character survey
Dec. 18th, 2011 08:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lowtohighBody and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Eileen is about average height for her age, a bit on the thin side from the awkwardness of her age as well as near constant training and more constant stress. This means she’s about chest height on most average-sized adults.
2. How old is she?
She’s nearly twelve years old.
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch?
It depends entirely on where she is. Generally speaking, she’s got a slight slouch to her shoulders. When she’s in court, however, or properly ‘playing an Ace’ with others, she stands incredibly straight.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Eileen is in quite good shape for her age and very rarely gets sick.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
For the most part, she glides. She’s been trained in all sorts of martial arts and dancing from a fairly young age, so she moves very smoothly and with a certain readiness about her. This doesn’t go away even when she’s playing and being childish.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror?
She’s… a child, but she’s a very lovely and compelling little girl. She looks very much like her mother did at her age, which means she’s fairly certain she’s pretty as little girls go.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
She has a somewhat fair complexion.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
Eileen has mousy brown hair that she tends to keep about shoulder length. Most of it is always tied back in a loose ponytail, but it often spills out messily when she doesn’t have it properly knotted for training.
9. What color are her eyes?
She has dark brown eyes.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Not really—she’s a physically fairly normal little girl.
11. What are her chief tension centers?
Eileen carries tension in her shoulders and her temples.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit?
Most of what she wears is fairly utilitarian, if only because she spends most of her time training or about to be training or possibly going to be trained. When left to her own devices, Eileen tends to wear rather polite little dresses and pastels. More often than not, someone manages to tie a ribbon in her hair. She does always wear the same necklace since Andrew’s murder.
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
Her clothes fit her perfectly. She seems fairly comfortable in all of them, although she definitely seems more comfortable in a childish way in her ‘street clothes.’
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences?
If she doesn’t have to be training for anything or attending her studies—which is rare—Eileen likes to wear things that are a little too big and unnecessarily comfortable.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Briefs?
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Her voice is still on the high side, although that’s largely the produce of her age more than where her voice will naturally settle as she ages more. It has a natural sort of polish about it, although it gets rough around the edges and tends to crackle when she’s tired or overworked.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
Eileen speaks in a very controlled, even tone. She’s never hesitant to speak, and gets very clipped and hard when she’s overwhelmed.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
She speaks with the bland accent of those born in-Deck.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
Eileen is a native English speaker. She speaks French and Italian fluently, and reads Latin fluently. She’s currently leaning German, Spanish, and Greek.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
When she’s with native speakers that she knows of, she does attempt to speak in the languages other than her first language, but beyond that she tends to speak consistently.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
Although her passion is sometimes a bit immature, she’s very ready and prompt to speak on her feet.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
She’s very articulate for someone her age.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
Eileen is very intelligent. Most of her intelligence is focused on book-smarts, and almost all of her street-smarts involve cheating at playing cards. Most information presented to her is soaked up like a sponge.
2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
She prefers time to deliberate, but she’s been trained to think on her feet as a default.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Since Andrew’s murder, a lot of Eileen’s idealism has been beginning to bleed away. She tries to think her way through everything practically and logically, but what should be whimsy of childhood often comes out as intense idealism.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
Eileen has been tutored since the age of six to be an Ace—in all manners of weaponry and a higher level of political theory on top of the typical ‘well-rounded education’ children are meant to have.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
There is nothing Eileen isn’t interested in learning more about. Although she’s beginning to view it as childish, she has a particular fascination with marine life.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
She does value her time alone, but Eileen is definitely an extrovert.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Generally speaking, Eileen is a fairly cheerful person. More and more as she’s been given responsibilities and had the last vestiges of her childhood taken away from her, she’s become a bit more short, less excited, faintly melancholy.
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Eileen is slowly learning to be more cautious of new people. Generally she enjoys finding out what she can learn from them.
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
Act—she’s being groomed to be a leader.
10. Which is her default: fight or flight?
Fight—Eileen is a Club through and through.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
She tends to pretend that she isn’t amused by the more childish things, but Eileen is a huge fan of having humour pointed out to her. Sophisticated quips and turns of phrase are particular favourites.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
Milo has yet to tell her she’s actually clinically depressed, so we’ll go with no.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person?
Being made Ace and losing Andrew have been the big two so far.
14. What does she fear?
Eileen has an intense fear of losing the people she loves. This is very reasonable. She also fears that she won’t be able to be a good enough Ace soon enough.
15. What are her hopes or aspirations?
She hopes that she’ll grow up to be the Ace her Suit deserves.
16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her?
She doesn’t like the idea that too many people will find out she’s afraid of not being a good Ace.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents.
Eileen has very few memories of biological father Edgar, although she does hold a deep filial love for him. She’s absolutely devoted to her mother Argine. They have a very close, loving relationship, despite the strain it’s lately fallen under. Eileen also has an overwhelming devotion to her late step-father Andrew, with whom she had a particularly lovely and caring relationship.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
She has no biological siblings.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand?
It…. is not clear that she has any other actual blood relatives.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them?
Lancelot is Eileen’s Other Daddy, despite the fact that she already has had a father and step-father. He is absolutely her idol beyond a shadow of a doubt, and has always provided her with the firm protective hand on her shoulder that she needs to grow up normal. Particularly during her time without Lancelot, Elisha has also taken on a less well-defined father figure. She would turn to him for almost anything she would have needed Lancelot for in the past. Leigh is Eileen’s sister from another mister and one of the few tethers linking her properly to her childhood. Beyond that, all of the Royals serve as collective aunts and uncles, although her particular closeness has been with David, who has been caught between grooming her himself and giving her bits of childhood.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Leigh is absolutely Eileen’s best friend (and big sister for the Best Sismance Ever). They met when Leigh was first adopted into the Deck and Eileen all but went into a spasm of ‘what is this having a child my age thing I do not understand it.’
6. Does she have other close friends?
Julien is one of Eileen’s dearest friends, for better or worse. She’s also particularly fond of Elani and Monty.
7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people?
It is her gift that she makes friends incredibly easily. This gift will hopefully not wear off as she grows up and is less of an adorable tiny child, which is currently working really well for her.
8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends?
That… is a blurry sort of line for Eileen. Ultimately, her Suit is what’s most important, trumping the weird family-friend-whatever line.
10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest?
12. What does she look for in a romantic partner?
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any?
14. Does she have any rivals or enemies?
Justin. JUSTIN.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale?
Ultimately, Eileen will likely land somewhere around a two on the Kinsey, although currently it’s the furthest thing from her mind.
17. What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type?
Eileen is an Aquarius—witty, clever, independent, sarcastic, aloof, kind-hearted, in search of wisdom.
She was born in the year of the Yang Metal Dragon— magnanimous, stately, strong, self-assured, noble, direct, intellectual, fiery, decisive, generous, loyal, wise, humble, imperious, peaceful, impetuous, understanding, and blunt. All of this makes sense for her.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life?
She isn’t particularly either. Religion and spirituality are interesting to her, but don’t really fit into how she’s going to live her life.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
She is fairly attuned to the Clubs credo, although she struggles a bit still with the idea that taking an enemy’s life is preventing an enemy from taking the life of others.
4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from hers? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
As with all things, she’s primarily curious.
5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them?
I really cannot think of any.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
She doesn’t have money of her own, but the Club Royals seem to be very comfortable if not outright rich.
2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her?
Eileen is the Ace of Clubs, and has been since she was six years old. She doesn’t really remember much of the time before she was Ace. It’s been a constant presence in her life and on her mind.
3. Where does she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is her home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does she share it with others?
She lives in the Clubs Castle, of course! Her quarters are her own, and are very near to her mother’s and to Lancelot’s.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on?
Asher.
5. What does she do for a living? Is she good at it? Does she enjoy it, or would she rather be doing something else?
She’s the Ace of Clubs. She’s growing up to be actually quite good at it, if a bit tiny for it still. It’s her biggest hope and dream to keep being Ace and to do it well.
6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time?
If/when she has free time, she’s incredibly fond of exploring with Leigh. She’s also a big fan of chatting with the adults in her life and stealing their knowledge.
7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
She’s a growing girl, damn it—she eats anything and everything.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is her favorite:
1. Color? Pink
2. Smell? Cinnamon
3. Time of day? Dawn
4. Season? Spring
5. Book? Le Petit Prince
6. Music?
7. Place? Library
8. Substance? Smoke
9. Plant? Buttercup
10. Animal? Fox
END
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