Character Survey!
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Rapunzel stands at about 5’4”, thin and petite and overall just very adorable looking.
2. How old is she?
She’s at the ripe age of 18!
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch?
Her posture varies a little. Usually she carries herself pretty well - likely a result of her mother’s upbringing techniques - but when she’s caught up in doing something (reading, painting, whatever) her poise pretty much vanishes.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
This girl is fit as a fiddle. She finds ways to exercise, even when trapped at the top of a tower, and she eats right. Additionally, Rapunzel cannot - literally cannot - get sick. Ever. It’s just one of the side-effects of being imbued with the essence of a magic golden flower.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Generally Rapunzel has this grace and fluidity to her movements; again, probably a result of Mother Gothel’s upbringing. But every now and again, her clumsiness comes out… and honestly, it’s usually only because her hair has gotten in the way.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror?
She actually is very pretty. Certainly not the most beautiful girl in the world, or drop-dead gorgeous, or any kind of blonde bombshell, but she’s pretty. She has this girl-next-door quality to her, innocent and naïve but there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye. Rapunzel herself thinks she’s decent-looking enough, but with only her mother around for years to tell her what makes someone beautiful, her perception of her own looks is a little skewed.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Rapunzel has very light, fair skin; she doesn’t get out much. She has a few freckles sprinkled here and there, particularly over the bridge of her nose, but they’re light and almost completely unnoticeable unless you get close.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
… Really? Her name is Rapunzel, was that not clue enough? This girl is not just named after the fairy tale, she is the fairy tale. She’s got beautiful, slightly wavy golden hair that she usually leaves loose and flowing over her shoulders… down her back… to the floor. Rapunzel has over seventy feet of that beautiful blonde hair, and she takes very good care of it. …Then again, it’s magical, and probably tends to take care of itself. -Somewhere amongst those locks, there’s a single tuft of shorter hair that’s brown in color. Whether it hasn’t grown out in years or she’s been cutting and maintaining it is anyone’s guess.
9. What color are her eyes?
Light green. With a few hazel flecks here and there.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
The hair is pretty much the most distinguishing feature she has. Also, if she sings a certain incantation, it starts to glow. Like I said: it’s magical, and when it’s glowing like that it has the power to heal the sick and injured.
11. What are her chief tension centers?
She doesn’t have any so much, really.
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?
Rapunzel likes to wear dresses and skirts. She’s a girl, after all, and kind of a really girly one. For the most part, her wardrobe consists of a lot of sundresses that are nice and easy to move around in; she’s never had the need to dress up to impress anyone before, so no fancy stuff here. She’s a big fan of lighter, more pastel colors, and though most of the dresses she makes are in the same style, she switches up the color and material according to her own whimsy.
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
They fit very well. They should! She made them, after all!
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences?
Rapunzel doesn’t really have a job… Though if she did, she’d wear whatever she was told to wear. She’s pretty obedient like that.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
None of the above! Rapunzel’s a girl, she’s got girl undies. :P
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Like Mandy Moore Rapunzel has a pleasant-sounding voice, leaning into slightly higher pitch. Pretty average for most girls. When she sings she has a pretty wide vocal range, so it stands to reason that she has excellent control over it.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
Usually she speaks pretty softly; She has a tendency to mumble under her breath, something that drives her mother crazy. But there’s an airy quality to her voice that probably comes from being so emotional. That tends to change depending on what exactly she’s feeling, though. For instance, when she gets excited about things she starts talking quickly and her volume tends to take a turn for the louder, surprising even herself. Or when she’s angry she can sound stronger and firmer than anyone might expect of her.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
There’s her mumbling… Which she usually only does under stress or when she’s feeling particularly confused and lost. Other than that, she sometimes pauses directly after she’s started her sentence, as though she second-guessed whatever she’d had in mind, but then she pushes forward anyway.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
Presumably English. If not, then whatever it is, it’s the language of the Kingdom of Corona.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
No, she only knows the one.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
When she has nothing prepared to say or is caught off guard, Rapunzel has a tendency to stumble over her words. That doesn’t stop her from speaking her mind on a whim when she wants to, though.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
For the most part, Rapunzel is pretty eloquent. She’s made propositions to strangers and familiar faces alike, making her plans and intentions very clear and leaving no room for argument. This only changes under stress: if she’s caught off guard, she stutters until she finds her ground again.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
Rapunzel’s pretty smart, all things considered. But yes, she mostly has only book-smarts. She’s been in a tower her whole life, and so once she gets out she has to rely on things that she’s read or things that people have told her. Still, she LOVES to learn and picks up on things fast, absorbing information like a sponge.
2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
She’s a pretty healthy mix of both, depending on what it is she needs to think about.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Her thought process is… a little hard to explain. For the most part, she’s ruled by her intuition, her heart, and her ideals. But she has a tendency to second guess herself and rein it back in with some measure of logic and reason. This probably stems from the fact that her mother had always been around to scold or guilt her out of her original train of thought.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
She’s pretty much home-schooled. Though even then, it’s pretty limited. Her mother probably only taught her some of the things she’d need while living in the tower: basic maths, how to read and write, etc. Most of what she knows how to do is some kind of activity, like cooking, cleaning, painting, pottery, etc.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
Rapunzel loves to learn. Period. But her very favorite thing to do is paint. She’s entirely self-taught, though, so if she was given the opportunity to really learn how to hone her talent she would jump on it without a second thought.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
Extrovert. Even though she was left alone in a tower her whole life, it got easier for her to deal with when she found Pascal, her chameleon. Then at least she had someone other than her mother to talk to… Still, she finds that once she’s outside and around people, she’s more energetic than when she’s by herself.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Normally she’s very cheerful and friendly, and it’s pretty hard to get her angry. In fact, you’d have to have seriously screwed up to get her to really dislike you. She can be very laid-back on most days, content to just sit around and do nothing in the company of some good friends. But give her a goal and she will tackle it with all the drive and enthusiasm she’s got. Rapunzel can also swing pretty easily from mood to mood… Again, depending on what’s going on in her head.
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
New people and situations tend to make her extremely anxious. It’s kind of like the terror of realizing that your dreams are about to come true. While she’s enthusiastic about broadening her world and changing her life, it also frightens her. She becomes hyper aware of every little thing when she’s in this state, getting jumpy and suspicious, and will even lash out violently if she thinks it’s necessary. But after enough time, she relaxes completely and welcomes it.
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
React.
10. Which is her default: fight or flight?
She gets torn between the two. Her mind will usually tell her ‘FLIGHT’ but more often than not she’s pretty willing to stand her ground and fight. It surprises even her.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Not to say that she has a poor sense of humor, but a lot of jokes are lost on Rapunzel. She laughs easy in general, but jokes that require any knowledge of the world fall flat with her. But that’s only because she doesn’t know why it’s so funny. The more she learns about the world, the easier it’ll be to make her laugh at a joke.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
Surprisingly, no. Her mind is actually quite healthy, in spite of her quirks.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person?
A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MOVIE Ohboy. Okay, let’s see if I can break this down…
The moment she met Flynn Rider and made up her mind to leave the tower. Prior to hitting Flynn over the head with her frying pan, she honestly believed what her mother had told her about herself: that she was too weak and naïve to handle herself outside in the world. But right at that moment she realized that she actually could if she really wanted to, and she really really wanted to. So once she got Flynn to agree to guide her outside and her feet touched the grass for the first time… Rapunzel was never the same. She got a taste of freedom and fell in love with it, and she never wanted to let it go.
14. What does she fear?
There are a lot of things that Rapunzel’s afraid of, like all the dark things that exist in the world, getting hurt, disobeying her mother… Her greatest fear, though, is to go through life without ever really living or finding out what it is she’s meant to do. There are a lot of things that she wants to do before she runs out of time, and she’s terrified that she’s going to miss out.
She also fears death in just about any form. Having hair that heals anything pretty much makes it impossible for her to accept the death of someone she cares about.
15. What are her hopes or aspirations?
Her one dream is to see the floating lanterns. She’d watched them from her window for her whole life, wondering what they were and why they were out there. All she wants is to go out into the world, see them for herself, and find out once and for all.
16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her?
Her mother always told her that because of its magical properties, her hair needed to be protected. It has therefore become her greatest secret. Not in the sense that she has to hide the fact that it’s over 70 feet long, but the fact that it can heal the sick and injured can’t ever get out to people. Unless she wants to paint a giant target on herself.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents.
Rapunzel’s relationship with her mother is… complicated. She fully believes that her mother does what she does out of love and a need to protect her child, which is why she obeys with barely a second thought. It’s because she loves her mother so much that she hates the idea of disappointing her, going against her wishes, or hurting her in any way. After all, she is her mother and she’s been there her entire life, offering all the love and comfort and security she could possibly ask for. She’s so grateful that she’s blind to the woman’s actual cruelty and utter disregard for Rapunzel’s happiness.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
No, Rapunzel’s an only child.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand?
Her mother isn’t technically related to her by blood… But Rapunzel still needs to get close(r) to her real family. Not to mention, y’know… meet them.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them?
In some strange way, she feels a strong kinship with the thugs she met at the Snuggly Duckling. It may have just been the song and dance they all did together, and their universal desire to get out there and fulfill their dreams (no matter how unusual they may or may not have been)
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Pascal, her chameleon. They met by accident, when he’d found his way into the tower and blended in with the paintings on the wall. Rapunzel only discovered him because she noticed that part of her painting was moving, and then she spent the rest of the day getting frustrated by having to constantly change the color she was painting him. After that, they were pretty much inseparable.
6. Does she have other close friends?
Eugene Fitzherbert. AKA Flynn Rider. He was the very first non-Mother shaped human being she ever laid eyes on, and while they were at odds in the beginning, she eventually took a liking to him. Maybe just because he agreed to guide her outside the tower and take her to see the lanterns. Maybe she was amused by the way things turned out in the Snuggly Duckling. Maybe it was when she learned who he really is deep down inside. Either way, she trusts Flynn/Eugene completely and can’t imagine what life would be like if they’d never met.
7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people?
It’s pretty easy for Rapunzel to make friends, once she’s gotten past the idea that they might be a dangerous thug out to cut her hair… even though a lot of the better friends she’s made have actually been thieves, thugs, and conmen. As a result, she’s been learning to look for the good qualities in everyone she meets, no matter how outwardly intimidating they are. And even if that gets her into trouble.
8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends?
Oooh, that’s hard. Both are extremely important to her, especially after she finally went out and made real friends. But, perhaps unfortunately, family wins out by a hair.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once?
Single but sometime post-movie she gets married :3
10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
No! The very idea sounds pretty unappealing to her.
11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest?
Flynn Rider. Though at first she thought he was dangerous and scary, not to mention that the thing he did with his face was just plain weird, she has to admit that there was something about him that she very much liked. A little later on, though, she fell pretty hard for Eugene Fitzherbert, the more honest, sweet, sincere side of the same man. Either way, her heart belongs to him and no one else.
12. What does she look for in a romantic partner?
She’s not really looking for a romantic partner. She barely even knows what that means. But if she was, then… She’d like someone who simultaneously challenges her and teaches her about everything she doesn’t know. Still, she wants a partner, not a caregiver. Rapunzel can be a handful - not that she knows that - and it’s important that she find someone with just enough patience to put up with her and enough energy to keep up with her.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any?
N-Not yet! Good grief, she’s only 18!
14. Does she have any rivals or enemies?
None that she knows of.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale?
Without any experience with anything sexual or any prejudices against homosexuality… Rapunzel probably falls on either a 2 or a 3. Although canonly she’s only ever shown an interest in Flynn (who is actually quite the man), her lack of experience in general and her high level of curiosity could lead to… some interesting experimentation. She wouldn’t instigate any of it, but unless she was already in her serious relationship with Flynn (or at least knew that sex can be serious business) she might not protest if it was with the right person.
16. How does she feel about sex? How important is it to her?
Honestly, Rapunzel doesn’t know very much about sex outside of anything she’s found in her readings… which would pretty much leave her in a state of confusion if she were to stop and think about it. She’s not sure how to feel about it one way or the other, or if it’s very important at all. All she knows is that it’s done to have children, and apparently it’s supposed to be very romantic and with someone you truly love and trust, like with a husband and wife.
17. What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
As an artist, Rapunzel is drawn to pretty much anything that’s aesthetically pleasing. She’s pretty fascinated by the human form in general, so being able to see the musculature is… kind of a turn-on. And she’s got a thing for Flynn’s lips. Don’t ask. As for turn-offs… Rapunzel’s not too big on a lot of flirting techniques (coughsmouldercough). She just doesn’t see the need for people to try so hard to impress others. And, uh… shemayormaynothavethistendencytotiepeopleupwithherhair. Don’t overthink it.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type?
Officially, no. All we know is that she was born in the summer. If she’s a Cancer, then she fits the bill pretty well.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life?
Neither. Rapunzel’s mother never mentioned religion or spirits or anything of the sort. She likely wouldn’t really understand the ideas if someone tried to explain it to her. It would take some time for her to wrap her head around it, but even then she probably wouldn’t believe it fully.
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?
Her only moral code is to never break her own promises. Most likely this comes from interaction with her mother. Mother Gothel may have made it a point to make promises and fulfill them, teaching her by example and maybe even going so far as to punish Rapunzel if she broke a promise to her. The only way to compromise this would be if the situation changed to something potentially life-threatening, or if the other party failed to uphold their end of the bargain.
4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from hers? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Different beliefs are fascinating to Rapunzel. Then again, everything is fascinating to her. Her ever-present curiosity would drive her to learn more about these different beliefs… And where her opinions take her after that is anyone’s guess.
5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them?
Mother Gothel taught Rapunzel from a very young age that the world is a cruel, dangerous place, filled with horrible, selfish people. She told her that setting foot outside would mean becoming subject to all of these terrible things: ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals, snakes, the plague, large bugs, men with pointy teeth, rhino trampling, muggings, murder, etc. Rapunzel doesn’t know any better than to believe her dear mother about this, so irrational or not, even as the world is proving her mother wrong, those concerns continue to plague her in the back of her mind.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Well, you could say that she’s pretty poor. She probably doesn’t even really understand what money is. But that ignorance keeps her comfortable with her lot in life.
2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her?
Originally, Rapunzel didn’t even exist in society. Being tucked away in her tower kept her pretty much invisible. After she realizes who she truly is, you could say that her social status sky rocketed. But again, Rapunzel doesn’t really know what being a “princess” means, so outside of finding herself with a new, loving family and a whole lot of people bowing to her, the change hasn’t affected her too much.
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?
Well… There’s the tower. She’s lived in it all her life and (out of boredom) she keeps it very nice and clean and organized. It’s basically her safe haven, and you can practically read the story of her life painted all over the walls and furniture.
And then there’s the castle that she later moves into. Her strange new home that’s gonna take a loooong time to get used to.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on?
Books and art supplies. That’s all she could ever ask for.
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 doesn’t… do anything for a living, really. She’d make an excellent housewife with her current skillset. But what she’d really like is to paint and make a living off of something that she truly loves to do and that she really is very good at.
…Ultimately, her job will be to help rule a kingdom. She’s not sure how good she’d be at that, and honestly, it makes her nervous.
6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time?
Rapunzel gets pretty productive in her spare time. She’ll actively go looking for more activities to do. Her main hobby is really painting, but to pass the time… She’ll sweep and wax the floor, polish and dust the furniture, do laundry, mop, shine up, read, paint, play guitar, knit, cook, do puzzles, darts, bake, paper mache, ballet, chess, pottery, ventriloquism, make candles, stretch, sketch, climb her hair, sew…
7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Her eating habits are actually pretty fantastic. She prefers to cook her own food and as a result has a very healthy diet. Since it doesn’t seem likely that her mother brought a lot of dead animals up into the tower to cook, chances are meat is a whole new thing for her. Before leaving the tower she only had fruits, vegetables, and maybe freshwater fish in her cookbook. The idea of eating dead animals is probably a little unappealing to her at first, but she just might get used to it.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is her favorite:
1. Color? Lavender. Pink is good, too!
2. Smell? Flowers. Larkspur, in particular.
3. Time of day? Morning.
4. Season? Summer.
5. Book? Oh, does she have to pick just one? There are so many good ones!
6. Music? Something… poppy. Alternately, anything sung by Mandy Moore.
7. Place? An art room somewhere.
8. Substance? Mmmm, juice. Any kind!
9. Plant? Like I said - Larkspur flowers :3
10. Animal? Chameleon. (Pascal! 8D)
END
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