Inside the Character: Eadën Vangûard

So apparently a lot of people want to see an ItC on Eadën from The Cycle of Time. I haven't dealt with that story in a while, so this could be interesting to see how much I remember/get feelings over Eadën (then again, it's not hard to get feelings over Eadën). I will try to avoid spoilers but know that he is a big character in The Cycle of Time so there is bound to be some secrets or storylines revealed.


P.S. Some of you ask, I answer: the ¨ above the "e" in Eadën's name is part of the language I created for the elves in Janíza (the land that The Cycle of Time is set in). Normally, the ¨ represents the natural sound of a letter (like e says "eh", a says "ah", etc.) and is used in longer, more complicated names to help with pronunciation. You may be saying, "but Eadën's name isn't complicated it's just 'eden'." This is true. However, since he is royal, the ¨ is used more as decoration. Call it fancifying royal people's names in this case.

In case you were wondering what the other symbols mean:
¨ = natural sound
ˆ = no sound
´ = long sound (e = ee, a = ay, etc.)

Otherwise, words are pronounced normally.

Fun trivia: In elven, Eadën's name is actually pronounced "ee-AY-den", with a long "a" sound. However, humans are bad at language apparently and read it as "Eden". ;)

Okay. Language rant over, you can skip that. Bye.


1. Who would play Eadën in a movie?
Honestly? I don't know. I haven't found his actor yet, but I have a few pics of drawings and stuff that resemble him so here ya go.

This would be Eadën most of the time...tired, sharp featured, and hair in disarray.

However, he does have moments like this...

Where he is very creepy looking when he wants to be.

Eadën is an elf, by the way.

2. What color is his hair?

Eadën's hair is described as glossy black and wavy/curly in texture. It is cut loose across his forehead, so you can usually see the wave. He rarely combs it since he's kind of a traveling man, so it's kinda a mess sometimes.

3. What color are his eyes?

Those who have read the current draft of The Cycle of Time: The Journey (lookin' at you, Rachel) are well aware that Eadën's eyes are very, very blue. Sky-blue; azure almost. They are extremely bright and are actually a bit shocking at first.

4. What is his body type?

Per elven norm, he's lean, but muscled, and quite tall (think 6'7"). And he's extremely angular. I think I described him as looking like "a string was tied to his spine and it was pulling him upwards constantly" or something like that. His shoulders are sharp, hipbones jagged, and his silhouette is all edges and corners. He is also very pale, and his skin is described as having almost a silvery sheen to it.

5. Does he have any piercings/tattoos? 

None mentioned in the book, that I can recall...however, I wouldn't be surprised if he had a tiny meaningful inked something-or-other on his skin.

6. What's the most attractive thing about him?

Since he comes off as alien-ish with his elven self, only some find him attractive. However, the most attractive thing I find about him is either his eyes or his super-sharp facial features. Think STRONG JAWLINE. VERY. STRONG.

7. What is the ugliest thing about him?

Okay, trying not to spoil anything, so read on if you dare. He has a really ugly scar wrapping over one side of his torso from mid-stomach, over shoulder, and down back. It's from a wound that was deadly but of course he magically lived through it (I know, I'm working on it...).

8. When he smiles, what does it look like?

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL that never happens. Eadën has had a very hard life and he doesn't like joy. However, it is notable that he has extremely white and amazing teeth.

9. What does his laugh sound like?

LOLLLLLLLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLLL no.

10. What is his normal speech pattern?

He has kind of fancy-talk (but not as fancy as the fairies). He's pretty articulate despite not having attended most of his childhood schooling.

11. How does he express/handle anger?

Hrm...he's kind of emotionally dead, honestly. Granted, anger would be one of his most-felt emotions, but he doesn't show it much. If he gets angry enough to react towards someone, he would probably either kill them or like flip a table or something.

12. Does he cry?

Only on special occasions I suppose. He's used to sadness so it's only rare that he cries, but when he does it's usually like silent, and he just tenses up as tears stream down his lil face.

13. What would make him cry?

In the novel, Eadën struggles with feeling unworthy of his place in life and guilty over the choices he's made. It is these issues combined with longing to please/live up to his deceased father that makes him cry in the book. So yeah, stuff like that.

14. How easy is it for people to read his emotions?

Unlike Jay (whom, as I've mentioned, people who know him can tell by his physical cues how he feels), Eadën is completely unreadable and people hate him for it. He can hide almost any emotion, even from his own wife.

Character Beliefs

15. Is he religious?

Not particularly. I think he follows a religion, but not very strictly.

16. How does he view those of other faiths?

He doesn't care what you believe.

17. What are his core values?
Eadën's core values would beeeee.......hmmmmmmmm...........probably loyalty, or striving to be a better person. Idk if those are "values" or not, but they're things he's always focused on.

18. How willing is he to fight for those values?
In theory, Eadën would fight for anything if he believed in the cause. However, if he's discouraged or defeated...he finds it difficult to get back up sometimes.

Likes and Dislikes

19. What is his favorite food?

He's vegetarian, actually. He really likes fruit.

20. What is his favorite color?

Probably green. He really loves being out in nature, so green has become a calming color for his turbid mind.

21. What is his sleeping preferences?

Eadën is definitely not picky when it comes to sleeping. Actually, he really doesn't sleep much at all. I think in the book once he went several days without sleeping a wink. You can imagine he was grumpy and emotional about it, too. Anyway, he doesn't sleep much because he has nightmares...yikes. Poor bb.

BONUS: What position does he usually sleep in?

Probably on his side, or stretched out.

22. What type of music does he listen to?

Eadën was never one for arts and crafts and math and writing. He was always out on the field perfecting his swordplay and footwork.

Character Introspection

23. When is his birthday?

I'm not sure of the exact date, but he was born in the summertime.

24. What family structure did he have growing up?

Eadën was supposed to be born dead, so he's been sort of fighting for his life ever since he was a wee babbie. You see, elves are biologically capable of having only one child in their lifetime, so Eadën was more than a miracle child, especially since he was alive when he was born (albeit weak and wailing). His older sister doted on him for much of his childhood, and his parents, the king and queen, didn't see much harm in him skipping his classes and romping out in the sun if it meant he would get stronger. However, after a while his older sister realized that their parents paid more attention to Eadën than they did to her and...well, the rest is history.

25. What is the worst thing he has ever done?

um idk probs burning down half of janíza and earning the title ember because all he left in his wake was embers but u know idk

26. What is the best thing he has ever done?

Attempting to turn his messed up life around, even though it meant leaving everything he loves and knows and jumping headfirst into danger.

27. Has he ever been in love?

Once...long story short, he had taken a young ten-year-old human girl prisoner when she decided to start talking non-stop to him for weeks since she was bored and he visited the prison every day. She ended up spurning his turn-around, and he helped her escape. About a decade later, they married, despite his elven nearly-immortal aging and her short life span.

28. What is his biggest goal in life?

To stop the war in Janíza and finally settle down with his little fam-fam. :3

29. What does he believe is his greatest vice?
Without a doubt, black magic. It is an addictive form of magic and he used it for a long time and struggles to fully separate himself from its consumptive power.

30. What motivates him most?
Probably his daughter, Clairê, and his wife, Linnea. He doesn't find anything redeeming within himself, so he simply focuses on staying alive and keeping Linnea and Clairê safe.

31. Is he objective oriented?
Most definitely. Goals have pretty much mapped his life out since before he can remember. Goals give him something tangible to work towards, I suppose.

32. Would he rather be a good person or a great person?
Great. However, I think he is realizing that he may only ever be a "good" person...to himself, anyway.

33. Would he rather be hated for who he is or loved for pretending to be someone else?
At one point, he lived for other people's acceptance. However, he's grown quite a bit since then and now I think he realizes that not everyone will love him for who he is. He still struggles with that, though.

34. Is he an extrovert, ambivert, or introvert?
Introvert, definitely.

35. Is he creatively expressive?
Yes! But only in one form: SWORDPLAY. He literally has the best form when he's using his sword, and his footwork is always flawless and it's said he looks like he's dancing some ferocious panther dance when he's fighting someone with a sword. He works constantly to be the perfect swordsman.

36. What is his disorder?
Where do I start. He's addicted to black magic, he's got PTSD basically from war and being like cut in half and his sister hating his guts and being evil, I'm pretty sure he's got major depression if we're being clinical here, and...and... *CRYING WILDLY*

37. Is he materialistic?
Seeing as he's only ever had any real possessions while he was still officially a prince, no, he's not particularly caught up on possessions. He does have a few possessions that he will probably hurt you if you touch them though.

38. What is his learning style?
He's definitely a visual learner. If he watches someone do something, he can probably replicate it pretty well.

39. I am a ______. How would he finish this sentence?
"I am a failure." (NOOOOO BB WHY U SAI THAT NO STOPIT)

40. Life is an act of _______. How would he finish this sentence?
"Life is an act of deciding when to stand up and fight back and when to kneel and take it."

OTHER

Theme song: "Cold" by Aqualung

Pinterest boards:
Eadën's board
The Cycle of Time board

Wattpad stories:
Excerpt of The Cycle of Time: The Journey
Janíza's Hero (short story)
Embers

Writing Risky and Relevant Topics (and why you should, even in your non-modern settings)

Genocide? Substance abuse? Racism? Addiction? Mental illness? Yep! They're all here, in my very own medieval fantasy novel.

"WAIT," you're probably saying out loud to your empty bedroom. "SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL ILLNESS AND ADDICTION IN A MEDIEVAL FANTASY NOVEL??? IMPOSSIBLE!!! AND WHY???" That is a questions I have come to answer.

(Note: When I say "your story's theme", I am referring to the main point your novel is trying to get across. You know, like, "Love conquers all" or "Best friends are forever" or whatever. If you don't know your story's theme, that's okay. I don't know any of my stories' themes either.)



WHY YOU SHOULD INCLUDE RISKY TOPICS IN ALL (OR YOU KNOW, SOME) OF YOUR WRITING

So you may have noticed that some fantasy, sci-fi, historic-based, or what-have-you novels can sometimes be difficult to relate to. I think this is because of the lack of relevant themes within them. The setting is obviously alien, and sometimes the characters can be vastly different from the modern ideal, which makes it difficult for the reader to connect to the story. How does the author fix this problem?

The truth is that topics labeled "risky" (or just difficult to write), like racism, substance abuse, mental illness, and even gender and sexuality, are extremely relevant to today's readers. It's something that most people recognize and spend a lot of thought on--and some even relate to the issues brought up by these themes. Here's my case: topics like these have a place in EVERY genre of writing, not just modern or contemporary.

Imagine a young prince addicted to dark magic. He tried to get away from this power before, but in an attempt to heal his dying dragon, he was forced to come in contact with dark magic again. Just one touch threw him into withdrawals, and his addiction rose to the surface as he slipped further and further into dark magic's grips. Tada; you were just exposed to substance abuse and addiction in a medieval fantasy! (That may or may not have occurred in my novel The Cycle of Time, so don't steal my ideas.)

But why bother? What's the gain in including topics like these in your writing? And what will readers potentially learn from you writing about stuff like this?




BENEFITS: READER CONNECTION

By writing about risky, relevant, or controversial topics, you will be allowing your readers a point of access into the very heart of your novel. Risky and controversial topics provide something for your readers to open debates and discussions over, and depending on how you deal with such themes, could lead towards insights on how to resolve, accept, or deal with issues like addiction, racism, mental illness, etc. Writing about risky topics could also shed light on the topic itself, with the right viewpoint, and perhaps move a reader to do something to change either his own opinions/ideas or attempt to change someone else's opinions/ideas.

Depending on how you deal with your topic of choice (wether negatively, positively, or just neutrally), you will provide your reader with a point of view on the issue at hand. She will either learn how to love or how to hate what you're writing about. Don't be afraid to open up a new point of view on such themes. Maybe racism isn't just against African-American, Arabic, and Asian peoples. Do Europeans, Americans, Canadians, maybe even Peruvians experience it as well? And what about gender roles? What if a man is sensitive, sweet, and tends towards the emotional but is still confident in his masculinity? And what if the mentally ill feel just as deeply as we do? Not just soldiers and war vets get PTSD. And what if the addicted hate what they're addicted to?




BENEFITS: STORY THEME AND SUBJECT SUPPORT

Relevant themes like mental illness, gender roles, and racism provide a backbone for your story's theme. Even if it seems like the topic doesn't fit with your theme at first, you'd be surprised at how you can stretch and mold it to fill the gaps in your subject matter--which will provide you a richer and fuller story. Not only that, but the subject matter brought up by the presence of these risky topics could either support or defy your theme; both are constructive qualities of a good piece of writing.




BENEFITS: CONFLICT & SUBPLOT POSSIBILITIES

Maybe you're one of the (admittedly and regrettably rare) writers who include an Arabic or African-American character in your MC's posse, but none of your charries really acknowledge the character's race or ethnicity. However, imagine having just one--or maybe a few--characters who express racism towards that characters. Imagine the possibilities for conflict and character development that one little tweak would open up! YOU COULD HAVE ENTIRE HUGE FIGHT SCENES BETWEEN A CHARACTER AND HIS RACIST BEST FRIEND ONLY TO HAVE THE ETHNIC CHARACTER STAND UP AND SAY WHO CARES?!?!?! THEN THAT'S A WHOLE LIKE MESSAGE OF STANDING UP FOR YOURSELF, STANDING UP AGAINST RACISM, ETC. RIGHT THERE!!!

OOOORRR imagine having a character who simply likes to smoke, but his girlfriend doesn't like it and tries to get him to stop throughout the book. It could be a trivial and simple little subplot including cutesy scenes where the girlfriend tosses the boyfriend's cigarettes and he goes days without one and gets incredibly grumpy and uptight, but it would still be touching on addiction and, if shed in a negative light, could lightheartedly express the dangers and drawbacks of smoking.

These are tiny tweaks that could very well add that extra oomph to your novel, provide opportunities for character and story development, and offer a way to provide extra insight into your novel's theme.




BUUUUT...

In no way should you change your entire book's theme to fit one of these topics. Whatever message you choose (or your story chooses) for your book is special and entirely yours. What adding risky topics adds is a venue for reader relation, connection, and insight. Some books just don't call for this type of writing, and that's entirely okay. However, keep in mind that in order to say something with your writing, you may have to step out of your comfort zone (heck, look at me, a conservative Christian girl, who has a character who smoked, did drugs, abused alcohol, has tattoos, has a dirty mouth and mind, and is in no way a chaste Catholic boy [you probably know who I'm talkin' about {especially you, Kel. You know.}]). Don't be afraid to try new things; you may find you have something important to say.




AND I INCLUDE THESE IN NON-MODERN SETTINGS HOW...?

Good question, but not one I can explicitly answer. It all depends on your setting. Get creative! See how you can include these topics without compromising parts of your plot. Use a substance native to your fantasy setting to create addiction like I did with black magic, or create your own mental illness based on staying in space too long for your sci-fi. Maybe you created your own races for your setting; good for you! Use that to your advantage and create rifts between ethnicities! It's all up to your sense of creativity now. Go out and show the world what you're made of!




NON-EXTENSIVE LIST OF RISKY/CONTROVERSIAL/RELEVANT TOPICS (FOR INSPIRATION PURPOSES):

• racism
• genocide
• mental illness (autism, downs syndrome, aspergers)
• disease (AIDS, HIV, brain/heart disease, cancer, etc)
• addiction
• substance abuse
• mental abuse
• domestic violence/abuse
• sexuality
• gender roles
• eating disorders
• suicide/self harm
• domestic neglect
• abortion
• religious ideals
• religious oppression
• religion in general really
• gambling
• introversion (can someone please make it a positive/neutral trait and not negative)

Inside the Character: Nikolai Staunton

Okay! So by request of Miss Kel Geis, I have asked my sister to do an ItC for Nikolai Staunton. She has accepted the challenge and provided answers to the questions below.

This is entirely her writing, except for anything in italics (that's my commentary/additions because I can't shut up and let someone write something by themselves).

Anywho, um, so, Nik is from The Orion series 2, the same series with Luke Vetti and Alex Staunton. With this in mind, you may continue....

1.Who would play Nik in a movie?

Quite obviously, Luke Bylik. 

He has the darky skin like Nik, and the darky hair and eyes like Nik, and when I see him it makes my heart happy and screamy. ....Because it’s Nik. No questions asked.

(She's right, it is totally Nik.)

2. What color is his hair?

You know, I always write that his hair is black like his daddy’s hair, but I always imagine it a dark brown... so it’s probably more dark brown like his mommy’s, and all spikey like sharkboy from Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Then, at the same time, very scruff worthy and adorable.

3.What color are his eyes?

Don’t get me started on those little beauties. BLACK. Like, GLINTY AMAZING BLACK. When he smiles, they glint all squinty and AAAAGH! Sorry. Like his DADDDDYYY...

(*sobbing quietly in the background*)

4. What is his body type?

He has a pretty normal build, except for his outrageous height. And he’s a bit thicker than other people. At fifteen he’s around 5’10’’ or so. Anastasia would hate me for saying it, but it’s true.

(Yeah he's tall HE'S TALLER THAN ALEX which gives me feelings I don't know why but yes and also outrageous is a bit of a stretch because Luke is outrageously tall Nik is just tall.)

5. Does he have any peircings/tattoos?

Technically, yes, but we don’t talk about that.

(...?)

6. What is the most attractive thing about him?

The adorable way he sleeps. Probably drools, too. On his tummy with one arm pinned up under him and his face squished in the pillow. Luke has been caught drawing him during his insomnia hours of the night.

(PICTURE TIME AT ANA'S CORNER)

Behold, Luke's rendition of bebe Nik sleeping :3
 (actually not sure who the artist is but shout out to u) (Sis says Viria but idk)

7.What is the ugliest thing about him?

Probabllyyyyyy his nose, sometimes it looks like someone squished it flat on his face.

(Dere is nuffing wrong wif nikowai. Nuffing.)

8. When he smiles what does it look like?

Like a baby unicorn and a balloon man at the zoo rode off into the sunset to find the baby unicorn’s mommy and when they did the unicorn family hugged and from that magical breath of sigh the mom exhaled whilst seeing her baby, Nik’s smile was born.

(Accurate.)

9. What does his laugh sound like?

Unfortunately, Nik doesn’t laugh much. Not because he’s grumpy or anything, he’s just super duper quiet. You should have seen him before Luke loosened him up. When he DOES laugh its more sarcastic than like an actual belly laugh. He usually just looks like he’s laughing at you more than laughing beside you.

10. What is his normal speech pattern?

Honestly, nothing much! Usually giving Luke weird and meaningful looks such as: “Shut up, you idiot”, “Why are you talking?”, “Are you talking to me?”, and my personal favorite that flustered red faced look when Luke’s girlfriend Melanie pinches his cheeks.

(Aw melukanie)

For reals, though, when he talks its usually a straightforward question, but he doesn’t mind a long answer. He likes listening.

11. How does he express/handle anger?

Nik doesn’t get angry very easily. He does get annoyed quite often and handles it with ignoring the problem and hoping it goes away with a really #doneface. I mean, he’s super cool headed but if he ever got ANGRY I’m not quite sure what would happen... I’m kind of scared of the potential, though, given his genes.

(We don't talk about Nik's genes. Ever.)

12. Does he cry?

What a sad question. Yes, everyone cries. And when Nik does rainclouds gather above him because his sorrow attracts them and his little baby 15 year old cry face is so pitiful some people randomly get chest pains and lay in bed writhing in sorrow.

(I think your feels are influencing your responses little one.)

13. What would make him cry?

Anastasia knows and shares that sorrow with me. She knows what death would tear him to shreds. *whispers* She knows.

“She would have loved you... she would have loved......”

(ASJFHKAJDHFKAJDFHLKJFHAKJSHFKAJDHSKJDFH)

14. How easy is it for people to read his emotions?

I’d say people who know him well enough could read him pretty well. Others not so much.

Character Beliefs

15. Is he religious?

Yessacourse. Christian like he was raised to be.

16. How does he view those of other faiths?

He doesn’t judge them, I mean he shared a room with Luke for who knows how long.

(For those of you who do not know, Luke was Catholic but not very religious....okay not religious at all.)

17. What are his core values?

He’s a hopeful little booger, and likes to believe there’s good in anyone even if they have killed and murdered people since they were 2 years old like some people he knows ahem ahem.

He’s also undyingly loyal and once he’s friends with someone or trusts someone he keeps on trusting, even if they show they are less than trust worthy. Some would say he’s wasting his faith in humanity.

18. How prepared is he to die for those beliefs?

Death has become a terrifying thought for him since he was literally brought back from the dead after being stabbed through the chest. Since then I don’t think his determination has wavered from being ready to do whatever is necessary, but there is that creeping fear...

Likes and Dislikes

19. Favorite Food?

Has to be macaroni and cheese thanks to Luke, but butterfingers are his favorite candy. Luke hates them so much, but he will literally eat them all just to make Nik mad.

(For those of you who do not know, Luke consumes approximately 14 lbs of cheese a day. Which is why Nik likes mac n' cheese, because Luke probably makes vats and force feeds it to Nik.)

20. Favorite color?

Purple. Don’t ask, he’ll just shrug.

21. What is his sleeping preferences?

Well, now he has to have a lamp on and some creepy psychopath wandering around the room to feel comfortable enough to sleep.

(Note: That creepy psychopath is Luke and the lamp is on because he likes to draw all night.)

22. What type of music does he like?

He likes listening to Corra and Alex play their cello/piano duets.

Character History

23. What is his birthday?

December 21st. His mom died three days later on Christmas Eve.

24. What family structure did he have as a child?

Oh Gosh...

Bradford Staunton adopted him when he was a baby. A year or two later Brad adopted Mikey, then Harris, then Mandy, then Lili. I think there are more but the house is huge and Nicholas and his family live with them, as well as Luke and Willow, so family is a broad term for him.

25. What is the worst thing he has ever done?

Letting Luke teach him how to be a sniper against Brad’s wishes. But that was just one time.

(Which Luke thoroughly enjoyed, mind you.)

26. What is the most significant romantic encounter of his past?

He would die if he ever liked a girl.

27. Has he ever been in love?

Recently, with a girl in his class struggling with cancer. They met during a science experiment, and when they had to study together and he brought her home to his full house, they made Nik the center of everyone’s teasing for weeks.

(That was a really awkward sentence even after I tried to fix it but okay.)

28. What is his biggest goals in life?

He’s the gentlest soul in the world and everyone thinks he should be a doctor or something, but he’s bound and determined to be some CIA agent or something I don’t even know... little boy dreams.

29. What does he believe is his greatest virtue?

His tolerance. 

30. What does he believe is his greatest failure/vice/weakness?

The fact that he is still affectionate for Ivan, after all that man has done.

31. What motivates him most?

His fam fam and his fraaaaands.

32. Is he objective oriented?

Not particularly. He’s pretty laid back.

33. Would he rather be a good person, or a GREAT person?

Right now, he just wants to get through high school.

But looking into the future, I think he would rather be a good man, someone reliable and someone people look up to and come to for help, not someone people look to and expect something great out of.

34. Would he rather be hated for who he is or loved for someone he’s not?

He’s not completely intolerant to nagging and bullying so it would hurt if people hated him for who he was but he wouldn’t change himself because of it.

35. Is he an introvert/ambivert/extrovert?

Introvert to the extreme. It’s a struggle.

36. Is he creatively expressive?

Nik doesn’t have amazing talents like Alex and Corra. He can’t draw like Luke. He’s not extremely creative, but he’s smart and witty and that usually gets his expressions out just fine.

37. What is his disorder?

He don’t got one. Except for the natural flaws of a human being.

38. Is he materialistic?

Not really. He knows he’s blessed to have a big house and a lot of things, but the time he spends away from that stuff sort of renders them unimportant in the long run.

39. What is his learning style?

Hands on. He likes learning by getting his hands dirty, its a lot funner that way.

40. I am a________. How would Nik finish this sentence?

*With blank serious face staring you right in the eye the answer is as follows from his mouth* “Person in need of a break from these deep question.”

41. Life is an act of _______.

baby steps. Just as long as you keep walking.

At least, that’s what he just told me. I’m taking that to mean he had no idea how to answer so came up with something that sounded wise and cool.




Okey dokey everyone, that's it! Kel, I hope you enjoyed, and if anyone has questions feel free to comment below. Also, I am terribly sorry for my sister's terrible grammar, I just didn't want to mess up the purity of it by changing everything too much and ahh the temptation was horrible but oh well. Sorry sis, hope you're not offended.

Anywho, have a great one. God bless ya.

Inside the Character: Scott Skyy

So I haven't done an ItC in a while...so I thought I'd do one on my wee babbie, Scott Skyy! Scott is easily one of my fave characters (I say that about everyone though, so don't take my word for it). He is just a precious baby in a cruel, cruel world, forever and ever amen. *crosses self*

So here we go!

(Warning many pictures ahead...because I have a lot...)

(Also you can chat with him in the comments if you want.)

Inside the Character

Physical Characteristics

1. What actor would play Scott?

That is not an easy question to answer. He's mostly like Julian Wilson (not an actor but a surfer)...

These are the most accurate pictures of Scott I have, except Scott isn't cool enough to wear sunglasses and his hair lacks the pristine beach bleached streaks. He just has dirty blondish brown hair.

But he is also like Tom Daley a little bit (again not actor, Olympic swimmer)...

(This picture actually looks a whoooole lot like Scott, logo tee, cutey baby face, doggy, and everything.)

But then again this was living proof that Scott walked the face of the earth at one point.

(Granted, this would be Scott shortly after his accident, when he's still tired looking and thin and pale but I mean this is IT.)

Basically, any mixture of these three images would be a pretty darn good Scott.

2. What color is his hair?

Scott's hair is a dirty blonde color that changes with the seasons. In summer when he's outside a lot in the sun, it lightens to jut about blonde, and in winter it darkens to nearly golden brown.

3. What color are his eyes?

Scott's eyes are "Skyy blue," made famous by the Ace line of the Skyy family (one day I will post a family tree), who have beautifully blue eyes.

4. What color is his skin?

Most of the time, extremely tan. He spends his life outdoors romping around so he's pretty brown and wears a pretty constant sunburn on some part of his body or another.

5. How tall/heavy is he?

Scott is infamously short. As in, 5'6" shortish. He's the shortest in the family. He's built pretty leanly because of this; he never put on muscle very well because he couldn't seem to grow out of his slightly teenager-y body.

6. Does he have any peircings, tattoos, etc.?

Negative.

7. What is the most attractive thing about him?

Scott is an all-around cute guy. He has the look of a little kid about him while still obviously being an actual man. I'd say the first thing you notice if he's not smiling is his eyes, and if he is smiling it's definitely his smile. His smile is the biggest part of him; its super big and childish and adorable.

8. What is the ugliest thing about him?

Hrm...his cute looks can be used against him if you're into more manly men. However the ugliest thing about him is probably his hand/arm; after he stepped on a mine during the war, his fingers became fused together on one hand and he had to get it surgically corrected. To this day it's ugly and scarred, along with half of his arm.

9. What does Scott usually wear?

Scott has no sense of fashion whatsoever. He's been wearing baseball caps every day of his life since he was about five. He pairs jean jackets with jeans. He wears socks with sandals. It's horrendous.

Emotional Characteristics

10. When he smiles, what does it look like?

Scott has a very bright, very big, and very childish grin. It's his main feature.

11. What is his laugh like?

He has a loud, purely happy laugh.

12. What does he talk like?

Scott has a lot of strange quirks when it comes to speech. He speaks very childishly, and uses words like "chocomilko" for chocolate milk and other such five year old speech. Nobody really knows why; he used them so religiously as a teenager that his parents began thinking he had a learning disability.

13. How does he act when he's angry?

I can't really think of a time when he's been angry...if he was he'd probably be kinda physical about it. In your face and stuff. He'd most definitely get red in the face.

14. Does he cry?

Of course he cries. Not a lot, nor a little...just cries when it's appropriate. He doesn't really sob, mind you; just kinda...cries. No fanfare, just tears.

Beliefs

15. Is he religious?

Yes, very. He's a strong Christian (honestly probably the strongest of the Skyys) who is a firm believer in prayer, especially.

16. How does he view those of other faiths?

He treats everyone pretty much the same--like a friend. He's very accepting of other beliefs and views.

17. What are his core values?

Scott's core value is friendliness (is that a value?). He believes in being kind to everyone no matter what (so I guess you could say kindness is his core value).

18. How willing is he to fight for those values?

He'd go pretty far for what he believes, but there comes a point where he ceases to care and becomes more brutal and harsh. He has yet to have reached that point...but I think there is one.

Character Likes and Dislikes

19. What is his favorite food?

Chocolate milk, without a doubt. If that's not considered a "food", then chili, again without a doubt.

20. What is his favorite color?

Blue, like the sky. He wanted to be a pilot originally but got drafted to be a foot soldier.

21. What is his sleeping preferences?

He likes beds or couches or comfy chairs or even snuggly people.

BONUS: What position does he usually sleep in?

On his stomach like a baby.

22. What type of music does Scott usually listen to?

Christian and country, probably. But like, hardcore country, not lovey dovey girly country.

Character Introspection

23. When is his birthday?

UUUMMM June 3rd. He's 19-20 in the book.

24. What family structure did he have growing up?

Scott's family was extremely tight-knit and loving, and included extended family as well. They are all very close and support each other constantly. Scott is his mother's favorite and is definitely mommy's boy. However, despite him being second oldest in his family, Scott was treated a bit like the baby for some reason and his whole personality was kinda shaped around that.

25. What is the worst thing he has ever done?

Gee...I don't know. Probably kill someone. Like, that's a big deal obviously, but he is a soldier, so you think it wouldn't bother him, but it kinda does.


26. What is the best thing Scott has ever done?

I DUNNO. He's a pretty good person! Like he's done a lot of good things! In my opinion (though probably not in his because he's got a teeny tiny self esteem problem) the best thing he does is play with the children while in enemy territory. He makes sure to save kids first and such, even if their enemies, which is great in my opinion.


27. What is the most significant romantic encounter of his past?

Scott is super immature and unfortunately was terrified of girls for years, no thanks to his older brother Ty. However he did have a massive crush on a girl in high school, whom he stalked.


28. Has he ever been in love?

The one and only love Scott has ever had is towards Alexi, a college girl who volunteers to help him out when he is hospitalized from a war accident. Even then he doesn't even know he's in love until like five million years later.


29. What is his biggest goal in life?

Prooooobably to become a pilot, overcome his disability, have a family...you know. The works.


30. What does he believe is his greatest vice?

His greatest vice isssss....hhhhhrrrmmm....you know what, lemme get back to you on that. Because I have no idea.


31. What motivates your character most?

He's a pretty determined little monkey head. Anything can motivate him, really; he's easily motivated. In the long run I suppose his drive to succeed motivates him most.


32. Is your character objective-oriented?

Definitely. I imagine Scott has a list of life goals that he keeps in mind 24/7.


33. Would Scott rather be a good person or a great person?

Great. He strives (and quite honestly more often than not, in his mind, fails) to live up to his family (his uncle is high general, his father is general of the air force, his brother is a war hero, and his cousin is assistant general), but more often than not he gets thrown behind and forgotten.


34. Would he rather be hated for who he is or loved for being someone else?

Good question. I think he would honestly, first, be loved for being someone else but in the end he would realize it's more fun being himself.


35. Is Scott an extrovert, ambivert, or introvert?

Extrovert, definitely. He NEEDS social interaction to survive.


36. Is he creatively expressive?

I'm sure he's tried to be at some point in his life, but no, not anymore.


37. What is Scott's disorder?

He's too naive; he doesn't have any world experience, which can be good and bad I suppose.


38. Is he materialistic?

No, I don't think so. Being a soldier kinda ruins that for you.


39. What is his learning style?

I imagine he's learns best by watching.


40. I am a ____. How would Scott finish this sentence?

"I am a Skyy."


41. Life is an act of ______. How would he finish this sentence?

"Life is an act of living, because you kinda have to live to live...wait now I just confused myself..."

Inside the Character: Jay Skyy

Today's ItC is from Blue Skyys, a book I am co-authoring with my sister about two galaxies in a bitter war. Basically, Jay's entire story is summed up by this:

You may not be interested in war,

but war is interested in you.

...Yeah. He never meant to be involved in war. He's actually pretty gentle in real life.

1.  Who would play Jay in a movie?

This is the best picture of Jay I've ever seen. It's totally perfect, except Jay's hair is an orangey color. Redhead. But I mean, this is so perfect even the hairstyle is perfect. The chiseled features, the intense look, the skinniness, the adam's apple...it's all so perf. SO. PERF. The more I look at it....anyways, it's Wynston Shannon, but he doesn't look like Jay straight-on. Just profile.

2. What color is his hair?

A lighter red than pure redhead, with some brown in it. I'm not really sure how to explain it. Like, light golden brown with lots of golden red highlights. He typically doesn't really comb his hair, and doesn't get it cut very often since he's in the army. It's got a V like above. In fact, his hairstyle is as above.

3. What color are his eyes?

Jay has golden-brown eyes, like light-brown eyes. They're really studious and amazing.

4. What is his body type?

Jay is extremely thin and tall, with long arms and legs and wiry muscles. He stands at about 6' 4". His long, thin frame makes him look even taller.

5. Does he have any peircings/tattoos?

No sir.

6. What is the most attractive thing about him?

As you can see above, his profile is very attractive, also his height. But his chiseled features are just dreamy. And his intense expression. Which he wears literally all the time. *swoons*

7. What is the ugliest thing about him?

His thinness. I mean, he's pretty darn skinny. Past all that intense chiseled face, he's a scarecrow.

Emotions

8. When he smiles, what does it look like?

Yep, I've got a picture for that.

That's pretty much his average smile. When he really lets loose, it's amazing, because he hardly ever smiles. He had PTSD through a good bit of the novel, so he's pretty troubled...poor dear...

9. What does his laugh sound like?

Rare is the day when Jay laughs, just because it's not really in his nature. But I imagine it's deeper than his voice actually is, more of a chuckle, and quite a pleasant, comforting sort of sound.

10. What is his normal speech pattern?

He gets to the point, and asks a lot of questions. It's because of this that he's very intelligent, and logical. He thinks before he speaks, and he is the best listener ever. He hangs onto every word and makes sure to pause to process them before replying, very carefully and very thought-out.

11. How does he express/handle anger?

With a very, very stony and violent glare. Also, he can get quite loud when he's VERY worked up.

12. Does he cry?

He does, but he's never too flamboyant with it. He more just sheds tears in complete silence, face hard, and wipes them hurriedly.

13. What would make him cry?

Death is a big one, because he sees a lot of it in war and takes each one to heart. He cares deeply for all he comes in contact with, and this can be a weakness and a strength.

14. How easy is it for people to read his emotions?

For people who know him well, it can be quite easy. Since he doesn't express anything much, every movement of his face becomes recognizable. A twitch of the jaw means he's angry, a raising of the eyebrows could mean surprise, etc. For those who don't know him well, it can be difficult, but he has such an unmovingly expressive face...somehow you can tell every thought he's thinking and every emotion that passes just from his face and body language. It's the subtle things that count.

Character Beliefs

15. Is he religious?

Yes. Jay is highly religious and relies heavily on his Christian beliefs.

16. How does he view those of other faith?

He respects them. He knows everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but he will probably try to convert you first chance.

17. What are his core values?

Jay is very family-based, and his loves ones are an important part of his upbringing and emotional makeup. He is a strong believer in chivalry and is very, very kind and caring. Even though he can seem kinda severe at times, you know he means well.

18. How willing is he to fight for those beliefs?

He knew when he was drafted that death was a very real possibility, and is fully prepared to die for his galaxy.

Likes and Dislikes

19. Favorite food?

Chocolate. Jay loves chocolate. Especially Nutella. Especially especially Nutella and peanut butter cookies. They're his favorite.

20. Favorite color?

Probably orange, more or less like his hair. He never really had that many options because, according to him, 'not many colors go with this color hair'.

21. What is his sleeping preferences?

He isn't much of a sleeper, since his PTSD makes him a bit of an insomniac. However, he prefers beds. Any kind of bed. It can be a hard cot or a comfy king bed, it doesn't matter to him. But the floor...nuh uh. For some reason, it's impossible for him to sleep on the floor.

22. What type of music does he like?

I don't guess he was ever much of a music person. What he did listen to was all probably inspirational type-stuff, and Christian.

Character History

23. What is his birthday?

November 2

24. What family structure did he have as a child?

This is where it gets complicated. Jay's dad, James Skyy, was the oldest of eleven kids, and so Jay's family is extended and quite large. He has two younger siblings, Willa and (OMW I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LITTLE KID'S NAME). But the people he is really closest too are his cousins. James's younger brother, Ace Skyy, has eight kids. Jay and Ty, the oldest of Ace's kids, were born within months of each other and are closer than brothers. Jay and Ty literally probably couldn't function properly without each other. So, that being said, he is also very attached to Ty's younger brother, Scott. And I think that's about it with family. They were all really close, Jay's family and his cousins, and practically lives at each other's house, romping around and having dinner and going to school together and all that.

25. What is the worst thing he has ever done?

In his opinion, been so against people being drafted into the war, even though his galaxy was losing sorely and they needed soldiers. He really didn't want to get involved in war, even if Ty and Scott both enlisted on their own.

26. What is the most significant romantic encounter of his past?

He has never really been interested in finding love. The one girl he had the slightest interest in was a school girl named May, and it didn't even last a month. He's just very busy-minded, and says he's not ready for a relationship. He says he'll wait until after the war.

27. Has he ever been in love?

He meets a Syestar slave who sort of takes him in when he's injured, and he loves her from the very beginning. She, however, is confused about the entire idea, because she has been a slave her whole life, and sort of sees Jay as her master, which breaks Jay's heart.

28. What is his biggest goal in life?

Currently, to save his galaxy, Rialis. In the long run, probably something like doing everything he can for people he loves. I mean, he's like the Alfred Pennyworth of the Skyy family. He's always doing something for someone else, and does nothing for himself. He likes it that way, and he gets uncomfortable when someone tries to do something for him. So that's sort of his goal; to help others in any way he can.

29. What does he believe is his greatest virtue?

Hrm...I don't know. Jay doesn't think too much about himself. I guess he hopes he's a good leader, though wether he believes he is (much less wether he thinks it's his greatest virtue) is another story.

30. What does he believe is his greatest failure/vice/weakness?

He has a temper, as do all redheads (apparently...<_<) and when he gets angry he gets very terse and short with everyone, not just one person. He kinda takes his anger out of everyone. As for weakness, his health. He suffers from debilitating headaches that come on at random, and he hates that they practically cripple him, keeping him from being at all useful.

31. What motivates him most?

His patriotism and his drive to get things done.

32. Is he objective-oriented?

I don't know where Jay would be in life without his goals. He sets goals for himself, and then sets them for other people who don't know he's setting goals for them, and when they don't reach his goals he has a little panic attack. Jay is VERY objective-oriented.

33. Would he rather be a good person or a great person?

Jay wants to be a great person. He wants to succeed more than anything, and wants to help others succeed. Unfortunately, he sees himself as somewhat living in the shadow of his much handsomer, much more talented, outgoing, friendly pilot cousin Ty, who attracts attention wherever he goes. He's sort of torn between two feelings for this; half of him is okay with it, the other half wants to be more like his uncle (and general), Liam, who is very commanding, sure of himself, and on top of things.

34. Would he rather be hated for who he is or loved for being someone he's not?

Much rather be hated for who he is, though it would bug him a good deal. He hates fakers.

35. Is Jay an ambivert, extrovert, or introvert?

Definitely an introvert. He's very quiet, very thoughtful, and very serious. He takes your best interests to heart and is THE BEST LISTENER EVER. Like, he will keep eye contact as you talk, nod when appropriate, look very interested, then sit and process what you say before constructing a reply. It's the consideration of your words that getS MEEEEE.

36. Is he creatively expressive?

Being an introvert, no, not really. He's not a music person, doesn't write, doesn't draw or anything like that...though he is extremely talented at strategy and organization, and will often sit and plan out battles or organize stuff compulsively when thinking hard or bored.

37. What is his disorder?

Jay suffers from a head injury he got from being slammed in the head with the butt of a gun. He was in a coma for nine months, and now has very bad migraine-like headaches from the healed wound. An average headache is very painful, causes him to be distracted, weak, tired, nauseated, dizzy, and irritable, but every so often he will get terrible ones, where they nearly cripple him. His eyes get sensitive to light, he throws up, gets dizzy so badly that he can barely stand, and usually just has to lie in a dark room until it passes a few hours later. No medicine helps, and doctors can't diagnose and condition. It's all very mysterious.

38. Is he materialistic?

Being in the army has kicked any materialism he has had in the past into submission.

39. What is his learning style?

He is a visual learner. He learns best by watching, reading, and studying.

40. I am a ________. How would Jay finish the sentence?

...I don't know. This post is making me realize that Jay is quite unsure of his identity.

41. Life is an act of _______.

Life is an act of serving and fighting.