Twenty Billion Questions about Izaya.
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Izaya's on the slender side of things, with an average height but a very thin build. He manages to look somewhat feminine on command, too, sometimes, just by combining his slenderness and some mannerisms. The effect is sort of jarring, sort of convincing, depending how much you actually know about him.
2. How old is he?
FOREVER 21! ...actually, he's 24 in Soul Campaign, but he still says he's twenty or twenty-one, depending on what suits him.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Izaya doesn't slouch per se, but he does have a weird posture, all things considered. He expresses himself with his entire body, moving every part of it with a purpose. He slouches and stands up straight and twirls and tilts his head and sways and everything to elicit a specific reaction in his audience/prey so every moment his posture is changing. What one should look at, rather, is not his posture, but his intent.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Izaya is in excellent health so long as you keep Shizuo away from him. Then he might not be so good, what with flying vending machines and lamp posts and stuff aiming at his head. He also does need reading glasses for prolonged work on a computer or a book, but he rarely lets them be seen in that setting, instead using them to make himself look more formal. He also looks hotter with glasses, tru fax.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Izaya might look a bit flaily when he's prancing about, but he's actually quite graceful on his feet. He's hyper aware of every part of his body and he does not move idly. Every movement carries meaning, of emotion or intention, to make a point. And Izaya likes it that way. He's extremely good at expressing himself physically, and it shows the most when he's acting a role, since it's mostly the weight of his movements and mannerisms, rather than props or anything like it, that carry the character forth.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Izaya is pretty to look at, full stop. Mind, he's also creepy as fuck, when you actually get to know him, but he's pretty and elegant and very conscious of his appearance, at all times. It's very rare to catch Izaya looking anything other than how he wants to be seen, and that usually involves him being charming and pretty for the sake of making people trust him.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
He's fairly pale, and for all he skips about in broad daylight, he doesn't seem to tan. At all.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Dark brown, closer to ashen black. It's soft and always clean and well kept, styled in a casual mess of spikes all over his head that give him something of a younger air. Again, intentional.
9. What color are his eyes?
Reddish brown.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Physically? The jacket is a trademark. It's also custom made.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
His brow and his toes. In the rare occasions he's tense, Izaya furrows his brow and clenches his toes inside his shoes. Not to be confused with the other time he clenches his toes.
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?
Izaya will usually wear his favorite ensemble, with his beloved jacket, but he also knows when to clean up and look more formal, or when to step down and look more sloppy. Like everything about his appearance, it depends on what intent is behind it. Nevertheless, he always presents himself with class and elegance. He personally despises brighter colors, because they call too much attention and don't let him watch people from the background well. But if he needs to project a certain aura, he's willing to trust the primary color theory.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
It doesn't really matter if they fit him. It matters that they fit the character he's playing at the moment, and they usually do. Clothes don't make a character, but they do help paint a picture of a person's personality. Izaya's good at choosing things to make his characters seem all the more realistic.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Izaya dresses depending the occasion. At Dorsia, he's always wearing a spotless black ensemble, to make him look professional and refined. He will occasionally wear his reading glasses as well, for effect. At home or lazing about, Izaya is more likely to wear his canon outfit, minus jacket because of the heat.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
I do believe that's a question only Mukuro could answer correctly...
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Izaya has a smooth, soft voice that often hangs on certain vowels. His Japanese voice actor makes him sound like a snake underneath a pile of fluff. His American actor makes him sound like he's having an orgasm during each and every line. Personally, I think he sounds like a bit of both, the playfulness and the vague threat, along with the alluring, inviting tones.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Smoothly. Usually in a soft, singsong-ish voice to coax people into what he wants. He's voice is his greatest weapon, and he's damn good at using it.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Childishness is one of Izaya's most notable quirks, as well as his habit to refer to people he sees as toys with -chan or -kun, as if he knows them personally, despite having just met them. He only uses the suffix -san on people he genuinely considers business partners and worthy of respect. The lack of suffix suggests Izaya considers that person his, the same way Namie or Shinra are.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Japanese, English and at least some Russian.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
He switches to Russian when speaking with Simon, though it's mostly proverbs.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Izaya is an excellent speaker, with a quick mind on his feet and the ability to adapt his plans to new situations.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Very, very eloquent. Though he never speaks more than he needs to, to get his point across.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Both. Izaya is very knowledgeable, in general. He knows about history and politics and economy and a million other things for his job, but he also knows about people. What makes them tick, how they think, why they think in a certain way. He's a bit of a mythology expert, given his current project, but more than being a walking encyclopedia, Izaya's true skill is how to gain information when he needs it. He knows where to look and who to ask - and how to ask, sometimes without asking - to get what he wants to know.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
He's good thinking on his feet and working with the cards he's dealt to make them fit with his overall script.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Izaya's thought process... is a knot. He has a separate emotional thought process, based mostly on intuition and impressions, and then a separate logical, analytical one. And then he puts two and two together and compares them, coming up with conclusions based from them. He's got a very thorough understanding of human nature, what makes people react and how they react to various stimuli, and he always takes it into consideration in a cynical, detached way. He's not emotionally invested in his schemes, though, which makes it easy for him to shrug off defeat or set backs.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
Canonically, he attended Junior, High school and College at Raira. Headcanon-wise, he's got a bachelor's degree in Russian studies, ergo, why he speaks Russian in the first place.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
He's an expert in making people talk. He's an expert in researching and cataloging information. He's also somewhat of an expert in mythology, come recent years. He's also very interested in pretty much everything.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
...both. Izaya's public personality is an extrovert with a bit of a childish flair for the melodramatic, but in private, he is a very isolated man. He talks a lot at Namie, but those are more like moments of purely thinking out loud, rather than actually sitting down and talking to someone. The only person Izaya is close to in canon is Shinra, and they don't exactly interact directly very often. It's hard to say if even Shinra knows Izaya as well as he thinks he does.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Izaya has a very mild temperament. He rarely shows anger, because he has so few things he genuinely cares about to be upset when they're messed with. He's usually cheerful and expectant, waiting to see the next shiny thing the world will throw at him. He's very patient and very complacent; he likes to poke people and set things in motion, and he intervenes when things are getting too straightforward for his tastes... but he doesn't see himself as a God, and he's not even mad when things don't go his way. ...which probably makes it a good thing that he has so few things in the world he might get mad about, because an irate Izaya would be a terrifying thing indeed.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Enthusiasm! Aaaall the enthusiasm, thy name is Izaya. There's nothing more thrilling than new people and new things. Things that cannot be quite fit into the categories he already knows. Things that can surprise him and refuse to fall into predictable patterns. Izaya loves novelties and new things, they keep him from getting bored.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Neither. Izaya is not an active force, per se. He stays in the back, poking things into action here and there, but never actively participating. Narratively speaking, he sees himself as either the narrator overlooking the action, or a supporting, background character. Never the protagonist. Izaya would not know how to be a protagonist in the first place, since he'd be too busy looking and studying things around him to actually do something.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Flight. Always. Again, fighting is a protagonic thing to do, and Izaya is not a protagonist, not even in his own story. The only time he's ever actually turned around and directly fought with others, namely, Shizuo, has been when he had to make a statement to preserve the status quo.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Izaya's humor is bizarre in the sense it's not funny. He finds humor in novelty and things outside the norm, when the punchline doesn't quite follow up the setup. He can be very charming, though, and very amusing to have around. Witty and entertaining, and well versed in sarcasm and irony, but that's just roles of humor he assumes for the sake of watching others. He, himself, does not find humor in anything other than making people go through strange, new situations. Often of the traumatic sort.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
He's a sociopath. He doesn't deal with it, he revels in it. And everyone around him suffers because of it.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Nakura tried to stab Izaya when he was in middle school, and Shinra took the wound for him. That was the moment where he turned from an apathic, bored teenager into the monster he is today. He made it his life mission to make Nakura the most miserable bastard in the face of Earth, and he became everything he is today, in the process, including an information broker.
14. What does he fear?
Izaya fears Endings. He's afraid of Death, of disappearing and leaving nothing behind, since he doesn't believe in God. He's afraid of reaching the end of all he can learn, of reaching the end of the surprises, the end of the thrills. Everything that ends makes Izaya twitchy.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
Paradoxically? To know everything.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
The incident with Nakura, and the fact Shinra might be the only person in the entire world he legitimately cares for, even a little.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Boring. Izaya's parents are, described by him, pretty normal, except in their habit to name their children. He respects them and follows the traditional protocol around them, but he doesn't much care what happens to them.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Izaya has a pair of twin sisters and he... doesn't know what he feels about them. He doesn't understand them or the way they act, though he does feel slightly responsible for how they turned out. He doesn't hate them, though. He's just perpetually unsure about what he's supposed to do with them, and in a far corner of his mind, aware that maybe his lack of interest in them is what caused them to be what they are today. But he doesn't want them near, because... well, they'd end up in his schemes somehow, and part of him would rather not involve them at all if possible. Except of course, for the part where they barge into his plans and make a racket and he has to involve them and dear god, could they be more annoying? However, deep down, Izaya wouldn't know what he'd do if they ever disappeared. They're annoying and pestering and incomprehensible, but they're there. They've always been there. Izaya does not remember what being an only son was like, and he chooses not to dwell too much in thoughts of that, because he has better things to do.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
No other blood relatives are known, thus far.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Shinra is perhaps the only person in the entire world Izaya is willing to admit he cares for. Theirs is an often acerbic, bitchy, snarky friendship, but Izaya considers it approval when Shinra finds himself tangentially wrapped around his schemes and doesn't denounce him to others who would gladly punish him for them. He has also kept Izaya's one true secret for these many years, and for his part, Izaya has kept his meticulously as well. Shinra is, perhaps, the only person Izaya trusts, unconditionally, and to whom he sees himself indebted to.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Again, Shinra. They were classmates at Raira. Shinra was Izaya's friend before Izaya was properly Izaya, and then he went and did a horribly shonen hero thing that left Izaya scarred and in his debt for life. Seriously, don't make Shinra bleed, Izaya will freak out.
6. Does he have other close friends?
Nope. He has a lot of toys and pawns, though. Tons of them.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Izaya doesn't make friends, in the true sense of the word. Izaya collects pawns and pets and toys that think they're friends with him, but really, they're not.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Friend, in singular.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Single forever! Izaya doesn't seem quite interested in women and women, though they seem willing to follow him and let him use them, don't seem terribly interested in him as a partner. He does, however, consider Namie as a housewife. His, specifically.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
If we accept that Namie is his wife - sort of - then yes, he's happily screwing Rokudo Mukuro while he's in Death City. It's more a power struggle and a game than any real sexual interest, though.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
Izaya doesn't crush on people.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Izaya doesn't want a romantic partner.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
...I'm gonna pretend this question isn't here, and I'm gonna pretend I didn't imagine what I just did. Thank you.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Yes and yes. Shizuo is his One True Rival (OTR), the person Izaya truly and genuinely hates in the whole damn world. Shizuo is too stupid to manipulate, and too goddamn annoying because he can see right through Izaya in ways other people can't. Other than him, Izaya has pleeeeeeeeeenty of enemies all over Ikebukuro and Tokyo in general, as any powerful man like him would do. He doesn't care about them though. He cares about finding a way to either make Shizuo miserable, or flat out killing him without getting himself too blatantly involved.
There's someone else, though, that Izaya hates. A certain someone named Nakura, whom Izaya has made his life mission to make miserable beyond words. He has no sympathy for him - in as much as Izaya can have sympathy for anyone - and he will make damn sure Nakura's life is a living hell as much as possible. He will not own up to it, and he would rather kill than to ever admit to this, because then he'd have to explain why.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
...either a non-sexual 5, or a flat out X.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Technically speaking, Izaya is asexual and aromantic. He doesn't have any particular interest in sex, either with men or women, and he's not looking for a relationship of any sort. He is, however, willing to have sex with people if it will forward his goals or to sate his curiosity, but it's not a drive like in most people. He's never horny, and he's never the instigator of anything. In the case with his relationship with Mukuro, it is more a game of convenience and power dynamic that expressed itself through sexuality as well as through verbal snarking. Mukuro likes to have sex with him, Izaya does not find it too terrible to withstand, and goes along with it. The only time Izaya has actually been assertive sexually was when both went insane under the Madness Wavelength effects, but even then, it wasn't sex for the sake of sex, it was sex because sex is such an intrinsic part of his arrangement with Mukuro. Izaya can and does feel sexual pleasure and release, but it's not... something he cares much about. He can go without sex for very long periods of time without feeling even a passing urge. And he certainly doesn't see sex as an expression of affection or love, since as stated above, Izaya is literally incapable of such things.
He is, however, aware that people around him are sexual creatures and react to it in different ways, and when it's convenient for him, he'll abuse it. He's aware he is very attractive, and he will use people's attraction to him in any way that suits him, without remorse. His interest in sex is exclusively dependent in its use as a tool to further his goal, and its central part in the psyche of so many people around him.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Izaya doesn't have turn ons. Arousal is a purely physical thing for him, and so long as he's not in pain, he can probably be coaxed into sex, but again. Utilitarian. He's an actor, he can convince you he's enjoying every second of it, but he's probably balancing his bank account in his head while he's being fucked into a mattress and screaming himself hoarse about it.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Izaya is a Taurus, and minus the sociopath thing, he's fairly close to the definition.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Izaya is a self-declared atheist, but he's also been witness to many supernatural and unusual events in his life. He tends to be open to new things and trying to understand the world from new perspectives, but he personally finds religion to be a lazy way to classify the world. Sure it's easy, he thinks, to make sense of things when you have your magical All Powerful God to blame or praise for anything you can't be bothered to explain in detail. He prefers reason and research and tests and experience to preaching and religion, though he's not particularly vocal about his personal beliefs.
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?
Izaya has two rules: keep Shinra out of things, everyone else is free game.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
He's curious to other beliefs in so as much as they affect the person who holds them. He doesn't really care what people believe in, but it's obviously a very important part in the life of many people, and something he can't exactly afford to ignore all together.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Izaya hates two people in the world, though he'll only ever acknoweldge one: Shizuo is the well known object of his hatred, and it's not precisely a secret that it's entirely mutual. Nakura is someone Izaya has spent the last few years systematically destroying, but no one is allowed to know that.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Izaya is fairly rich, considering he has protection from the Yakuza and he's a highly sought out information broker. His work is never cheap, but he backs it up with his efficiency.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
He's fairly well off, and very respected - feared - in certain, often criminal circles, but he's not precisely a social butterfly. And honestly, he doesn't care about social class all that much.
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?
Izaya lives in a fairly luxurious apartment in Shinjiku, from where he conducts all his business. He doesn't share it, per se, but Namie drops by regularly to act as both his maid and his personal secretary.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Puzzle games, both videogames and traditional, as well as strategy games he sort of forces Namie to play with him sometimes.
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's an information broker. That means that if there's something you want to know, you ask him. Chances are, he already knows. And if he doesn't know, he'll know. And he'll know better than whomever is at the heart of it. Izaya has come to enjoy his work, and enjoy it a lot.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
His hobby is breaking people. Literally. He likes take random strangers and manipulate them just to see how they react. The game is that he makes a prediction and then puts the person through a very traumatic incident to see if his predictions hold true. He also likes to play chess with people... as the pieces. He's investigating Celty's head and trying to throw the world into turmoil around her to see if he can awaken her as a Valkyrie.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Izaya likes to eat bitter and acid thigns, and he absolutely detests sweets. He takes his tea and coffee without sugar, and oddly enough, he likes tea gone cold. His favorite dishes are sushi - Russian sushi - natto and pelmeni. Since coming to Soul Campaign, he's taken the habit to eat pineapple pastries, if only because they're not too sweet. Humorously enough, Izaya likes to keep his personal distaste for sweets a secret; he will eat them in public because he thinks liking sweets fits his public persona, but he ends up going home and sucking on a lemon to get the taste off.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Rosewood.
2. Smell? Cigarette smoke.
3. Time of day? Midnight.
4. Season? Winter.
5. Book? House of Leaves.
6. Music? Kryptonite, by 3 Doors Down.
7. Place? Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan.
8. Substance? Sand.
9. Plant? Heather.
10. Animal? Viper.
END
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