notcominghome | The New, Improved Character Survey of Doom

Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Hughes is taller than the average guy. He's got broad shoulders which lend some build to his body, but while he's definitely got some muscle on him he doesn't have the sculpted, huge muscles that comes with lots of exercise, training and toning exercises.

2. How old is he?
29 years old as at date of death.

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
He's a military man so Hughes tends to stand up and walk straight when he's on official business or if he's in the presence of his superiors. Otherwise he has a rather casual air about him.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Apart from the fact that he's dead, Hughes keeps himself fit despite the nature of the desk job he had. He's still agile, maybe not quite as fast or fluid as he was during the Ishval War but he's still got the stamina and strength that carried him through the war. He was at the peak of his health when he was killed, and he has no physical disabilities.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
As mentioned above Hughes isn't as fluid as he used to be. I'd say the peak of his agility was during the Ishval War, and subsequent to the end of that war his agility deteriorated slightly due to disuse.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
I don't think he's very attractive. Rather, he has a few features that add to an overall 'manliness' look about him. The glasses and uniform definitely helps to smarten him up a little, but overall his best features are his jaw (square-ish), his scruffy beard, and his eyes, which are more often than not hidden by the glare of his glasses.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
He's on the fair side of the spectrum; his time during the war has tanned his skin a tad. He doesn't have any scars, but if you look directly at his eyes you can see some lines under them and at the edges; the former came from his time during the war and are vestiges of the guilt he hasn't been able to shed over his involvement while the former are the beginning of crow's feet, given how much smiling and laughing Hughes does.

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
His hair is black and the fringe is combed upwards to keep it from his face save for a stubborn lock that just refuses to stay in place. Hughes ended up leaving it as it is because he thought it made him look cool. His hair is styled slightly spiky and is kept tidy. He doesn't have particularly thick or thin hair either.

9. What color are his eyes?
His eyes are hazel, leaning more to the green side.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Hughes has a slightly longer face than most.

11. What are his chief tension centers?
Threats to his family and friends.

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?

Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?

2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?

4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?

5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?

6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?

7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?

Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?

4. What kind of education has the character had?

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?

10. Which is his default: fight or flight?

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?

14. What does he fear?

15. What are his hopes or aspirations?

16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?

Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?

6. Does he have other close friends?

7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?

8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?

10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?

11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?

12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?

14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?

15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?

16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?

17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?

Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?

4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?

5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?

Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?

2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?

3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?

5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?

6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?

7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?

Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:

1. Color?
2. Smell?
3. Time of day?
4. Season?
5. Book?
6. Music?
7. Place?
8. Substance?
9. Plant?
10. Animal?

END
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