meme → character survey
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy? He stands at about 6'. He's a well-built kind of guy -- he's in good shape, more lanky than heavyset but still not someone you'd mess with.
2. How old is he? 47, at least until otherwise stated in canon.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch? Carl falls somewhere in between in that he carries himself very easily, but with enough confidence that it can't really be called slouching.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? All systems are go.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? He's graceful in the sense that he moves as though he knows what he's doing; he's very comfortable in his own body.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror? He is aware of the fact that he is really, really ridiculously good-looking. Whoops.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? A little on the olive side of things, and clear.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style. Mostly black, although he's starting to go salt-and-pepper. It's usually cut short and eminently ruffle-able, and although I imagine there's at least a little styling product in it, it's not nearly enough to be noticeable by sight or by touch.
9. What color are his eyes? Blue-grey.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? His teeth are pretty much perfect. Eyyy, occupational benefits! Also, he prefers to stay cleanshaven.
11. What are his chief tension centers? Shoulders.
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? He tends to dress in cooler colors, in a more dressy style than not. He takes a little stock in the saying that the clothes make the man.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them? Quite.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences? Nope! The job requires scrubs, which -- should be fairly self-explanatory.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? Briefs.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? Carl's got a very mellow voice. It's in the middle range. (His singing voice can vary.)
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate? He talks very easily. He's not hard to listen to.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? There isn't any particular way to which he speaks. He's a little theatrical, if nothing else.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency? Just English, very fluently.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations? N/A
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words? The former.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? Eloquent. We've yet to see him rendered speechless, but I imagine it'd take, say, a break-up.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart? He's street-smart by Lima, Ohio standards, which is not saying all that much in the grand scheme of things. And reasonably book-smart given his profession.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate? He thinks on his feet. (This has not always been the case.)
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? Intuitive rather than logical, and somewhere in between on the idealistic-practical scale.
4. What kind of education has the character had? He's a licensed dentist.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about? He knows the most about dental hygiene thanks to his occupation; if he could put anything else on his plate, I'd probably guess at something related to performance.
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 even-tempered for the most part, but he will take you down if you try to mess with him. He's largely cheerful, and a combination of laid-back and driven.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? He's a very relaxed and friendly person.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react? Act.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight? Fight.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? He appreciates a bad joke every now and then. His sense of humor's pretty average.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them? Nnnno.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
14. What does he fear?
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? He makes friends easily.
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? Never been married.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse? Yes.
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? Will Schuester. :|
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale? He's a 0, although I wouldn't be surprised by a few instances of 1-ish tendencies when he was younger.
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? He's a Leo, and - for the most part - a dead ringer for the profile.
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? He's pretty damn well-off.
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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