
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?
Before he was moved to the Tower, Ienzo got about half an hour of free time a day -- up at seven, 'school' and meals till seven, bed at seven-thirty. So he was able to comfortably fill that with reading in the castle library. But now he's got so much free time that he doesn't even know what to do with -- he feels like he's going to go crazy with no work to do, so he actively makes work for himself.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Ienzo by default isn't really a heavy eater (Hence the borderline-unhealthy boniness he has going on), but he doesn't skip meals -- he really can't have for the past several years, and obviously it's not a habit he picked up in a few months. He doesn't particularly like sweets or other such things, though.
===
Associations
Ⅰ. Color?
Gray.
Ⅱ. Smell?
An assortment of nasty chemicals.
Ⅲ. Time of day?
The time of day where time stops mattering, and the only things in the world are you and your project. In other words, two in the morning.
(In addition, he tends to have a lot of temporal motifs in my head. Hence the username, which is pretty much slaughtered Latin for 'time'.)
Ⅳ. Season?
Winter. Short, cold, and unforgiving.
Ⅴ. Book?
ALL OF THEM Er, a certain anthology of the Chrestomanci series by author Diana Wynne Jones...
Ⅵ. Music?
Silence. It's a sound okay.
Ⅶ. Place?
Basements. Any basement, just basements.
Ⅷ. Substance?
Silver. Or, alternatively, Darkness.
Ⅸ. Plant?
...I don't even know.
Ⅹ. Animal?
Mink.
shamelessly mooched from tetillas and eroslegy