[Meme] Character Survey of Doom: Edward (IU)
The New, Improved Character Survey of Doom
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Officially, Edward is six feet tall. He has a lot of build in his upper body, but oddly enough he's actually really thin at the waist. My only explanation is that he has a metabolism as bizarre as my brother's. Everything goes to his arms and height. (So unfair.)
2. How old is he?
Canonly he's 17. Time spent in Luceti has warped his mental age somewhat, but it's not far off that.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Ed's always standing straight (rigid, even), mostly because if he slouches his sword is so damn big it drags into the ground.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
For the most part, Edward is healthy as a (huffy but well-meaning) horse. He has one major weakness; sporadically (and typically when he's having emotional issues) his fire lunaglyph will pulse and cause him pain. It's nothing serious unless it progresses into vermification (another can of worms all on its own), but worth mentioning anyway.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
A mixture, for sure. Because his weapon is so big and unwieldy, Ed is usually a bit slow and methodical with his strikes, which means he gets hit a lot more. It's pretty crap for defense. So Edward makes sure that every move he makes counts, whether it's in battle or not.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Ed doesn't put much weight in looks. He's handsome but not overly pretty. He has sort of a scuffy puppy look to him; he can be so disgruntled and pouty and he pulls it off so cutely. Guh, he's a brat.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Mid-tones, probably a few body scars from his time fighting, but nothing visible or particularly noteworthy.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
His hair is black, short (just under shoulder-length) and straight.
9. What color are his eyes?
A rather lovely mid-to-dark blue.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Two tattoo-like sigils, one on the back of each hand. The look like this.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
Shoulders and the corners of his lips- and probably his brow, since he frowns quite a bit.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
He wears a lot of blue, and most of his clothes are suited to give him maximum movement in a fight. Nothing that would restrain him too much, no excessive bangles; he doesn't even wear a lot of armor, and what he does wear is mostly tucked away under his clothes.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Yes, and yes. Besides his little tunic-skirts and the weird mini-cape on his shoulders, everything he wears is loose enough to breathe in but tight enough not to get in his way.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Prrrretty much.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Uh... briefs, I guess? Underwear is left to the imagination in IU, but I figure it's pretty archaic. Whatever the oldschool equivalent is.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
His voice is deep, kind of rough. He sounds older than he is.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He can be loud, particularly when he feels strongly about something. He doesn't have much trouble talking, though occasionally he'll stammer if you catch him off guard with an uncomfortable subject. Otherwise his voice is just... intense, idk.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Not really. He's fairly normal as far as speaking goes.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Just the regular language of IU's world; he's fluent.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Nope. He's boring like that. He gets louder the angrier he gets, but that's normal.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
He never hesitates to speak his mind, that's for sure. Whether it's good or not, well...
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Surprisingly polite and eloquent when the situation arises, eg. when he's around high rank characters or those he holds in high regard (like Sigmund). The rest of the time he's pretty informal, and can be awfully rude.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Street-smart, if anything, though I'm not sure I'd call it that. He's of average intelligence; not stupid, but not a scholar by far.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
He thinks on his feet because the deliberating stuff is for pussies. And Eugene. same difference
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Practical. He thinks in terms of "how might we survive this" whereas the heroic types are more likely to go "how can we save everyone else". This practicality is generally ignored by the rest of the group, much to his irritation.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
He was raised as a lesser noble, so he's fairly educated, but his enthusiasm wasn't really in it after the death of his father. We'll say above average education, at least in terms of his world.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Swordsmanship, for both. He lives for fighting and for accomplishing Sigmund's goal, and if you ever catch him reading, it's probably just to learn more about improving his skills.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Iffy. It's not like he dislikes people- he's actually a pretty friendly and likable guy when he's not disgruntled or obsessing over Sigmund. Which is most of the time. Basically, he likes people, he just likes Sigmund more.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
AHAHAHA whoa. Moodswings up the wazoo. He can accept a person one moment then pounce them for blood the next. He is very driven to his cause, however. Or rather, Sigmund's cause.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Suspicious- see his early to mid-game treatment of Capell. He dislikes change. Unless it's a kid he's meeting; then he can be calm and pretty friendly.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
React. He's always reacting to something or other, and more often than not, it's bad.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Fiiiight. Running is for the weak. (Unless it saves Sigmund from sudden death.)
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
He doesn't have much of one. He'll tease on very rare occasions if he's in the right mood with the right person under the right situations. He'll laugh if he finds something funny, but it's brief and it doesn't happen often. He's not really the type to appreciate humour.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
After digging around, one that pinged me was Adjustment disorder. It's more of a short-term depression associated with stress (eg. the loss of someone important), quick to flare up and relative quick to treat and/or disperse. The criteria that fit Edward to a T:
* Having emotional or behavioral symptoms within three months of a specific stressor occurring in your life
* Experiencing distress that is in excess of what would normally be expected in response to the stressor or that causes significant problems in your relationships, at work or at school
* An improvement of symptoms within six months of the stressful event coming to an end
Losing Sigmund was a huge stressor for Edward, and he was pretty ballistic for a while, but post-vermification his recovery was smooth, speedy, and he got stronger because of it all.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
His father's death changed him into an angry and bitter person.
Sigmund rescuing him from death at the hands of an ogre gave him purpose and someone to admire and protect.
Sigmund's death nearly broke him entirely.
His vermification and subsequent turn-around helped him realize his jackassery and pushed him into Character Development Land.
14. What does he fear?
Vermification, losing Sigmund again. And failing, most likely- failing Capell, failing Sigmund's memory...
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He's determined to kill Leonid and free the world from the Order of Chains' oppression. Beyond that, not much.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
Besides the people who already know, he really doesn't want to share the fact that he became a crazed murdering monster. :|b
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Practically non-existent. His father is dead and he's estranged from his mother, what with him up and disappearing to traverse the world on a hero's crazy quest.
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?
Not really, no. His family isn't spoken of, like. Ever.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
S... sort of? Aya is like a sister to him- he cares for her and looks after her when she needs it, and they bicker like siblings most of the time.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Capell. Their relationship was pretty screwed up for a long time; Edward hated him, Capell tried to make friends and Edward just hated him more. But then Capell saved him from death (or a fate worse than one, even) and won over Ed's admiration. They progressed from there, and Edward considers him a close friend, now.
6. Does he have other close friends?
Obviously Sigmund is pretty damn high on his list of priority people, though their relationship is too weird to define as just friends or even family. Eugene is also someone he sort admires to an extent; he listens when the other man gives him orders in Sigmund's stead, and he trusts his judgment.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
He's extremely awkward about it, but if he wants to go for it, he will; generally he finds a common ground and attempt to strike up a conversation, and see if any bond can be formed through it (eg. sparring with Touma to learn from him and maybe get to know him better). If it's something he feels passionate about, he doesn't hesitate.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Friends, I'd say, since he doesn't really have a family to call important. Essentially his friends are his family.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Single, never married. I'm sure he hopes he never will be.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Nope.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
Sigmund hardcore for both. Honestly you could parade a harem of naked women and men in front of him and he'd probably just be offended.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Honestly, Edward is a tough one to pin down. The easiest answer would just be *points at Sigmund* because... really, Sigmund is the only one he ever shows any interest in whatsoever. He doesn't reveal any attraction to either men or women aside from Sig. If one were to break it down, however...
Edward wants someone who can dominate him. Because he's so innocent in the ways of relationships (especially intimate ones) he's happy when someone else is taking the reins and showing him the ropes. He likes being ordered around, and he likes when his partner is calling the shots. Edward needs a firm and steady hand to keep him on track, otherwise he'll get carried away with his emotions or knee-jerk reactions. He can be harsh, so he needs someone who can endure his temper and often childish behaviour. He's immature and rough around the edges, so sensitivity and impatience are a no-go. The one he's with can't expect him to be someone to joke around with or tease. He's too serious (serious about being serious!) for that kind of relationship.
...So again, it comes down to Sigmund, because who else could ever compare to his Liberator? (Dammit Edward, stop having such high expectations.)
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
He likes children, but he doesn't have any, nor does he want any. (That would involve sex with a woman, which would involve some sort of attraction to a woman. Ffff.)
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Pretty much just Leonid. He's very focused on killing the Dreadknight and avenging Sigmund, but with Sigmund around to deal with Leonid personally, he's not entirely sure how to handle things. He's alright with Sigmund calling the shots (for now), though.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
SIX FOR SIGMUND, X FOR EVERYONE ELSE. |D Seriously, Edward is the most asexual character one could meet until you give him a Sigmund to obsess and gush over. Good grief.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
...W-well. He is 17.
Seriously though uhhhh. He has plenty of other things on his mind, and honestly even when they were together before, Sigmund was the horny one |D Ed put so little thought on sexuality. Really, he just wants to be with Sigmund the one he loves, regardless of how he's with them. He's actually pretty innocent in that sense. If his partner was only comfortable with cuddles he'd be okay with it. It's the love and company he craves, not the satisfaction.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Edward loves to be touched, period. He's a bit shy about it, but if you get him going he can squirm like the best of them |Db Dominating him in the bedroom gets him aroused, and he has difficulty switching roles if the situation demands it- it actually makes him uncomfortable to be in that position. lol position As for habits, um... he's loud. You have to gag him or tell him off to shut him off. Very vocal lover, that one.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Awhile back (doing some fun lunar guestimations and a site I have yet to find again), I figured Edward's birthday was May 18th. This set him up as:
Taurus - reliable, warmhearted, persistent, jealous, possessive, resentful, inflexible, "will willingly and loyally follow a leader they trust". Yeah, it fits pretty well. :|;; (Not patient though lol)
Snake - Ed's about as far removed from the Snake as he is from single attractive women, but the element is fire, which fits him to a T. Otherwise... yeah, just about all of those traits don't fit.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Not really strong spiritually. He believes in Veros (his glyphs were personally given to him by the guy) but he's not a devout follower.
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... not much of a hero, to be honest. He's a realist and his priority is the protection of himself and his own- basically, the Liberation Force, Sigmund, anyone associated with them or Ed's acquaintances/friends. In canon he was perfectly fine with leaving an entire group of Unblesseds to wander through a dangerous desert alone just so the Force could get to the next chain faster.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Indifferent. As before, beliefs or religions don't interest him at all.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Growing up in Burguss gave him something of a disregard for Unblesseds, but finding out both Capell and Sigmund were Unblesseds too? Yeah, he's gotten over that enough. The reason for his previous biases were lame and unjustified- you grow up with something and eventually you learn to accept it, right? And Unblesseds in Burguss were killed at birth.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Poor as dirt until he made horseshoes to sell |Db
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
He's a lesser nobleman of Burguss, but he ditched that to become Sigmund's right-hand-man/squire/fan boy/bitch. So yeah, that's quite a change.
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 doesn't really think he has a home back on their world since they're always on the move, but in Luceti the house is a special place for the family to gather. It's really important for him that they all stay there together.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Swords, armor, materials to make more swords and armor, expensive materials to make his swords and armor pretty...
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 loves his job. Keeping an eye on Sigmund - and then Capell - fighting the good fight to save the world? It's become his goal and his purpose, and nothing makes him happier than to fight at their sides.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
SMITHY STUFF. Seriously Ed's very devoted to his craft, and he's quite the artist about it. He spends a ridiculous amount of time working on his metalcrafts. Honestly if he's not at home or practicing, that's where he is.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
He eats well enough, but not excessively. He knows it takes a lot of energy to swing around that huge blade of his, so skipping meals is a big no-no. He doesn't like alcohol, so no drinking for him (or if he does, he doesn't have much), and he hates, loathes, despises peppers with a fierce angry passion. Broccoli is also the enemy. Oddly enough despite these weird non-preferences, he likes salads.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Blue
2. Smell? Campfire
3. Time of day? Morning; he strikes me as an early riser.
4. Season? Spring
5. Book? That book he was reading in Halgita, lol. Go go Halgitian swordsmanship! Alternatively, Memoirs of a Warrior.
6. Music? Mare Lunaris
7. Place? Vesplume Tower and Kolton
8. Substance? Metal
9. Plant? Raspberry. The plant itself is prickly, but given time to grow it becomes very sweet and useful.
10. Animal? Some sort of foul-tempered dog. Or a bull. ...Maybe a bulldog then |D
END
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