ABC questions for each character of the letter their name starts with
So this is a long one.
A: Aptitude
Grand Duke Arno Lambert, who has basically reinvented himself to be Lumina’s Duke Consort, really.
1. what are your oc’s natural abilities, things they’ve been doing since young?
Arno is a born healer. As a Trugiln, he’s always been a decent tracker, guide, and hunter when necessary, but his preference is always to care for the people and animals who stumble their way to his home. He’s also pretty good at math.
2. what activities have they participated in?
Arno, back when he was under a different name, used to be a champ at drunken arm wrestling because he was chronically sober.
3. what abilities do they have that they’ve worked for?
Herbalism, rather than healing, was something he had to learn. He also practiced with throwing axes and hammers as melee weapons back in the day, to mixed success.
4. what things are they bad at?
I never said he was any good at throwing weapon. Only that he tried to use them.
5. what is their most impressive talent?
Arno can heal with enough skill—and a touch of divine providence—to revive the recently-dead.
B: Basics
Here we have Brigid Rime, a villain!
1. what is their hair color?
Her hair is white, which she dyes different colors when the mood strikes her. It’s been a very lovely nigh-prismatic purple before.
2. what is their eye color?
Deep brown. There’s something a bit odd about the way her eyes appear in bright light, though… (Her pupils are actually square.)
3. how tall are they?
About 5’4”.
4. how old are they?
Somewhere between 25 and 32.
5. how much do they weigh?
137 lbs.
C: Comfort
Cirrus, Gabilan’s master-at-arms.
1. how do they sit in a chair?
He prefers to sit in a chair the way chairs are meant to be sat in, and gets a little annoyed with everyone else deciding that “furniture” is the same as “climbing wall.”
2. in what position do they sleep?
Cirrus sleeps on his side or back, occasionally rolling from one to the other and landing squarely on the floor.
3. what is their ideal comfort day?
Cirrus would definitely prefer to spend the day in three major sections: sparring with everyone in Gabilan, then visiting a steam house to relax after a workout, and finally reading a good book late into the night.
4. what is their major comfort food? Why?
Jellied eel, because his mother used to make it. It doesn’t actually taste appealing.
5. who is the best at comforting them when down?
Cirrus prefers to visit the stables and check in with the horses, because he feels more relaxed around them than around his brothers sometimes. Of said horses, his favorite is named Silverstream.
D: Decoration
Dazma Kiltaea, master sorceress. Probably not human.
1. how would they decorate a house if they had one under their name?
Dazma has the correct total lack of taste to appreciate white marble columns in home decorating, in some 40-room manor that was impressive enough before cultural grave-robbing kicked in.
2. how would they decorate their child’s room?
Not her problem. She doesn’t have one of those anymore.
3. how do they decorate their own room?
Gold. So much gold. She wants to be a dragon of yore. She would also like an arcane workshop within easy reach to help with the obtaining of more things her real self missed out on. Also, she’s rather fond of floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
Light hitting the room is like as not to blind visitors.
4. what type of clothes and accessories do they wear?
Picture a woman-shaped swathe of white, blue, and black fabric. Anything past that point is a mystery.
5. do they like makeup/nail/beauty trends?
Trends are for people who care what other people think. Her nails are sharp enough to cut, exactly as she likes them.
E: External Personality
Evander of Oltose, not exactly Mr. Personality.
1. does the way they do things portray their internal personality?
No.
2. do they do things that conform to the norm?
He certainly seems like a model soldier. Obeys orders, never asks questions…
3. do they follow trends or do their own thing?
He kinda tends to go along with the crowd, whatever that might entail.
4. are they up-to-date on the internet fads?
The internet doesn’t exist.
5. do they portray their personality intentionally or let people figure it out on their own?
The latter. Less effort that way.
Interestingly, every thing said by or about him is almost guaranteed to be a lie. Evander’s original personality and identity was entirely overwritten by a creature from the Dreamscape years ago, whose central personality tenet is “Deceit.”
F: Fun
Fiamma of Kingsroad, the Red Shirt of the Royal Kaltekas Army, Magical Operations.
1. what do they do for fun?
Fiamma prefers to organize large parties with friends if at all possible. If not, she used to be the one who kept track of betting pools, card counters, and weighted dice.
2. what is their ideal party?
50+ attendees with free-flowing alcohol, games, and at least one fantastic musical performance. She wants to have a concert.
3. who would they have the most fun with?
She prefers hanging out with people like Zahara, rather than the party poopers of the world like Lumina.
4. can they have fun while conforming to rules?
Yes!
5. do they go out a lot?
Under better circumstances, yes!
G: Gorgeous
The Gumiho, also known as one of the walking, talking Dreamscape dangers.
1. what is their most attractive external feature?
Silky black hair seems to appeal!
2. what is the most attractive part of their personality?
The Gumiho can make any part of its personality attractive, from sense of humor to ambition to the urge to devour human flesh. It’s in its nature as a predatory trickster to adapt to anything that might convince prey to relax. Then come the teeth.
3. what benefits come with being their friend?
Not getting eaten.
4. what parts of them do they like and dislike?
Nothing of note.
5. what parts of others do they envy?
Nothing of note.
H: Heat
Hokide, Dreamscape born-and-raised. Which causes problems.
1. do they rather a hot or cold room?
Cold. Hot rooms have a bad relationship with Hokide’s lack of thermoregulation. His species has a much easier time in the wintry parts of the world.
2. do they prefer summer or winter?
Winter. So much.
3. do they like the snow?
Sort of?
4. do they have a favorite summer activity?
Does “not dying” count?
5. do they have a favorite winter activity?
Exploring glaciers to make maps and sketch landscapes. It’s fascinating!
I: In-the-closet
Ismene Nikos, Oceanus’s mother and healer extraordinaire for the Royal Kaltekas Army.
1. what is their sexuality?
Heteroflexible, I think.
2. have they ever questioned their sexuality?
Not especially. Ismene didn’t really think her early life gave her many opportunities to experiment much with her sexuality, and life in the army came to a pretty spectacularly horrible end. After the fallout, she decided none of it was worth the trouble.
3. have they ever questioned their gender?
After speaking with Fithrain and accidentally getting introduced to the concept, yes. After some thinking, Ismene shrugged and came to the conclusion she was a cis woman.
4. would/was their family be okay with them being LGBT?
She doesn’t think they would have been.
5. how long would/did it take for them to come out?
Closest she ever got was explaining to her son that he didn’t have be ashamed of being attracted to some of the village boys instead of just girls. Oceanus, being about seven at the time, never made the connection between his mother’s acceptance in that moment and anything past that.
K: Kill
Keyah, the head of scouting in Gabilan!
1. have they ever thought about suicide?
Yes.
2. have they ever thought about homicide?
Definitely. It’s a part of her job description as a former Army scout, though not exactly a recognized aspect of being a courier.
3. if they could kill anyone without punishment, would they? Who?
Probably people who threaten Gabilan, because she’s done it before.
4. who would miss them if they died?
Her friends in Gabilan, her extended family, and her boss.
5. who would be happy they died, anyone?
No one?
L: Lemons
Lucretia Araceli, would-be knight!
1. what is their favorite fruit?
Cherries.
2. what is their least favorite fruit?
Peaches.
3. are there any foods they hate?
Jellied eels.
4. do they have any food intolerances?
She can’t stand beans, but isn’t intolerant or allergic.
5. what is their favorite food?
Oltosian wheat bread.
M: Maternal
Mitra bint Naviyd ibn Copernicus al-Fulan, one of the people least suited for this.
1. would they want a daughter or a son?
If forced to address the question of children, she’d say one of both. Or neither.
2. how many children do they want?
None, generally speaking.
3. would they be a good parent?
Yes.
4. what would they name a son? what would they name a daughter?
“Omair” and “Fatimah.”
5. would they adopt?
Probably not.
N: Never Have I Ever
Nimbus, schoolmaster of Gabilan.
1. what would they never do?
Get married.
2. what have they never done that they want to do?
Climb to the tallest peak in the Spine and plant a flag there.
3. is there anything they absolutely can’t believe people do?
Read anything written by “S. Burat.”
4. what is the most embarrassing thing they’ve done?
Fell asleep on his desk, directly onto a still-wet document. Woke up with writing all over his face.
5. have they done anything they thought they’d never do?
Yeah: Live to see forty.
O: Optimism
Oceanus of Seabridge, one of our main protagonists.
1. are they optimistic or pessimistic?
Oceanus is deeply pessimistic.
2. are they openly optimistic, throwing it on others?
Nope. And nope.
3. are they good at giving advice?
Absolutely horrible. Most of his advice is phrased in a way that comes off as sarcastic or just blunt even when he’s trying to help.
4. is there anyone in their life that throws optimism on them?
Khalil and Alena both do, but Khalil is the more insistent one by far. Alena is a quieter presence.
5. were they always optimistic?
Fuck. No. And never have been.
P: Personality
Pyrrhos Razen, low-level tyrant.
1. what is their best personality trait?
He would say his business sense and pragmatism are the most useful to him and everyone around him. He’s proud of every moment he gets one over on someone else, and celebrates.
2. what is their worst personality trait?
Complete and utter disregard for human rights. The guy’s a mid-level crime lord, and what scruples he has don’t apply to anyone but himself and Brigid Rime, his partner in crime.
3. what of their personality do others love?
Brigid is most fond of his confidence. Others like the fact that when bought, he stays bought like a good mercenary. Or at least he honors deals made with him personally.
4. what of their personality do others envy?
Confidence, generally.
5. do they hate anything about their personality/about other’s personalities?
Pyrrhos despises indecisiveness and doesn’t understand the point of altruism. Which on its own means he doesn’t understand altruism in general.
Q: Questions
Quillyn, proprietor of the Evening Primrose in the Oltose town of Lysand.
1. do they ask for help?
Not really.
2. do they ask questions in class?
What’s “class?”
3. do they answer questions that make them a little uncomfortable?
Sure, though it’s hard to really put a brothel madam off her game.
4. do they ask weird questions?
Mostly, she’s asked weird questions.
5. are they curious?
Not especially. It’s not a survival trait in her world.
R: Rules
Radovan of Stalmo, Alena’s long-missing biological father.
1. do they follow rules?
Pretty much. He’s a mercenary, so in many ways his life is a series of changing rulesets to go along with employers.
2. would they be a strict or laid-back parent?
As evidenced by his other actual children later on? He’s a laid-back dad insofar as he doesn’t do punishments.
3. have they ever been consequenced for breaking a rule?
No.
4. have they broken any rules they now regret breaking?
“Don’t sleep with the boss.”
5. do they find any rules they/others follow absolutely ridiculous?
He doesn’t understand why anyone would make rules against looting. Don’t they know that’s how bonuses happen?
S: Streets
Sinrajin of Skytear.
1. are they street-smart?
Not especially. One gets the impression he was raised by wolves—in fact, he was raised by spirits. As such, he sees the world entirely differently than the Kaltekans do.
2. would they give money to someone on the streets?
Yes, he would. Spirits don’t have much of a concept of money, really.
3. have they ever gotten in a fight on the streets?
Not once! It turns out that looking like a Trugiln bloodseeker is good street cred, because people assume he’d remove their faces with his teeth if angry enough.
4. has anything happened to them on the streets?
Nothing notable.
5. are they cautious when out?
Not a bit! Someone made the mistake of pointing out that Sinrajin was unlikely to be robbed by anyone unwilling to face the reality that he could probably break them in half, and he runs with that assumption.
T: Truth
Tirane of Queen’s Crossing, the token uninvolved human who is suddenly in the midst of shit.
1. are they honest?
Sort of. She does tend to qualify her statements by admitting she’s not really telling the whole truth, ever, but she does try to do people a good turn.
2. can they tell if someone is lying?
Absolutely. It’s a part of her magic skillset.
3. is it obvious when they’re lying?
She’s not especially good at it, so yes.
4. have they lied about anything they regret lying about?
Nope.
5. have they told truths that have been spread against their will?
Probably.
Y: You
1. how old were you when you created them?
It varies. A lot of these characters have been around since I was eleven or so, and some have been around for less than a month. Such is author life.
2. what inspired you to create them?
I really, really wanted to tell a story.
3. were they different when they were first created?
Oh boy, yeah. Some of them have had total personality flips. Others have been molded to suit their roles. Others stayed mostly the same, or at least their one-word summary did.
4. do you enjoy writing them more than other characters?
Some of them?
5. what’s your favorite thing about them?
They’re all great in different ways. Or despicable. But at least they’re running around in a created world and doing what characters do.
Z: Zebra
Zinnia Veritos
1. what’s their favorite animal?
Songbirds, especially small ones with bright colors.
2. do they like animals?
Yes.
3. cats or dogs?
Cats.
4. what’s their dream pet?
A housecat that won’t eat her bird friends.
5. do they have any pets at the moment?
Nope.