On a scale of “is occasionally forced to bathe” to “Instagram model with sponsors to hoe for” how involved is your OC’s Skincare routine? He showers almost every day, sometimes twice (once after his morning run and usually after work), and prefers scalding hot water. It's... hygienic, but isn't great for the skin and hair so he uses a basic moisturizer on his face and conditions his hair and that's about it. He's long given up on his hands being anything but rough, calloused and stained. What are your OC’s food preferences (flavors/textures/spiciness/calories/ when and how they eat) and how did they get that way? He isn't at all picky and will eat almost anything, but grew up with his family cooking a lot of traditional Arab and Middle Eastern foods so he has a slight nostalgic bias for those flavor profiles and ingredients (lamb, mint, chick peas, lentils, harissa, etc.). He loves spicy food, both in terms of heat and flavor, to the point of regularly snacking on raw chili's.
Due to his inhuman nature, he burns through a much higher calorie load per day than a normal person (with similar consequences of being a bit tired and irritable if he misses his goal for too many days in a row, but nothing catastrophic). He compensates by munching on small, frequent high-calorie and high-protein foods in between proper meals. Cheese, nuts, hard boiled eggs, dried fruit, avocados, jerky, etc. His desk drawers in the shop are usually a prime foraging ground for snacks, which he will cautiously allow. He tries to eat healthy most of the time, but is definitely not one to turn his nose up at junk food if it's going to hit the spot.
His best food love in life will always be sandwiches.
What’s something pointless/petty/unimportant that IRRATIONALLY ANNOYS THE HELL out of your OC?
People who refer to their pets as fur babies. It's a dog, fuck off.
What’s your OC’s response to being asked for money by a homeless person?
He doesn't mind giving a spare buck or two if they're straightforward about it, especially if they approach him first since he's... kind of an intimidating-looking dude and hey, props. He doesn't consider it any of his business what they use it for, and if the request comes with an obviously construed sob story then he's more inclined to tell them to take a hike.
Doesn't stop for pan handlers at intersections or anything where he's driving, though.
Does your OC get lost easily? What do they do when they do get lost? Not usually? He has a decent sense of direction and knows how to use a GPS/his phone so it's usually a non-issue. In a foreign city and where he has no access to directions he might be a little more worried, but his anxiety is less social and more internal, so he's not above asking strangers.
What would STOP your OC from Doing The Right Thing in a tense situation? This is, obviously, very situational. It depends on the people and circumstances involved. Abe tries to be a decent person, and in most situations he'll try to do The Right Thing, but there are obviously some grey areas. Would he return someone's dropped wallet on the street? Of course. Does he also strip and sell stolen cars for profit by moonlight? ... also yes.
I'll expound on that a little bit, since it's a pretty good example of his moral compass and there are a lot of variables.
Running a chop shop obviously isn't something that he just one day decided to do for a thrill (he's not Casey). It was born out of financial desperation, explicit knowledge about how the automotive industry works, running with a fairly rough and tumble crowd at the time, and working through some pretty emotionally rough times of his own. Although his parents weren't destitute by any means, he wanted very fucking little to do with either of them after the long, drawn-out media trash fire of his mother's court case and eventual incarceration. His dad's deportation was just... mwuah. Cherry on the cake. Instead, he cut off all contact with them after filing for legal guardianship of his sister and kept their collective heads low while he worked in buddies' garages, as a line cook, working overnight loading shifts at warehouses, etc.
Given some of the friends and cohorts he had at the time, not all of whom had squeaky clean records themselves, one thing led to another and it turns out that hey, petty crime is a lot easier than working yourself to the fucking bone every night to put food on the table!
He was about 20 at this time, so... you know, young, dumb, full of anger and hurt and pride. Fuck you, world. Fuck you very much. I don't want your help.
Obviously this was also rather stupidly risky given how highly publicized his mother's legal battle was. He kept it pretty small time and low-key for the first couple of years, until things had cooled down, but it's still kind of a miracle that he didn't get himself caught red-handed for anything major. He was still struggling for sure though, even with his side hustles. This was also about the time that Casey drifted back into his life. Rather than a hand-out or an inheritance, hey what do you know this old family friend is a pro at cheating the system and he has definitely stolen cars more than a few times in his long, long life. So even though Casey's moral compass is spinning at 200 mph at all times, it's the first kind of support system that Abe doesn't immediately reject, and the rest is a bit history.
Now, of course, he's in his early 30's, his sister is independent enough to be moved out and working on her own, and his day job of an auto repair shop is actually doing pretty damned good, enough that he could comfortably live on it. He's matured enough to regret the people he's indirectly screwed over through his criminal activities, and would love to just go legitimate from now on. Even if things fail, he's made amends with his father and his pride and feels comfortable in his support if everything somehow goes to shit.
It's easier said than done to just cut ties and fly away from the people and the criminal network he's quietly embroiled himself in for over a decade, though. He's really, really good at it by now, a reliable supplier, and always hides his tracks well. But he's a big boy, he can get through that he thinks, make a graceful exit. Yet there's still that "what if" anxiety over pulling the plug on something that’s running smoothly and having it blow up in his face. Not just financially, but legally. He's happier than he has been in a while, has a stable relationship, a good job outside of the chop shop, etc. As much as he's constantly vexed by Casey and considers him a chaotic nuisance in his day to day life, Abe also has healthy amounts of both respect for and fear of him. He's not an easy person to read or anticipate, and Abe has worked himself into knots over how the dullahan will react if he tells him he wants to go cold turkey.
So that's... that's a bit where he's at right now. Not doing The Right Thing in the overall picture, but somewhat paralyzed by anxiety and some concept of loyalty. Realistically, could your OC (in their normal circumstances- i.e. at thier own house/battlecamp/spaceship etc.) keep a small child alive for a week if they had to? A Dog? A Houseplant? A rock with a smiley face painted on?
Absolutely. Criminal activities aside, Abe is a very responsible person. He basically raised his much younger sister when he was barely out of teenager-hood himself. He also has a small dog that he basically removed from her care when she was going through her own growing pains and wasn't properly taking care of her, and has since turned the pup into a model citizen (that he still dotes on very much, to be sure). He's not exactly a nurturing person, he doesn't think, and has zero plans on having kids of his own, but he's definitely the first pick of his employees and friends who need a dog-sitter for the weekend. In a pinch, he has even been begged into watching their actual kids for an afternoon or so. If your OC had to take the S.A.T. tomorrow with one night to prep, how would they do? both emotionally and academically. Haha, he would have an absolute fucking meltdown! Abe doesn't consider himself very smart, to the point of being a bit self-conscious about it. He was a solid average student in high school that got by on a lot of athletic merit. Of course, like many people, he does have a lot of intelligence in very specific areas but has a hard time equating that to bookish or academic knowledge. What would cause your OC to chose to do something petty/pointlessly cruel?
I don't know about pointlessly cruel. He's definitely the type to get back at people who are riling him up via a sharp word or prank, but he's not the type (anymore) to pick fights over nothing. Lose his temper easily, yes, and especially in the past, but he's aware of his issues with that and works hard to control them now. On a scale of “Complete and Justified nervous breakdown” to “Conquer The Entire Galaxy and become an Immortal God-Emperor”, how well would your OC handle being abducted by Aliens? Definitely leaning more towards the former. Probably one good "what the fuck is happening" panic attack before locking down into survival mode and just trying to size up how to either get along with or take out who he needs to in order to protect himself/his loved ones. What song is 100% garunteed to get your OC beyond turnt and will be sung loudly and emabarrasingly, either in public or the shower?
"The Number of the Beast" by Iron Maiden, but lots of classic metal hits. He's not shy about singing, like, ABBA or Queen, either, around anyone including his actual musician boyfriend. Moreso in the kitchen when he's cooking than the shower (that's for adult activities) but you know. What perfectly-normal-to-them-thing does your OC do that confuses/pisses off/terrifies thier neighbors?
He doesn't have close neighbors on purpose, to disguise the traffic and noise of his after-hours activities. Beyond the obvious, though, most people's back yards don't habitually explode into temporary infernos when they need to let off some steam and/or are so fucking sick of winter that a built-in flamethrower seems better than shoveling. Under what circumstances would your OC appear naked in public?
Uh, hm. He's not uncomfortable with his naked body, quite the opposite (dude keeps in shape very much on purpose, okay?) He might be cajoled into nude modeling for an art class or something if he had the explicit consent of his partner, but otherwise it's just when he takes his glamour off. Even then, there seems to be a bit of intentional magical finagling that conceals the important bits from the public eye because he's not an actual animal and nobody needs to see a thirteen foot monster just hanging dong in the middle of the park. What thing did your OC’s parents do that your OC wishes they had a better explanation for?
Minor idiosyncrasies and major political decisions both aside, Abe exists in a universe where the inhumans can be anywhere from approximate to human lifespans or to flying off into the several century/millenia mark, with any variation in between given the individual and their species. He's a relatively "young" monster, in his 30's, but both of his parents are much, much older and have lived whole, complex lives for centuries that didn't include him.
Samir and Raima definitely went out of their way to acclimate themselves into modern society, and how they raised their kids, so it wasn't like his childhood was that out of the ordinary (for being, you know, a family of djinn and with immigrant parents). That said, sometimes he struggles with the concept that his parents both have other, grown children from past relationships that he'll never probably meet or know about. Even though he's an adult by human and mental standards, he recognizes that he hasn't lived long enough to even really conceive of the whole lifespans of two people that are closest to him, and that's... a bit wild?
He feels this way with Casey to an extent, too, but Casey isn't family, and also presents himself as a bit more pointedly abnormal, so it's harder to subject him to human standards. Raima however was definitely the PTA mom who showed up with perfect brownies and was also old enough to kick it with Achaemenes.
How often does your OC “zone out” or do things on autopilot and how severe have the problems that have arisen from that been?
Pretty often, but it's not usually a problem. He's been working as a mechanic long enough that his day job is pretty old-hat, comfortable but not boring and he can go through the day on autopilot if he needs to or has too little sleep (not... uncommon). He still gets a little adrenaline thrill with a backlash of minor guilt and frustration from his midnight escapades, and is much more mentally present and on alert for those.
For the rest of his life and hobbies, Abe tries to be present. If he's lazy or spacy, it's only with close friends or his boyfriend in his downtime, with whom the mood can be shared or else discussed if it becomes an issue. How strong or weak is your OC’s Impulse control? What’s the worst thing that happened becuase of thier Impulsivity or inability to be so?
As far as immediate gratification impulses, Abe is alright. He has minor impulsive thoughts, like anyone, that lead to bad take-out or doing something fun over something he doesn't want to focus on, but overall he's a largely responsible adult.
The only major caveat is that he's an ifrit, and he falls victim to the tropes of many fire elementals. Namely, his powers are tied to his emotions, and they naturally tend to run high. It's taken him most of his life to get a good handle on it and even though his emotional and physical control is really quite good these days, he still has his moments that he's deeply ashamed of.
When he was younger, singed furnishings were the norm and went hand in hand with any young child's emotional meltdowns. Fortunately, his dad was also an ifrit, thusly fireproof, and could mitigate the damage. Things were a little dodgy for his adolescent, teenage, and young adult years. He scorched a few people, some needed medical attention, he ate himself up with guilt until he cried, got better about his control, you know the pyro drill.
He's never seriously hospitalized anyone or burned down anything irreplaceable, and he's much better about his emotions and temperament now, but there's still that razor's edge of doubt that's always present in his thoughts. How does your OC sabotage themselves?
While he's pretty savvy and in control of his business and casual relationships, he's a fucking dunce at romantic conquests. He wants to love and be loved very much, but that sort of intimacy requires a long, hard look at his own self-doubt, self-control, etc. He's often been the one to break it off in the past, more out of frustration or disappointment with himself than because he didn't like his partner. He can keep a good, casual thing going for a while right up until he gets nervous, cuts and runs, or subconsciously turns himself into such an insufferable asshole that he gets turned out on his ass first.
It's really not like he didn't have good role models, since his parents were loving and demonstrative with each other, but it's been a chronic problem for sure.
Anyway, his current relationship has been going well even through some bumps, and he's both relieved and happy about that while also trying not to gnaw off a metaphorical limb with imagined disaster scenarios. Shut up, stop thinking, you love him, he loves you, you're HAPPY.
What’s the trashiest item in your OC’s wardrobe, when was the last time they wore it and why do they still have it?
Oh, man. Out of all my fashion disaster Lousy Coffee OC's, Abe is an underwhelming culprit. He's a low-key dude and sticks to denim, t-shirts, and tank tops, sometimes leather. He prefers sleeveless to let his tattoos do the talking.
Sometimes he leans a little hard into the Rockabilly vibe with some bowling shirts, which don't look bad on him, but one year Jen got him this as a Christmas present, and every time he wears it nobody can take him seriously.
(It's because his unglamoured form is largely black and orange and it's a bit too on the nose) How Dehydrated is your OC right now? Are they going to fix this?
Subjective, since he's a fire monster. He's probably alright, but will drink a glass of water if you give it to him. What’s your OC smell like? no, not that “Vanilla and Anxiety” evocative stuff, realistically. Body odor? what have they been touching all day? When was thier last shower? Did they put on any kind of artificial scent?
Definitely sweat and body odor in the morning when he first wakes up and after his run, but he showers afterwards. Motor oil, carbolic soap, more sweat, sometimes a kind of bonfire crispiness if he's been in a mood, mild dog stank, and have you ever smelled a warm horse like outside of its manure stall and just standing in the sun being clean and nice? Not to be too purple prose but that.
