Character Survey
body and appearance
o1. describe the character's height and build. is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Arthur's of average height, somewhere around 5'10. He's fairly thin and built more for speed than strength.
o2. how old is he?
30 years old.
o3. describe his posture. does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Arthur holds himself very confidently. He always stands at his full height and his posture is impeccable.
o4. how is his health? is he fit or out of shape? any illnesses or conditions? any physical disabilities?
He practices a strict fitness regimen. He concentrates on speed and flexibility as well as kickboxing.
o5. how does he move? is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Arthur is usually graceful, but his mood is usually obvious through his body language. When relaxed and comfortable he's more likely to let his guard down a little.
o6. how attractive is this character physically? how does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Arthur is handsome and maintains his appearance carefully. He knows he isn't completely without physical charm and uses it when necessary.
o7. describe his complexion. dark, light, clear, scarred?
He tans very easily, but most of his work is indoors, which leaves him fairly pale. He doesn't have any visible scars.
o8. describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Arthur has thick, dark hair that he usually slicks back. When it isn't styled, it tends to lie in his eyes.
o9. what color are his eyes?
Dark brown.
10. does the character have any other noteworthy features?
No.
11. what are his chief tension centers?
Arthur carries his stress along the back of his shoulders and lower back. He's also sensitive to severe, sudden changes in the weather, which tend to give him headaches.
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?
Arthur, style-wise, is stuck somewhere in the 1950's. He's very dapper, preferring well tailored suits and more formal attire to jeans. He's not stingy about dropping money for a decent set of clothes.
13. do his clothes fit well? does he seem comfortable in them?
Everything he owns is tailored and well cared for, and when he isn't dressed to his preference his discomfort is obvious.
14. does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? if not, what are the differences?
Yes.
15. you knew it was coming: boxers, briefs or commando?
Boxer-briefs.
speech
o1. what does this character's voice sound like? high-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Fairly unremarkable. He has an American accent.
o2. how does he normally speak? loud, soft, fast, evenly? does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Arthur doesn't usually hesitate when it comes to conversation. He's confident, and his tone reflects that in both volume and lack of hesitation.
o3. does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? any individual quirks of pronunciation? any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Midwestern American accent.
o4. what language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
English is his native language, and he's very fluent in French.
o5. does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
No.
o6. is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Arthur doesn't speak much at all, but his words tend to carry some weight. If he gave effort, a speech would come, but he prefers to consider things before letting his opinion be heard.
o7. is he eloquent or inarticulate? under what circumstances might this change?
He's eloquent, and doesn't usually lose that. When he isn't sure, Arthur tends to keep his mouth shut rather than embarrassing himself.
mental and emotional
o1. how intelligent is this character? is he book-smart or street-smart?
A fair share of both. He was attending graduate school at University of Chicago before leaving school to work in the field of extraction.
o2. does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
Arthur is very detail-oriented and prefers time to deliberate his decisions. He can work well on his feet, but it tends to frustrate him when things don't go to plan.
o3. describe the character's thought process. is he more logical, or more intuitive? idealistic or practical?
Arthur is absolutely a logical thinker and he thinks about things in a linear fashion. He's very practical.
o4. what kind of education has the character had?
Arthur left university, where he had been working on a degree is business strategy.
o5. what are his areas of expertise? what, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
With his attention to detail, Arthur usually works as the Point Man. He researches the Mark (as well as the members of the team) for possible weaknesses and strengths. He's also a bit of a film buff, particularly about the Golden Age of cinema.
o6. is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Very much an introvert. Arthur likes his privacy despite his willingness to share dreams. Winning over his trust and friendship is difficult and time consuming.
o7. describe the character's temperament. is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? cheerful or melancholy? laid-back or driven?
Arthur is incredibly even-tempered. He doesn't shift much from a very well practiced poker face, since everyone he really knows is a business associate. He doesn't think emotions have a place in the work they do.
o8. how does he respond to new people or situations? is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
New people tend to peak Arthur's curiosity. He loves to poke into the past of everyone he knows, even if the knowledge he gains isn't of any particular use. He isn't the most friendly person around, though, and tends to keep to himself.
o9. is he more likely to act, or to react?
Act. He can't plan out a reaction with any confidence, though he tries.
10. which is his default: fight or flight?
Arthur is a fighter, but he knows the importance of retreat.
11. describe the character's sense of humor. does he appreciate jokes? puns? gallows humor? bathroom humor? pranks?
His sense of humor is very dry, so much so that it is almost imperceptible to people who don't know him. If pushed, Arthur does have a seemingly endless supply of knock-knock jokes.
12. does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? if yes, how does he deal with them?
Like most people who work in extraction, Arthur doesn't dream. It's not a real disorder, but it is a point of frustration for him. He finds sleeping without dreaming is not restful at all.
13. what moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
The first time he entered a shared-dream experience was the moment Arthur truly became who he is. There was never any going back from it.
14. what does he fear?
Dying in reality and being lost in Limbo. He's also afraid of large bodies of water and drowning, particularly.
15. what are his hopes or aspirations?
Arthur is biding his time until he can retire. He thinks what he wants is to find a niche in a city and live out the rest of his days in comfortable style, but the reality is he would be bored to death.
16. what is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
He doesn't want anyone to know about his past, even though it was nothing spectacular.
relationships
o1. describe this character's relationship with his parents.
His mother died shortly after he began working in extraction, and he still occasionally gives his father a phone call. He wasn't particularly close to either of them.
o2. does the character have any siblings? what is/was their relationship like?
He has an older sister. Arthur loves her a great deal, but the relationship is strained ever since he left school.
o3. are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? are there ones he can't stand?
No.
o4. are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? what are his relationships with them?
Arthur has been working with Dominic Cobb longer than anyone else. He considers the other man part of his family even if he isn't very good at showing that and rarely approves of the decisions he makes.
o5. who is/was the character's best friend? how did they meet?
Cobb, but ever since the death of Mal the relationship has become more stressed and less open.
o6. does he have other close friends?
No. Arthur is a man with many associates but very few friends.
o7. does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Neither. Arthur gets along fine with most people simply by being closed off.
o8. which does he consider more important: family or friends?
If forced to choose, Arthur would stand by his blood.
o9. is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? has he been married more than once?
Single.
10. is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
No.
11. who was his first crush? who is his latest?
Arthur had a variety of crushes in his adolescence. None of them really panned out other than a handful of girlfriends in high school. He currently has a bit of a thing for Ariadne and (though he would never admit it) Eames.
12. what does he look for in a romantic partner?
Someone who can put up with his inability to open up.
13. does the character have children? grandchildren? if yes, how does he relate to them? if no, does he want any?
Arthur has no children, and no immediate plans on fathering any. He's seen what family has done to Cobb.
14. does he have any rivals or enemies?
Arthur has picked up a few enemies, but that's just the way extraction works.
15. what is the character's sexual orientation? where does he fall on the kinsey scale?
A 2.
16. how does he feel about sex? how important is it to him?
Arthur likes sex, but he isn't comfortable with long-term relationships. One night stands are easier and he never leads anyone on that it could be more.
17. what are his turn-ons? turn-offs? weird bedroom habits?
He's fairly vanilla by necessity. It hasn't really been explored, but Arthur has a tiny thing for pain. He hasn't felt much of it in reality, just in shared dreaming.
beliefs
o1. do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? how well does he fit type?
Arthur is a Tiger, which doesn't fit his personality in the least. He doesn't buy into any sort of mysticism, either.
o2. is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? how important are these elements in his life?
Neither. He is firmly rooted in reality, the here-and-now.
o3. does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? if so, how did that begin? what would it take to compromise it?
Arthur has not and refuses to kill anyone in reality. What happens during a dream is a totally different story, however, since he doesn't consider it to actually count for anything. Other than that, he has few limitations. Stealing and lying are perfectly acceptable.
o4. how does he regard beliefs that differ from his? is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
He's indifferent outside of how the information could be used in extraction.
o5. what prejudices does he hold? are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Arthur doesn't have any. He doesn't particularly like stupid people, though.
daily life
o1. what is the character's financial situation? is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Technically, Arthur is wealthy. Most of his money sits in a Swiss bank account, hiding from the powers of the world. Very little of it was gained through legitimate channels.
o2. what is his social status? has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
Arthur was raised in an upper middle class family. He's become far more comfortable in the elevated position having money offers.
o3. 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 has an apartment tucked away in Boston that no one knows about. It's his private area, and he retreats there on occasion to be alone. It's posh by most standards, and very well maintained.
o4. besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Clothing. Arthur is a diva when it comes to his ~threads.
o5. what does he do for a living? is he good at it? does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
Arthur works in extraction. He's no Architect or leader, but he's very good at researching the mark and finding weak spots in their personality and past.
o6. what are his interests or hobbies? how does he spend his free time?
Arthur likes classic cinema. He spends a great deal of his free time watching old movies and reading.
o7. what are his eating habits? does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Arthur is very careful about his health. He follows a diet, but he does enjoy a good glass of wine.
associations
which of the following is his favorite:
o1. color? Blue.
o2. smell? Citrus.
o3. time of day? Early morning.
o4. season? Fall.
o5. book genre? Mystery.
o6. music? Jazz.
o7. place? Boston.
o8. substance? Wine.
o9. plant? Orchids.
10. animal? Cats.
END
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