Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
He's exactly five feet tall, and a rather gangly kid, even though he's a healthy teen. That's metabolism, I bet. Very, very young, and very short. But there's still hope (hurrdurr) because he's about to hit his growth spurts.
2. How old is he?
Fourteen :T
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
He's mostly casual, since he's still a kid. When he's not walking, he has a habit of swinging his arms or even his upper body back and forth.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
He's rather healthy now right now, but he may have picked up some bad habits here and there, such as staying up too late.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
He's very, very awkward. Like any teenager, he can trip over his own feet or whack himself with his own arm. His balance is shit, he knows this, and knows he cant afford to topple over with just one hit, so he crouches down a little to make sure his body is a little more stable in battle.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Hope's quite the cute kid, even though he doesn't notice it. I don't think he looks in the mirror much either. Maybe just to make sure his clothes are not inside out, or he's got mud on his face, but otherwise, he basically ignores mirrors. So if he does something completely adorable around someone which makes them squee, he wouldn't get it until someone pointed it out. He's going to grow up to be quite the looker.
Bonus: He looks like a younger Nero from DMC :|b
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
He's actually kind of pale, but not so much that you'd call him deathly-white. I'd say a decent peach color. A few scars here and there, considering he had a little trouble with his magic starting out. You fumble with a Cure spell on an open wound? You leave a scar.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
It's layered and silver, and maybe with just a few brown roots taken from his father.
9. What color are his eyes?
Green. Pretty, pretty light green.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
His l'Cie brand is on his left hand, but it cant be seen for now because of his yellow bandana.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
Legs, mostly, with his shoulders on occasion from casting spells.
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?
HIS MOM BOUGHT THEM FOR HIM :U Like any mom, I bet you Nora bought the stuff she thought would look good on him. They do work so far but... what's with the shoulder pads :| And I want to know where she got those shorts with the hammerspace pockets. I totally need to make a joke about them one of these days
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
He looks nice in them, even though they would look kind of weird on others. Mainly because his clothes were chosen specifically to match his hair and eyes. He's mostly comfortable in them, since they're very casual. He can run, jump and do battle in them.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
... No?
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Boxers. Cute green ones.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
It's surprisingly deep for a kid's! Make's you wonder how it'll sound when he turns into an adult.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Evenly and normally, for the most part. There are only a few times that he would stammer or hesitate before speaking.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Not that I know of? Unless you call speaking like a teenager a quirk or a tic.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Just the language they use in Cocoon. He grew up with it, so of course he's fluent. He managed to get by on Gran Pulse thanks to Fang and Vanille who translated for the party.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
No.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
If caught off guard... well, words just spill right out, but he's actually good at making short impromptu speeches? Please see the final boss battle for this. But for the most part he thinks about things before saying them, save for a few, emotional moments. I bet you anything he rehearsed his "I WILL KILL YOU" speech to Snow though :3;;
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
For a kid, he's bordering on eloquent. He may not know deeper words, but he knows how to talk well. If he has to explain/narrate something, then he'll have to think on his words a little more. He doesn't swear, because he'd rather not bring himself to use those kinds of words, if he ever learns any of them.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Mostly book-smart, because of school, and a really smart kid for his age. He's a sheltered kid, coming from a rich family in Cocoon's center of commerce. He's only learned to be street-smart when he was made a l'Cie and forced to run for his life.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
Both! In random encounters you really cant formulate elaborate plans, so he's learned to think quickly. For long-term things, yes, he plans things out.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Ooh, this is a little conflicted. Hope's at the point where he's stuck between being realistic and idealistic. For a good long while, he's been the biggest little pessimist in XIII, but not exactly being a cynic. It's moved on to being realistic-- he takes things as they are, and works with them. Then he's started believing that things may happen if he just sets his mind to them, but as of his canon point (chapter 12), he's not truly at that stage.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
No idea on the schooling system Cocoon has, but in real-world terms (specifically the US) I'd have to say he's either in 8th or 9th grade. In my terms he'd be first year high.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Magic and some machinery, mostly. But magic is really his forte, being able to learn all available offensive spells very easily (with the exception of the "strike" ones). The technology part may have come from tinkering around with things in Palumpolum when his parents weren't looking. He cant fly a plane, but he can get an old machine up and running for a short period of time.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Mostly an introvert, but that's because he's shy and unused to being around a lot of people in strange situations. He's learning how to open up a little more.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Hope's mostly a calm, quiet kid. Not really short-tempered, and you wouldn't know if he was feeling something different, because he doesn't show it. He's the type who wouldn't say something so someone wouldn't worry about him. Which can backfire, but he hasn't grown out of this just yet. If he does get angry, well... he can be fairly dramatic and flounce.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
SHY SHY SHY SHY. He'd like to know people, yes, but after all he's been through, it's been drilled into his head that some people are just not as welcoming as many, so he'll just stand around awkwardly until he musters up enough courage to go off and talk to someone. Which makes communication devices a big relief for him, because they're not face-to-face.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
React, most of the time. He only acts when he feels the need to, and when the situation calls for it.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Flight, if he must. Do you see that oretoise? Do you see that tree trunk of a leg? It can crush the whole party with one move. And that's something he'd definitely run away from. If it's something like a taunt, he wouldn't take the bait. But if it's something he knows he can come out of alive and well, then he'll fight.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
He likes jokes and pranks, as seen with the small prank he pulled on Vanille. Sarcasm he will be able to understand, but innuendo he will not get, and gallows humor (unless you're Sazh) will be met with a huge frown.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
No? He's dealing with things pretty well, considering the fact that everyone and their mom want him dead back home.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
The whole of XIII, basically. His growth as a person is shown in it step by step.
14. What does he fear?
Losing his friends to something he cant control or fight. Which is why he gets paranoid a lot in settings like this.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
To fight back against Barthandelus and Orphan and save Cocoon. That's really all he wants right now.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
It's more of not wanting to tell anyone till he's ready, but he doesn't want anyone else to know he's a l'Cie, unless he tells them. And that his Focus as a l'Cie is to destroy his own home.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Do I have to DX
He clung to his mother since he was a baby, and resented his father for hardly being around, which makes him more than a little reluctant to contact his father when they pass through Palumpolum. He does eventually speak to him, and they make up. It's one of my favorite crowning moments of heartwarming.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
He's an only child.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
None as far as canon's concerned.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
The whole of the XIII party, most especially Lightning. To him, she's a sister figure, and almost a mother figure. He stuck to her side for a good deal of the game, and they have a very good relationship with each other.
Snow's like an older brother whom he's not shy about making a snarky comment or two about. Sazh is the weird dad of the group whom the kids look out for instead of the other way around. Fang's the scary, manry cousin who butts heads with Lightning. Vanille's the other cousin who likes to hug. The chocobo's the family pet and team mascot.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Hope, Kai and Elida grew up together and went to the same school together. However, Kai, the pilot wannabe, had to move away, and because of his absence, Hope and Elida kind of drifted apart.
6. Does he have other close friends?
In the game, he's got Team Shota, which has extended to basically Lightning (of course), Suzuki Adelheid and a good deal of the KH troupe. Outside of that are Asuka Tenjouin and Rika Furude, whom he basically regards as friends already.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Hope's mostly a shy kid, so talking to new people is always a strange experience for him. Girls are easier for him to approach, since he's always being surrounded by them, but guys, especially those of his age are a little more distant to him, especially since he hasn't had a male friend of his age for a while.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Both, most especially if he considers those friends as family. Everyone's important to him, and that keeps him motivated.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
... Single and not yet available 8|
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
He hasn't even been entertaining thoughts of that ffffffffffffff
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
... Good question. Being a teenaged boy there'd be some kind of attraction but... none at all. He just looks up at Lightning with big adoring eyes because she is awesome.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
... PASS.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
He's a child himself lskjfhsldkfjalf
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Barthandelus is an old coot who has nothing else to do but troll them and be a vague jerk. He hasn't met Orphan yet, so he has no impression of him.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the
Kinsey scale?
I... I'd like to reserve my comment on this. He's in puberty, yes, but not at that stage yet slkjhdlkghdlksdg
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Someone needs to give him The Talk first.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
... PASS.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (
zodiac of
choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
To be honest I haven't figured this out yet. If I were to come up with a headcanon (Western) zodiac sign right now, I'd say he's an Aquarius-- an air element and a fixed sign. This means that he's basically the kind of kid who's rational and smart, and still looks for more knowledge through experience, while at the same time being very persistent about it. Fixed signs are described as being stubborn-- Hope can be like this as well, when he's making a point that he firmly believes in. As an Aquarius, he'd have been born around late January to mid-February. Exact date to be determined later because I'm lazy 8| VALENTINE'S DAY :U
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
As far as I know and as canon shows, there are no religions in Cocoon and Gran Pulse, because they already know who's pulling their strings and who's keeping them around on their feet, so Hope really cant be either. There are three gods, yes, but only the fal'Cie care about them. In Cocoon, some were inclined to believe in the fal'Cie, but canon shows no sects or cults about them.
Hope? Wouldn't care either way. He was a very cynical kid before PLOT and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT happened. He didn't care, he didn't believe... he was a fucking annoying brat who thought he was too old for the world. lmfao yeah fucking right
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?
He's a kid, so it's pretty basic for now-- don't do anything bad, and nothing bad will happen to you. Karma and such. It's being tweaked though, since his experiences as a l'Cie. Even if he doesn't do anything wrong, there are those who think that it is, so he cant help but step on someone's toes no matter what happens. He's perfectly aware of this, and he does what he believes is right, trust his insight, etc etc. Sometimes his heart too, because that's important as well.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
He's definitely curious. Growing up was kind of dull, and he knows there are other worlds out there, so he's definitely raring to know what kinds of cultures and beliefs other people have-- gods, fal'Cie, sculpted rocks? He wants to know all.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Hope usually has good reason to be angry at someone, but he's never been truly prejudiced against someone. The closest we can get to prejudiced are his thoughts on Adelheid and Squall, namely because the two seem to look down on certain Pokémon. More of Squall, because he acts like a brat when people are trying to help. Hope doesn't voice these out or make them obvious, but he's wary of talking to them.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
In Cocoon he was rich as fuck. Living in Felix Heights of Palumpolum? Goddamn it's a place I'd kill to live in. And his home is seriously huge and well-furnished for a family of three.
In Johto, he's been doing what he's never done before-- work. He knows it's necessary to get money the legal way, and he's working hard, but sometimes it can grate on him. He's a kid, so well... getting money's a little difficult. It's not that he's afraid of getting to the nitty-gritty when he has to-- because he's not-- but because he has absolutely 0 work experience prior to Johto.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
Back in his world, he's a l'Cie and a fugitive. In Johto's he's a Pokémon trainer. Needless to say he's better off in Johto, because there are no xenophobic people to run away from, and no fal'Cie to be trolled by. Plus, his brand's been frozen, so there's no danger of going Cie'th any time soon. Hope's pretty happy where he is right now.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
He's mostly on the road, and inns are a luxury he can only get when he reaches a town or a city. If he's still out in the wilderness, he just sets up camp with his friends and traveling partners and huddles up in his sleeping bag. He's used to this, and in Johto he's better off than in Gran Pulse where there are no supplies and bags at the ready, only grass, rock, scrap metal, oh look more grass and the occasional prowling monster.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Aside from Pokéballs, potions and those Pokémon-related things, he doesn't use them much, and saves up for a rainy day.
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?
He usually takes on part-time jobs when they're available, normally at the Pokémon center where he can help Nurse Joy out with the Pokémon. He's extremely awkward around people, and Pokémon are easier for him to be around.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Training, mostly :|a If he's not training, he's usually taking a walk outside, or staying in his room. If he can, he'd sit in one place and watch people until he got noticed, or things got awkward. Most of the time he's just training, so it's rare to find him not doing anything. He always likes doing something with his hands.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
He'd rather not skip meals, really. After Gran Pulse, he knows food's a blessing that should never be wasted, and if he can, he wrestles people to eat properly too. hi Ven
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Light green.
2. Smell? Freshly laundered clothing!
3. Time of day? Sunrise, especially the natural one. It fascinates him to no end.
4. Season? Fall.
5. Book? The Inkspell series.
6. Music? His
theme, hurr hurr.
7. Place? Grassy plains.
8. Substance? Light.
9. Plant? Chrysanthemum.
10. Animal? Kitten.
END
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