(no subject)
In which the mun has too much time on her hands...
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
He’s definitely heavy-set. I think he’s about 5’9, maybe a little less than that?
2. How old is he?
28. Canon’s given him contradictory DOBs, so I go with the one that’s actually plausible (AKA- the one that doesn’t make him 23 at oldest, ‘cause really, what?).
In game I guess he’s technically 29, since his birthday’s been.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
He tends towards slouching. He’s a slob. He does stand straighter when he’s confronting someone though, which happens frequently.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
I’d say he’s more in shape than he looks. He does a lot of running, he’s physically pretty strong. He is a smoker which probably brings his fitness down a bit, but all and all he’s in pretty good condition. He does apparently feel as though he’s choking sometimes, but I don’t think that would really be considered an illness, condition or disability.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
I guess he’s clumsy, but it’s more in a ‘I don’t care what I doing’ way to a ‘I’m tripping over my own feet’ sort of clumsy.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
...Not very? Out of the tall, dark and handsome cliché he pretty much only ticks 1/3. Even then it’s not as though he’s a giant or anything. Plus he’s looks a fair bit older than he actually is. He does have very pretty eyes, at least? You can’t see it in most of his icons, but he does.
He perceives himself as a ladies man, but I don’t think he thinks he’s the hottest guy ever or anything. Just good enough to pull, which is good enough for him. He’ll judge women by how physically attractive they are, but he doesn’t seem to think men are held by those standards.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
He’s pretty much average white. He’s not pale, but he’s not dark either. I would think he has a few battle scars, though. He likes his fights too much not to.
Specific scars:
Burns; right side of neck, left hand
Glass scratches; around right eye, under right side of lip, really faint on left side of forehead
Bullet scar; left forearm (arterial spray makes it look like his shoulder, but the bandaging shows otherwise)
I’d guess he also has scars on his knuckles along with whatever other scars he’s come across in punch ups.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
It’s dark blonde/light brown. Sometimes he has it short, but other times it gets quite long. I guess he has most of it lopped off when he goes to the barbers, but doesn’t bother with going all that often. He also has sideburns and a ‘tache.
9. What color are his eyes?
Bluer than blue. Well, just blue. Just a really blue sort of blue and it pisses me off more than it should that you can’t see it in most of his icons.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
...Not really. He’s a pretty run of the mill looking guy. He looks like he just walked out of the Seventies, but... Well, he did. It’s not really noteworthy.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
Definitely his throat. Because of the way he holds himself, I’d also say he gets tension in his shoulders and upper back.
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?
Very, very seventies. Even in the City, because he’s a stubborn git and refuses to upgrade his wardrobe just because some bloody city decided it wanted to stick him in another dimension in the future.
Besides his jacket, most of his clothes are actually pretty contemporary. His trousers are occasionally a lighter shade of blue than you’d find them in today, but other than that they’re all pretty normal. His shirts are just plain work shirts in white or blue, without even the pointy Seventies collar, although unlike most workers today he wears them open at the collar with a loose hanging tie. His ties are occasionally a little wider than some of the ties seen today, but otherwise they’re very much standard of today.
It’s mostly his brown velvet jacket combined with the hair that gives him the out-of-time look.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
They don’t fit him especially well, but he is comfortable.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Yes. He doesn’t see the point in wearing anything too different, plus he spends so much time on the job at times it’s kind of a moot point anyway.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
I’d imagine briefs.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
I’m horrible at describing voices, so have a clip (guy with the perm; Eighties canon is Eighties):
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He has a pretty loud voice. It’s not hugely fast, but it might be a little on the fast side. He certainly doesn’t tend to hesitate when he speaks. In fact, he should probably practice restraint a little more often than he does.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
‘E obviously ‘as a Yorkshire accent, but seein’ ‘ow ‘e’s s’posed to ‘ave come from Central Lancashire an’ lives in Manchester, that’s prob’ly jus’ Dean Andrews talkin’. I reckon it’s meant t’be an all-purpose Northern accent, but I usually wind up callin’ it a Manc accent, jus’ for simplicities sake.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Just English.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Nope! Same language, same dialect.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Impromptu. But like I said a few questions back, he probably should stop to think a little more often than he does.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
I guess he is kind of inarticulate? That’s largely just his accent, though.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Street-smart, but Seventies street-smart. He’s not really making any attempt to upgrade that at the moment.
He’s actually about average intelligence, book-wise. Any stupidity he shows is largely just down to him not caring all that much.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
He thinks on his feet, and usually he’s pretty good at it. If he needs to deliberate something, he can feel a little less comfortable.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Intuitive. He’s a gut-feeling sort of copper. Usually he’s a pretty practical thinker, but sometimes he can cause himself problems by acting too rashly.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
I expect he has a few O-Levels. In my head canon he passed PE, Woodwork and Metalwork with decent enough grades, scraped through English, and failed Maths and Science. I haven’t decided what his fourth choice subject was yet. I’m thinking maybe History, because of his military interest, but I’m not sure.
He definitely didn’t continue with post-16 education, so besides that all he has is his training for the police.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Policing, particularly in the detective field. He also has a lot of military knowledge, which he does his best to keep on top of.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Ray’s definitely an extrovert, although he still is very private when it comes to anything personal.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
He’s very prone to mood swings! He can be the most cheerful guy you ever knew one moment, the worlds grumpiest bastard the next. Unless he’s friends with someone, he can tend towards being a grouch.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
He does tend to be suspicious of new people, especially if he feels they’re butting in on his turf. He’s also suspicious of new situations, being sort of set in his ways. That doesn’t mean he won’t warm to people/situations. Just that Ray’s not usually too brilliant at getting off to good starts.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Both, really. He’s got enough initiative to act on a situation, but at time he is very reactionary. He’ll react to his superiors orders, and he’ll react if you insult him.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Fight, definitely. Ray’s a desperate, desperate man, always fighting to prove himself. Besides that, only a poof would run from a fight. Or at least that’s how he sees things in his mind.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Ray loves jokes. Bathroom humour, innuendoes and pranks, especially. He likes puns, but it’s not usually him who makes them. Gallows humour he’s not shown to bother with so much, although he does use it on one occasion. Mostly to try and make Chris feel better, I think.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
He’s shown to have PTSD (as a result of a bomb blast), although it’s not something he either shows or deals with the vast majority of the time. He’s also strongly implied to have bouts of depression stemming largely from insecurities about himself, although this is never explicitly stated.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Backing out of the army had a huge impact on his life. Before that, Ray had a pretty definite idea of where his life was heading. I expect it was only after that Ray started seriously doubting himself and his ability to succeed in anything.
I’m not listing the next one for spoilery reasons, but if you’ve seen the A2A finale you’ll know what it is and why it’s defined him.
Sam Tyler joining CID. Not only did he steal his job, he also stole his post as his Guv’s right hand man. He’s understandably a bit annoyed about this.
14. What does he fear?
Being unable to prove himself. Ray might not act like it, but he wants nothing more than the approval of others. He wants people to look up to him. He wants people he looks up to to be proud of him and see him as their equal. When he feels as though he’s failed in something, he takes it very, very badly.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
One day he would like to make DI. He’d also like to hear those three little words from Gene Hunt. No, not “I love you”. More than anything, Ray would like to hear him say “Well done, Ray”.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
The mistakes he’s made, and just how insecure with himself he really is.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
I very much doubt he’s on speaking terms with either of them anymore. He feels like he’s let his dad down, and while I think he loved his mother he certainly didn’t have the same level of respect and admiration he has for his father. Ray knows he hasn’t lived up to his expectations, so he’d rather stay away rather than disappoint him more than he already has.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
No. I think his US counterpart has a brother, but this Ray has implied he’s an only child and I do think he is.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
He seems to admire his grandfather and his uncle, but he seems to have pretty much separated himself from all his family members.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
He pretty much sees the Guv the same way as his dad, but I don’t think he actually explicitly views him as that.
Having said that, you could split up CID into a family unit pretty easily. Ray’s the oldest son, and Sam’s the step-mother who’s stepping all over his territory and taking daddy’s attention away from him. Chris is the little brother, whilst Annie’s the girl next door. I’d say sister, but given some of the comments Chris and Ray make about her (especially Chris) that’d be kind of weird. Phyllis is that aunt they’re all scared of, but she looks out for them all anyway.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Chris! They met through work, and even though Ray thinks Chris is pretty thick he is very fond of him. He’ll get defensive if people he doesn’t think are close enough poke fun of him/upset him. He’ll also get annoyed if Chris gets serious girlfriends. In his mind, women should never cut in on BFF time.
6. Does he have other close friends?
Noooot really. He looks up to the Guv more than he’s actually friends with him, and even though he’s on good terms with the rest of CID he’s certainly not about to get too torn up about leaving them. Although he would be pleased to see them again.
In City, there is Dean, but Ray’s usually more the type to be on good terms with people rather than actually being friends with them. Even if he does refer to them as his mates.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Back home, he does actually get on well quite easily with people. There’s a huge case of culture clash in the City though, and it does impact on his ability to make friends. A lot of the time what he views as being acceptable is very much unacceptable to other people. And it doesn’t help that he’s started mentally separating himself and everyone who isn’t from his time period automatically.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Friends. He tries to avoid his family where he can, so it would have to be.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
He’s single, and has no plans to change that other than perhaps for a brief fling.
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?
In my headcanon, his first crush was on Barbara Whitaker when he was in Year 7. She was That Girl. You know the one who started getting her tits before anyone else? Yeah. Her.
He got to cop a feel behind the bicycle shed a few times, but she kept wanting to pinch his smokes, so he moved onto other girls instead.
Currently, he doesn’t really fancy anyone. There are a few people he’d go for, but not for anything beyond their looks.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Big tits, nice arse, pretty face is a bonus. Ray’s not looking for romance; he’s looking for a shag. If they stick around for a bit that’s fine by him, if they don’t it’s no big deal.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
He doesn’t. He wouldn’t want any either. I do think he’d be very protective if he did have children though, even if they weren’t children he’d intended to have, which they never would be. He’d struggle with letting them know how much he loved them, but I do think they’d become very important to him if he ever did have any.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
He views Sam Tyler as a rival, but I don’t think Sam returns the sentiment quite so vehemently.
As for in City play, he doesn’t have any real enemies, but he’s made himself unpopular with enough people he’s probably close to it.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
I know a lot of fans think Ray’s a closet case, but I’m going to go with Dean Andrews on this one and say he’s a ladies man through and through. To me, any references made to Ray’s sexuality don’t really seem to be in seriousness. They’re just there to put Ray into situations he finds uncomfortable. He’d much rather spend time with all the lads than with some bird, but he wouldn’t want to shag them. I’m not too sure where I’d put him on the Kinsey scale, though.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Ray loves sex, but it’s not as important to him as he makes it out to be. He wants his mates to view him as a big, manly stud, but in reality he doesn’t get laid as often as he’d like other people to think. It’s not always by his choice, but at the same time he’s not too torn up about it. It’s more to do with his reputation than how much he actually cares.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
I think Ray’s sexual preferences can be described in one of two ways; schoolboy or stereotypical male. He likes things that are perceived as being dirty or out there, but aren’t really all that bad. He’s into stuff like car sex, women who shave downstairs, and twins.
Pretty much anything extreme would probably be a turn-off for him. Although having said that, bestiality’s something he sees as more of a joke than actually disgusting. So long as it’s not him doing it.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Ray’s an Arian. I actually think it suits him down to a tee. My sister has a book and after looking I feel like I could just rename the Aries section to Ray.
This site’s also pretty good for showing Ray’s similarities, as is this one, and this one if you’ve ever wondered how to pull Ray. Why would you want to? Don’t ask me. I just wanted three links.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
He isn’t. He doesn’t think of either of them being important in his life at all.
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?
Sort of? Ray’s ethics are kind of... unethical. He just wants to get criminals off the street. Most of the time, he’s not too fussed how it happens.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
At best he’s indifferent, at worst he’s intolerent. It can take a lot to get Ray to consider beliefs that aren’t his own.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
He’s homophobic, racist, misogynistic... He holds pretty much any prejudice you can think of and then some. He doesn’t have a good reason for them. The vast majority of his intolerance probably stems from living in a society where it’s still viewed as largely acceptable.
Despite this, he maintains the only people he actually doesn’t like are the Welsh. And I think he might have implied people from Liverpool at some point.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Canonically, he’s in a pretty bad financial state. Half his wages are still going to police charities as punishment for a mistake that really should have landed him in jail. That includes any overtime he gets, until a year is up, so he doesn’t have all that much to burn really.
In City, he’s back on normal wages, so he’s living much more easily than he would be back in Manchester.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
He’s working class, through and through. I doubt that’s ever changed.
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 lives in a flat. I’d say it’s a dump, but I honestly doubt he stays there enough for it to be that bad. I doubt it’s neat, but it’s probably not all that lived in either.
In game, he pretty much lives at the office. Partly down to becoming even more of a mini!Gene than he was in Manchester, and partly because he refuses to get a flatmate or pet even though the ticking drives him up the wall. It’s because of the ticking he’s even more determined not to have one. Just so he can spite the City. Instead he just spends the vast majority of his time at work, so even though he has a flat he probably only really goes back there for clothes, so he can sleep in a proper bed, and so his fridge doesn’t become a complete cesspit.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Booze and fags. Which I expect he pretty much does view as necessities.
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 a copper! According to his DCI; “Ray Carling catches more villains than the rest of this department put together.” He’s very good at it, so long as he doesn’t have to deal with the paperwork all the time. However, his methods are occasionally a little overenthusiastic.
He does enjoy it, and he’s pretty much managed to convince himself it’s where he wants to be. However, his first ambition was to join the army and not doing that is still something he deeply regrets.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Football, darts, pool and cards. Preferably whilst drunk, with the possible exception of football. Or he could just get drunk. Maybe go out on the pull, if he’s not out with the lads.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
He skips meals frequently, and probably eats takeaways/quick fry-ups far more frequently than he does proper meals. He loves his food, but he has a busy lifestyle, so he doesn’t always get to eat at normal hours. He drinks a lot of alcohol, and he’s not a picky eater.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Blue
2. Smell? Cling-on, although other manly aftershaves are an acceptable substitute.
3. Time of day? Beer-o’clock
4. Season? Spring. Not too hot, not too cold.
5. Book? He’s not too big on reading. His favourites probably something completely unexpected, like... I don’t know. Dickens, or something.
6. Music? He tends to go with whatever’s popular at the time. I’ll go with Danny Boy, seeing as he apparently sings it at the pub. Also, it gives me an excuse to link this clip, which is adorable.
7. Place? The Railway Arms (pub)
8. Substance? Alcohol or cigarettes
9. Plant? What does he care? Tobacco plants, most likely.
10. Animal? Pig. Preferably in the middle of a bacon butty.
END
{{ Get the HTML here so you can do it yourself. }}
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
He’s definitely heavy-set. I think he’s about 5’9, maybe a little less than that?
2. How old is he?
28. Canon’s given him contradictory DOBs, so I go with the one that’s actually plausible (AKA- the one that doesn’t make him 23 at oldest, ‘cause really, what?).
In game I guess he’s technically 29, since his birthday’s been.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
He tends towards slouching. He’s a slob. He does stand straighter when he’s confronting someone though, which happens frequently.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
I’d say he’s more in shape than he looks. He does a lot of running, he’s physically pretty strong. He is a smoker which probably brings his fitness down a bit, but all and all he’s in pretty good condition. He does apparently feel as though he’s choking sometimes, but I don’t think that would really be considered an illness, condition or disability.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
I guess he’s clumsy, but it’s more in a ‘I don’t care what I doing’ way to a ‘I’m tripping over my own feet’ sort of clumsy.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
...Not very? Out of the tall, dark and handsome cliché he pretty much only ticks 1/3. Even then it’s not as though he’s a giant or anything. Plus he’s looks a fair bit older than he actually is. He does have very pretty eyes, at least? You can’t see it in most of his icons, but he does.
He perceives himself as a ladies man, but I don’t think he thinks he’s the hottest guy ever or anything. Just good enough to pull, which is good enough for him. He’ll judge women by how physically attractive they are, but he doesn’t seem to think men are held by those standards.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
He’s pretty much average white. He’s not pale, but he’s not dark either. I would think he has a few battle scars, though. He likes his fights too much not to.
Specific scars:
Burns; right side of neck, left hand
Glass scratches; around right eye, under right side of lip, really faint on left side of forehead
Bullet scar; left forearm (arterial spray makes it look like his shoulder, but the bandaging shows otherwise)
I’d guess he also has scars on his knuckles along with whatever other scars he’s come across in punch ups.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
It’s dark blonde/light brown. Sometimes he has it short, but other times it gets quite long. I guess he has most of it lopped off when he goes to the barbers, but doesn’t bother with going all that often. He also has sideburns and a ‘tache.
9. What color are his eyes?
Bluer than blue. Well, just blue. Just a really blue sort of blue and it pisses me off more than it should that you can’t see it in most of his icons.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
...Not really. He’s a pretty run of the mill looking guy. He looks like he just walked out of the Seventies, but... Well, he did. It’s not really noteworthy.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
Definitely his throat. Because of the way he holds himself, I’d also say he gets tension in his shoulders and upper back.
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?
Very, very seventies. Even in the City, because he’s a stubborn git and refuses to upgrade his wardrobe just because some bloody city decided it wanted to stick him in another dimension in the future.
Besides his jacket, most of his clothes are actually pretty contemporary. His trousers are occasionally a lighter shade of blue than you’d find them in today, but other than that they’re all pretty normal. His shirts are just plain work shirts in white or blue, without even the pointy Seventies collar, although unlike most workers today he wears them open at the collar with a loose hanging tie. His ties are occasionally a little wider than some of the ties seen today, but otherwise they’re very much standard of today.
It’s mostly his brown velvet jacket combined with the hair that gives him the out-of-time look.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
They don’t fit him especially well, but he is comfortable.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Yes. He doesn’t see the point in wearing anything too different, plus he spends so much time on the job at times it’s kind of a moot point anyway.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
I’d imagine briefs.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
I’m horrible at describing voices, so have a clip (guy with the perm; Eighties canon is Eighties):
Click to view2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He has a pretty loud voice. It’s not hugely fast, but it might be a little on the fast side. He certainly doesn’t tend to hesitate when he speaks. In fact, he should probably practice restraint a little more often than he does.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
‘E obviously ‘as a Yorkshire accent, but seein’ ‘ow ‘e’s s’posed to ‘ave come from Central Lancashire an’ lives in Manchester, that’s prob’ly jus’ Dean Andrews talkin’. I reckon it’s meant t’be an all-purpose Northern accent, but I usually wind up callin’ it a Manc accent, jus’ for simplicities sake.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Just English.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Nope! Same language, same dialect.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Impromptu. But like I said a few questions back, he probably should stop to think a little more often than he does.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
I guess he is kind of inarticulate? That’s largely just his accent, though.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Street-smart, but Seventies street-smart. He’s not really making any attempt to upgrade that at the moment.
He’s actually about average intelligence, book-wise. Any stupidity he shows is largely just down to him not caring all that much.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
He thinks on his feet, and usually he’s pretty good at it. If he needs to deliberate something, he can feel a little less comfortable.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Intuitive. He’s a gut-feeling sort of copper. Usually he’s a pretty practical thinker, but sometimes he can cause himself problems by acting too rashly.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
I expect he has a few O-Levels. In my head canon he passed PE, Woodwork and Metalwork with decent enough grades, scraped through English, and failed Maths and Science. I haven’t decided what his fourth choice subject was yet. I’m thinking maybe History, because of his military interest, but I’m not sure.
He definitely didn’t continue with post-16 education, so besides that all he has is his training for the police.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Policing, particularly in the detective field. He also has a lot of military knowledge, which he does his best to keep on top of.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Ray’s definitely an extrovert, although he still is very private when it comes to anything personal.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
He’s very prone to mood swings! He can be the most cheerful guy you ever knew one moment, the worlds grumpiest bastard the next. Unless he’s friends with someone, he can tend towards being a grouch.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
He does tend to be suspicious of new people, especially if he feels they’re butting in on his turf. He’s also suspicious of new situations, being sort of set in his ways. That doesn’t mean he won’t warm to people/situations. Just that Ray’s not usually too brilliant at getting off to good starts.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Both, really. He’s got enough initiative to act on a situation, but at time he is very reactionary. He’ll react to his superiors orders, and he’ll react if you insult him.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Fight, definitely. Ray’s a desperate, desperate man, always fighting to prove himself. Besides that, only a poof would run from a fight. Or at least that’s how he sees things in his mind.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Ray loves jokes. Bathroom humour, innuendoes and pranks, especially. He likes puns, but it’s not usually him who makes them. Gallows humour he’s not shown to bother with so much, although he does use it on one occasion. Mostly to try and make Chris feel better, I think.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
He’s shown to have PTSD (as a result of a bomb blast), although it’s not something he either shows or deals with the vast majority of the time. He’s also strongly implied to have bouts of depression stemming largely from insecurities about himself, although this is never explicitly stated.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Backing out of the army had a huge impact on his life. Before that, Ray had a pretty definite idea of where his life was heading. I expect it was only after that Ray started seriously doubting himself and his ability to succeed in anything.
I’m not listing the next one for spoilery reasons, but if you’ve seen the A2A finale you’ll know what it is and why it’s defined him.
Sam Tyler joining CID. Not only did he steal his job, he also stole his post as his Guv’s right hand man. He’s understandably a bit annoyed about this.
14. What does he fear?
Being unable to prove himself. Ray might not act like it, but he wants nothing more than the approval of others. He wants people to look up to him. He wants people he looks up to to be proud of him and see him as their equal. When he feels as though he’s failed in something, he takes it very, very badly.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
One day he would like to make DI. He’d also like to hear those three little words from Gene Hunt. No, not “I love you”. More than anything, Ray would like to hear him say “Well done, Ray”.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
The mistakes he’s made, and just how insecure with himself he really is.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
I very much doubt he’s on speaking terms with either of them anymore. He feels like he’s let his dad down, and while I think he loved his mother he certainly didn’t have the same level of respect and admiration he has for his father. Ray knows he hasn’t lived up to his expectations, so he’d rather stay away rather than disappoint him more than he already has.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
No. I think his US counterpart has a brother, but this Ray has implied he’s an only child and I do think he is.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
He seems to admire his grandfather and his uncle, but he seems to have pretty much separated himself from all his family members.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
He pretty much sees the Guv the same way as his dad, but I don’t think he actually explicitly views him as that.
Having said that, you could split up CID into a family unit pretty easily. Ray’s the oldest son, and Sam’s the step-mother who’s stepping all over his territory and taking daddy’s attention away from him. Chris is the little brother, whilst Annie’s the girl next door. I’d say sister, but given some of the comments Chris and Ray make about her (especially Chris) that’d be kind of weird. Phyllis is that aunt they’re all scared of, but she looks out for them all anyway.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Chris! They met through work, and even though Ray thinks Chris is pretty thick he is very fond of him. He’ll get defensive if people he doesn’t think are close enough poke fun of him/upset him. He’ll also get annoyed if Chris gets serious girlfriends. In his mind, women should never cut in on BFF time.
6. Does he have other close friends?
Noooot really. He looks up to the Guv more than he’s actually friends with him, and even though he’s on good terms with the rest of CID he’s certainly not about to get too torn up about leaving them. Although he would be pleased to see them again.
In City, there is Dean, but Ray’s usually more the type to be on good terms with people rather than actually being friends with them. Even if he does refer to them as his mates.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Back home, he does actually get on well quite easily with people. There’s a huge case of culture clash in the City though, and it does impact on his ability to make friends. A lot of the time what he views as being acceptable is very much unacceptable to other people. And it doesn’t help that he’s started mentally separating himself and everyone who isn’t from his time period automatically.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Friends. He tries to avoid his family where he can, so it would have to be.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
He’s single, and has no plans to change that other than perhaps for a brief fling.
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?
In my headcanon, his first crush was on Barbara Whitaker when he was in Year 7. She was That Girl. You know the one who started getting her tits before anyone else? Yeah. Her.
He got to cop a feel behind the bicycle shed a few times, but she kept wanting to pinch his smokes, so he moved onto other girls instead.
Currently, he doesn’t really fancy anyone. There are a few people he’d go for, but not for anything beyond their looks.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Big tits, nice arse, pretty face is a bonus. Ray’s not looking for romance; he’s looking for a shag. If they stick around for a bit that’s fine by him, if they don’t it’s no big deal.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
He doesn’t. He wouldn’t want any either. I do think he’d be very protective if he did have children though, even if they weren’t children he’d intended to have, which they never would be. He’d struggle with letting them know how much he loved them, but I do think they’d become very important to him if he ever did have any.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
He views Sam Tyler as a rival, but I don’t think Sam returns the sentiment quite so vehemently.
As for in City play, he doesn’t have any real enemies, but he’s made himself unpopular with enough people he’s probably close to it.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
I know a lot of fans think Ray’s a closet case, but I’m going to go with Dean Andrews on this one and say he’s a ladies man through and through. To me, any references made to Ray’s sexuality don’t really seem to be in seriousness. They’re just there to put Ray into situations he finds uncomfortable. He’d much rather spend time with all the lads than with some bird, but he wouldn’t want to shag them. I’m not too sure where I’d put him on the Kinsey scale, though.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Ray loves sex, but it’s not as important to him as he makes it out to be. He wants his mates to view him as a big, manly stud, but in reality he doesn’t get laid as often as he’d like other people to think. It’s not always by his choice, but at the same time he’s not too torn up about it. It’s more to do with his reputation than how much he actually cares.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
I think Ray’s sexual preferences can be described in one of two ways; schoolboy or stereotypical male. He likes things that are perceived as being dirty or out there, but aren’t really all that bad. He’s into stuff like car sex, women who shave downstairs, and twins.
Pretty much anything extreme would probably be a turn-off for him. Although having said that, bestiality’s something he sees as more of a joke than actually disgusting. So long as it’s not him doing it.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Ray’s an Arian. I actually think it suits him down to a tee. My sister has a book and after looking I feel like I could just rename the Aries section to Ray.
This site’s also pretty good for showing Ray’s similarities, as is this one, and this one if you’ve ever wondered how to pull Ray. Why would you want to? Don’t ask me. I just wanted three links.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
He isn’t. He doesn’t think of either of them being important in his life at all.
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?
Sort of? Ray’s ethics are kind of... unethical. He just wants to get criminals off the street. Most of the time, he’s not too fussed how it happens.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
At best he’s indifferent, at worst he’s intolerent. It can take a lot to get Ray to consider beliefs that aren’t his own.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
He’s homophobic, racist, misogynistic... He holds pretty much any prejudice you can think of and then some. He doesn’t have a good reason for them. The vast majority of his intolerance probably stems from living in a society where it’s still viewed as largely acceptable.
Despite this, he maintains the only people he actually doesn’t like are the Welsh. And I think he might have implied people from Liverpool at some point.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Canonically, he’s in a pretty bad financial state. Half his wages are still going to police charities as punishment for a mistake that really should have landed him in jail. That includes any overtime he gets, until a year is up, so he doesn’t have all that much to burn really.
In City, he’s back on normal wages, so he’s living much more easily than he would be back in Manchester.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
He’s working class, through and through. I doubt that’s ever changed.
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 lives in a flat. I’d say it’s a dump, but I honestly doubt he stays there enough for it to be that bad. I doubt it’s neat, but it’s probably not all that lived in either.
In game, he pretty much lives at the office. Partly down to becoming even more of a mini!Gene than he was in Manchester, and partly because he refuses to get a flatmate or pet even though the ticking drives him up the wall. It’s because of the ticking he’s even more determined not to have one. Just so he can spite the City. Instead he just spends the vast majority of his time at work, so even though he has a flat he probably only really goes back there for clothes, so he can sleep in a proper bed, and so his fridge doesn’t become a complete cesspit.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Booze and fags. Which I expect he pretty much does view as necessities.
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 a copper! According to his DCI; “Ray Carling catches more villains than the rest of this department put together.” He’s very good at it, so long as he doesn’t have to deal with the paperwork all the time. However, his methods are occasionally a little overenthusiastic.
He does enjoy it, and he’s pretty much managed to convince himself it’s where he wants to be. However, his first ambition was to join the army and not doing that is still something he deeply regrets.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Football, darts, pool and cards. Preferably whilst drunk, with the possible exception of football. Or he could just get drunk. Maybe go out on the pull, if he’s not out with the lads.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
He skips meals frequently, and probably eats takeaways/quick fry-ups far more frequently than he does proper meals. He loves his food, but he has a busy lifestyle, so he doesn’t always get to eat at normal hours. He drinks a lot of alcohol, and he’s not a picky eater.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Blue
2. Smell? Cling-on, although other manly aftershaves are an acceptable substitute.
3. Time of day? Beer-o’clock
4. Season? Spring. Not too hot, not too cold.
5. Book? He’s not too big on reading. His favourites probably something completely unexpected, like... I don’t know. Dickens, or something.
6. Music? He tends to go with whatever’s popular at the time. I’ll go with Danny Boy, seeing as he apparently sings it at the pub. Also, it gives me an excuse to link this clip, which is adorable.
7. Place? The Railway Arms (pub)
8. Substance? Alcohol or cigarettes
9. Plant? What does he care? Tobacco plants, most likely.
10. Animal? Pig. Preferably in the middle of a bacon butty.
END
{{ Get the HTML here so you can do it yourself. }}