Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

14. Physical abnormalities? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illness, food intolerances, etc)

• Emmanuel has a scar on his forehead, roughly in the shape of a crescent moon. He got it when he was a child, and slipped and fell onto a gravestone.  This scar fades somewhat over time, and actually disappears when Mary revives him. (This isn't currently present on my dolls, though it would mostly affect young and teenage Emmanuel).
• He has some blood circulation issues, especially in his hands because of what happened when he died/came back.  Most often it presents as him being frequently cold, especially in his hands.  However if exposed to the cold for too long, he can easily lose feeling in his fingers, and they become very stiff and white.
• When he is using too much power, or doing it in ways that are hard to sustain, Emmanuel suffers from severe migraines and nosebleeds.

I may add to this as I develop him further, but this is a good start. 

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

47. How do they express love?

Emmanuel  is naturally a touchy person with those he cares about, but also a very private person.  So he's not into big shows of PDA or making out in public.  He does however touch those he loves, in small ways.  Sometimes it's holding hands, or touching his lovers' shoulders or back, just little things to indicate the special relationship he has with them.  In private he is much more demonstrative, and will often curl up with his lovers or otherwise be in frequent contact with them.

For Emmanuel, conversation is also a big marker of closeness with his lovers and friends.  He is shy, and tends not to share much with others beyond pleasantries.  However with those he cares for he is far more chatty, and will discuss things like his abilities (which is general no-no outside of his close friends/lovers group).  

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

46. If they were to fall in love, who (or what) is their ideal?

Emmanuel has always loved people, the specifics of gender or appearance don't factor in as much.  In his elder incarnation he is in love, and part of a poly relationship.  Ideally for him, he seeks out individuals who are looking for non-monogamy. Beyond that, he finds men, women, and otherwise identified (or not identified) individuals attractive.  He is demisexual, meaning that he needs an emotional connection before he can feel comfortable making a physical one.

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

12. Favorite book genre?

Emmanuel likes classical literature, things like Chaucer or Dante to name a few of his favorites.  He also enjoys modern literature written about history, specifically religious history.  This can be somewhat surprising to his friends as he is still rather...confused about the issue of faith and religion. However he is fascinated to read about monasteries, pilgrimages, and historical religious figures.

He got into reading a lot of metaphysical and paranormal books as well when he joined the paranormal investigation group he's affiliated with, and tends to enjoy that genre as well.  It spans from more scientific reads discussing the possibility of spirits to firsthand accounts of hauntings.

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

49. Is this person afraid of dying? Why or why not?

Emmanuel has never been particularly afraid of dying, at least not in and of itself.  He's not really afraid of his time on earth ending, or being in pain, or anything like that.  What he is nervous about when he's younger is what happens after he dies.  He knows that some people stay behind, obviously he's been able to interact with them his whole life.  But that isn't an existence he'd ever want for himself, to be trapped on earth forever, unable to move on.  On the other hand he also knows there is another place to move on to, but he doesn't know what it is.  Is it heaven or hell like his father preached?  Would he even be allowed in heaven if it exists?  He's never spoken to anyone who has passed on, though he does know there is a peace that comes with it.  It's the fear of the unknown that makes him nervous.

As an adult, Emmanuel has mostly moved beyond that worry. However he trades it for a different one.  As a child he thought of death as something entirely personal, as if it would only affect him.  But as an adult he sees his family and lovers, and even the people he works for and wonders (fears) how it would affect them.  He worries about leaving his sister Ruth and their mother behind.  About Isobel and Tomás outliving him.  And about the people he fights with getting hurt, or the curing remaining undiscovered without his assistance.  This is something he deals with and tries to reconcile as time goes on.

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

29. Reaction to sudden, extrapersonal disaster (eg The house is on fire! What do they do?)?

Little Emmanuel: Get his parents/grandparents/ Ezekiel.

Ghost: Most likely freak out and probably be pretty useless.  However, if there's someone there to give him instructions or he has a very clear idea of what to do, he would do just that. No more, no less.

Emmanuel: A little bit of panic, but he'd be able to push that to the back of his mind and focus on the problem at hand.  He would be the one making plans and weighing his options.   

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

20. Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them?

I'm not entirely sure if this qualifies, but Emmanuel actually died when he was sixteen.  He was trying to save a friend, and was stabbed in the process.  He was dead for two minutes before he suddenly revived, due to the intervention of a spirit in the graveyard he cared for.  

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

32. Thoughts on material possessions in general?

Emmanuel tends to travel light himself, as he has often moved around quite a bit. He likes the idea of owning things, but worries he won't be able to stick around to use them.  Or that he'll have to leave in a hurry, and won't be able to take them. However he doesn't see anything wrong with owning a lot of possessions or a little.  He is fascinated by some of the things his friends and family have owned (hula hoops of his friends in Boston, his family's record player, Isobel & Tomás many varied belongings).

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

25. How do they see themselves five years from today? 

This is a bit tricky, because it depends on what age in his life we're talking about.

Young Emmanuel (age 8-10): Emmanuel thinks fifteen is a long way off, but imagines he'll be happy.  He sees himself and his siblings getting along, and in particular dreams of being best friends with Ezekiel.  He hopes his older brother will teach him everything, especially how to drive a car!

Ghost (late teens, early to mid twenties): Before the outbreak, Ghost sees himself living Boston and continuing his work with the paranormal group.  In his secret fantasies he becomes well known and respected as a paranormal researcher, and goes home to his family to show them what he's made of himself.  He aims to get a house and bring Ruth out there to live with him eventual.  After the outbreak, he honestly doesn't know. Given the chaos and the threat of death, he can't see much past tomorrow, let alone five years down the road.

Emmanuel (late twenties, early-mid thirties): Emmanuel's dreams are a mix of those in his younger days.  Things are still dangerous, so he does have some doubt about how feasible a five-year plan is.  Personally he hopes to settle down with Tomás and Isobel, and to bring his family closer to him.  On a larger scale, he works with the group to try and find a way to stop the outbreak and create a cure for those afflicted.  He hopes that in five years time things will get better.

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

4. What would they do if they needed to make dinner but the kitchen was busy?

Emmanuel would wait, even if he was really hungry.  If he was making food for himself and someone else, he'd interrupt.  But when it's just for him, he's too shy to say anything.  When he lived in Boston in a townhouse, he would actually wait until late in the evening to eat, once everyone else had gone to bed or was otherwise occupied.  That way he could use the kitchen without impacting anyone else.  This changes a little bit when he gets older and lives with his lovers Tomás and Isobel, as he is familiar enough with them to ask for time/space in the kitchen.

Get Inside Your Character's Head!

You can find the full questionnaire here.  I'm going to do a few random questions as the mood strikes. :)

44. Superstitions or views on the occult?

Are they superstitions if you know they're true?  Emmanuel does believe in many "superstitions" because he knows firsthand how true they can be.  He is wary of mirrors as they can be portals to the other world.  He believes you should cover them when a person dies, though he hasn't (thankfully) had many opportunities to use that bit of lore.  Crossing running water is a good way to get away from a spirit, and blood can give a ghost more power.  He doesn't of course hold his breath while passing through the graveyard (as he'd probably keel over!), or avoid stepping on cracks and the like.

As for the occult, presuming we're talking about occult practices and not specifically religion, he's got mixed views on the topic.  Emmanuel takes a pretty hard stance against people who dabble, or mess with things they can't even fully comprehend.  (This does evolve a bit over time, as he realizes the need for results. Though he's never comfortable with it, he does agree sometimes there are situations in which it's needed.)  He finds ouija boards offensive, not only to sense but to the spirits as well.  The same goes for a lot of the games people play to scare themselves (Bloody Mary, hide and seek, elevator game, etc).  Not because he believes they all work in the way they say, but because people run the risk of inviting something serious in. And/or they might bother a soul that already has enough to deal with by being unable to move on.

Mary Sue?

Just took the Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test with Uriel in mind and he scored a 6, which is the lowest any of my characters have scored thus far.  Granted I've spent so long developing his character that I'm not entirely surprised.  I think I will try Nowell next.

*Edit: Nowell is at 12, still considered not a Mary Sue.

Of course I spent all that time yesterday writing out a long summary for Nowell, and as soon as I finished I thought, "Hmm...you know what I could change..."  Back to the drawing board again. ;)  But while I revamp him, here's some pictures of him with his new face up.

I decided I'm taking him with me to the Ren Faire on Friday, so I'll be working on his outfit tonight and tomorrow.  I'm still not sure what wig he's going to wear, but we'll figure something out.  I've got a few synthetic ones and a couple more fur that might fit him.  I love the orange color I just think I want something a little different for him.  Hmm..