Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Oliver is averagey tall at 5'11" and has the usual long and slim build that all my male characters have. (Girl has a type...)
2. How old is he?
Oliver is seventeen years old.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Oliver is a bit of a sloucher, and his posture is usually a little defensive looking.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Quite healthy, Oliver has no illnesses, unusual physical conditions, or physical disabilities worth nothing. He could use a bit more exercise to build up his endurance though.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Oliver's movements are quite free and flowing, and he looks relatively graceful. Key word on looks- he still bangs into things a lot. Guy needs to work on his spatial awareness.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Oliver's actually quite handsome in a Gothic sort of way, and has made a few girls swoon before. Oliver's aware that he's considered good looking, and that he's actually quite fortunate looks-wise, but he sometimes wishes he looked less vampiric.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Pale, yet leaning a bit more towards brown than pink. His skin is clear and smooth.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Oliver's hair is midnight black, with a soft and silky texture, cut into a short style that falls thickly about his face and has a few surprisingly cute tufts sticking out at the top of his head.
9. What color are his eyes?
THE BRIGHT DEMONIC RED OF THE BLOOD OF TORTURED SOULS- Er, red. Although I might change them to blue, since weird anime coloration aren't really meant to be a thing in PALADIN's 'verse, Jeffrey or no.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
His hands are surprisingly large and strong, and look a little odd on his otherwise bishounen appearance.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
He feels tension in his skin- he'll shiver, sweat, itch, and other pleasantries when he feels tense.
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?
A bit formal and old-fashioned, for instance Oliver has more pants than jeans. He also tends to wear sweaters and jackets, because he gets cold easily. Coloration wise, they're usually neutral tones like black, grey, and brown. There's a bit of variety, but mostly his outfits are interchangeable.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Yes and yes.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
The PALADIN uniform is actually stylistically similar to his everyday clothes, except bright electric blue.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Boxers.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Oliver is a tenor, with a silvery voice- that is to say clear, light and pleasant.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
His tone is even, only ever raised as much as it needs to be clearly heard. He generally talks easily and he can be a bit quick.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
He has a Scottish accent, and a preference for simpler words. (Although this Oliver's vocabulary is bigger, he wouldn't be entirely Oliver if he didn't use words like 'bad' in complete sincerity.)
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Oliver communicates primarily in English. He can also speak Czech, although he can't really read it all that well.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
If he's talking with his grandparents, than he'll probably use Czech. Otherwise, he sticks to English.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
I'd say that he's reasonably good at impromptu speaking. He's not exactly a charismatic stallion, but he can express himself perfectly well.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Eloquent enough, but not particularly flowery or poetic in his speech, unless he's asked to make an effort. His words might break down if he's trying to explain something he doesn't fully understand himself.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Oliver's much sharper than his cheerful and gentle manner would suggest. Most of his knowledge is education-based. That is to say, he's primarily book-smart, although he's by no means unable to cope with practical concerns.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
Oliver's quite good at thinking on his feet, and usually has a clear enough idea of his priorities not to need deliberation- although if he wants to come up with a plan rather than an indy ploy, than yeah, he might need some time for thinking.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Fairly intuitive, Oliver's the sort of person to trust in his heart a bit more than his head. He feels out his way towards a conclusion or idea, letting his instincts guide him towards his goals.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
He's basically done with high school by the time PALADIN rolls into town, being only a few months away from his graduation. His education was at a fairly standard secondary school in Edinburgh, and he tended to drift towards classes which involved more hands on work. His grades were fairly high however, and he did a lot of quiet reading and studying at home, albeit mostly on the supernatural rather than more 'intellectual' pursuits.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Oliver is well-versed in the paranormal, both relevant to PALADIN (Psychics and Crustaceans) and irrelevant. (Ghosts, bigfoot/mothman/nessie) He also watches a lot of horror films and books, so he's mildly genre savvy regarding that and subjects such as fear and people's psychological responses to it. He's picked up a fair degree of anthropology knowledge as well, mostly due to his parents' interest in it. He's currently attempting to teach himself photography and wants to gain a greater understanding of his powers and the invading Crustaceans.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Oliver leans towards the introversion side of the spectrum. In his case, he doesn't dislike or even mind the presence of people, it's just that he prefers to either have intimate, one-on-one time or stay on the edges of a crowd. He doesn't enjoy being the big center of attention all that much.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Easy-going, and quite happy-go-lucky. Oliver's invariably relaxed, cheerful, and with his head ever so slightly in the clouds.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Usually with quite blatant interest and curiosity, unless it's an active threat. If a gigantic befanged monster is running towards him while howling, he'll probably dodge it, but if that same befanged menace is just sitting around than he'll probably try and observe it. He applies a similar level of open-minded interest to anything new he comes across.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
A little of both. While generally more the type to go with the flow than tamper with the status quo, Oliver's not above seeking out things that interest him and coming up with plans. He does lean a bit more towards the 'wait and see' side of the spectrum though.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
It depends on how the threat comes across. If Oliver sees an immediate opening he'll attack, otherwise he'll probably try to get out of there until he can adequately regroup and prepare himself.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Humor and its similarity to frogs when dissected aside... Oliver's appreciation of humor is very understated. He'll smile at absurd situations and generally won't take things too seriously. He can be a bit of a tease, and has been known to play the goofball at times. However, it can difficult to tell if he's joking around or just being his own, slightly eccentric, self.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
Nothing I'm deliberately writing him with. It may be of some interest that at thirteen years of age he started having frequent auditory hallucinations, which were a symptom of his illusion generation powers manifesting. He quickly gained control of them however, and hasn't had them for years.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Mostly, Oliver is a product of his life overall as opposed to any unique moments. A few perhaps, stand out- his parents leaving home, his gaining control over his auditory illusions at the age of thirteen, his recruitment into PALADIN.
14. What does he fear?
He's mostly afraid of his own personal darkness- that he might become cruel to others, start using his powers to bully others, harm people who don't deserve it, and so forth.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
To increase the level of understanding both within himself and the world, to enjoy the beauty around him, and to find someone to share his life with. It's fairly generic at the moment, but hey, he's seventeen.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
For the most part, Oliver is an open book. He's just a little wary of sharing information about himself too early.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
For the most part, Oliver gets along very well with Benjamin and Amelia. They're your typical conveniently-distant-yet-loving-and-open-minded anime parents, pretty much. They don't see anything wrong with Oliver's odder behavior or Amelia's sister's agoraphobia or taking off halfway around the world on short notice because a client has a question to ask. Oliver treats them more or less like friends that he doesn't get to see very often, but he's quite happy when they are around.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
He has a younger brother, aged two, named Terry. Their vast age gap makes the two of them a little distant, with Oliver acting as a sort of caring yet aloof authority figure. There's also the matter of Terry's personality, which even at the age of two is obviously a lot more fiery than Oliver's, meaning they don't have a lot in common. They get along fairly well anyway, and Terry's mostly taken care of by Johanna.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
His aunt, Johanna Tyler, who basically serves as Oliver's surrogate mum due to his real mother's constant traveling. Johanna is much more serious, down-to-earth, and just all around practical than anyone else in the Láska family. She's also quite housebound due to her agoraphobia. None the less, Oliver views her as an authority figure to be obeyed. They get along quite well.
There's also Oliver's maternal grandparents, Unity and Sullivan Tyler. The two of them are staid, snobbish, and a little unpleasant. Oliver and his grandparents don't really like each other, and Oliver tries to limit contact with them as he's afraid that sooner or later they're going to have some really unpleasant arguments.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
There would probably be his best friend since childhood, Anna. She's Oliver's more cynical but equally imaginative counterpart, and he considers her to be something of a sister.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Anna Reid, the aforementioned cynical childhood friend. The two of them both lived nearby the same playground and Oliver, observing her sitting on a bench reading by herself, briefly greeted her, plunked down nearby and started reading a book of his own. The next day at the same place she tentatively returned his greeting, and the two of them struck up a conversation.
6. Does he have other close friends?
He has four different school friends. Two of them are girls from his English class and aspiring journalists named Chloe and Emily. Oliver's male friends are Finlay, a socially awkward anime enthusiast, and Lennon, a perpetually bewildered jock. There's also an elderly ghost hunter who he regularly meets up with at the local library, and provides a source of advice both on supernatural subjects and Life Experience.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Oliver's easy-going and accepting nature means that most people find it difficult not to get along with him, and he has a fairly wide circle of friends.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
It'd be a tricky proposition, but I'm leaning towards friends when it comes to Oliver, simply because he's arguably closer to them.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
He's currently single after a recent breakup with a girl named Mya.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Nope.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
His first crush was in the second grade, on his teacher. (Johanna advised him to wait until he was older to tell her.) Currently, Oliver isn't interested in anyone. Although he previously had a crush on Mya.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Oliver's utterly indifferent about appearances, and has no real preferences in that regard. He has a strong romantic streak and thus tends to fall for girls with similarly romantic and artistic natures, but tends to shy away if they turn out to be immature. He appreciates thoughtfulness in a person.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
Oliver has no children and vaguely plans on having them someday.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Oliver really has no enemies to speak of.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
Probably a one. He doesn't really find other males sexually desirable.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Oliver views sex as being primarily another expression of love, and on the odd occasion that he does feel lust towards a girl he was hitherto uninterested in he'll probably conflate it with love. On the whole it's not a necessary part of his life, but it is something he desires provided he can find the right partner.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Let's not get into that here.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Oliver was born on the fifth of March, 2006, making him a Pisces and a Fire Dog. Pisces fits him very well, Fire Dog a tad less so.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Oliver is basically non-religious, much like his parents, and finds most religions' take on God and so forth to be unbelievable. He does have a certain spirituality however, taking an interest in ideas such as souls and spirits. It crosses over a lot with his interest in the paranormal, which means in general spirituality is something that is fairly important to him, yet at the same time not something he takes too seriously.
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?
Since he was a small child, Oliver's generally lived by the principal that every living thing, no matter how strange or monstrous, deserves a base level of respect and kindness. It may be because he was a lonely kid, or just naturally empathetic, but there it is. Oliver would probably be compromised in his belief however, if another living being were to treat someone he personally cared for too badly.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Oliver's almost universally tolerant and curious about all things strange and different.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
It's a bit difficult for me to think of any, since Oliver couldn't be much more open-minded without special surgery. But he does have a slight distaste for people who get creeped out easily by strangeness.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Oliver doesn't have much personal wealth of his own, but his family is quite well-to-do.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
Again, as stated his family is well-to-do. They're upper class, but not ridiculously wealthy or free of thinking about money problems by any means- they can afford a nice house, not a mansion. Oliver's family has been doing well for as long as he can remember, so Oliver takes it somewhat for granted.
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?
His family's wealthy enough to afford a nice little house. Oliver's quite relaxed and at home there, though he does like to get out on a regular basis. The place could use a few repairs and touchstone here and there, but for the most part is a solid building. He lives there with his family, which half the time consists of him, his aunt and his brother, and the other half is him, aunt, brother, and his parents.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Oliver has a fair bit of disposable income, and mostly gets things like books, movies, batteries for his camera, and just general hobby spending.
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?
As a PALADIN recruit, Oliver chafes somewhat under the organized military aspect and enjoys the variety of people he gets to meet. In combat situations he prefers to concentrate on saving people and distracting the Crustaceans, and is reluctant to actually fight. He'd rather do something else, but as time goes by he starts to take his work as a personal duty.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
When he isn't spending time with his friends, Oliver's attracted to the occult and dark side of things. Horror novels and shows, tarot cards and Ouija boards, writing murder mysteries, and so forth. He also enjoys taking photographs, mostly of really old places and objects.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Oliver prefers quick but relatively healthy food, such as peanut butter sandwiches, salads, fruit, etc. He likes to eat out and try new things whenever he can, although generally once he discovers he doesn't like something he'll flat out refuse to try it again. He's used to his aunt making all his meals for him, so he shies away from making things that would require much actual cooking.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Associate: Red and grey. Favorite: Yellow.
2. Smell? Associate: None. Favorite: Paper.
3. Time of day? Associate: Night. Favorite: Dawn.
4. Season? Associate: Autumn. Favorite: Autumn.
5. Book? Associate: Golden and Grey. Favorite: Probably some horror novel or other.
6. Music? Associate: All That You Are. Favorite: Various old music.
7. Place? Associate: San Francisco and Edinburgh. Favorite: Home.
8. Substance? Associate: None. Favorite: None.
9. Plant? Associate: None. Favorite: Venus flytrap.
10. Animal? Associate: Cats. Favorite: Oliver loves all the animals.
