What should I put here?
Certainly a believable character, there was nothing there that made me think; "Really? Wow, okay." which is always good.
There's not a whole lot to go on, really, but I feel as though I could read the story in which she features and not throw it across the room because of her. I may throw it across the room for another reason, but that's because I've a pretty narrow scope for literary enjoyment.
I will say, though, that there was a few times where the responses to the questions felt a bit... weird. Like you were trying super hard to get the answer perfect.
Now, for my character:
1. How was your life at home?
Totally standard. There's not much to do in a tiny subsistence farming village, but there's not much that can go wrong either. We were never really at risk from bandits due to how close we were to the Imperial Patrol routes, and "trouble makers" stayed away because we didn't have an inn.
2. What's your main drive in life?
To keep on living. A few people have remarked that I seem to enjoy travelling a lot, but I only really do it because staying in one place for a long time is a good way to have people notice you're a vampire.
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?
What human nature? Some people are good, some aren't.
4. How do you fight?
I use a sword as much as I can, with a nice hefty shield. I've used basically every kind of sword and shield there is. Never been much for a bow, and I'll take your head off if you ask about magic.
5. Why do you fight?
Sometimes people start fights with me. Other times people deserve a fight.
6. What do you fight?
Anything. I don't discriminate.
7. What is your worst fear?
Getting forced onto a battlefield. I'm not afraid of fighting, but on a battlefield, there's always someone right behind you, and there's never any chance of escaping if things go badly.
8. What is your most treasured material possession?
I don't keep anything for long, most valuable things I collect get sold for one reason or another.
9. Who is your closest friend?
I've had friends, but never for long. It's hard to find someone who won't either run away or stab you when they discover your vampirism, and most other vampires seem too territorial to work together. At the moment, Benor is working with me, and I'd certainly mourn his passing if he died.
10. What is your outlook on love?
It happens. It's been a while for me, but I can live with that.
11. What is your favorite pastime?
I don't have a pastime, really. That is to say, I don't do anything when I don't have anything to do. Most of the time I'm walking from one place to another.
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be.
Something neutral. I don't want to elicit reactions one way or the other.
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.
That's a difficult question. I find it difficult to imagine a kind of person that would mesh well with me. Perhaps its just been too long since I thought about this stuff.
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?
The older I get, the rarer they get. I'm never too worried though, something always saves me. Death is something that happens to other people.
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?
What do you mean "Do I believe?" I may not take part, but there's no denying the divinity of the universe.
16. What's your alignment and why?
I'd say true neutral, but I don't know if others would agree.
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.
What we've got going now is working pretty well.
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
I don't want to leave anything. I don't intend to die.
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?
Walking.
20. What is your favorite vice?
Does blood count? That's the only thing I can think of.
21. What do you do to relax?
I am relaxed while walking, but I don't walk to relax.
22. What is your favorite color?
Nice, deep red.
23. Who is your worst enemy?
I don't have one. Generally those that annoy me enough to be considered an enemy don't live out the year.
24. Whom do you most admire?
My father taught me to use a sword, but I think Vincente was the man that made me. I don't know that I would be alive without him making me a vampire. It was a shame that I had to kill him, but he seemed to understand.
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
I think I have everything I want.
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?
Take it.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?
Whatever I need. If the only way to acquire an apple is to run through a gauntlet of ravenous lions, and I need that apple; I'd do it.
28. What's your worst memory?
Battlefield. Really not fun. I have difficulty walking past the site of the battle now, two hundred years later.
29. Are you financially rich or poor?
Right now I've enough money. A few weeks ago, I had nothing at all.
30. Who raised you?
My parents.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?
I have a few talents, certainly. I don't know that they're unique; how many people can swing a sword?
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?
Clothes.
33. How do you deal with failure?
I find something else to do instead.
34. Do you have any famous relatives?
I've never heard of my family doing anything impressive. If we had, I doubt I would have been born into a farming family.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?
I'd thank them for the compliment. Who doesn't want to be considered to be perfect? And the more people believe that, the easier it is to avoid being discovered.
36. How did you get your name?
Tirisi is just a name, Tilvur is my family name. Maybe they named me that because it is alliterative.
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?
38: What would you sacrifice for your country?
What country? The one I was born in? Nothing, I owe them nothing; though they owe me a lot.
39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be? I don't think there's much I want that I don't have.
40: When do you feel your best?
After feeding.
41: When was your first kiss?
A long time ago. I would have been about 20.
42: What are your weaknesses?
Whoever told you I had a weakness deserves to be educated otherwise. There's no convenient shortcuts to killing me; you'll just have to run me through.
43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it.
Who wouldn't?
44: How honest are you?
That depends on who's asking what questions.
45: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?
20
46: Have you ever been discriminated against?
Not as yet.
47: How do you feel about your government?
It exists, I rarely run into trouble with it and it's pretty easy to forget it exists when you spend so much time away from towns.
47: What are the people you work with like?
Benor is sensible. Perhaps not the most intelligent man I've ever encountered, but he certainly knows where to put that axe. We've never disagreed on anything, though I feel that has more to do with his apparant lack of opinion on basically everything
48: If you could pick your Famous Last Words, what would they be?
Gods know. Something gloating like, "I'll be back"? I want this hypothetical person to be watching their back for the rest of their lives.
49: What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
Is there such a point? Why would there be a point at which good deeds are impossible?
50. How would your character describe him/herself?
Good with a sword.
51.What would you choose as your last meal and why?
The neck of my executioner would be a satisfying choice.
52: Would you sacrifice your humanity in order to save the ones you love?
That depends entirely on who that person is, and the maner of sacrifice.
53: When you kill a man, do you ever try to justify your actions?
I wasn't aware justification was required.
54: What is your Berserk Button?
I don't like being attacked. That's the closest I can imagine. Maybe being attacked by a mage.
55: What is your age in Earth Years? 227.
Crazy Kiwi
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Thanks for that, Majormarks. I'd be interested in knowing which responses you found "a bit weird" and why - perhaps it's something that needs to be fixed about the character.
What should I put here?
I should warn you that I very much doubt these will reflect the majority opinion; I have a somewhat sensitive "Cheese Detector" which often goes off unchecked. If you catch my meaning.
Kinda I get the feeling that suspect isn't a word that Teri would use; perhaps "I get the feeling she's been dead for a while"? It's longer, but I think it flows better.
From 12: "I've been wearing it so long now."
Again, the wording feels off, like it was constructed for impact/drama rather than being believable.
From 22: "Blame my parents - all my baby photos have me in purple outfits, so I was conditioned to find it comforting from an early age."
I'm not entirely sure things work that way, but they might. It just seems a little weird as a justification.
From 31: "I can't see most of them coping as well as I have with what I've gone through lately."
Good line if you're going for a slightly egotistical character, but she doesn't seem to be from the rest of what I've read.
From 44: "Fairly honest. I wouldn't lie or steal unless it was utterly necessary for survival."
I'm not sure that's a mere "Fairly"
This is far from damning, mind you; and there's no guarantee these things would even be present in the book. The fact that I can't spot anything that makes my eyes roll over is a good sign, given some of the stuff I've read here.
Were I to sum it up, I'd say there's a few minor inconsistencies, notably in tone.
One slightly larger one I noticed was the she identifies as "heteroflexible", and then admits to have pursued a relationship with another woman. Obviously not outside the realm of reason, but I would imagine a heteroflexible person to be merely to open to the idea of homosexual sex. Whereas someone who has actually pursued a member of the same sex, I would expect to identify as bisexual.
edited 29th Aug '13 1:14:36 PM by Majormarks
I write stuff sometimes. I also sometimes make youtube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/majormarks
Crazy Kiwi
Cheers very much for that. It'll help me keep her voice consistent - which I feel is one of the main things that Questions &c thread is good for, along with forcing you to think like your character about different topics.
I definitely see areas where I need to work on tone. WRT the colour, it's a personal observation intruding - my former wife always purchased pinks for our eldest daughter and purples for our youngest daughter and now they're older the eldest prefers pink and the youngest prefers purple. I think that comment would only work for the character if I established that she has/had a sister and a similar upbringing in order to make that observation/surmise for herself - it does seem rather "left-field" in isolation. Thanks for noting it.
"Heteroflexible" because she's predominently interested in men but has had a smaller number of female lovers - or maybe only the one - (so more than just "curious" or "open to the idea") based on the "clicking" of personality - sort of "I generally prefer boys but I clicked with her so I'm not going to out-and-out say that I'll never meet another girl that I click with in that way."
Anyhoo.
I get a lot of impressions about Tirisi's world and how he relates to it. Definitely consistent characterisation, clear voice and very enjoyable - I personally like his sense of humour (especially with regards to his last meal and last words, which mesh very well with his personality and desires.)
I'd certainly enjoy reading about the character and seeing his interactions with others.
1. How was your life at home?
It had its ups and downs. On the whole it was OK.
2. What's your main drive in life?
Survival.
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?
Human nature is fundamentally human, capable of good and bad. I hesitate to use the word "evil" unless we're talking about kid-fuckers and similar - and I suspect that even they have "good" qualities, if only the fact that they'll one day die.
No one is ever wholly good or wholly bad.
4. How do you fight?
With words, for preference. I try to avoid situations where physical fighting is necessary. If I can't, then "quick, pragmatic and as little as is required to effect an escape". Some might call it "dirty".
5. Why do you fight?
Because stupid people are annoying and pretty much deserve what they get.
6. What do you fight?
Stupidity in all its forms, bigotry, my inclination to impulse-buy. A losing battle on that last one until recently - and now there's nothing to buy at all.
7. What is your worst fear?
That I wake up and find this is all a dream.
8. What is your most treasured material possession?
Given that all I have left is the contents of my two packs, pockets and rifle bag: "pretty much everything I own." If I had to pick an absolute treasure, it'd be my MP 3 player as it's got all my music on it - the only thing that's left of my "normal" life.
9. Who is your closest friend?
Here? I'd say James.
10. What is your outlook on love?
It's based on honesty, mutuality, respect, caring, friendship, acceptance, communication and intimacy - not in the physical way that most idiots view the word, but emotional and intellectual intimacy - it's not possessive or even necessarily exclusive.
11. What is your favorite pastime?
I've got a few, but mainly camping, hunting and riding motorcycles. Now the first two are necessities and the last is impossible.
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be.
Anything but the childish "so there" look - mainly because my mum always used to say that the wind would change and I'd stay like that and I'd hate for her to be right.
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.
No such a thing. Thankfully, I'm intelligent enough to realise this and accept that I'm not going to be any one's ideal, either. This opens the way to honestly and openly exploring the possibilities of having multiple partners that meet various aspects of our needs. That this should be honest, up front, mutually agreed upon and open to all involved, is self-evident.
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?
More times than I care to remember - and always it turned out that there was a way out.
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?
I'm a neo-pagan, so the occult mumbo-jumbo goes with the territory.
16. What's your alignment and why?
What? Like in D&D? Never liked having to choose "alignments" - used to play Chaotic Neutral as it gave me the most scope to play how I wanted without constraints. Hmmm, I guess that might say something about me.
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.
One where The Powers That Be (a.k.a. The Wankers In Charge) use "Enlightened Self-Interest" rather than just "Self-Interest".
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
"Jesus, he lived a long time!"
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?
Motorcycle.
20. What is your favourite vice?
I like all my vices equally and try to indulge them at the same time as often as possible. Coffee and cigarettes.
21. What do you do to relax?
It used to be camping or listening to music. Now camping is my lifestyle from which I must relax by listening to music.
22. What is your favorite color?
I like them all, so long as they're all black.
23. Who is your worst enemy?
If you believe most the people I've met over the years: me.
24. Whom do you most admire?
Lots of people for different reasons - and no doubt they all had their faults. Vercingetorix - possibly the last leader this planet ever had that walked out alone to face the consequences of his actions - bravely and without complaint. Nelson Mandela who overcame much more adversity than I ever want to face. Buzz Aldrin, who achieved two things I'd dearly have loved to do: set foot on the moon and punched a journalist in the gob. To name a few.
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
Already had one wish granted - I'm in this place. To ask for another would be greedy. Oh, all right, a motorcycle and an immortal cybernetic body - might as well go for the traditional "three wishes".
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?
Not that money is relevant here but if it were, and if I could see who dropped it, I'd give it back. If not, I'd keep it - I dropped over $400 in the streets of Hamilton around Christmas-time one year so I'd figure it's the Universe paying me back.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?
Nothing has presented itself to mind so far, but I'm young, yet.
28. What's your worst memory?
Hard to say. Off the top of my head, I'd say being slammed by an incoming wave and having the breath knocked out of me and all the weight of the surge preventing me from getting my head back above water. When I finally got up and snatched a breath, the next wave knocked me down again and slammed my face into the sand. I've never been a fan of swimming in the ocean since.
29. Are you financially rich or poor?
Money's not relevant here and now. Before, I was doing OK, meeting my needs and a number of wants.
30. Who raised you?
My parents. They didn't split up until I was 18 and could technically look after myself.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?
Nope. All my talents are quite within the Wit of Man and I'm sure lots of people have them. The only "unique" thing is the combination of talents I have.
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?
I'd like to say "the contents of my packs and rifle bag", but in truth I'd like to have my reloading gear, books, laptop computer and motorcycle as well.
33. How do you deal with failure?
It's just part of trying. I try to learn from it so that I fail differently the next time and thus avoid boredom.
34. Do you have any famous relatives?
One of my cousins recorded a few albums before she died, if that counts.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?
"Yeah, nah. Although I'm naturally marvelous and talented, for some strange reason people fail to hang on my every word or unquestioningly accept my authority.
36. How did you get your name?
Well, it was back in the sixties when the tradition was that wives and kids took the husband/father's surname - "Wolff" in the case of our family (no relation to Virginia, possibly) - and my parents liked the name "Ian".
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?
38: What would you sacrifice for your country?
No longer relevant, but I've always been suspicious of people who expect others to make sacrifices for their country - invariably they are some form of cowardly low-life, such as a politician or high-ranking military type, who is wanting others to make sacrifices that they, themselves, are not prepared to make.
39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be?
The aforementioned reloading gear, books, laptop computer, motorcycle and immortal cybernetic body.
40: When do you feel your best?
Usually between about 8pm and midnight - I need a bit of a "run up" to start the day.
41: When was your first kiss?
Sometime back in the seventies at the back of the farm with a pretty, young part-Maori girl called Corine.
42: What are your weaknesses?
The usual: Kryptonite, pretty girls, coffee, cigarettes, any camping gear that's on sale...
43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it.
I don't know that this world has what it takes to rock long hair and a spade-beard.
44: How honest are you?
To a fault. At least, some people find my honesty a fault.
45: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?
The ones left unasked, for they are the most interesting...
46: Have you ever been discriminated against?
Aside from the occasional random person making rude comments about my beliefs or appearance? I don't know. If I have been discriminated against, the person doing so was intelligent enough to obscure their true motives.
47: How do you feel about your government?
Didn't we cover that? When I had one, it was made up exclusively of self-serving cowards that weren't fit to be called human. Of the many things I miss about New Zealand, they don't remotely make the list.
47: What are the people you work with like?
James is cool, knows a lot more than I do about some of the things that matter here - I could learn a lot from him about sheer survival and hunting. The other two are pure urbanites, babes in the woods, but Teri's doing really well, does her share, doesn't complain - even when I know it's hard on her - and has the right attitude. Aubrey's a typical whinging Pom and a bloody unrepentant townie to boot.
48: If you could pick your Famous Last Words, what would they be?
"Don't worry, ladies, I might be over a hundred years old but I can still satisfy you all..."
49: What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
A Moral Event Motorcycle?
50. How would your character describe him/herself?
A bit of a "Heinz", really - kiwi bushman, geek, film buff, biker, "Poly Pagan and Proud". Not your "stereotypical" anything, really.
51.What would you choose as your last meal and why?
What some restaurants like to call the "Big Breakfast" - sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, hash browns and tomato - all fried and served nice and hot and with a double-shot flat white to follow. Because it's my favourite breakfast and I'd want to experience it one last time.
52: Would you sacrifice your humanity in order to save the ones you love?
What? Are we talking becoming a vampire or a werewolf or just taking a job in politics or journalism? If you're asking "would I kill someone who is a threat to save the ones I love?" then the answer is "yes". If you're asking "would I harm an innocent to save the ones I love?" then I have absolutely no idea. It's not something I've ever contemplated.
53: When you kill a man, do you ever try to justify your actions?
Never killed anyone, don't actually want to, and I'd hope that if ever I did it would have been justified in some way, rather than, say, carelessness or irresponsibility on my part. I'm no pacifist - I'd willingly kill someone if I had to, but I'd rather I were never put in a position where I had to.
54: What is your Berserk Button?
People or organisations that don't care for the general good of the population - in this I include pretty much every government and official armed force and most big businesses in the last few hundred years.
55: What is your age in Earth Years?
Turned 50 not long ago.
What should I put here?
Thank you for the kind words regarding Tirisi, I've been working on his character for a long time now, and I'm glad that I'm not experiencing any kind of Creator Bias with him.
In regards to the colour-of-the-room; I noticed when I stood up after making that post, that my favourite colour is purple and that my childhood room was painted purple. Maybe things do work like that.
I write stuff sometimes. I also sometimes make youtube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/majormarks
Crazy Kiwi
You're welcome. I don't think you have Creator Bias, the character definitely stands on his ts own and the answers show that you've put a lot of work into creating him and thinking of his worldview.
I'm sure prefererences can work a lot like that (with exceptions, I expect), but even if I'm completely wrong, it's still a perfectly valid viewpoint for a character (with the right background) to have - the characters can believe whatever they like and if it's wrong then what it says is that the character is capable of being, like all of us, wrong.
After all, I'm writing a novel featuring infinitely fallible humans, not a Psychology paper.
Wolff seems like a cool character to read about. What's the context of his story?
1. How was your life at home?
Nice enough. Dad wasn't home much — he worked a lot — but he tried to make it to any events he could. Mom would sometimes get frustrated with me acting up at school, but nothing ever got out of hand.
2. What's your main drive in life?
I joined the FBI to make the world a better place, to see justice done for the innocent. Jack didn't get that luxury. Every time I make an arrest, go out on a new mission, Jack's always on my mind. Also, I have to make things up with Johnny. Even if we can't be real friends anymore like we used to be.
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?
Every human has their own nature. We choose to be good or evil.
4. How do you fight?
With the law on my side. My gun if necessary. If I have to, I'll use my powers, but I haven't had to do that in years. It opens up a whole new can of worms trying to bullshit some excuse and say, "No, I didn't just telekinetically whack a guy in the face with a metal pole. Your eyes made that up."
5. Why do you fight?
To bring justice to the guilty and hope to the innocent. Out of some misguided sense of invincibility, I tried to do this when I was a teenager with a mask and a codename. Now I do it the right way: with a badge and a gun.
6. What do you fight?
Criminals. Crime. Terrorists. People who'd kill innocent kids like Jack in cold blood.
7. What is your worst fear?
I know there will come a day when I won't be able to do enough again. I'll be too late. I'll have to watch an innocent person die, like I had to watch Jack die in his mother's arms. That day hasn't come yet. If I do say so myself, I'm a damn good FBI agent. But I dread it more with each passing day.
8. What is your most treasured material possession?
My old katana that I used when I was still that Honolulu vigilante, the Black Knight. I can still control it pretty well. It's always clicked with me, even more than any piece of metal I've ever fought with.
9. Who is your closest friend?
Juan Alvarez. I still call him Johnny, even though he hates it. We've had...tough times since our teenage years. The superhero gig took its toll on both of us. But he's still my best friend. I know that deep down, I'm his too.
10. What is your outlook on love?
Don't hunt for it, but don't fight it when it comes.
11. What is your favorite pastime?
I still love baseball; it was practically my life in high school. I enjoy practicing my powers too; I never swore mine off like Johnny did his. I know they never caused me anything but pain, but you can't deny that big a part of yourself, you know?
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be.
How am I supposed to answer that?
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.
Short and sassy, preferably from the East Coast. I like some contrast from Hawaii, what can I say?
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?
Neck-deep? I'm in the FBI. I've been buried above my head in it.
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?
I am the occult mumbo-jumbo. When was the last time you saw a guy who could control any piece of metal he wanted with a flick of his wrist?
16. What's your alignment and why?
Lawful Good. I tried Chaotic Good in the past. It doesn't work. Crime can't counteract crime. Fight fire with fire, you only get burned.
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.
One without crime. Where my job is obsolete.
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
"He was a brave man, a strong agent, who respected and feared every facet of his own power."
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?
I'm from Hawaii, so I like boats and planes. I can't wrap my head around using cars to travel huge distances like mainlanders do. Also, when no one's around, I like to fly around on manhole covers like I did back in the old days. Gives me a sense of freedom.
20. What is your favourite vice?
Wine, women and song!
21. What do you do to relax?
Exercise. Write. Crunch baseball stats. Anything to keep my mind occupied. If I don't do that, I start thinking about too many painful things.
22. What is your favorite color?
Navy blue and gold. The color of my FBI jacket and my badge. The two things that define who I am today.
23. Who is your worst enemy?
That son of a bitch who shot Jack. I still remember every detail about his face. I'll find him. I'll find the bastard.
24. Whom do you most admire?
My partner, Hannah Bartlett. She took me under her wing when I was still a fledgling agent and taught me everything I know. I don't know what I'll do when she retires.
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
You know, I have no idea.
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?
Give it back, of course. I'm FBI. It's my duty to do the right thing at all times.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?
No. But there's things I'm willing to sacrifice my life to achieve.
28. What's your worst memory?
I can't decide if it's watching Jack die, or watching his killer escape. Both haunt my nightmares.
29. Are you financially rich or poor?
Hah, FBI doesn't pay much. But I can't consider myself poor.
30. Who raised you?
Mom and Dad.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?
You've probably figured this out by now, but metal obeys my command. I can control any metal object at my will; bend it, shoot it forward, shape it, stand on it and use it to fly around. It's weird; these powers have never done me any real good, but without them, I wouldn't be the man I am today. I'd probably just be some delinquent kid who never got anywhere. Also, I may have used them once or twice to give myself an edge on my marksmanship quals.
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?
A warm bed, good food, and a good case to solve.
33. How do you deal with failure?
It stings, bad. But you bounce back. You can't give up in the FBI. Or as a superhero, for that matter.
34. Do you have any famous relatives?
Dad's a corporate bigwig now; all that hard work paid off. People know his name, but I wouldn't call him "famous." And Grandpa Hiro is pretty famous among the Japanese folks where we live, mostly for his war contributions. He was a fighter pilot in WWII.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?
I'd tell them that if they think I'm flawless, they're sheltered and naive.
36. How did you get your name?
My full name is Erik Satoshi Watanabe. They wanted to give me an English first name and a Japanese middle name. As for the Black Knight...well, the clothes and the sword make that pretty self-evident.
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?
The Kirk, Extra-ore-dinary, The Cape
38: What would you sacrifice for your country?
My life. This badge proves it.
39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be?
Jack Vanderbilt, alive, grown up, and successful, just like he deserves.
40: When do you feel your best?
When I solve a case.
41: When was your first kiss?
Maria Shapiro, seventh grade. We laughed about all through high school. Then it happened again during her graduation party.
42: What are your weaknesses?
Baggage. Also, as Hannah loves to point out, I leave myself open on the right side — I'm a southpaw. And I often can't bring myself to expose my powers, even when they could save someone's life. I get easily angered sometimes too, it's a holdover from my teenage years.
43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it.
No. I serve, I do not lord. I made that mistake one too many times as the Black Knight.
44: How honest are you?
I've lied to suspects; it's par for the course in police work. But generally, I take the stance to neither deny nor volunteer sensitive information.
45: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?
5.
46: Have you ever been discriminated against?
I've been called Jap and other choice terms by some people, mostly vets from WWII. It used to make me really mad, but then I'd think of Grandpa Hiro's war stories and see all his medals lining the mantlepiece. The other vets didn't know shit. I'm not a "Jap." I'm from Honolulu.
47: How do you feel about your goverment?
I joined up, didn't I?
48: What are the people you work with like?
Hannah's my mentor. Chief isn't very agreeable, but he deserves to be where he's at in the food chain.
49. What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
I like to think nothing. But anyone who killed my parents, Hannah, or Johnny would face my full wrath.
50. How would your character describe him/herself?
A dutiful agent with a Dark and Troubled Past.
Crazy Kiwi
Does Ian come off as believable, cohesive, realistically flawed? How's the character's voice?
The context is that Teri, James, Ian and Aubrey have all woken up to find that sometime while they were sleeping they were abducted by persons unknown, taken somewhere and dumped.
It's immediately evident to them that whoever brought them there has access to technology far beyond anything they know.
They're trying to find out where they are, who did this to them and why.
Anyway, now to yours.
Nice mix of strengths and flaws, great backstory, the voice is clear and engaging - I'd happily read something written in First Person for this character - loved the bit about the marksmanship scores. Definitely a believable character in the context of a place where psychic or elemental powers is "realistic". No breeches of Willing Suspension of Disbelief. You managed to convey enough mystery in the earlier questions to make me want to read on and find out more and pulled good reveals later (no mean feat when you're constrained by question order) - if that's your writing style for the work I'd definitely enjoy it.
1. How was your life at home?
At first very good until my father died and the family business was destroyed, leaving me with no option but to head abroad with what little personal belongings I had in the hopes of starting afresh on my own.
2. What's your main drive in life?
To make a new life for myself away from England. This isn't quite where I hoped to make that fresh start, but it will do.
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?
Both are well within the scope of human nature and we make our own choices.
4. How do you fight?
I was trained in the use of sword, pistols and grenades.
5. Why do you fight?
Formerly because I was commanded to do so. Now I only fight if I have personal need to.
6. What do you fight?
Anything I perceive as a credible threat - which is better than fighting whomever I was ordered to.
7. What is your worst fear?
That my past will catch up with me and I will be forced to answer for the things I have done. This unhappy circumstance looks very unlikely, however.
8. What is your most treasured material possession?
I left London with what little I owned able to be carried on my person. As I can replace nothing, I treasure all I have.
9. Who is your closest friend?
Alas, all my friends are lost to me. However, two of my new companions show great promise.
10. What is your outlook on love?
I have not the leisure to pursue it but it is my hope to some day find someone with whom I share such feelings.
11. What is your favorite pastime?
I have always favoured enjoying a coffee and a pipe while having stimulating intellectual discourse with a varied group of people.
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be.
The serene innocence of my youth before I went to war.
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.
She would have to be intelligent, witty and capable in many ways, attractive to look at and well educated.
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?
Many times on the battlefield and again when I returned home to find my father dead and his estate dispersed.
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?
I am a man of reason and, while reason dictates that there must be a Creator of all things, reason also shows that miracles and spiritism are preposterous and merely the fancy of irrational people.
16. What's your alignment and why?
Steadfastly on the side of my friends and/or comrades at arms.
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.
One where reason prevails and superstition and nonsense are banished. Where all enjoy the equality under which we were all created, without the strictures of rank inflicted upon us.
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
That I were a stalwart and trustworthy friend.
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?
By ship whenever possible. I love being on the ocean.
20. What is your favourite vice?
Without doubt that vice which requires the assistance of an amenable woman.
21. What do you do to relax?
What a concept. I find many things relaxing: working with my hands, reading, enjoying intelligent discourse, drinking coffee or rum, smoking my pipe, travelling by sea - but I do these things because they need to be done or I have leisure or opportunity to do them, not for the purpose of making myself relax.
22. What is your favorite color?
I've always favoured browns and greens.
23. Who is your worst enemy?
I am happy to say that at this time in my life I have none.
24. Whom do you most admire?
My father. He was a fair and just man with a keen reasoning mind.
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
I never speculate about such superstitious rot. All I desire, I seek the means to achieve it by my own hand.
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?
If I knew not who dropped it, I would take it for my own as a matter of course. If I saw who dropped it, I would decide whether or not to give it back based on whether or not they look like they could afford its loss.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?
I've risked my life at the behest of my country and I've risked my life for the sake of my own freedom and continued survival.
28. What's your worst memory?
Coming home to find my father dead and his estate dispersed.
29. Are you financially rich or poor?
When I left London I had little more than a few hundred pounds to my name and they are worthless here. However, I am rich in all the ways that matter in this place.
30. Who raised you?
Many people. My mother before she died, my father when he was not abroad on business and various housekeepers and tutors over the years.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?
I have gained many skills and abilities over the years and I seem to have a natural talent for learning quickly.
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?
I have everything I need in my knapsack or otherwise carried on my person.
33. How do you deal with failure?
So long as it does not result in my premature death, it does not bother me.
34. Do you have any famous relatives?
My grandfather was quite well known in his time.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?
I do not know what a "Mary Sue" is, but I presume from context that it is meant to be an insult. I'm sure I've been called worse.
36. How did you get your name?
My father named me after his father.
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?
38: What would you sacrifice for your country?
I've already sacrificed enough for my country - I lost my family and my future - and so I left.
39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be?
At this time I have all I want or need. Later, when I have found the answers I seek, I will want a place to live and work to fill my day - but those are things I can arrange for myself.
40: When do you feel your best?
When I have leisure after the chores and responsibilities of the day are done.
41: When was your first kiss?
That was just before I departed to go to war. Brigit, the neighbour's very comely daughter whom I had often admired, visited to bid me farewell, and the kiss she gave me suggested that there may well be more like that when I returned. Alas, when I did return, it was to find she had already married another.
42: What are your weaknesses?
Mostly the charms and smiles of the fair sex.
43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it.
No. I can live well enough in this one that remaking is not required.
44: How honest are you?
To my friends, colleagues and comrades at arms, I am honest and trustworthy, but I have done many dishonest things in my time.
45: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?
They are all ambivalent to me, to which of my answers did you attach the most importance?
46: Have you ever been discriminated against?
Many times, by people who thought themselves my betters by virtue of their birth but have none of my skills.
47: How do you feel about your government?
I have none, for I am now truly dispossessed.
47: What are the people you work with like?
Ian is a man of wit and reason and prides himself on his skills at survival, yet he relies too much on equipment that, if lost or broken, he would be lost without. He lacks a lot of the essential skills to survive without such things. Fortunately, he has shown great willingness to learn and redress that lack. Teri is extremely strong. Although she was raised in the city with all the luxuries of life and has had no experience in surviving in extremis, she is a willing and capable student and faces the hardships we endure each day - and they surely must be all the harder for one of her background than for such as myself or Ian, inured as we are to such hardships - without a word of complaint. By contrast, Aubrey, also used to the luxurious life of the city and just as lacking as Teri in the conditioning and skills for survival, will acknowledge no lack nor want on his part and complains the day long of our plight and his multitudinous aches and woes. To add insult to injury, he proclaims himself superior to Teri in all regards by virtue of his sex and puts on airs over myself and Ian as though he were of higher birth.
48: If you could pick your Famous Last Words, what would they be?
I would hope "At least they never caught me."
49: What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
(when the term is explained) Not much, I fear, as it took only my need to leave England to prompt me to engage in armed robbery to gain the required funds and, consequently, to murder a man to cover my tracks.
50. How would your character describe him/herself?
A man of reason.
51.What would you choose as your last meal and why?
Game pie and vegetables. I've always been partial to that. Our housekeeper baked many a delicious game pie - usually from the game her son and I poached.
52: Would you sacrifice your humanity in order to save the ones you love?
How can saving the ones I love do anything but affirm and strengthen my humanity?
53: When you kill a man, do you ever try to justify your actions?
When I was at war, the justification was provided for me. My subsequent murder can scarcely be justified as I would have had no need to kill the man if I hadn't been actively engaged in robbing him at gun-point at the time.
54: What is your Berserk Button?
Those who think that, by nature of their birth alone, they are superior to others. While there are some of high birth who are indeed my superiors in some ways, I have also known some of lower birth than myself from whom I have learned a lot and could, given the opportunity, learn more still. That we were created equal is evident to all reasonable men, to suggest otherwise is offensive to me.
55: What is your age in Earth Years?
33
56: What was your relationship with your parents like?
My relationship with my mother was altogether too brief, she having died when I was eight, but I remember her fondly as a loving and kind woman. My relationship with my father was good. His punishments were fair and meted out only when warranted and I respected his wisdom and sober judgement. When I was older, I assisted him with his affairs at home and abroad and, when the time came for me to go to war, he used his influence to secure me the position of Sergeant in his old Regiment and sent me away with his blessing. Alas, that was the last time I saw him alive.
58: Where do hope to be/what do you hope to be doing in five years?'
Well settled with a place to live and work to do.
edited 30th Aug '13 3:40:49 PM by Wolf1066
Impudent Upstart
First some thoughts (mostly more comments than critiques):
@Wolf 1066:
Terri seemed like a very well fleshed out and consistent character to me. One of the biggest traits I’d say I got from her was ‘self confidence.’ I get the impression that despite the trouble she’s in, she’s taking it reasonably in stride. Her questions don’t dwell on the trouble, and I noticed that despite its hardship her worst memory is still something from her previous life. I liked the bit about the older sister being a better kisser, gave her a sense of humor.
As for Ian: though I gathered that this was the same Ian from the story excerpt you posted earlier, I would say that I would have been able to peg him as the same character even if you hadn’t given his name before. The answers you give here seem very much in line for the way he was written in the story. I’m getting the same logical, thinking out all the different possibilities impression from his responses to the questions here as I did to his actions the story. I get the feeling he has thought through some of the more typical ‘deep questions’ (stuff about love, etc) questions on his own, and his irreverent responses to the more tropalicious questions show a sense of humor. There were a few neat new things as well. I liked the bit about him being an impulse buyer. I can see him picturing a scenario where some gadget or another would come in desperate handy and convincing himself to buy it just like that. I get the feeling you’ve spent the most time developing this character.
Finally James: I felt like his answers showed some interesting contrasts. On the one hand his talk about all men being fundamentally equal seemed very enlightened and honorable, but I got the distinct impression he isn’t too bothered about the man he murdered. I mean, he admits it wasn’t justified, but that’s about it. I get the impression that he’s accustomed to keeping a stiff upper lip and not letting too much get to him and that there’s more to him than the responses to the questions let on. Everything he said seemed very well composed and thought out. Makes me wonder if he always talks like that. I feel like you pulled off giving him Antiquated Linguistics without going overboard, though the bit where he is describing his companions seemed to toe the line on my first read through. Overall a very intriguing character.
@Majormarks:
I felt the responses gave a very distinct impression of Tirsi's personality. However, I found it strange that a vampire would be so interested in having a ‘way out’ on a battlefield, especially if they were as powerful and confident as his answers led me to believe. It seems to go against his ‘death is something that happens to other people’ comment. Although, thinking about it, it does go along with the drive to survive you gave him. His mention of battlefields is the one hint of a weakness he reveals, which I felt showed a more complex character giving the answers. It’s interesting that survival is such a conscious priority for him. It’s a refreshing change, I think, most other vampires I’ve read about seem to take their invulnerability somewhat for granted. Overall I’d agree that you have his voice and character consistent.
@Somerandomdude:
I feel like I got a really good sense of Eric's character, especially the importance of his past. The consequences of his actions really show through his responses, I can tell this is a character who has gone through a significant amount of growth. I get the feeling his experiences have tempered, rather than broken, his idealism. Overall he’s very human, and seems like the sort of hero I could root for. You gave a lot of nice details to flesh him out, like his islander understanding of car driving, his penchant for baseball, or his admiration of his grandfather. The only response that struck me as strange was his response to the ‘vice’ question: ‘Wine, women and song!’ I don’t know… it struck me as a little glib compared to the other answers. I got the feeling that things like ‘vices’ aren’t really foremost in his mind.
As answered by Vlenn, as she was after the events of my first story. She’s a 18-23 year old woman, and a former member of a notorious gang of thieves who has just recently escaped imprisonment.
1. How was your life at home?
At Port Prollos? Have you ever tried to sleep in a room you knew was infested with rats? You know they’re always hiding somewhere, just out of sight, waiting to nibble at the bread you’ll eat, or crawl across your body while you sleep, but of course you have to go on eating and sleeping. You get used to it, learn to forget they’re even there, but in the back of your mind you know you’re never really alone. That feeling, that’s the closest I can get to describing it.
2. What's your main drive in life?
That’s something I haven’t thought about. Until recently I’d say it was to escape, but now I suppose I’ll need to look for a purpose. Completing Kerrick’s map is as good a place to start as any, I suppose.
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?
Sounds like a question for a scholar. I think everybody really just wants what is best for themselves, and there is nothing wrong with that.
4. How do you fight?
With my fists, or my knife if I must. A dart thrower, if I can get my hands on one.
5. Why do you fight?
Because someone wants to hurt me, and there’s no way to escape.
6. What do you fight?
Whoever can catch me.
7. What is your worst fear?
Betrayal. Even now, free of the city and all its rats I’m not sure if I feel as secure as I did before our gang was sold out.
8. What is your most treasured material possession?
Probably my knife. It is a gift from dear Saddow.
9. Who is your closest friend?
Saddow, I think, though I'm not sure she thinks of me as a friend. She may be a shiroean, but she is good company. A bit sullen perhaps, but she is good to talk to and can make me laugh. It’s strange, but she refuses to leave my side even though we’re now free. I can’t say I regret it.
10. What is your outlook on love?
It’s a rather silly thing. I suppose I might feel differently if I loved someone.
11. What is your favorite pastime?
Napping, I’d say. It’s rare I have the chance to rest without fear.
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be.
The face of a confused, slightly frightened child. It won’t hurt if others think I’m harmless.
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.
He’d be rich, unfaithful, and totally uninterested in me. I could eat his wonderful food, and have his soft bed all to myself and never have another care in the world. My biggest threat would be boredom.
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?
Plenty of times back in Port Prollos. Even up to my nose, on occasion.
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?
I suppose. The scholars and wise men of the world certainly aren’t held in such high esteem for nothing. Then again, I suppose it wouldn’t surprise me they all turned out to be the greatest liars of all.
16. What's your alignment and why?
Alignment? Do you mean allegiance? I’ve not sworn myself to any cause. I was once part of the most feared gang in Port Prollos, however.
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.
A place where all have enough to eat, and a warm place to sleep, and nobody wants to take it from them.
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
I haven’t considered it. I’d be dead, wouldn’t I? And who would throw me a funeral? “She left us plenty to eat” I suppose.
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?
I’ve become rather fond of boats, the narrow swift kind used by the river men. Saddow isn’t, however, so I’m content walking, or stealing a ride on carts.
20. What is your favorite vice?
Fine food, the kind the nobles eat every day. Cakes, fruits, candied fats and meats, everything except wine and cheese. I would be quite happy to die having never so much as smelled the stuff again.
21. What do you do to relax?
Sleep, of course. I’ve grown fond of listening to Saddow and Averice argue as well. I’ve found I have difficulty sleeping when they’re silent.
22. What is your favorite color?
What a question! I’ve never considered it but, I suppose I would say blue. I’ve always been partial to watching the ships on the water.
23. Who is your worst enemy?
I suppose I should say Raphos. Or captain Raphos, to give him his title. Though I don’t hate him now as much as I used to. All things considered he was somewhat kind, in his own way. No, I can’t hate Raphos. I should say the traitor –the rat! That dragon blasted coward didn’t even spare us a glance as we were dragged to our fate.
24. Whom do you most admire?
I’m not sure I admire anyone. When I was young I wanted to be like the boss, Krimp, but that was long ago. The closest, I’d say, was a man in the dungeons who the others simply called ‘Freedom’. It’s a fitting title, I suppose, it’s thanks to him I’m free today. I don’t know what to think of his revolution now, but when I was trapped in the dungeons his voice was enough to give me hope.
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
I’d wish for Kerrick back, fat and smiling.
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?
Seems like one of Raphos’ traps. I’d leave it be. If I need money, I’ll arrange to get it myself. Anyway, an unwed lesswoman carrying a large sum of money? I might as well paint shira-marks on my skin.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?
Food, for one. Freedom for another. The rest of Kerrick’s map? I’m not sure. He himself said it was probably just a children’s tale.
28. What's your worst memory?
Watching Kerrick try to escape the arena. I know he hated cages, but the fool could have waited a bit longer! It’s just a memory of a thought, but seeing of him tossed on the garbage cart, headed for the filth pits outside town… that is my worst memory, even if I only saw it in my mind.
29. Are you financially rich or poor?
At the moment, quite poor. Even for a lesswoman.
30. Who raised you?
My mother started, I suppose, when she’d have me. But you’ll have to blame Kerrick for the way I am today.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?
I seem to be able to make people think I’m feeling one thing, when really I’m feeling another. I guess that means I’m good at lying. I haven’t really thought about it as a blessing or a curse I suppose. I think I’ll say ‘blessing’ as without it I’d be dead.
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?
A full belly, and a warm fire. Well, perhaps not all. Not anymore. For it to be happy I’d want Saddow and Averice by my side as well.
33. How do you deal with failure?
I try to survive it, and salvage what I can.
34. Do you have any famous relatives?
Perhaps. Who can say? They’d probably never admit it though. Doubtless I’d be the result of one of their indiscretions.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?
I’d ignore it. They’re probably just drunk.
36. How did you get your name?
I do not know. I think it’s a type of flower or herb of some sort. Saddow doesn’t think so though.
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?
(Haven’t considered, might fill in later)
38: What would you sacrifice for your country?
I’m not sure the Twelve Kingdoms would want any sacrifices I could make. Still, I’d gladly give up a week of meals to protect them from the Old Kingdoms. I understand the nobles are even worse over there.
39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be?
Any object? A full pack of food, I suppose. Or a book with Kerrick’s map written out clearly and completely.
40: When do you feel your best?
When I wake up in the morning, smell the country air, and realize I am no longer in Port Prollos.
41: When was your first kiss?
Quite long ago. I don’t remember who I kissed first. The younger lads were quite eager for them for a time, and I tolerated them if they paid me. Of course I put a stop to it once I wised up.
42: What are your weaknesses?
I have trouble telling if others are speaking the truth or lying, so I simply assume they’re lying unless I learn otherwise. Sometimes this causes me to see plots and malice where there are none.
43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it.
Another question fit for a scholar! I don’t think I’d know where to begin.
44: How honest are you?
Oh, very.
45: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?
The ones about fear and weakness. They’re things I tend to avoid dwelling on.
46: Have you ever been discriminated against?
As much as any other lesswoman has. Back in Port Prollos the other thieves never really saw me as one of their own. I was like Kerrick: one of Krimp’s little ‘pets’.
47: How do you feel about your government?
It’s like the weather. You can’t hope to alter it, you just have to try to endure it and learn its habits. Maybe if I’d been born into a different family I’d feel fonder toward it.
48: what are the people you work with like?
Well, I don’t work with them anymore, but Krimp’s gang had a host of characters. They were like a pack of hairless rats really, biting and scrabbling for any crumbs the boss would throw their way. Give them enough to nibble on and they’ll leave you alone, though.
49: If you could pick your Famous Last Words, what would they be?
I’m not sure I’d want any. I’d keep my words to myself.
50: What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
Being captured again might. I doubt there’s anything I wouldn’t do to avoid being caged again.
51: Describe yourself.
I’m a woman, with dirty hair and the skin of a city dweller. My nails are chipped, and my feet are rough, but I’m otherwise of sound body.
52: What would your last meal be?
The fattest fish from Irfras served with Valen cider and cooked with some herbs Saddow had collected herself, served alongside fresh bread and butter.
53: Would you sacrifice your humanity for your loved ones.
My humanity? So I would become a beast-man or elf of some sort? I suppose I would. I’ve met plenty of decent beast men. If you mean I’d become cursed like the shiroean are, well, if Saddow can manage it than so can I. Especially for Kerrick.
54: When you kill a man, do you ever try to justify your actions?
I never saw the need. I'd drink some wine in celebration and forget all about them. Now, well, they'd have to justify it themselves before I'd kill them.
55: What is your berserk button?
I would say betrayal, once again. The rat filth traitor will pay if our paths ever cross.
56: What is your age in earth years?
I’m not quite sure. I was quite young when Krimp’s men found me. I suppose I’d say between twenty and twenty five years.
57: What was your relationship with your parents like?
I remember little of my mother, and less of my father. My mother never seemed to know what to make of me. Some days she'd feed me, and let me share her cot, other days she'd hit me and and I'd have to find beg the others for food.
New Question: 58: What is your impression of the above character, based on their responses?
He seems a decent enough man, for a noble. I don't think his father seems worth all the bother he gives him.
edited 31st Aug '13 9:00:32 AM by LittleBillyHaggardy
Nobody wants to be a pawn in the game of life. What they don't realize is the game of life is Minesweeper.
What should I put here?
Thanks for this, it's always nice to get more opinions.
In regards to the bolded part; I feel that hypocrisy is pretty important aspect of a character. I've always thought of the battlefield-thing being a phobia rather than something that's considered, one that's rooted to a battle he was involved in before being a vampire.
edited 31st Aug '13 10:37:09 AM by Majormarks
I write stuff sometimes. I also sometimes make youtube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/majormarks
For anyone who doesn't want to go to all of the effort:
'''1. How was your life at home?'''
'''2. What's your main drive in life?'''
'''3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?'''
'''4. How do you fight?'''
'''5. Why do you fight?'''
'''6. What do you fight?'''
'''7. What is your worst fear?'''
'''8. What is your most treasured material possession?'''
'''9. Who is your closest friend?'''
'''10. What is your outlook on love?'''
'''11. What is your favorite pastime?'''
'''12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be.'''
'''13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.'''
'''14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?'''
'''15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?'''
'''16. What's your alignment and why?'''
'''17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.'''
'''18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?'''
'''19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?'''
'''20. What is your favourite vice?'''
'''21. What do you do to relax?'''
'''22. What is your favorite colour?'''
'''23. Who is your worst enemy?'''
'''24. Whom do you most admire?'''
'''25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?'''
'''26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?'''
'''27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?'''
'''28. What's your worst memory?'''
'''29. Are you financially rich or poor?'''
'''30. Who raised you?'''
'''31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?'''
'''32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?'''
'''33. How do you deal with failure?'''
'''34. Do you have any famous relatives?'''
'''35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?'''
'''36. How did you get your name?'''
'''37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?'''
'''38: What would you sacrifice for your country?'''
'''39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be?'''
'''40: When do you feel your best?'''
'''41: When was your first kiss?'''
'''42: What are your weaknesses?'''
'''43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it?'''
'''44: How honest are you?'''
'''45: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?'''
'''46: Have you ever been discriminated against?'''
'''47: How do you feel about your government?'''
'''48: If you could pick your Famous Last Words, what would they be?'''
'''49: What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?'''
'''50. How would you describe yourself?'''
'''51.What would you choose as your last meal and why?'''
'''52: Would you sacrifice your humanity in order to save the ones you love?'''
'''53: When you kill a man, do you ever try to justify your actions?'''
'''54: What is your Berserk Button?'''
'''55: What is your age in Earth years?'''
'''56: What was your relationship with your parents like?'''
'''57: What is your impression of the above character, based on their responses?'''
'''58: Where do hope to be/what do you hope to be doing in five years?'''
'''59: What was your proudest moment?'''
'''60: What is your most distinctive physical feature?'''
'''61: Can you sum up your entire worldview in one phrase?'''
'''62: What is your most distinctive feature?'''
'''63: What was your relationship with your parents like?'''
'''64: What's your preferred kind of music?'''
'''65: What turns you on sexually?'''
'''66: What are the people you work with like?'''
edited 31st Aug '13 11:21:36 AM by Rem
Fire, air, water, earth...legend has it that when these four elements are gathered, they will form the fifth element...boron.
Crazy Kiwi
Wow, what a great series of critiques on the characters. Thanks for your critiques of mine, it's pretty much what I'm trying to convey about them and it's nice to see you'd've recognised Ian from the previous excerpt.
Vlenn comes across as a very cohesive character with a good clear voice. Her responses give intriquing hints about her world. I've got to say that your answer to question one had my scalp crawling, so well done, there.
There was nothing that stood out as "off" or inconsistent - given her past and the world as revealed in some of her answers, I can well understand why she is as she is.
On the whole, a character I'd enjoy reading about and (given that's as she is after the first story) even knowing how she turns out - and, presumably, some of the events that occur in that story - ("spoilers", if you will) I'd still want to read it just for the enjoyment of seeing it unfold.
1. How was your life at home?
Very agreeable. I had a nice house with a competent housekeeper, a well-paying job with good prospects and I wanted for nothing except my beloved Catherine, who died ten years ago.
2. What's your main drive in life?
To somehow get home from this awful place.
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?
Man is fundamentally sinful and can only achieve redemption through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
4. How do you fight?
I have never had to. But I carry a revolver in case I do.
5. Why do you fight?
As before, I've never had to.
6. What do you fight?
My increasing ire at these repetitive questions.
7. What is your worst fear?
That I will die here or, worse, be stuck here and unable to return my normal life and my job.
8. What is your most treasured material possession?
The key to my house. It is my main link to my normal life.
9. Who is your closest friend?
I have no friends here.
10. What is your outlook on love?
It is a wonderful thing. I found my one true love in Catherine, and I look forward to joining her in Heaven when my time is done.
11. What is your favorite pastime?
Reading the newspaper.
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be.
One of quiet dignity.
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.
Beautiful, demure, ladylike, polite, respectful, fantastic cook and house-maker and with the most beautiful singing voice - such was Catherine, but she's gone now and there can be no other.
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?
I have been more than neck-deep in trouble since I awoke in this place.
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?
Certainly not. There is only one true Power and that comes from God.
16. What's your alignment and why?
Our family has always voted Conservative. They support industry and commerce.
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.
Why, the very world I had at home, as God created it.
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
That of a sober, responsible man.
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?
Train.
20. What is your favourite vice?
I abhor all vices and take care that I have none.
21. What do you do to relax?
I like to spend time at the Club or in my private study at home.
22. What is your favorite color?
I have none. My suits are in black, grey and Navy, as they are sensible, respectable colours.
23. Who is your worst enemy?
I don't have enemies as such. There are many people I don't like for various reasons, but no actual enemies.
24. Whom do you most admire?
My father. The undisputed ruler of our house, a hard worker and a faultless provider for our family.
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
To be returned home forthwith.
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?
I would return it to them if I knew who they were, or I would hand it over to the police to find the rightful owner.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?
Nothing that I want. However, I find myself risking my life on a daily basis on a wild goose chase.
28. What's your worst memory?
Waking in a strange place far from home with no idea how I got there, or why, and only a couple of coarse louts and a very unladylike girl for company. Since then I have endured many hardships and privations and have been compelled to walk great distances through inhospitable terrain in all weather and have very nearly died a number of times, but still nothing is as bad as that memory.
29. Are you financially rich or poor?
I am quite well off, having a good income, savings and investments. However, I have lost all that.
30. Who raised you?
My mother and father. We also had a nanny when I was a child.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?
I am blessed with being uncommonly skilled at my work and have been promoted three times, now.
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?
A good job, steady income, a house befitting my station, the company and respect of my peers, membership in the right clubs, a housekeeper to tend to my domestic needs - all of which I had until I was cruelly snatched away by persons unknown and brought to this preposterous place.
33. How do you deal with failure?
In my work, failure is not an option and I always apply myself with all due diligence to ensure I never fail.
34. Do you have any famous relatives?
None.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?
Are you calling me a girl?
36. How did you get your name?
Aubrey after my paternal grandfather, Thomas after my maternal grandfather.
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?
38: What would you sacrifice for your country?
I would not hesitate to serve if called up to do my duty for Queen and Country.
39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be?
The only thing I want is to go home.
40: When do you feel your best?
Sitting at the Club or in my study after a nice meal with a glass of aged brandy and a fine cigar.
41: When was your first kiss?
I took Catherine to the theatre - it was our fifth outing together - then I walked her home and she permitted me a chaste kiss goodnight before I left.
42: What are your weaknesses?
I find it difficult to cope with the travelling I've done since I've been here. The terrain is uneven and sometimes hazardous and it stretches my physical capabilities. Turner and Wolff set an impossible pace - it's fine for them as they were born unto physical labour, but I am a gentleman.
43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it.
I would never presume to question or seek to improve upon God's Design. There are many things that I do not like about the world, but no doubt it's all part of His Grand Plan.
44: How honest are you?
My honesty and integrity are beyond reproach.
45: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?
What sort of impertinence is that?
46: Have you ever been discriminated against?
I feel that the others with whom I'm travelling deliberately treat me poorly because I am not of their class.
47: How do you feel about your government?
So long as the Conservatives are in, the interests of business and industry are protected.
47: What are the people you work with like?
At the bank, I work with as sensible and sober a group of men you could ever wish to meet. We keep the wheels of industry turning. Oh, you mean the ones I'm working with now. What a shower. They have no respect for my station in life and make no allowance for my obvious distress and discomfort. Turner has the air of a scoundrel - a merchant by trade, and formerly a soldier, but certainly neither an Officer nor a Gentleman. Wolff is a foul-mouthed lout, a mere tradesman, but sometimes surprises me with displays of knowledge, wit and culture - so it's plain to see he could be much better than he is. Miss Walker is certainly no lady. She's as foul-mouthed as Wolff, if not more so, she dresses immodestly and smokes like a whore, which I suppose is all one can expect from a low-born mulatto. She has utterly no concept of her place in God's Order nor how one of her sex ought to behave. Worse, the others encourage her in her behaviour. I understand that she chanced upon a clerical job, which explains why she has ideas above her station. Sadly I am compelled to accompany them and I am completely at their mercy as I would not be able to survive in this inhospitable place by myself.
48: If you could pick your Famous Last Words, what would they be?
"I'm coming to you, Catherine."
49: What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
Nothing whatsoever. My morals are my foundation.
50. How would your character describe him/herself?
A successful and well-respected gentleman.
51.What would you choose as your last meal and why?
One of Mrs Anderson's delightful roasts - lamb or pork, with plenty of roast potatoes, pumpkin and onions and fresh minted peas from the garden.
52: Would you sacrifice your humanity in order to save the ones you love?
I would have sacrificed nearly anything to save Catherine's life.
53: When you kill a man, do you ever try to justify your actions?
I've never had to kill a man, but if I did, it would be justifiable.
54: What is your Berserk Button?
I am an extremely moderate and well-mannered man. Despite the constant base behaviour and lack of respect from my travelling companions, I have been very restrained in my remonstrance and have kept my temper in check.
55: What is your age in Earth Years?
40
56: What was your relationship with your parents like?
My father was a very busy and successful man and taught me the value of hard work and dilligence. My mother was sweet and demure and always kept the house immaculate. I loved them both very much and they loved me.
57: What is your impression of Kagami
, based on their responses?
If anything, she sounds worse than Miss Walker. I thought that even Japanese women would know how to behave.
58: Where do hope to be/what do you hope to be doing in five years?'
I hope to be back where I belong with my home, my housekeeper and my job.
59: What was your proudest moment?
When I got my job at the bank my father took me to his Club and introduced me to his friends and told them how proud he was of my achievement.
NB: Benor wants to "brick him"...
James wants for a brick.
edited 31st Aug '13 3:58:09 PM by Wolf1066
Impudent Upstart
You're welcome, glad it was somewhat helpful. And I agree on the hypocrisy comment.
Thanks for the comments! I'm glad the hints came across as intriguing and not just confusing.
A few thoughts on Aubrey: You've done a good job of making him obnoxious. You've got some sexism, racism, and classism all mixed in there with a dash of self-satisfied religious superiority. He seems like a man with a very narrow view of the world: He's so invested in his own little sphere that he's utterly unprepared for anything else and just assumes it should follow the same rules. He's got enough other characterizing details, though, that I get the sense that you've worked on developing him and didn't just make him the token asshole and leave him at that. Overall he seems as complete a character as the others.
One critique I'll make is that his unpleasantness comes off a bit strong in some of his answers. Now I'm not overly familiar with your setting so it might not be as strange as I think, but phrases like 'low born mulatto' strike me as sort of anachronistic. I don't doubt that he'd think things like that, but I feel he'd have to be extremely sheltered to actually say it in such a bald way.
I did find it a little strange that he carries a revolver around with him. He otherwise struck me as the sort of person who would leave that sort of business to the 'proper authorities'.
edited 1st Sep '13 8:59:37 PM by LittleBillyHaggardy
Nobody wants to be a pawn in the game of life. What they don't realize is the game of life is Minesweeper.
No
Ah yes, I remember him.
He seems like a bit of a Stiff Upper Lip type man, with uncompromising principles. He seems like a very conservative gentleman. He comes off as very stuck up and sheltered, with an inability to accept the opinions of others, and an unproductive cogwheel in any team. He also has this air of naivety to him concerning his steadfast approach to his beliefs. Overall, I think he is a strong, fleshed out character with plenty of potential with Character Development.
Now, is it my turn? Next up is Jacques.
2. What's your main drive in life? To see the Aristocracy burn
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil? ... Fuck should I know?!
4. How do you fight? With a BFS.
5. Why do you fight? To kill Aristocrat scum.
6. What do you fight? See above.
7. What is your worst fear? It's come true
8. What is your most treasured material possession? My sisters old doll.
9. Who is your closest friend? Quinn. He saved me. I owe him everything.
10. What is your outlook on love? ... It doesn't last.
11. What is your favorite pastime? Fixing shit.
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be. What the fuck stupid question is that?
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest. I don't... someone like me, I guess. Someone strong, who fights for what the believe in.
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble? I was.
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo? What?
16. What's your alignment and why? The Fuck's an alignment
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world. One without greedy, murderous scum who use people and throw them away like trash.
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral? One that said "he butchered every last Aristocrat in Janlyn."
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation? 'shrugs shoulders.'
20. What is your favourite vice? Killing aristocrats.
21. What do you do to relax? Fix shit.
22. What is your favorite color? Grey... maybe.
23. Who is your worst enemy? The Adrian family.
24. Whom do you most admire? Dadaleus
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? ... This is pointless.
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do? A large sum of money in Janlyn? Must belong to a high-born. They don't need it, or deserve it.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get? My Sister back... But that will never happen.
28. What's your worst memory? See number 1
29. Are you financially rich or poor? When you live in a world where those on top take, and take, and take, until nothing's left, everyone, save them, is poor.
30. Who raised you? My parents.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse? I have a sixth sense. It comes in handy in a fight.
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life? 'scoffs' impossible
33. How do you deal with failure? Poorly.
34. Do you have any famous relatives? My father, though a peasant, was well known for his feats and valour in the gold wars. It made what happened to him such a disgusting betrayal.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)? Fuck's a Mary sue? I'm a guy you son of a bitch! It's the hair, isn't it?!
36. How did you get your name? What kind of fucking stupid question is that.
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are? A strange combination of The Mccoy and a Anti-Hero. The Berserker of the Unstoppable Rage kind The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized
38: What would you sacrifice for your country? Jack-shit. It can burn for all I care.
39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be? Every high-born in Janlyn. Dead.
40: When do you feel your best? Never.
41: When was your first kiss? I was seventeen. It was clumsy. She laghed. Then we did it again.
42: What are your weaknesses? 'Dadalues stepps up' "I'll answer that. Anger, and revenge. They cloud his judgement." My fighting form is also pretty slow.
43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it. I... Don't think so?
44: How honest are you? Very.
45: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important? 39.
46: Have you ever been discriminated against? I'm low-born and was a Farm Boy. Of course I have.
47: How do you feel about your goverment? You serious? I want to burn it to the ground.
48: What are the people you work with like? True Companions
New question. What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
edited 1st Sep '13 9:27:46 PM by KW
KW, you're going to want to reformat that stuff if it's going to attract any eyes. Check out the markup help in the posting/editing menu for useful tags.
this place needs me here
No
Yeah, just done it. Sorry, I'm new here.
No worries, just a tip. 
Crazy Kiwi
@ Little Billy Haggardy: You're welcome and many thanks for the critique .
That's him at the beginning of the story, so he's got quite a bit of character development ahead of him before it ends. I wanted to make him someone that has the potential - once he's opened his eyes a bit, taken a few knocks and learned a few life lessons along the way - to become a pretty nice guy.
The anachronisms and revolver fit with his culture (it's the sort of place where anyone who looks like they have money would be best served to carry a firearm).
@ KW: Cheers for that, you've pretty much stated everything I was aiming for. I'm looking forward to the way the character develops throughout the story.
Reading tropes such as You Know What You Did
I'd really be interested in seeing what you all think of my character as I am really wanting to finish the story she's in, so I'll read over everyone else's and then I'll post mine.
Wolf 1066: Teri sounds like the prototype or model of many Action Girl heroines. I think it's good that you don't give her just a blank slate and provide some detail and character to differentiate herself from so many others. I'm not sure how long you've had this character but it seemed like you were trying to identify who she is and really get into her skin. In my experience it takes years of having a character to really nail down who they are and you can describe in detail any facet of their lives.
Majormarks: I read your character as the classical idea of the vampire, someone who is afflicted with it and would rather be left alone. There is so much these days that portray them as young heartthrobs, sexual predators, unrepentantly malevolent, or feral. With that in mind it’s nice to have something that is not the same as everything else. To answer the idea of someone being confident in their abilities yet wanting out of the battlefield Sam Fisher was portrayed as someone who knew they were mortal.
Wolf 1066: First, “the Wankers in Charge.” Brilliant. Now Ian Wolff, I get the sort of character he is and his personality. A biker? If that’s what he is then you have accurately described the sort of character a biker would be and I could go, “oh yeah that fits.” I see a multi facet personality, someone who realistically is hard and soft. Looking at the Narm page for ‘’Mass Effect’’ one of the entries is how a predominantly Paragon Shepard can be bad and the other way around. People are generally not all good or all bad, they have layers, and I think that’s what you were able to demonstrate here.
somerandomdude: I do like Erik and for some reason I picture Daniel Dae Kim in the role. I can overlook the superpowers thing as that would be likely the type of world he would inhabit, but I wonder about Jack. It’d work great if this was just below the surface so when it’s brought up we can go, “oh yeah, that,” and not, “oh, that again.” Like Wolf said, the voice is clear, we can tell exactly what sort of person he is at a glance and to your credit unlike some examples of The Cape it doesn’t make us cringe. And as somerandomdude said despite the setting he’s quite human and down to earth.
Little Billy Haggardy: Vlenn is certainly a well thought out villainous character in that you define the reasoning behind her actions and she is not the way she is simply For the Evulz. Maybe someone who could be a good person were circumstances different, maybe someone trying to make amends, they are not the stock bad guy for sure, and all the more interesting because of it.
Wokf 1066: I picture James as being an older person, the sort of sea faring person you see in some works…Sean Connary in ‘’The Hunt For Red October’’ perhaps, but that’s by no means his only or most obvious trait. I think he fits in with the other characters and story you presented well. He’s certainly not a blank slate and has more characterization than some in published works.
Wolf 1066: On the one hand I would like a little more detail on Aubrey, but you sufficiently demonstrate that detail is not a trait of his. He doesn’t like to go into detail. Now being a Jerkass on the other hand that does come through a little and every story does need a villain. I’m not sure if Aubrey is going to be that villain but I think you go into detail more of why he’s that way than some other works do. I think maybe the characters and story take place in a world that is maybe archaic, if that’s the case then you present them as such better than they would in something that’s more modern. And as for having a revolver when he seems to be the type to leave fighting to the authorities, who’s to say he wouldn’t use it to get what he wants? It’s interesting how you made him a fatalist. I would certainly like to see how this character goes in a story setting.
Constable Jessica Evan is a Constable in the Victoria Police force stationed in Geelong. She's become involved in a murder case while trying to deal with the young crime element in the city.
1. How was your life at home?
Fine, fine, I grew up on a ranch as cliché as that sounded, and was looking at becoming a cheerleader before the idea of me being a police officer came about. I would spend my time at home fishing or I would spend it on schoolwork or I would spend it doing something, you could be sure of one thing when I wasn’t at school or I wasn’t doing work on the ranch then I would have been up to something.
2. What's your main drive in life?
To do the right thing I suppose. Try and build something of a future not just for myself but those who become involved with the job, victims of crime, those who commit crime, but it's only getting harder.
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?
I'd like to think we try and do the right thing. Out of everyone who lives somewhere how many of them can you honestly say are bad people? One percent would be generous taking into account even in the worst areas where there would be a couple of hundred who would be evil that is out of thousands.
4. How do you fight?
I don't, if I can help it. We trained at the academy ways to handle a suspect, I've learned a few things myself for use of force or lethal force, but no I don't get involved in fights.
5. Why do you fight?
Again I don't fight but if you wanted to expand the question on why I serve is because I think it's important, to try and protect those who have become victims, and when the idea was first brought up it was suggested I couldn't because I'm an aboriginal so I wanted to show that yes I could.
6. What do you fight?
At the moment those behind the shooting murder of Paul Patterson, but it's not always as glamorous as that. I've been involved in youth crime a lot and trying to help them with a better future, that would be what I would fight if you wanted to say I fight something, or for something.
7. What is your worst fear?
One fear I do have is having no means to survive. That honestly terrifies me.
8. What is your most treasured material possession?
I can't honestly say. I've never really thought about it, it's not something I've ever thought about.
9. Who is your closest friend?
Dave's alright, he's a Uni student I share the house with. So's Emily, we went through the academy together. They would probably be my closest friends. David, a Senior Constable, I feel more comfortable with him than Peter, he's alright too.
10. What is you outlook on love?
You can’t just meet someone and there, that’s it. You look at how the characters on Buffy were hurt, people at school and college were crazy for that and they’d go on and on about what Angel did or what, what was her name? Hope? What she did. Or these days look at Twilight and you have all these characters falling into lust with each other, it’s not love, it’s lust. You need to get to know someone, really know them.
11. What is your favorite pastime?
I had a few things that I could point to. When I was young and even when I became older it was fishing. Then it was the gym, I’m not sure if you would say it’s my favorite but I do it all the time, I do it to get very fit, I get very fit so I have the self confidence to do the job. Especially when it was working to before a police officer I would be studying, finding out exactly what and how to do the job, was very interested in exactly the right way to conduct an interview, what questions to ask, how to ask them, what tone to use, and I was directed to Blue Heelers which was described to me as being as real as it gets. Later on when Underbelly came out and there were the issues there Emily got me into that, she said I really have to watch it, and so because I sort of remembered what happened, recognizing the names but not following the stories I sat down and watched it and I was shocked. I also became very interested in witness protection and bikie gangs based on what happened, I read the books for details, that Tracey Seymour or what her real name was, how she was killed to make her husband looking at bail look bad, the horse racing scandal of Fine Cotton, that was all part of it, and being a copper I found it all very interesting.
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Uh...oh...I’d have to go with a nice face, a friendly face. Something that’s not going to put people off when I’m in uniform. Now of course I would be interested in moving up the ranks, becoming a detective one day, maybe. If the Special Operations Group take in women and I was up for that then it might not be the best face to have, but that’s me, that’s who I am.
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.
My ideal love interest? I know this is going to sound stereotyped but Ditch Davey was alright, especially when he grew up a bit and he was being a sweetheart and not the Dirty Harry type, and when William Mcinnes was in the show, Blue Heelers if you didn’t pick it then I’d go for that too. But maybe not another copper, because of my interest in police work and because I have watched the series to bone up...don’t laugh, to gain knowledge of police work they come to mind, but honestly I haven’t really paid much attention in regards to some romance interest or what actor or big thing I would like to be rooted by. I’ve been more concerned with trying to be a good person and having enough to get by.
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?
I can’t say that I have. There were a couple of things growing up that were a racial issue, some political points scoring where I somehow became involved on why Indigenous people deserve more rights or they deserve better education, but I always understood it that equal rights is just that, equal. And I may be naïve, or not know just what the situation is, I was taken out of that before it could get hairy, but it is something that I think is going to cause trouble. I have my views on the issue, I did get some racism but for the most part I think I was treated the same, I don’t want compensation for what happened centuries ago or decades ago, I want to be treated the same but going on about it that would get you into trouble.
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?
I’m an atheist, I’m someone who doesn’t believe in religion or the occult but I don’t have to force the world to believe the same as I do. That’s where all these cults, all these religious beliefs come unstuck. Doesn’t matter what you believe there will be someone there who believes the world must be forced to that belief. Now if you were to show that the occult, I assume you mean things like witches and devils, if they’re real and they exist then show me. Otherwise I don’t believe and I do think that cults, those who break away from the mainstream supernatural or religion and form I cult, I would judge to be dangerous.
16. What's your alignment and why?
Good, absolutely. Lawful. I couldn’t ever see myself being anything else, even if I were to be in some acting role I can’t imagine that I would be anything other than who I am.
Oh, orientation? Straight, no question. Straight. I don't have a problem with the LGBT scene, they simply have as much interest to me as our politicians have to telling the truth.
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.
I haven’t ever thought about it. One where everyone is rich, wealthy, one where there was no crime, no need for crime. One where everyone got along, there was no war, no one had a problem with what everyone else believed. There was no third world hunger, aids and cancer were wiped out. Boring maybe but something I think we would all want.
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
Another thing I’ve never thought about, and honestly don’t want to. I’d like to avoid that sort of thinking if that’s alright.
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?
I’d fly. Quickest way. A cruise would be cool but I would want to get where I need to go and not be bogged down with making the journey a week long.
20. What is your favorite vice?
When Emily can get me into drinking we’d go fishing, or she’d get me to watch TV shows and films, games, that’s nice, but some of the things she’s into I’m not. She’s on about these games she doesn’t like as well, so hearing about them, I think, don’t concentrate on what you don’t like, focus on what you do.
21. What do you do to relax?
Gym and fishing really, and looking up what’s written on the Victoria police. The gangland wars that everyone went gaga over, I do a lot of research on that and that leads to witness protection, how criminals react to what we do, SOG and how they operate, ethical standards, that sort of thing.
22. What is your favorite color?
Green like my first car, a Ford Falcon. Unfortunately that had been run into the ground and just wore out but, yeah, green would be my favorite.
23. Who is your worst enemy?
I don’t have one. At least not anyone I could name. There are people I don’t get along with, those who thought I couldn’t join the police because I’m an aboriginal, if I had to choose it’d be them.
24. Who do you most admire?
Cathy Freeman or maybe Emily because of what she had achieved in the force in such a short time would be cliché, but they would be right up there. I focus a lot on myself and making myself not someone to admire but to have admirable traits, you know what I’m saying? There was this one guy, all his life everyone would try and take down the big man, or not let him get ahead and it still doesn’t get him down, he still puts in more effort than anyone else, does more for others than anyone else. That is worthy of admiration.
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
World peace. Have to go with the classic. I say that now but were it to actually happen, who knows? Saying it now, world peace.
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?
The only right thing to do, have it brought in. Tempting as it would be to just take it you have to do what’s right. Whoever dropped it may need it.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?
Part of the job is risking my life. I haven’t been involved in anything like a high risk arrest warrant yet but that all comes with the territory, and police are more and more in the firing line, there hasn’t been anything I’ve encountered like Hoddle Street where ambulance services were specifically targeted but those are the risks while wearing the uniform.
28. What's your worst memory?
Not a memory as such but the fear of losing everything, everyone and being left with no means to survive, that troubles me a lot.
29. Are you financially rich or poor?
Poor. I manage usually but with the world financial crisis I really try and just survive on what I need, and it’s getting harder. If the Liberals get in then it will become much harder.
30. Who raised you?
My parents. I would always be made to help out on the ranch and I’m thankful for that because I believe that gave me the work ethic I have today.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?
Blessing, absolutely. I’m very strong, very fit, athletic, and as well as the other things we were taught I studied Jeet Kwon Do.
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?
A nice place and financial security. It doesn’t have to be extravagant but basic things that are good looking, good quality. Not feeling lonely, knowing that I can go to family and friends when I need to.
33. How do you deal with failure?
I don’t cope at all. I ask whether I’m good enough and have that self doubt, I question myself in other things. I can’t handle it.
34. Do you have any famous relatives?
Not at all and I don’t think I would want that fame.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?
What could I say to that? Having studied what the term means it is so far reaching anything could be described as such. Someone who is good but not perfect is a Sue, someone who does not have everything is a Sympathetic or Anti-Sue, someone who doesn’t have pure traits is an evil Sue, it’s worse than blaming everything that’s wrong in the world on Gunns (a now defunct logging company who were blamed for everything with the possible exception of the common cold). I see it as a catch cry for anyone in a story someone doesn’t like.
36. How did you get your name?
Parents, never found out why they chose that name.
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?
Ah, tropes? Well not bragging, please understand I’m not trying to pump myself up here but Fair Cop might be one. Tall, strong, athletic, Amazonian Beauty, I’m not like those comic book characters, not someone like...who would be a good example? Power Girl? And I have the Girlish Pigtails, I can’t wear them at work but that’s how I like to wear my hair, with my body I look too butch having it all pinned up or pulled back. Nice Girl would certainly apply, I very much try to be the best person I can, the nicest person I can, and that doesn’t mean I don’t think there are those I want to cut the nuts off of either literally or figuratively but I try and be civil about it, if I have to tell you something that upsets me then you know I’ve hit the limit. I’m not the Deadpan Snarker like you would see in some other shows, cop shows, I’m no Jaquei James,'' but I have my moments. By-the-Book Cop, absolutely, to the point where instead of trying to arrest suspects I try and work towards giving them a second chance and try and get them to see that they would be destroying their lives by doing what they do.
38. What would you sacrifice for your country?
Everything, for the right cause. Emily said about this really bad, yuck, zombie game set in Australia. She said the trailer was banned in Australia. That’d do, I’d sacrifice everything to help those caught up in something like that, why wouldn’t I?
39. When do you feel your best?
It would be either when I go to the gym and have a good workout then know I can do the job and do do the job, and do it well, or when I help out a victim of crime.
40. When was your first kiss? What was it like?
It’d have to be seconds after I was born, I think. That would be the first one that I can imagine.
Seriously I know what you’re talking about. I would have been six, I think, yeah six, if I could remember the date, it was in summer, it was real hot, and we had some kids around. We had one of those pools set up, the type you would go to K Mart or Wal Mart for and pay a hundred dollars for something that might last six months. And while we were waiting for it to fill and mum and dad were keeping us from using it while the water filter and chlorine was set up we watched The Empire Strikes Back. And there was this older kid, he’s off playing basketball in Queensland now I think, he was nine or ten at the time and we were watching the movie. And later in the pool, you know the scene where Leia kisses Luke, he remembered that scene from the movie and wanted to enact it with me. So I did and we were playing around with doing the scenes from the movie when one of the other kids who saw all three Star Wars films said that Luke and Leia were brother and sister, and after that it was all, “Uh,” and I hadn’t had time to process this when my parents got me out of the pool and dad took me out to the local shop, and when we got back the other boy’s parents were picking him up. Thinking about it now I think it was a case that my parents were concerned about what was happening, my mother was lovely about it and the parents were very understanding.
What was it like? It was fun. There was nothing sexual or anything like that, that came later when I was in high school and I was talked into a couple of dates and that sort of thing. With that context behind it I honestly could take it or leave it and I chose to leave it. Let me concentrate on sports. Let me concentrate on studies. I can concentrate on boys later.
41. What are your weaknesses?
First of all I’m just too soft hearted. I know I’m perhaps too nice to be in the police force, I might think too much to rehabilitate rather than punish, but in terms of the job that’s one.
That leads to two, I have never been in a situation where I had to use force, to say nothing of deadly force so if I had to draw the sidearm I’m not sure how I would go. I’m not a bad shot but you cannot really train to kill an attacker. You can sort of do it with someone who is an armed offender and you have to use force, using the baton or asp you swing it right up into their body and face, or you can throw them to the ground or get them in an arm lock, or do what I did and used Jeet Kwon Do which who I trained against and the instructor was not ready for. But that’s someone with a knife maybe. And even then is it better to use CS Spray? Or a gun? How would I go if I did have to use a gun?
And three I’m not a detective or investigator. I can certainly look at a case and come up with ideas, maybe good ideas, or look at solid leads or evidence but, just on this case we’re working now it would never occur to me what type of bullet is use in the murder, what possible motive there might be for the murder. We have some ideas, some good leads but we really need more than what I have been able to provide.
42. If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it?
I don’t think so. To me that suggests having an ego the size of the planet and having that kind of power would likely corrupt so I would have to say no.
43. How honest would you say you are, with others and yourself?
Very honest. I know that if I were to do some of the soul searching questions I’m honest enough to say that I don’t like thinking about them.
44. Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?
Um...maybe the ones about the occult or the ones about being a Mary Sue because it allowed me to address what I think are problems in those type of areas, how thinking the world has to have the same belief as you have or if there are bushfires in Victoria then the blame is on someone wanting to bring jobs to Tasmania, to paraphrase the thinking behind not liking something about a character so they’re a Mary Sue, they’re a Sympathetic Sue, Anti-Sue, Villain Sue, just throw the Sue name about. The same as Troll is used for anything someone does not agree with.
45. What thought keeps you from giving into despair in the darkest of times?
My darkest times have thus far not been that dark, the worst is self doubt when I was younger or now on the force, but I would try and convince myself that I am a good person. I don’t go out and do the things others do, more successful people maybe do. I turn to family, friends, and think, well, it’s not realistic for me to expect to become Superintendent or join SOG. I just do the best I can and hopefully that’s enough, that’s all I can honestly expect, to do my best.
46: What is worth not the risk, but the certain cost of your life?
See what’s worth sacrificing for. Saving someone else’s life, other people’s lives. I try not to be afraid of death, I heard that if the time comes to be prepared to die if that’s what’s needed. I don’t think about it. I just think of going in each day and doing the job. Now if it reached the point where one day it looked like I would have my life at risk more so than normal or if I went to work that day the chances were high, I might not go. I hope I am never put in that position.
47: What would you compromise your principles for?
I can’t imagine that I would compromise my principles for anything. Not as far as becoming corrupt but if there was such a time where an aboriginal girl was raped, or anyone really but being abbo myself that might show how bad it would have to be, I would think whatever were to happen to them is not enough. If they ended up dead that would be no great loss, I would want to do it myself. I highly doubt that I would, but the question was what I would compromise my principles for. Well that would be one instance where I might stop at nothing to...I won’t say punish, but prevent whoever the guilty party is from ever hurting anyone else ever again. By rights the law should ensure that but if the law fails...I’d have to have it actually happen first. Do we blame the police? The courts? Corruption? The lawyer? There might be any number of people at fault. How do you set right what you see as wrong with all of them?
48: If you could have anything, no strings attached, what would it be?
I don’t think there is such a thing as a free lunch or easy money. You work for it, you earn it, it’s yours. But if there really was a case where I could have anything I wanted, no strings attached then I would want the Bruce Wayne fortune. One time with Emily we watched The Dark Knight because it was meant to be one of the greatest movies ever made and as I understood what Emily said the Wayne legacy was to use their fortunes to better others. That’s exactly what I would do, I would have enough for myself to live well, not a mansion or anything like that but imagine the good you could do with that type of scratch.
49: Have you ever been discriminated against?
Yeah, people have said an aboriginal can’t be a cop. So I set out to prove them wrong. On the other hand I see racism used in the case of a few people claiming they are arrested only because they are black. Not true, they are arrested because of the crime they had committed.
50: How do you feel about your government?
Ask again in about a week, but the way I feel right now I wish we had the Howard government, and I’m a Labor voter, or the Keating or Hawke government. It is a shambles, I don’t need to be a political animal to know that. On the one hand we have a weak, fractured, split party, on the other hand we have a pack of thugs, that’s honestly what they are. And the worst thing is we may need the thugs and a leader that makes Australia look bad and a party that will only look after the top one percent and leave everyone else to burn. Is Rudd or Abbott better for jobs? For the economy? For asylum seekers? Not following it closely I can’t tell but I do know I will hate having to put my hand up and say who I think should be in power. Now for David that’s much easier, he's from Tasmania and for the state he wants the Liberals in power. Their current government, so he says, makes George Bush look like Abraham Lincoln. But I don’t think you can vote for state, you have to vote national, so again, who do you want in power? Who is honestly going to do the better job out of two very sorry excuses?
51: what are the people you work with like?
I know a few people at Geelong West like David and Bryan, and Emily in Melbourne I know very well but I can really only comment on who I do work with. Peter is who I probably know the best, he’s alright, watches out for me, I think I’ve worked most with him. Enrica I don’t know much about but I think she expects the job to be more than what it is. Robert is nice, good at his job, but there’s that distance from him, I wouldn’t say he’s not a warm person but it’s like he’s not there to be part of a social group. Gary, our detective, from my experience with him he’s much better in that regard than Robert but I haven’t had much to do with him. Then there’s our boss, Glenn. He’s this big guy, tough, but he’s not harsh about it, he can be open and socialable. His boss, Inspector Burton, I’d only seen a couple of times and he’s the same except he’s a small, rough, tough guy.
52: Describe yourself.
What’s to describe? I’m just a cop trying to do the best job I can.
53: What would your last meal be?
I’d never be in that sort of situation, Australia does not have the death penalty for a start.
54: If you could pick your Famous Last Words, what would they be?
I think it would be something along the lines of, “Kill me and they’ll never stop looking for you.”
55: Would you sacrifice your humanity for your loved ones.
Ah, these questions. I probably would.
56: When you kill, do you try to justify it?
Always. You have to be able to justify use of force, use of lethal force. I’ve never had to be in that sort of situation and hope I never will be, but if it has to be done then it has to be done right. It has to be killing someone bad so someone good can live, it has to stop an imminent threat. That’s not just the uniform talking here, that is honestly how I feel were I ever placed in such a situation.
57: What is your berserk button?
Racism would be a mild one, now I don’t go off on a tangent or have to discuss it at length but the idea of one race being inferior or using race to justify crime, or to say because you are of a particular race you are entitled to special treatment, that’s dumb. Does white man today set out to victimize the aborigines? Is there some Asian, remembering the Cronalla riots, thing that dictates a hatred of other races? I don’t think there is, that sort of stems back to things like religion or cults, occult, whatever you use to try and justify fanaticism.
58: What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
This story Emily told me about a cop who castrated and killed a high profile member of society because the police corruption in Sydney let him off on a rape case. If I ever were to then it would have to be something worse than that, if the entire system were corrupt, and then it would depend a lot on what you would define as the Moral Event Horizon.
59: What is your age in earth years?
I’m twenty six.
60: What is your impression of the above character, based on their responses?
Oh let’s have a look. This Aubrey is it? He’s fine, he sounds like a good person going by what’s written there. If we were to meet then I think we’d get along well.
61: Where do you hope to be/what do you hope to be doing in five years?
Senior Constable or maybe even Sergeant or Detective. Maybe find a good man, I’m not too sure on that front, but at the very least get my personal life in order, have it so I’m living well, then I can worry about that sort of thing.
62: What is your most distinctive physical feature?
Pigtails I think, maybe. Or the freckles. I have the lean, strong body but I think they stand out more.
63: What's your preferred kind of music?
Let's have a look at what C Ds I have, what's from iTunes. Here's a list.
Stevie Wonder - Skeletons
Sublime - What I Got
The Strokes - Reptilia
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter, Satisfaction, Sympathy, Eighteen
Paul Oakenfold - Ready Steady Go
Hadouken! - M.A.D.
Anything Pitbull
Flo Rida - Right Round
The Offspring - All I Want
Montell Jordan - Unstoppable
George Clinton - Mothership Connection
Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench
Smashmouth - I'm A Believer
Hunters & Collectors - Holy Grail
Alice In Chains - Man In The Box
And many many others.
64: Can you sum up your entire worldview in one phrase?
I can try. There are bad people out there, but the overwhelming majority are good and want the bad ones stopped, it's just they are not in a position to, so they have to rely on us. How's that?
65: What turns you on sexually?
Eheh, I'm not made of stone. I've been there, done that, not for a while though. Some of the boys want to take down the big strong aboriginal girl, in my experience not being as sexually active as some I like to be in control. Not the sort of games some might get up to but I think I find the idea of the woman leading most appealing. I'd like it to be loving, romantic, gentle. Nothing like what you would see on the Internet at all. Now I'm not talking candlelit dinners or anything like that but something more than screwing around as casually as driving.
‘’66: Would you ever 'settle down'?’’
At some stage, sure. Maybe if the time came where me and a partner would never have to work another day in our lives.
‘’67: What is your most defining skill or skills?’’
I think it would have to be my level of fitness, six foot, I’d be perhaps the most physically gifted in the Geelong police, but if you wanted to expand it to traits and personality then I would have to say how much I try to be a good person, how much I try and do for others would be more defining. I’m not trying to brag or say that I do it better than others but if you were after what the most defining skill or trait I have then I think that is what it would be.
68: For those who follow it one very important question: AFL or Rugby League? Which team and why?
Currently reading up My Rule Fu Is Stronger than Yours
No
She comes off as a woman who joined the force to make the world a better place, rather than to clean the "scum" off the streets. She seems pretty idealistic, though not too much to not see a lost cause, and will probably take a a criminal down if that's what it takes. She's very empathetic and down to earth.
Crazy Kiwi
Shit, yeah, I can so imagine Erik being played by Daniel Dae Kim as well.
Thanks for your critiques and observations.
Jessica comes across very strongly as having a life outside the police force - it's a job she does, she enjoys it, it satisfies her worldview... but it doesn't define her, she's more than just "a cop".
I can see you've put a lot of thought into what makes her tick as a person, her history, interests, friends and family etc.
I noticed that when I read her answers in the "Questions &c" thread.
edited 1st Sep '13 10:04:54 PM by Wolf1066
No
How about this guy? Dadaleus
1. How was your life at home? Well, my father killed my mother shortly after my birth, though I doubt that counts. It was good I suppose. My uncle and Grandfather took me in, and my master was a father figure.
2. What's your main drive in life? To end the pointless hate. People needlessly die fighting, and for what?
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil? No, I don't believe that. After all, what is evil? I have never once met an 'Evil' indervidual
4. How do you fight? with a very sharp Katana
5. Why do you fight? Because I have failed with less practical ways to end conflict.
6. What do you fight? Soldiers. Fathers. Sons. Brothers. Friends. Husbands. Lovers.
7. What is your worst fear? I'm not actually sure. Whatever it is, I haven't faced it yet.
8. What is your most treasured material possession? My mothers locket
9. Who is your closest friend? Keiya, I suppose.
10. What is your outlook on love? 'chuckles' love you ask? Well, not many people will say it's bad, and even then, they preach and rant far to much about it for my tastes. It's nice, but hardly the make all-break all that some insist on painting it as.
11. What is your favorite pastime? Shogi, or maybe chess. Depends on my opponent.
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be. A smirk. Wait, I have that already.
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest. Oh, I'm not picky, so long as we get along.
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble? Thought? I have been!
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo? You mean a god? Well, I have more reason than most to. So, yes.
16. What's your alignment and why? Such a silly belief. One cannot simply be catalogued by such words.
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world. One where all understand one another, and the need for swords is but a nostalgia.
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral? See above, my friend.
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation? Anything that gets me from point A to point B.
20. What is your favorite vice? None, for a Vice, by its nature, is something that need be eliminated.
21. What do you do to relax? Meditate, I suppose, or speak to a close one.
22. What is your favorite color? Well my armour was red. My jacket is red, and the sword Dante crafted for me was red. So... green.
23. Who is your worst enemy? If I have made an enemy, then I have done something wrong, now, haven't I?
24. Whom do you most admire? A young woman I once knew... And loved.
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? I believe I have answered this, haven't I? I feels as if I have.
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do? Put it to a worthy course. Though I suppose most people would say something like that, wouldn't they.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get? See above.
28. What's your worst memory? The Rebellion. It truly was a horrific period.
29. Are you financially rich or poor? I live well, but honestly, I haven't a coin to my name.
30. Who raised you? My mentor.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse? I have a sixth sense.
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life? ... Happy. 'His smirk drops for but a fraction of a second' I never thought about it
33. How do you deal with failure? To fail is to submit. I do not submit. My plans simply have more steps than I originally expected.
34. Do you have any famous relatives? My grandfather was Stuward of Redwall, as was my uncle.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)? I would stare blankly before smiling and backing away slowly.
36. How did you get your name? I have no Idea from where it came.
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are? Magnificent Bastard
38: What would you sacrifice for your country? I believe I have given enough already.
39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be? Oh, whatever the giver has lying around.
40: When do you feel your best? When a plan succeeds
41: When was your first kiss? When I was Sixteen.
42: What are your weaknesses? The same as most people, I suppose.
43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it? Remake, yes. In my image, however. No.
44: How honest are you? ... Oh, honest enough.
45: Have you ever been discriminated against. A little, but nothing big. It was in the Varal territories. We and them have been enemies since their failed invasion.
46: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important? Nothing in particular.
47: How do you feel about your government. It could be better, but it isn't terrible, and it's getting better since the newest Emperor.
48: what are the people you work with like. Loyal
49: Describe yourself. Dedicated, realistic, and a little Idealistic. Somewhat smug.
50: What would your last meal be? Pork bone ramen.
51: Would you sacrafice your humanity for your loved ones? Perhaps.
He seems a little stiff and formal, which is probably what you intended. But try to ensure his dialogue doesn't sound too forced. Overall he seems pretty good so far
edited 4th Sep '13 5:56:45 AM by TheMuse
My character, Sean
- 1. How was your life at home?
- 2. What's your main drive in life?
- 3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?
- 4. How do you fight?
- 5. Why do you fight?
- 6. What do you fight?
- 7. What is your worst fear?
- 8. What is your most treasured material possession?
- 9. Who is your closest friend?
- 10. What is your outlook on love?
- 11. What is your favorite pastime?
- 12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be.
- 13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.
- 14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?
- 15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?
- 16. What's your alignment and why?
- 17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.
- 18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
- 19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?
- 20. What is your favorite vice?
- 21. What do you do to relax?
- 22. What is your favorite color?
- 23. Who is your worst enemy?
- 24. Whom do you most admire?
- 25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
- 26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?
- 27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?
- 28. What's your worst memory?
- 29. Are you financially rich or poor?
- 30. Who raised you?
- 31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?
- 32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?
- 33. How do you deal with failure?
- 34. Do you have any famous relatives?
- 35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?
- 36. How did you get your name?
- 37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?
- 38: What would you sacrifice for your country?
- 39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be?
- 40: When do you feel your best?
- 41: When was your first kiss?
- 42: What are your weaknesses?
- 43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it.
- 44: How honest are you?
- 45: Have you ever been discriminated against
- 46: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?
- 47: How do you feel about your goverment.
- 48: What are the people you work with like?
- 49: Describe yourself.
- 50: What would your last meal be?
- 51: If you could pick your Famous Last Words, what would they be?
- 52: Would you sacrafice your humanity for your loved ones.
- 53: When you kill, do you try to justify it?
- 54: What is your berserk button?
- 55: What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
- 55: What is your age in earth years?
- 56: What is your impression of the above character, based on their responses?
- 58: Where do hope to be/what do you hope to be doing in five years?
- 59: What was your proudest moment?
- 60: Can you sum up your entire worldview in one phrase?
- 61: What's your preferred kind of music.
- 62: What is your most distinctive feature?
- 63: What was your relationship with your parents like?
- 64: What turns you on sexually?
Exactly What It Says on the Tin: this thread is so that people can get critiques of their characters as they have been revealed in the "Questions for your main character" thread without it messing up that wonderful "add a question" game with extraneous stuff.
THE RULES Like most critique threads, you must critique the character above your post before you can expect critique of your own character.
Only one character per post - getting critiques for multiple characters means you must critique multiple characters.
Proper constructive criticism of the characters, please.
We know how the forum works, we're all, presumably, adults.
Best idea would be to go into "Edit mode" for your original post in the character questions and copy and paste the lot into your post AFTER your critique of the above character rather than just supplying a link so that people don't have to switch out to another thread to see what's being discussed.
If you want to update your chosen character to include the latest questions, do so.
If you feel inclined to critique more than one of the above characters, do feel free (but you still get to put only one of your own characters into each post).
Since there's got to be a starting point - and I'm the OP :P - I'll start the ball rolling.
1. How was your life at home?
Pretty normal. I went to work five days a week, went out with the girls from work on a Friday night, often didn't wake til Saturday afternoon, hung out with friends on the weekends and kept the bills paid.
2. What's your main drive in life?
Doing the best I possibly can at anything life throws my way.
3. Do you believe that human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?
Neither. People choose how they act.
4. How do you fight?
I prefer not to, but I've got a nice little Beretta to defend myself with if necessary.
5. Why do you fight?
I don't. If I did, it'd be for survival.
6. What do you fight?
Only my own weaknesses, fears and despair and the occasional impulse to choke the living crap out of Aubrey.
7. What is your worst fear?
That I'm going to get into some danger that I can't get out of.
8. What is your most treasured material possession?
I don't have a lot to choose from, just the clothes on my back, my Beretta and what's in my purse. I'd be highly fucked off if I lost anything.
9. Who is your closest friend?
Samantha, but I suspect she's long dead.
10. What is your outlook on love?
If it happens, it happens.
11. What is your favorite pastime?
It used to be hanging out with my friends of a Friday night. Now it's reading.
12. If you could have one facial expression for the rest of your life, what would it be.
I'm beginning to fear that it's going to be "grim determination" - I've been wearing it so long now.
13. Describe your ideal love interest, or explain your lack of interest.
Hmmm. Someone honest, independent, capable, great sense of humour but knows when to be serious.
14. Have you ever thought you were neck-deep in trouble?
I got that distinct impression the minute I woke up here.
15. Do you believe in all that occult mumbo-jumbo?
No.
16. What's your alignment and why?
Heteroflexible. It's just the way I am, I guess.
17. Describe your idea of a perfect world.
One where you can just go to a shop to buy whatever you want and has fun places that serve alcoholic beverages. And public transport. Pretty much the world I used to live in but I didn't realise it at the time.
18. What sort of impression do you want to leave as a person? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
A happy and capable, but fun-loving, person. I'd like them to be saying that they miss me.
19. What is your preferred type of long-range transportation?
At the moment, anything with a motor in it.
20. What is your favourite vice?
It depends on my mood. Sometimes alcohol, sometimes cigarettes, sometimes chocolate.
21. What do you do to relax?
Usually sitting down with a coffee or a wine, a cigarette and a good book.
22. What is your favorite color?
What, the hair and slacks don't tip you off? Blame my parents - all my baby photos have me in purple outfits, so I was conditioned to find it comforting from an early age.
23. Who is your worst enemy?
I don't have any. Aubrey's annoying, but he's not an enemy.
24. Whom do you most admire?
Anyone who ever faced adversity with the confidence that they would get through it, somehow. That's who I aim to be like.
25. If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
To know why I'm here and how I got here.
26. If someone dropped a large sum of money and no one was looking, what would you do?
These days I'd pick it up to see if there was something useful under it.
27. Is there anything you would risk your life to get?
Only things that were essential to my survival, like food or water.
28. What's your worst memory?
Waking up the morning after my 21st and discovering I'd thrown up in bed. It was all through my hair and soaked into my clothes. Fucking good night, the night before, though.
29. Are you financially rich or poor?
It doesn't matter here, but I was doing pretty well back home - enough to afford a nice place to myself.
30. Who raised you?
My parents. I had three - mum, dad and "aunty" Erin, who was part of a triad with my biological parents.
31. Do you have any unique talents? Do you consider them a blessing or a curse?
I wouldn't say "unique", but I'm probably a lot stronger than a lot of people I knew - I can't see most of them coping as well as I have with what I've gone through lately. "Blessing" and "curse" both have the connotation of being bestowed by some supernatural entity so I wouldn't use either term. I would say that it's beneficial to be the way that I am.
32. What's the minimum you need for a happy life?
I used to think I needed lots of things - a good job, lots of mates, a nice place etc. But now I'm learning that you don't need all of that stuff to be happy. Life's a bit screwed up in many ways at the mo' but I'm generally quite happy just to be alive.
33. How do you deal with failure?
I try again until I succeed.
34. Do you have any famous relatives?
Not that I've heard of.
35. What would you say to being told that you are a Mary Sue (regardless of whether this is true or not)?
You mean like that soppy chick in those awful vampire books? Fuck no.
36. How did you get your name?
My parents chose it. No, it's not short for "Teresa", or anything else.
37. What three tropes would give anyone a good idea of what you are?
38: What would you sacrifice for your country?
I used to sacrifice an unbelieveable amount of what I earned each year. Wasn't that enough?
39: If you could have anything, no string attached, what would it be?
I'm not going to dwell on what I haven't got.
40: When do you feel your best?
When I'm having fun with a group of friends.
41: When was your first kiss?
His name was Billy and he was in my class at college. I was 14, he was 13 - yes, I corrupted a minor - and he accompanied me to the school dance then walked me home and we kissed good-night. A few years later, I found out his older sister is a much better kisser.
42: What are your weaknesses?
Chocolate. White wine.
43: If you had a chance to remake the world in your own image, would you do it.
Yes. I'd start with a decent public transport system and frequent shops.
44: How honest are you?
Fairly honest. I wouldn't lie or steal unless it was utterly necessary for survival.
45: Which of these questions did you consider to be the most important?
I didn't realise I was supposed to be ranking these in order of importance.
46: Have you ever been discriminated against?
Never - it was only ever an academic concept to me - until I came here.
47: How do you feel about your government?
Rather irrelevant now, given the circumstances.
47: What are the people you work with like?
James and Ian are pretty cool. They accept me for who I am and are patient in teaching me the skills I need to survive. Aubrey's a jerk. He's got screwed up ideas about women and Maori and, well, pretty much everything else, for that matter.
48: If you could pick your Famous Last Words, what would they be?
I dunno. "Let's party!" perhaps?
49: What would drive you over the Moral Event Horizon?
I'm not sure. Some of Aubrey's tirades have had me thinking of murder.
50. How would your character describe him/herself?
Not long ago, I'd've said "just your average Wellingtonian", but now I'm having to redefine myself. I haven't worked it out yet.
51.What would you choose as your last meal and why?
At the moment, if I even had a hamburger I'd die happy. I'd probably change my last words to "that was fucking delicious."
52: Would you sacrifice your humanity in order to save the ones you love?
Possibly.
53: When you kill a man, do you ever try to justify your actions?
I've never killed anyone and I would only do so if that level of force was justified.
54: What is your Berserk Button?
People who don't pull their weight. Always hated the "office slacker" that just mooches along and expects the rest of the team to get all the work done. Aubrey's shaping up for that role in this little group and I want to smack him around the ears for that more than for his blatant sexism and racism.
55: What is your age in Earth Years?
35 at last birthday.
edited 29th Aug '13 2:25:44 AM by Wolf1066